Being with You Actually Makes Me Happy

As the last group of students lunged for the pool wall, gasping for breath, the swimming proficiency test that had lasted nearly an hour finally came to an end.

The splashing in the pool gradually subsided. Some students leaned against the edge to catch their breath, while others draped towels over themselves and headed for the rest area.

Without exception, they all looked exhausted.

Yet in a sense, this swimming proficiency test had stirred the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of most of Class D.

The top three spots in the final swimming test were unsurprisingly claimed by Akiyama Shin, Koenji Rokusuke, and Hirata Yosuke.

Akiyama Shin's movements were relaxed and fluid, and his strokes were remarkably efficient, with almost no unnecessary motion throughout.

Koenji Rokusuke, meanwhile, relied on his innate physical coordination. Even without putting in much effort, his talent was astonishing.

Hirata Yosuke secured third place with his steady rhythm and excellent turns.

In the rankings that followed, very few competitors could barely keep up with those three. Among the boys, only Sudo Ken stood out through his extraordinary explosiveness and endurance, crossing the finish line in 26 seconds to become the strongest male swimmer after the top three.

Over in the girls' group, the confident Onodera Kayano maintained her lead from start to finish, ultimately taking first place with an excellent time of 26.61 seconds.

Aside from them, most students had ordinary results ranging from 30 to 35 seconds. Swimming was relatively niche, after all, and not everyone's strong suit.

Even Horikita Suzune, who excelled in both academics and conventional sports, could not be considered skilled at swimming. Her form was proper, but she lacked explosiveness, and her breathing rhythm occasionally became disrupted.

Her final time was just over 29 seconds, putting her only slightly above average and leaving a clear gap between her and the top swimmers.

During the award ceremony, Akiyama Shin remained as composed as ever. When he accepted the 5,000 Personal Points reward from the teacher, he merely gave a slight nod in thanks. Onodera Kayano, on the other hand, could barely hide her delight. After receiving her reward, she did not forget to share her happiness with the classmates beside her. The point rewards in their hands drew envious looks from the others.

The dismissal bell rang.

Everyone returned to the changing rooms one after another.

When Akiyama Shin had changed and walked out of the swimming facility with Hirata Yosuke and Onodera Kayano, they were immediately surrounded by a large group of curious and excited Class D students.

"Akiyama-kun! You're way too good at swimming! How did you train?"

"Hirata-kun, I knew you were athletic, but I had no idea you were this good at swimming too!"

"Congratulations, Onodera!"

"Where's Koenji? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"

Questions surged in like a tide, mixed with inquiries about Koenji Rokusuke, who had slipped away early.

Hirata Yosuke maintained his gentle smile and patiently answered everyone's questions, displaying his outstanding social skills.

Onodera Kayano seemed a little embarrassed, but her face was still bright with the joy of victory.

Kushida Kikyo had finally found a legitimate reason to move closer to Akiyama Shin.

With just the right amount of admiration and curiosity on her face, she said sweetly, "Akiyama-kun, you're really amazing! That speed completely stunned me!"

Wang Meiyu squeezed her way over as well, her little face slightly flushed as she looked up at Akiyama Shin.

"A-Akiyama... congratulations..."

Matsushita Chiaki wore an investigative expression.

"Akiyama-kun... isn't your stamina a little beyond the normal range...? You never seem like it usually... Don't tell me you're some hidden expert pretending to be weak...?"

Hasebe Haruka boldly teased him as well.

"Akiyama-kun~ I never thought that not only are you handsome... but you have such a great body too~ And you're so good at swimming! Showing off your charm like this is just too much... I'm being drawn to you already!"

Akiyama Shin's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly in the face of the sudden attention and string of questions.

He hated being surrounded by people and having to engage in endless meaningless socializing.

After casually offering a few perfunctory replies—nothing special, thanks for the compliment, I work out regularly—he could already feel his patience running thin. Seeing even more classmates preparing to come over with questions, Akiyama Shin made a prompt decision and patted Hirata Yosuke on the shoulder.

"Hirata, I'll leave this to you."

He spoke quickly. Without waiting for Hirata Yosuke to react, he swiftly broke out of the crowd and headed toward the dormitories without looking back.

Having escaped the enthusiastic students, Akiyama Shin had not gone far from the swimming facility when he spotted that familiar figure beneath a large tree by the road leading to the dorms.

Horikita Suzune stood there quietly, her long black hair swaying gently in the evening breeze. She appeared to have been waiting for him.

