Swimming Lesson

By mid-April, the school had already launched its swimming curriculum.

For most adolescent boys, this was a time to openly admire the girls in their swimwear—a small, unspoken, and perhaps slightly thrilling anticipation shared by many.

Inside the locker room.

"Hey, hey, Shibata, when did you sneak off to train? Those lines are looking good!" a boy laughed loudly.

"That's right! I haven't slacked off on my workouts. Who do you think I am?"

"Give me a break, I bet you're just trying to show off during swimming class, aren't you?"

Another boy squeezed in, playfully pinching Shibata's abs, "Don't go embarrassing yourself in front of the girls by running out of steam halfway through!"

"Get lost!" Shibata laughed as he swatted him away, and the two began to scuffle.

In another corner of the locker room, a few other boys were sizing each other up.

"Kitagawa, pfft—I never would've guessed you were hiding such a good build." Kanzaki Ryūji's voice rang out nearby.

Kitagawa Kai had just taken off his shirt; he paused at the remark, then offered a natural smile: "I just have a habit of keeping up with basic exercise. It's nothing compared to someone like Shibata."

His build was well-proportioned, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His muscle definition was clean and sharp, the result of long-term, disciplined exercise—a form of understated, well-controlled coordination.

"You get like that from just 'basic' exercise?" Ogura, a slightly chubby boy nearby, looked on with envy.

"Ogura, that's just proof of your happiness!" another boy joked, patting his stomach and sparking a round of laughter.

Ogura didn't take offense, just rubbed his head and joined in the laughter. Such was the atmosphere of Class B; competition existed, but its foundation was warm.

After changing into his trunks, Kanzaki, usually composed, seemed infected by the restless air of the locker room. He nudged Kitagawa with his elbow, lowering his voice with a boyish curiosity in his eyes: "Kitagawa, come to think of it... whose swimwear are you most looking forward to seeing?"

Kitagawa Kai turned his head to meet Kanzaki's gaze, which was filled with probing curiosity and a "you know what I mean" smirk. He cleared his throat deliberately:

"Ichinose Honami, of course."

"Pfft—!"

"Ohhhhhhh—!"

The composed expression on Kanzaki Ryūji's face completely shattered. How could you say "Honami-chan" so naturally?!

"Alright, gather 'round!"

The swimming instructor's resonant voice echoed through the pool hall.

The boys quickened their pace, stepping out of the humid, stifling corridor of the locker room to find the girls' assembly area already a riot of color.

An array of fresh, lovely hues collided—pale cherry blossom pink, mint green, velvet yellow, light sky blue... along with styles adorned with tiny, delicate flowers.

The swimsuits of the Class B girls weren't intentionally revealing, yet they traced the unique, blooming, and graceful curves of youth at every turn.

The playful banter that had lingered in the locker room was silenced the moment they stepped through the doorway.

Almost every boy's gaze was involuntarily drawn over, and after a brief moment of stagnation, their eyes began to wander rapidly and erratically.

At the same time, the girls were also covertly sizing up the boys.

Kitagawa Kai's physique presented a gentler, more serene kind of strength—a perfect balance of power and aesthetics. What made him even more eye-catching was his languid temperament, which added a touch of extra charm.

At the front of the line, Ichinose Honami looked at Kitagawa Kai. A flicker of surprise crossed her bright, smiling azure eyes before she looked away, her earlobes heating up slightly.

"From today on, I will be your swimming instructor. My name is Kishida Shinichi."

Instructor Kishida raised his voice again to ensure everyone could hear clearly.

"For this lesson, we'll start with some simple warm-ups, followed by a small test for everyone. Now, are there any students in this class who don't know how to swim?"

"Instructor Kishida." It was Amikura Mako, wearing her hair in a high ponytail. She raised her hand, looking a bit embarrassed as she stammered, "Um, I don't know how to swim at all..."

Her words seemed to flip a switch, and a chorus of agreement rose from the class.

"I've never swum before either..."

"Me too, I don't know how at all..."

"I've only ever played in the kiddie pool..."

One after another, seven or eight students raised their hands, all looking a bit sheepish. Most were girls, though two boys also bashfully scratched the backs of their heads.

Instructor Kishida scanned the group and rubbed his chin, seemingly unsurprised. "Hmm, about the same as previous years. No need to feel embarrassed; swimming isn't something you're born knowing how to do. Rest assured, I guarantee everyone will know how to swim before summer arrives."

"Now, let's start with warm-ups. One, two, three, four; two, two, three, four..."

Everyone followed the instructor in the warm-up exercises. Once finished, Instructor Kishida began splitting them into groups.

"Those who can't swim, start with the basics: floating and breathing. Remember, safety first! Do not enter the deep end without permission, and absolutely no roughhousing or shoving!"

"As for those who can swim, listen up!"

"We're going to hold a simple swimming test. Boys and girls in separate groups, 50-meter freestyle. I'll personally reward the winner of each group with 5,000 points."

"Five thousand points?! For real?"

"Whoa! I'm going all out!"

"I'm definitely taking first place!"

With the tangible reward of points now in play, the students in the class immediately became excited.

Many students had already begun subconsciously stretching their limbs, their gazes toward the swimming lanes filled with competitive spirit.

"Shibata, Kitagawa, let's group up and race in a bit. You both know how to swim, right?" Kanzaki Ryūji's voice was low, yet it reached the ears of the two beside him clearly.

Shibata Sō didn't even hesitate; he grinned and slapped his chest firmly. "Kanzaki, Kitagawa, bring it on! Those 5,000 points and the first-place spot are mine!"

To him, this wasn't just about points; it was a perfect opportunity to prove himself in front of the whole class, especially the girls.

Upon hearing this, Kitagawa Kai turned his head to look at Kanzaki, then glanced at the eager Shibata.

"Just what I was thinking!"

He also wanted to test the level of his own physical fitness. However, it seemed that even with a Stamina of 7, he might already be at the forefront of Class B, given that the only ones with superior physical stats were likely Shibata and Kanzaki.

Soon, the groupings were finalized. The male group started the test first. Kitagawa Kai, Kanzaki Ryūji, Shibata Sō, and two other Class B students were assigned to the same heat.

The noise by the poolside died down, and everyone held their breath, their gazes focused on those few lanes.

The girls also stopped their whispering and watched intently.

Ichinose Honami's hands clenched slightly of their own accord, her eyes involuntarily falling on the third lane, where Kitagawa Kai stood.

Watching his profile—which seemed not yet fully in the zone—she felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation mixed with an indescribable nervousness.

"Take your marks—" The swimming instructor raised the starting pistol, drawing out the sound.

All five leaned forward, gripping the edge of the starting block, their bodies coiled like bows ready to release.

"Set—"

The air froze.

"Bang!"

The starting pistol fired!

Almost at that exact instant, five figures lunged forward like arrows released from a bow.