The bell rang for the last class of the morning, but instead of a crowd heading for the cafeteria, the students of Class 1-A made their way to the indoor swimming pool.
The weather in early April still carried a chill of spring, and people still needed jackets outdoors. Scheduling a swimming class now did seem a little odd.
"Swimming class this time of year... isn't that a little strange? Don't we usually start in May or June?"
"Maybe it's because we have a heated indoor pool? The water shouldn't be too cold."
"True... but it still feels chilly just thinking about it."
The students, already changed into their swimsuits, gathered by the pool and chatted quietly in small groups.
Most of the boys wore standard dark swim trunks. The girls' swimsuits came in a variety of styles, but all followed the school's modest dress code, mostly one-piece swimsuits or athletic two-pieces.
"Okay—don't just stand around chatting! Come over here and line up—we'll start with some warm-ups! We don't want anyone getting cramps!"
A tall, athletic female teacher in a professional swimsuit blew the whistle hanging around her neck. Her voice rang out, clear and strong.
Her skin was a healthy tan, and her muscles were smooth and well-defined—the result of a long habit of exercise.
Most of the students followed her instructions and gathered around, but more than a dozen stayed where they were. Sakayanagi Arisu was among them.
She sat quietly on a bench by the pool, a thin blanket over her legs and a cane in her hand.
With her frail constitution, strenuous exercise like swimming was clearly beyond her capabilities.
The teacher's gaze swept over those who had stayed behind, and she raised an eyebrow. "Sixteen students have asked to be excused because they're feeling unwell... That's a few more than usual. Fine, I'll approve it for now."
But then she flashed a sly smile that said, "Don't think you can get away with this," and raised her voice.
"However, don't think you can just openly slack off! Those without a doctor's note or a genuine reason they can't take part... I'll find a time to 'surprise' you with a makeup test! So if you're just a little cold or feeling lazy, there's still time to join the group!"
Clearly, some of them simply wanted to avoid swimming class.
The teacher was experienced, and her words made quite a few students reconsider.
Sure enough, after a brief moment of hesitation and exchanging glances, six more students reluctantly joined the warm-up group.
In the end, only ten people remained in the rest area, including Sakayanagi Arisu, who had a valid reason.
"Great! Then let's get right to it."
The teacher nodded in satisfaction.
"After our warm-ups, I'd like to get a look at your basic swimming ability. Everyone, swim about fifty meters so I can see where you're at. Don't worry—if you can't swim or aren't very good at it, you're allowed to walk along the bottom of the shallow end. But you have to at least try to move forward by paddling. Understood?"
"Um... Teacher, I-I'm not very good at swimming..."
A short, thin boy raised his hand awkwardly, his face bright red.
The teacher walked over and patted him on the shoulder. The force made him wobble, but she laughed heartily. "Don't worry! Since I'm your teacher, I promise you'll learn to swim before summer comes! It's my job!"
"I-It's fine if you don't force me to learn... I mean, I don't go to the beach much anyway..."
The boy muttered under his breath.
"That's—just—not—going—to—do!"
The teacher drew out her words, her expression turning serious. "It's fine if you're not good at it now, but we're going to overcome that. Knowing how to swim will definitely come in handy someday. I promise—it—definitely—will."
Her emphatic tone carried a certainty that seemed to hint at something more.
Mazumi Mami, who was warming up his wrists and ankles with the rest of the group, caught the remark keenly.
"Knowing how to swim will definitely come in handy someday?"
His thoughts stirred.
That doesn't sound like an ordinary physical education goal... It sounds more like some kind of advance training for a situation they might face in the future. Could one of this school's bizarre 'Special Exams' involve swimming skills? Something like a water-based competition? Or surviving on a deserted island?
He made a mental note of the possibility.
Once the warm-ups were over, the students took turns getting into the water in groups and completed a simple fifty-meter swim test.
The pool was indeed kept at a comfortable, constant temperature, dispelling the initial chill.
The students who knew how to swim completed the test without much trouble, each with their own style. A few "landlubbers," just as the teacher had said, splashed and walked along the bottom of the shallow end all the way across.
Mazumi Mami also got into the water and swam a lap. His movements were smooth and proper, and once he had shown that he could swim well enough, he quickly climbed out and dried his hair and body with a towel.
He was playing the role of someone who had "just recovered from a serious illness," so it made sense for him to avoid too much strenuous exercise and rest on shore.
Of course, that also gave him an excellent vantage point for observing everyone.
His gaze swept over the pool.
The gender ratio in Class A really was skewed. Of the forty students in the class, thirty were girls and only ten were boys.
At that moment, girls made up the vast majority of those in the pool, their colorful swimsuits moving through the clear water. The place was filled with youthful energy.
It was certainly a pleasant sight, but Mazumi Mami was thinking about something more practical.
With such a lopsided gender ratio, Class A would be at a natural disadvantage if a future Special Exam involved physical contests or team sports. We need to think of a strategy in advance.
