The Swim Race

As the groups began to take shape and the teacher was about to explain the day's lesson, Yun Lan suddenly raised his hand, with the precision of a model student.

"Teacher," he said in a clear voice that carried across the relatively quiet poolside, instantly drawing the attention of nearly everyone, teacher included. "I have a question."

The teacher looked his way and nodded for him to go ahead.

Yun Lan lowered his hand. With just the right mix of curiosity and confusion on his face, he asked, "Why isn't Class B's swimming lesson held together with Classes A, C, and D? I remember the other classes seem to have PE at this time too. Wouldn't combining the lessons save space and staff?"

The question came out of nowhere, but it pointed to a detail in the school's curriculum. Quite a few students looked thoughtful as they waited for the teacher's reply.

"Because there are too many people. The four classes have 160 students altogether. Even if plenty of them don't participate, our pool still couldn't handle that many."

Yet after hearing the answer, Yun Lan didn't immediately look away or relax. He stayed where he was, unconsciously brushing a finger over his chin. His gaze rested on the shimmering patches of light reflected on the pool's surface, but his eyes had gone unfocused, as if he were seeing through the scene before him, lost in deep thought.

So they'd started laying the groundwork for the Island Special Exam this early? They were having students spend a whole term learning to swim to keep them safe.

Surrounded by ocean on all sides, they wouldn't be able to avoid activities on the water. For most students from the city, who might not be strong swimmers, that was an enormous safety risk—and could even become a fatal weakness during the exam.

His gaze swept over the students warming up by the pool, the boys still splashing each other and fooling around, and the girls who shyly tested the water with their feet.

Yun Lan glanced at Ryuji Kanzaki beside him. Ryuji had already finished warming up and was stretching quietly with textbook form. He must have noticed that something was unusual about the swimming lessons, but probably wouldn't connect them to the Special Exam.

"All right! Everyone, jog two laps around the pool to warm up! Then we'll divide into groups based on swimming ability!"

The swimming teacher's whistle and instructions pulled Yun Lan out of his thoughts. He let the intensity fade from his eyes, his usual gentle, calm expression returning as he joined the group for a jog.

Sunlight fell across the blue water, glinting brightly off its surface. In Yun Lan's mind, this seemingly ordinary swimming lesson had taken on an entirely different weight and meaning. Nothing at this school could be taken lightly. Any moment could be laying the groundwork for what was to come.

"All right, boys and girls will compete separately. I'll give the fastest student 5,000 personal points. The slowest student, on the other hand, will have to stay behind for extra lessons!"

"So, think you can take first place?"

Ryuji Kanzaki trusted Yun Lan.

"I'll win."

Yun Lan had already declared victory.

"Come to think of it, little Firefly should be just about over her illness by now. I should find some time to visit her."

Because of the class sizes, the boys were divided into four groups and the girls into three, with four students per group. They would compete in short 100-meter freestyle races.

The results of the draw—or whatever order they'd been assigned by student number—came out quickly. Yun Lan was in the first boys' group, standing on the starting blocks alongside three other boys. He took the outermost lane, his expression calm as he rolled his shoulders and took a few deep breaths. He looked no different from the others, who seemed a little nervous or excited.

Ryuji Kanzaki was in the third group. For now, he stood by the pool, watching the first group prepare with his usual air of detachment. His gaze passed over Yun Lan without lingering, as if this were nothing more than a routine observation.

"Take your marks—" The swimming teacher raised the starting whistle.

The four boys on the blocks bent forward into position. Yun Lan focused on the water at the far end of the pool, his body tightening like a bowstring.

"Tweet—!"

The sharp whistle cut through the air!

The instant it sounded, Yun Lan's legs exploded with power. He launched himself forward like a leopard breaking free of its restraints, diving in with a clean, almost professional entry. His body traced an elegant arc through the air, arms extended, fingertips piercing the surface first before the rest of him followed. He made far less of a splash than the other three!

The moment he entered the water, he moved without the slightest hesitation. His powerful legs kicked in, propelling him forward like a torpedo.

His arms swept through the water in a fast, steady rhythm, every stroke paired with an efficient catch and push. His body held a superb streamlined position, and he turned his head to breathe with pinpoint timing. The whole performance flowed as if he'd trained for years.

"Wow, he's fast!" someone on the poolside exclaimed.

Yun Lan had taken a clear lead almost from the start, and it was growing at a speed everyone could see! The distance between him and the other three racers widened rapidly. After barely a dozen meters, he was already nearly a full body length ahead!

"What?!" More of the students watching—boys as well as girls who'd finished their races or were waiting for their turn—let out incredulous gasps. They'd expected a race between beginners, or perhaps one where there'd be only a small gap between the competitors. Instead, they were watching something close to a complete rout.

"That guy... he's way too fast!" One of the boys in Yun Lan's group caught sight of the rapidly receding wake in the next lane as he struggled to keep up. He was giving it everything he had, but the gap kept widening mercilessly.

"It's like he's using cheats..." another boy by the pool murmured.

In the clear water, Yun Lan became the center of attention. He was not only far faster than his groupmates, but even outpaced many students who considered themselves good swimmers and had done well in previous practice sessions! The 100 meters seemed to shrink before him. He touched the wall, turned, pushed off, and swam back in one fluid motion, without the slightest wasted movement. His performance showed just how solid his swimming skills and body control were.

By the time he touched the opposite wall in a decisive first place and lifted his head from the water, the second-place swimmer in his group had only just completed his turn.

At the poolside, Ryuji Kanzaki had taken off his glasses at some point, perhaps to keep them from fogging up. A rare ripple of emotion showed in his usually analytical eyes. His lips parted slightly, and for a moment his normally composed expression froze.