The Pool Champion

Splash!

Onodera Kayano overtook Kamuro the moment she entered the water and quickly widened the gap.

Kamuro, trailing behind, gave chase with all her strength but still could not make up the steadily growing distance.

Onodera won by an overwhelming margin, taking first place in twenty-six seconds.

When she climbed out of the pool, she was greeted by applause from Class D.

Kamuro Masumi climbed onto the poolside afterward, panting heavily. Lady Sakayanagi, who rarely showed such consideration, walked over and extended a hand to Kamuro.

"Your opponent is an active member of the Swimming Club. It's perfectly normal to lose."

"I wasn't that concerned about winning or losing. I knew the result already."

Kamuro argued stubbornly, but that did not change the fact that she had been completely defeated by her opponent.

All the girls from Class A had been eliminated. First place in the girls' division would be decided between Onodera and Horikita from Class D, and Onodera, the stronger swimmer, took first place.

"The girls' division has been completely wiped out. Now we can only count on the boys."

"Although Sakamoto is always messing with people, with his swimming ability, he should be able to take first place."

"Oh?"

Sakayanagi looked meaningfully at the boys stepping onto the starting blocks.

"Next are Kito from Class A and Hirata from Class D..."

"Teacher." A Class D student stepped forward. "Hirata isn't feeling well, so he can't participate."

"Is that so? Then does anyone else from your class want to take part?"

An unexpected situation had arisen. Hirata Yosuke from Class D was absent, and the swimming instructor intended to choose another Class D student to replace him.

Although someone had already volunteered, the teacher said he would first see whether anyone else was willing, and no participant had been selected for some time.

From the last row, Ayanokoji had already sensed that something was off and prepared to sneak off to the restroom with an excuse.

"Ayanokoji, where are you going?"

A hand landed on Ayanokoji's shoulder.

Horikita's icy voice came from behind him.

"I have something urgent to take care of."

"This is exactly when your help is needed."

"So I have to go?"

"Yes, that's what I mean."

Horikita looked as though she would keep following him if he refused to go.

"What happens if I don't?"

Before he had even finished speaking, Horikita was already making a compass creak in her hand.

"Neither I nor the compass in my hand will agree to that."

Ayanokoji was forced to take the field.

"Teacher, Ayanokoji from our Class D is willing to participate."

"No problem."

The teacher, who had been watching all along, immediately agreed.

Thus, Ayanokoji stepped onto the block, standing opposite Kito Hayato from Class A.

Kito lowered his body slightly and calmly assumed his starting position, paying little attention to Ayanokoji's arrival.

Ayanokoji was still thinking to himself.

If he won, he might attract attention. But if he did not win, Horikita would definitely pay attention to him.

With that in mind, he decided to show a little of his ability.

"So fast!"

With the sound of the whistle, Ayanokoji dove into the water with an exceptionally standard form.

Kito was startled by his opponent's unexpectedly superb skill.

He entered the pool at the same time, sending up a large splash.

But he was already slower than Ayanokoji. There was no doubt that Ayanokoji was faster than Kito.

Even the teacher responsible for timing could not help focusing intently.

"Twenty-three seconds!"

The instant he pressed the stopwatch, the teacher even wondered whether he had made a mistake.

"Hahahaha, Ayanokoji, you're not bad either. My body is starting to feel excited."

When Ayanokoji returned to the poolside, he saw Koenji warming up.

A refreshing smile appeared on his face as he walked toward the starting block.

However, the triangular briefs he wore were especially conspicuous.

As the only person wearing triangular briefs and drawing everyone's attention, probably only Koenji could remain completely unaffected.

"I believe only triangular briefs can perfectly display the charm of my body."

Though nobody had asked him, Koenji began speaking on his own.

He performed all sorts of warm-up movements, as though carefully selecting them.

Having completed his task, Ayanokoji quietly slipped into the inconspicuous crowd.

"Where is Class A's contestant? Why haven't they gone up yet?"

Only Koenji, absorbed in admiring himself, stood on the platform, and the students below began asking questions as well.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."

At that moment, Sakamoto stepped out from among the Class A students with a smile.

He wore simple swimwear—square-cut trunks, naturally.

Koenji immediately noticed Sakamoto stepping forward.

"Sakamoto, your body is quite beautiful as well."

"Thank you for the compliment. Yours too."

"Hahahaha, my body has always been beautiful."

The two of them stepped onto the starting blocks, and their former smiles gradually turned into focus.

"On your marks... Go!"

Splash.

The two slipped into the water like sharks.

For the first twenty meters, there was almost no difference in their speed or stroke rate.

"Hey, seriously? These two..."

Sudo, who was not competing, wore a grave expression on the shore. As an athletic ace, he could tell with just one glance that Sakamoto and Koenji were stronger than him.

Their entries were perfect, and their strokes were textbook. Even Sudo could no longer see through this match.

The pool's previously cheerful atmosphere had completely turned into shock at the two of them.

This had to be a joke. At this level, even professional swimmers might not be able to beat them.

Everyone except Ayanokoji was astonished by the speed of Sakamoto and Koenji.

Ayanokoji, meanwhile, wore a thoughtful expression.

Thirty meters, forty meters.

Sakamoto and Koenji remained evenly matched.

"Hahaha, I knew I had not misjudged you, Sakamoto boy!"

Koenji laughed loudly as he increased his speed by several degrees, suddenly surging ahead. Yet he still looked completely at ease.

However, when he turned to look back, he could not find his opponent.

"Koenji, I'm over here."

Koenji whipped his head around and discovered that Sakamoto had already passed him by roughly five meters.

"I never expected that I would lose."

Koenji's gaze sharpened.

He chased after Sakamoto.

Eighty meters, ninety meters.

The distance between them gradually shrank.

At the final five meters.

Koenji caught up to Sakamoto.

Only one second remained.

Koenji looked at Sakamoto.

His body had already surged toward the finish line.

As the two crossed paths.

Sakamoto suddenly paused for a moment.

"Finished!"

The teacher pressed the stopwatch and shouted that the match was over.

First place: Koenji.

Koenji had won, yet he showed no smile. He only looked at Sakamoto on his right.

"You deliberately held back just now."

"I'm not interested in the outcome of the competition."

Though he was not interested in the result, he still cared about victory and defeat. He would never bite such an obvious piece of bait.

Before a clever fish, the Baiting Immortal would only waste his bait.

"That isn't beautiful at all. Next time we compete, use your full strength, Sakamoto boy."

Koenji casually shook his soaking wet hair. He never used towels.

"Sakamoto, use my towel."

"Sakamoto, use mine."

The girls had prepared towels long ago and specially ran over, wanting to hand them to Sakamoto.

"Thank you for your kindness."

Soaking wet, Sakamoto politely declined the well-meaning students.

Then he walked smilingly in a certain direction.

The students all looked over with curiosity.

It was toward Class D.

Was he going to find someone from Class D?

Little Kushida? Little Kushida had chatted happily with Sakamoto before, and she was cute and considerate too.

Most of the curious onlookers guessed that Sakamoto was going to find Kushida.

Kushida herself smiled at the approaching Sakamoto.

Just as he was nearly close enough to speak, Kushida was about to open her mouth.

But Sakamoto stopped her with a "Shh."

Sakamoto looked at Sakura Airi, who was blushing at the edge of the crowd, and asked with a smile:

"Can I borrow your towel?"