His gaze naturally settled on his three maids as well.
Chisato Nishikigi wore a bright orange athletic two-piece that made her tanned skin look even healthier and more vibrant.
She darted through the water like a nimble dolphin, popping up now and then with a laugh as bright as a silver bell.
Runa Inoue wore a dark blue one-piece racing swimsuit. It was modest but form-fitting, highlighting the sleek lines of her well-trained muscles.
Her strokes were textbook-perfect and efficient, and she swam quite fast. Walnut had chosen a navy one-piece with white stripes. She seemed to prefer leisurely floating and backstroke, and wore goggles, occasionally diving underwater to inspect the bottom of the pool.
Before long, Chisato Nishikigi's playful side came out.
She quietly swam over to Runa Inoue, who was seriously practicing her breathing, then suddenly slapped the water with her palm, splashing Runa in the face.
"Pfft—! Chisato!"
Caught off guard, Runa Inoue wiped the water from her face and glared with purple eyes at Chisato Nishikigi, who was grinning after pulling off her prank.
"Walnut! Take this!"
Chisato Nishikigi turned and launched another "attack" at Walnut, who was swimming nearby.
"You idiot, Chisato!"
Walnut yelled and immediately retaliated.
Soon, the three girls were laughing and having a water fight. Water splashed everywhere, and their laughter drew fond looks from plenty of their classmates.
Quite a few girls even joined in.
Seeing them so relaxed for once, wearing bright smiles that suited their age, Mazumi Mami couldn't help smiling too.
They work hard enough with their training and missions. Let them enjoy themselves for a change.
It would be downright heartless if they had to cover themselves up completely in their swimsuits, as if they weren't allowed to be seen.
As long as they didn't go too far, he was glad to see them enjoying the more carefree side of school life.
While drying his hair and thinking about the class's gender ratio and the possibility of future water-based events, he noticed someone heading his way.
It was Katsuragi Kohei.
The tall, composed boy had also climbed out of the pool and was drying himself with a towel.
He looked thoughtful, and his gaze was fixed on Mazumi Mami. Clearly, he had something to say.
And he was already almost at Mazumi Mami's side.
But the teacher's shrill whistle rang through the swimming hall again.
"Tweet—! Everyone, gather around!"
The students climbed out of the water or gathered by the pool.
"It looks like everyone has a decent grasp of the basics. At least no one's completely unable to swim. That's good!"
The teacher looked around, then flashed a smile that said, "Now the fun begins."
"All right, we're done with warm-ups and the initial assessment. Now let's do something fun—a competition! We'll split into boys' and girls' divisions and hold a fifty-meter freestyle race!"
The teacher announced the event.
"A c-competition? Seriously?!"
"Eh?! Why are we suddenly racing? Isn't it enough that we can swim...?"
"Teacher, have mercy on us..."
Groans and complaints broke out among the students, especially from those who weren't confident in their swimming speed.
"Just think of it as a game! And—"
The teacher deliberately drew out her words, dangling a tempting reward. "There'll be a prize! I'll give the winner in each division a special reward—five thousand Personal Points each! How's that for motivation? Let's enjoy the race!"
"Five thousand points?!"
"Really, Teacher?!"
"I'm in!"
The complaints instantly gave way to excitement and determination.
After Mazumi Mami's "point crisis theory" that morning, the students in Class A were especially sensitive to the value of points.
Five thousand points was a tidy windfall for first-year students who had just enrolled and hadn't yet experienced how difficult it was to earn points.
Even the students who had been hesitant now had a spark of "why not give it a shot?" in their eyes.
"There are more girls, so we'll split them into six groups of five. The winner of each group advances to the next round, where they'll compete in groups of three, and then we'll decide the girls' champion. There are fewer boys, so they'll be split into two groups of five. The winner of each group will also advance to the final."
The teacher quickly announced the rules. "Now, line up according to your student numbers and get ready! First group of girls, first group of boys, take your places on the starting blocks!"
The mood by the pool immediately grew lively, with students cheering and discussing strategies.
Mazumi Mami gave Katsuragi Kohei, who had come up to him, a slightly apologetic smile.
"Looks like we'll have to wait a little. How about we talk after the race?"
Mazumi Mami said.
Katsuragi Kohei glanced at the first group of students, who were already in position, then looked back at Mazumi Mami and nodded calmly.
"Sure, no problem. The race comes first. Good luck, Mazumi."
His tone was even, but his eyes held a clear look of curiosity. Whatever Katsuragi Kohei wanted to discuss with Mazumi Mami was probably no trivial matter.
Mazumi Mami smiled and agreed, then turned his attention to the pool lanes, where the race was about to begin.
The swimming competition was not only about the five-thousand-point prize. It might also offer a window into his classmates' physical stamina, willpower, and competitive spirit.
This seemingly ordinary swimming class was gradually becoming less and less ordinary.