50 Seconds

He quietly watched Yun Lan grab the edge of the pool with ease and wipe the water from his face. His breathing wasn't even particularly ragged, a stark contrast to his teammates beside him, who had just arrived, panting for breath.

"Now that's... terrifying talent," Kanzaki murmured, so softly that only he could hear. His mind was rapidly processing the data he'd just observed: entry angle, initial speed, stroke efficiency, time spent turning, estimated final time... Every aspect far exceeded his assumptions about the physical baseline of Yun Lan, a student "skilled at scheming."

The hubbub around the pool hadn't died down after the first group's race. If anything, Yun Lan's astonishing performance had stirred up even more commotion. Students whispered among themselves, their eyes repeatedly turning toward Yun Lan as he dried his hair with a towel. Their amazement and curiosity were almost tangible.

The swimming teacher strode from the timing station to Yun Lan in just a few long steps. His dark face was alight with a mixture of disbelief and the delight of someone who'd discovered a treasure. He clutched a waterproof stopwatch, its digits seeming to flicker before his eyes.

"Fifty seconds?! One hundred meters freestyle, hand-timed!" The teacher's voice rose slightly with excitement. He shook the stopwatch, then looked at the calm Yun Lan, as though he needed to confirm the result's accuracy. "And that's with the possible delay from my manual timing! You're... Yun Lan, right?"

The teacher looked Yun Lan up and down. His build was well-proportioned, but not particularly muscular. A keen light gleamed in the teacher's eyes—the unmistakable look of an experienced coach who'd spotted a promising talent. "Your level is way beyond that of an ordinary college student! Plenty of high school athletes with proper training couldn't match that time in a short-distance sprint! Your entry, stroke rhythm, turning technique... it was practically textbook!"

He stepped closer, his tone turning intensely eager. His earlier teacherly authority had been replaced by something close to "desperately seeking talent." "Yun Lan, would you be interested in joining our school's Swimming Club? No, I mean, please join! With your talent and foundation, a little systematic training could make you a star at the high school level! Our Swimming Club needs a core competitor like you!"

The teacher's invitation was direct and enthusiastic, echoing around the pool and drawing more gasps from the students who'd heard the result. Twenty-two seconds was an almost unattainable time for most students, who treated swimming as little more than a required class.

Faced with the teacher's fervent gaze and almost irresistible invitation, Yun Lan paused in the middle of drying his hair. A hint of carefully measured regret crossed his face. His tone was sincere, but carried a clear sense of distance.

"Thank you very much for your recognition and invitation." He politely expressed his gratitude, then changed tack and brought out the "shield" he'd prepared in advance. "Unfortunately, I've already applied to join the Student Council, and my application was approved. As I understand it, the rules don't allow Student Council members to participate in other clubs at the same time."

Even if I competed, I'd be doing it for China's national team. What does Japan have to do with it? Yun Lan thought silently. So he planned to pass the problem along.

Yun Lan tilted his head slightly and gave an expression of mild helplessness, as if he regretted the situation too. Then he deftly tossed the "problem" back to the teacher.

"If you really think I could contribute to the Swimming Club... perhaps you could try discussing it with our Student Council president, Horikita? If she's willing to make an exception, I would... give it serious consideration." He said he would "give it serious consideration," but made no definite promise, leaving himself plenty of room to maneuver.

It was a deft move, passing the buck. He hadn't directly refused the teacher, which would have made him seem arrogant or antisocial, and instead had left the decision to Manabu Horikita, who was known for being strict and inflexible. Everyone knew that persuading the president to bend the Student Council rules for a freshman's athletic talent would be next to impossible.

At the mention of the Student Council, the teacher's excitement faltered for a moment, and his brow furrowed. "The Student Council? President Horikita?" He'd clearly heard of the president and his reputation. But he looked at Yun Lan, then at the stopwatch in his hand. In the end, his desire not to let a talented athlete go to waste won out. He gritted his teeth as if making up his mind.

"I'll try talking to President Horikita!" His tone grew firm again, even taking on a hint of defiance toward authority. "For the future of the Swimming Club, and so your talent doesn't go to waste, it's worth a try! Yun Lan, in the meantime, please keep up your form, and... please give my invitation serious consideration!"

He gave Yun Lan a firm pat on the shoulder—his hand was no featherweight—and regarded him with utmost solemnity, as though entrusting him with an important mission. Then he turned and strode off toward the other students waiting to race, shaking his head and muttering, "Twenty-two seconds... I need to write that down right away..." His mind had clearly already moved on to figuring out how to deal with the Student Council.

Yun Lan watched the teacher leave. The look of regret gradually faded from his face, and his usual calm returned. He knew the teacher would probably hit a brick wall when he tried to negotiate, but for now, it had bought him some time without offending anyone.

He felt an intensely focused gaze on his back. He didn't need to turn around to know it was Ryuji Kanzaki. His performance and conversation with the teacher had surely given his colleague more confidence in him.

Yun Lan draped the towel over his shoulder and headed to the rest area to watch the remaining races. His swimming ability, seemingly revealed by chance, was like a boulder dropped into a still lake. The ripples were spreading, drawing the teacher's attention and sure to make certain people watching him in secret reassess him.

And that might have been one of the effects he wanted. Showing a little "hard power" at the right time could save him a lot of trouble—and make certain people more... wary of him, or take him more seriously.

Yun Lan won first place in the boys' group without a doubt, and received the 5,000 personal points he'd hoped for. It wasn't as if he was short on points right now, but who ever complained about having more?

And I think there was a Special Exam in the original story that forced the class to choose one student to expel. If they failed, they'd lose a huge number of Class Points. Honami would never give up on anyone. She's so foolishly naive, but I just want to protect that naivety.

Yun Lan shook his head and stopped thinking about things that were still so far in the future.