Swimming Class 1 / Chapter 70: Swimming Class 2

As the library's silhouette gradually blurred in the twilight, he took one last look at the third-floor window—from which he could vaguely see the silhouette of Horikita Suzune, head bowed, correcting notes.

Ken Sudō pursed his lips.

He knew he had acted impulsively, but he simply couldn't bring himself to go back and apologize.

Chapter 69, Swimming Lesson 1

"Hooray! Swimming lesson! It's swimming lesson!"

Kanji Ike his arms and cheered, his face flushed with excitement.

Ken Sudō frowned as he looked at the calendar.

"Swimming lessons at schools in Japan usually start as early as June and as late as August. Why is it May here?"

"Perhaps it's because of this huge indoor swimming pool?"

Yamauchi Haruki stroked his chin, making guesses, but his eyes kept glancing towards the girls' changing room.

Ken Sudō persisted relentlessly.

"So you can attend in April too?"

"Why are you thinking so much!" Kanji Ike suddenly leaned closer to the two of them, his voice low but unable to hide his excitement, "The important thing is the girls' swimsuits!"

"You're right! I can't wait."

Yamauchi Haruki rubbed his hands together, his eyes narrowed to slits.

Ken Sudō noticed the disgusted looks from the girls around him and quickly nudged Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki with his elbow.

"Be a little more careful, look around."

The girls walked away in twos and threes, some even deliberately taking a longer route to avoid them.

Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki scratched their heads awkwardly, their voices immediately becoming much quieter.

Inside the changing room.

Boys probably change clothes incredibly fast, probably because of their hormones.

"This school is amazing!"

Wearing swim trunks, Kanji Ike rushed out of the changing room and stared wide-eyed at the sight of the 2,500-square-meter indoor swimming pool.

The clear water shimmered with a blue light under the lamps, and the temperature was just right, making you want to jump in immediately.

"Where's the girl? Why hasn't she come out yet?"

He craned his neck to look around, like a penguin waiting to be fed.

Yamauchi Haruki leisurely tied the straps of his swimming trunks.

"Girls take a lot of time to change clothes."

Ken Sudō splashed a handful of water on his head, the water droplets sliding down his muscular physique.

"If you care too much about your swimsuit, girls will hate you."

"Would any guys not care?" Kanji Ike suddenly tensed up, squeezing his legs together. "What if... it gets erect?"

"Then they probably won't have the right to choose a partner until graduation."

Ken Sudō chuckled mischievously and retorted.

A few minutes later, the girls' cheerful laughter came from the locker room.

Wow, it's so much bigger than the swimming pool at junior high school!

"They're here! They're here!"

Kanji Ike immediately straightened his back, and all the boys turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.

They were particularly looking forward to seeing Hasebe Haruka rumored to have the best figure.

However, as the girls walked out one by one, Kanji Ike like a punctured balloon.

"Hasebe isn't here?! How is that possible?!"

He scanned every corner like a radar, but still couldn't find the figure he was looking forward to.

Suddenly, he pointed to the second floor and exclaimed in surprise.

The girls appeared in twos and threes on the second-floor observation deck, including Sakura Airi and Karuizawa Kei.

"My youth is over..."

Kanji Ike crouched down, his head in his hands, his voice trembling with tears.

At that moment, Hasebe Haruka elegantly leaning against the railing on the second floor, heard the commotion below and curled her lip in disdain.

"Nausea."

"Don't be discouraged," Yamauchi Haruki patted Kanji Ike on the shoulder, "There are other girls too!"

"Yes... yes!" Kanji Ike suddenly perked up, and the two excitedly shook hands. "Brother!"

"What are you doing? You look like you're having a lot of fun."

Kushida Kikyo appeared between the two of them at some point, tilting her head and asking.

"K- Kushida!"

The two exclaimed in unison.

Kushida, dressed in a school swimsuit, had a shapely figure, the fabric of her chest stretched taut.

Almost all the boys couldn't help but glance at it a few more times before quickly looking away.

Because Horikita Suzune was already standing beside them at some point, her cold gaze made people dare not act rashly.

She sized up Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Do you regularly engage in any physical activity?

"No," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied calmly.

"But your muscle definition..." Horikita Suzune gestured with her fingers in the air, "Is very unusual."

"Born that way."

"I don't believe it." Horikita Suzune crossed her arms.

"Piano and calligraphy."

If you really don't want to answer, you can remain silent. Or you can just give me a perfunctory answer and I'll take it as you trying.

"Piano and calligraphy? Ha..." She sneered and turned to walk towards the pool.

Meanwhile, under the sunshade of the stands.

Hasebe Haruka idly swung her legs, her tracksuit collar slightly open.

