Unexpected

Hoshino quickly changed his clothes and stepped out of the changing room.

Looking toward where Sakura and the other girl were sitting in the distance, it seemed they were discussing something.

Thinking about it, for the introverted and reclusive Sakura to be able to converse with others like this was quite a major step forward. Hoshino could truly take a lot of credit for this.

"What are you two chatting about?"

Hoshino walked up to them and greeted them.

"Hoshino-kun... ah!"

Sakura, who was responding, suddenly let out a soft cry.

"Hm? What's wrong, Sakura-san?"

"No, it's nothing..."

"It's because she suddenly saw Aki wearing swim trunks and going shirtless, so she's shy, right?"

"Ha, Hasebe-san!"

"That won't do, didn't we agree to use nicknames?"

"Ka, Kaka..."

"Hehe, Airi is really easy to read."

Under Hasebe's teasing, Sakura's face turned bright red, and she curled into a ball in embarrassment.

"Come to think of it, Aki, you can't tell at all when you're wearing your uniform, but your physique is quite extraordinary."

Hasebe looked Hoshino over with great interest.

"I think it's pretty average myself."

"No, it's definitely not average. Do you take me for someone who can't even tell that much?"

"But I really haven't joined any sports clubs. If anything, I've barely exercised since coming here, and I can already feel my body getting soft."

"If that's the case, then it can only be explained by natural talent. Some people are just born with stronger bodies than others."

Hasebe reached her own conclusion. Although Sakura didn't dare to glance at Hoshino at all, she nodded slightly in agreement. She was likely thinking of her own struggle with sports, confirming Hasebe's theory from the opposite perspective.

"If you're that curious, you can touch and see."

"...Aki, that line is incredibly sleazy; it could be classified as sexual harassment."

Hasebe looked at Hoshino with an expression of utter disgust.

"If I'm the one being touched, wouldn't I be the one losing out?"

"No matter how you look at it, the girl is the one being taken advantage of, right?"

"But isn't that a bit unfair?"

"Unfair?"

Hasebe tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"People keep talking about gender equality, yet the same action is treated differently depending on whether a guy or a girl does it."

"Just speaking about this specific matter, even if you swapped roles, it wouldn't be a good thing; if anything, that would be even more serious sexual harassment."

"If Hasebe-san or Sakura-san told me I could touch and see, I'd probably be very excited."

"Please don't say such perverted, vulgar things."

Hasebe's gaze was already cold enough to freeze.

"Sorry, that was an ill-timed joke. In front of pretty girls, guys just can't help but want to attract attention—whether by showing off or acting weird—anyway, we just end up acting stupid. Please forgive me."

"I've already fully grasped that you're a lecher, Aki. But please, by all means, do not taint Airi's pure heart."

Hasebe stood in front of Sakura as if to protect her from Hoshino, shielding her behind her back while taking a cautious step backward.

"Although I'm not exactly pure myself, your actions are actually hurting my heart, seriously."

"Pfft, you deserve it, Aki."

The lighthearted conversation continued, and Sakura's tension seemed to have eased, her expression no longer as strained as it was at the start.

"Well then, shall I start swimming?"

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"One last check: you two really aren't going to get in the water today?"

"What are you still saying at this point? Neither Airi nor I brought swimsuits."

"I mean, I'd love to see you in swimsuits, but I'm totally okay with you swimming without them."

"Okay your head! If you say that again, we're leaving right now!"

Hasebe made a move to hit him. Hoshino dodged her, used the momentum to run, and dove into the pool with a graceful leap.

"Whoa, not a bad form."

"Hoshino-kun, that's amazing..."

The two people on the shore couldn't help but exclaim. Hoshino kept his body submerged, relying solely on the movement of his torso and legs to propel himself forward at an incredible speed.

Even someone who didn't know how to swim could tell this was a high-level technique, and his velocity was undeniably fast.

Hoshino had swum over ten meters in this posture when, just as his body was about to surface, an accident occurred.

He suddenly lost his balance, and his posture shifted to a vertical position. He thrashed his arms in the water, struggling desperately to keep his head above the surface.

"Kaka, Hoshino-kun, he..."

Even the usually oblivious Sakura noticed that something was wrong.