Akiyama Shin did not slow down, naturally walking over to her side. He had long since grown accustomed to Horikita Suzune's habit of lying in wait. Ever since school began, unless something unusual came up, she always seemed to appear near him after class or at moments like this, claiming it was for observation. Even though the past half-month had been uneventful and lacking in any substantial intelligence, she remained as consistent as ever.

"Got surrounded?"

Horikita Suzune looked at his slightly hurried pace. Her cool voice carried a trace of understanding.

"Yeah. Annoying."

Akiyama Shin's assessment was concise.

The two walked side by side in silence for a while before Horikita Suzune spoke again, asking something she had been curious about.

"Did you... ever train specifically in swimming?"

"No."

Akiyama Shin answered decisively.

"My physical condition is just better than average."

A flicker of shock passed through Horikita Suzune's eyes again.

He had never trained specifically, yet he had reached a level close to a world record based solely on his physical foundation...

That kind of talent was far too terrifying...

The more she observed him, the more Horikita Suzune felt that Akiyama Shin was an unfathomable mystery.

"You lately..."

Akiyama Shin suddenly spoke first, breaking the silence. His tone was as calm as usual.

"Things have been kind of dull for you, haven't they?"

Horikita Suzune froze for a moment and looked at him in confusion.

"Dull? Why would you say that?"

She listed her reasons seriously.

"Every day, I study diligently and reinforce my knowledge. I'm also trying to change, gradually engaging in necessary interactions with the other students. And I've been following you, observing your behavior and patterns of thought... Shouldn't that be fulfilling?"

"Why would it be dull?"

Akiyama Shin glanced at her.

"Day after day—classes, dismissal, observation, studying... Isn't that kind of cycle dull?"

His own days were not much different, perhaps even more monotonous. He spent them thinking, making arrangements, keeping up his training, and having those late-night conversations with Kushida Kikyo.

But to him, that monotony had always been synonymous with fulfillment. He had clear goals in mind, and both his mind and body remained highly active at all times.

Even his unfailing morning runs were not only necessary training to maintain his fitness, but also rare, quiet moments alone to think.

Horikita Suzune, however, gently shook her head. Her tone held an unusual firmness.

"No."

"When you have a clear goal and steadily move toward it every day, even if the process is repetitive, I won't find it dull."

She paused, seeming to weigh her wording before slowly continuing.

"Being with you..."

"Instead... makes me feel happy."

Akiyama Shin's steps paused slightly. Then he turned to look at her with surprise.

Happy?

Hearing that word from Horikita Suzune, who always presented herself as calm, rational, and even somewhat indifferent, genuinely caught him off guard. In his impression, her emotional fluctuations were mostly tied to her refusal to lose and her thirst for knowledge. She seemed almost completely disconnected from such a positive emotion as happiness.

Under Akiyama Shin's probing gaze, a faint flush, so subtle it was almost imperceptible, rose to Horikita Suzune's fair cheeks. Somewhat uncomfortable, she turned her face aside to avoid his eyes. Seeing her reveal such an embarrassed expression, a thought flashed through Akiyama Shin's mind.

Perhaps... I could try a different approach?

He began walking again and casually made a suggestion.

"I don't think you'll be able to observe anything meaningful by following me lately..."

"Starting tomorrow... want to try going on morning runs with me?"

Horikita Suzune froze again at that, turning to look at him with obvious surprise in her eyes.

Morning runs? Together with him?

Akiyama Shin continued explaining, his tone still calm.

"Since our opportunities to talk during school are limited, and after school we each go straight back to our dorms, you can ask me directly if you have any questions or want to discuss something while we're running."

That was essentially an offer of a fixed, private channel of communication. Horikita Suzune had never expected Akiyama Shin to be willing to set aside his own time specifically to answer her questions.

A surge of emotions mixed with surprise, gratitude, and an indescribable flutter rose in her heart.

She instinctively lowered her head, concealing her warming cheeks and racing heartbeat. In a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz but still clear enough, she answered, "Okay."

With her head lowered, cheeks slightly flushed, and softly agreeing like that, anyone unaware of the situation might have assumed a girl in love had just accepted an extraordinary confession.

Seeing her reaction, the corners of Akiyama Shin's lips lifted in an almost imperceptible curve.

The guidance... seemed to be going more smoothly than expected...?

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, intertwining them along the quiet path through the campus.