Her gaze swept across the pool, lingering for a moment on a certain figure before quickly shifting away.

Karuizawa Kei was stirring her iced lemon tea with a straw, water droplets sliding down the side of the cup.

"Is Karuizawa really not going into the water?" Hasebe Haruka in her ear, "It's a rare treat to see the guys' physiques~"

Karuizawa Kei's straw suddenly stopped.

She looked towards the pool, Tanaka Yukishin was swimming in the deep end, water droplets sliding down his strong shoulders.

"Although Yukishin-kun has never said anything..." Karuizawa Kei twirled a strand of her golden hair with her index finger, her voice soft, "I think that if you have someone you like, you should consciously keep your distance." She paused, her cheeks flushing, "And the swimsuit... I only want him to see it."

She was stunned after saying it, never expecting to say something so conservative.

Haruka Hasebe's eyes widened, and suddenly she grabbed Karuizawa Megumi and hugged her tightly.

"Oh my god! She's a 'gyaru' on the surface, but so traditional at heart! I'm totally smitten by this kind of contrast!" She nuzzled Karuizawa Kei's cheek. "So cute! Let's be friends!"

Sakura Airi was secretly taking Matoba the pool with her camera when she heard this, and her hand trembled, the lens just happened to be pointed at the moment Tanaka Yukishin jumped into the water.

"Sakura Airi, come along too!" Hasebe Haruka put her arm around Sakura Airi's shoulder. "What if the three of us formed a 'Never Goes into the Water' group?"

Sakura Airi's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.

"Well..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, almost as if she were hiding behind the camera.

"OK."

Karuizawa Kei took a sip of lemon tea, but her eyes remained fixed on Tanaka Yukishin's figure in the swimming pool.

Just then, Tanaka Yukishin popped her head out of the water and waved to the audience.

Karuizawa Kei immediately raised her hands and made a heart shape with her fingers, which caused the boys next to her to cheer.

"Wow, that's so cheesy."

Hasebe Haruka made a face, but secretly observed Sakura Airi's reaction.

Sakura Airi lowered her head, pretending to adjust the camera, but her bright red ear tips gave her away.

Hasebe Haruka's eyes darted around, and she suddenly clapped her hands.

"Let's play a game! We'll take turns saying what type of person we like."

"Huh? You're so shy!"

Karuizawa Kei covered her face, but her sparkling eyes could be seen through her fingers.

"I'll go first!"

Hasebe Haruka raised her hand, "I like athletic guys! Preferably with a bit of a wild side."

Karuizawa Kei hesitated for a moment, then said softly.

"I like... gentle and reliable people." As if afraid of being misunderstood, she quickly added, "Like Yukishin-kun!"

Their eyes turned to Sakura Airi simultaneously.

Sakura Airi's lips trembled a few times, and the camera lens cap opened and closed repeatedly.

"I... I think serious people are the best..." Her voice was barely audible. "For example... for example..."

"Like Tanaka-kun?" Hasebe Haruka a wicked grin.

Sakura Airi jumped up like a startled rabbit, almost dropping her camera.

Surprisingly, Karuizawa Kei wasn't angry; instead, she gently took her hand.

"Airi-chan has great taste." She winked mischievously. "But... Yukishin-kun is already mine~"

After taking care of Sakura Airi for a while, she unexpectedly grew to enjoy teasing this girl who wasn't very good at interacting with people.

Chapter 70, Lesson 69 (Swimming Lesson 2)

"Set -- All sets!"

Sato Kenichi, the muscular physical education teacher, blew his whistle, his bronze skin gleaming healthily in the sunlight.

The students, who had been lounging around the pool, slowly gathered, leaving wet footprints on the ground.

"More than a dozen people who won't go into the water?" Sato Kenichi frowned as he scanned the crowd, but quickly relaxed. "Well, to each their own."

Just as he was about to announce the lesson content, a timid voice came from the back row. "Teacher... I... I can't swim..."

The boy who raised his hand looked like a startled quail, his neck flushed with embarrassment.

Sato Kenichi strode over and slapped him hard on the shoulder with his fan-like hand.

"No one who can't swim can't be taught by me! I guarantee you'll be as free as a dolphin before summer vacation!"

"Actually, there's no need to force myself..." the student muttered softly, "I'm not going to the beach..."

"Nonsense!" Sato Kenichi suddenly raised his voice, attracting the attention of the surrounding students. "Swimming is a life-saving skill! One day you'll thank me for persisting today!"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was somewhat puzzled.

Survival? Someday...

Knowing how to swim can be very convenient in certain situations.

But it never came to this.

Is "absolute" too arbitrary?