"Airi, stay here!"

Hasebe's body moved before her mind could even process the situation. She shouted this as she bolted forward.

Running along the edge of the pool to the point closest to Hoshino, Hasebe dove straight into the water and swam toward him.

Someone had reached Hoshino before her. That person was treading water with practiced ease while providing Hoshino with firm support. A moment later, Hasebe arrived as well.

Upon seeing the person helping Hoshino, she was slightly taken aback.

"You are... Katsuragi-kun?"

The sturdy man was none other than Katsuragi Kohei from Class A.

"Are you his companion? It seems he has a calf cramp."

Katsuragi spoke in a steady tone. Hoshino offered a wry smile at the same time.

"Thanks to your help, Katsuragi-kun. Thank you."

"There is no need for thanks. Let's get to the shore and rest for now."

With Katsuragi's assistance, Hoshino slowly moved toward the edge of the pool. Hasebe followed closely by his side.

It was fortunate that a strong student like Katsuragi was there to help. Hoshino climbed out of the pool with great effort. For some reason, several more figures had appeared by the poolside.

"Huh? Why are Matsushita-san and Sato-san here?"

"What, are we not allowed to come?"

It was a simple question, but Matsushita retorted with an intense tone. I wonder if she's still angry about the joke made during swimming class?

"Katsuragi-kun, I'm fine now, thank you."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Although I haven't fully recovered, I should be fine after a while."

Hoshino endured the cramping pain radiating from his calf. Now that he was out of the water, there was no longer any danger. Katsuragi nodded at Hoshino and turned to swim away.

"Ho, Hoshino-kun, that was so dangerous just now. I'm so glad you're okay..."

Sakura, standing nearby, still wore a look of concern.

"Hmph, trying to look cool and ending up making a mess of it. You jumped in without warming up and ended up cramping—you really embarrassed yourself this time."

"You saw the whole thing? When did you two get here, Matsushita-san?"

"When Chiaki and I arrived, we happened to see Hoshino-kun chatting with Sakura-san and Hasebe-san, and then Hoshino-kun just jumped straight into the water. By the way, is Hoshino-kun good at swimming? Your diving form was really cool!"

Sato said this with excitement sparkling in her eyes.

"But the result was acting like an idiot and getting a cramp in the water."

Hoshino could tell; Matsushita was definitely still angry.

"By the way, what should we do about Hasebe-san?"

Matsushita suddenly changed the subject.

Hoshino instinctively looked toward the pool, but Matsushita quickly reached out to force his head back.

"Aki! Don't look at me! Or I'll get angry!"

Hasebe cried out in embarrassment. Hoshino immediately realized the situation; she had dove into the pool in a panic without changing, so naturally, her clothes were now completely soaked.

Even though it was only a fleeting glimpse, that stunning sight remained deeply etched in his mind.

Hasebe kept her body hidden beneath the water, exposing only her head as she looked at everyone in embarrassment.

"W-what do I do? I didn't bring a change of clothes at all."

"I have an idea. Maya, go to the locker room now and get that bath towel from my bag. That should be enough to wrap Hasebe-san up completely. Then she can go to the locker room..."

"But Chiaki, even if Hasebe-san gets to the locker room, she doesn't have any spare clothes to change into, right?"

After Sato raised her objection, Matsushita, who had made the suggestion, faltered slightly.

"I originally thought Hasebe-san could wear my clothes and then head back to the dorms..."

"Although Chiaki and Hasebe-san are about the same height, their builds are very different. She wouldn't be able to fit into your clothes at all, would she?"

"Ugh, stop it, Maya! You're so long-winded!"

The two began to bicker as they spoke. The fact that they were calling each other by their first names was proof of their close relationship.

Even so, Matsushita did not relax her "suppression" of Hoshino. Just how little does she trust him?

"Th-that, I'll head back to the dorm now to get my clothes; Kaka should be able to fit into them..."

At this moment, Sakura cautiously offered her suggestion.

"Oh, oh, Sakura-san's clothes will definitely fit!"

"That's enough, Maya, shut your mouth and get moving already!"

"I, I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Following Matsushita's command, Sato and Sakura set off toward their respective destinations.