Swimming

After the midterm exams, the school added swimming lessons.

In the changing room, Hoshida No listened as several boys led by Yamauchi Haruki excitedly discussed which girl in their class had the biggest breasts.

Yamauchi Haruki draped an arm over Kanji Ike's shoulder. "Heh heh, we finally get to see Kushida in a swimsuit!"

Kanji Ike nodded in agreement. "Kushida definitely has the biggest breasts in our class."

Just then, Sotomura Hideo, whom the boys in class called Doc, disagreed with them.

"Based on my observations, Sakura Airi has the biggest, and Hasebe Haruka is second."

Sunlight streamed through the enormous glass dome, scattering shifting reflections across the water and illuminating the entire pool area.

Hoshida No arrived at the pool before most of the others.

He chose a quiet corner near the deep end.

His black swim trunks fit snugly, outlining the smooth lines of his muscles.

But a few unremarkable white bandages were wrapped around his left wrist.

Before long, the boys came pouring in, chattering noisily.

Yamauchi Haruki and the others were still caught up in their excited discussion from the changing room, their eyes sweeping over the girls as they arrived like radar.

The girls appeared in twos and threes, wearing swimsuits in a variety of colors. Many instinctively covered themselves with towels or their arms.

Horikita Suzune appeared at the entrance.

She wore a simple black two-piece swimsuit with no unnecessary embellishments, as straightforward and cool as she was.

Her gaze swept over the pool, quickly finding Hoshida No in the corner.

She walked straight over and stopped in front of him, blocking some of the glaring sunlight.

Her eyes fell on his posture, with most of his body concealed behind his arms, then flicked to the conspicuous bandage around his wrist. Her brows drew together slightly.

"Are you hiding over here because you're afraid everyone will see how unremarkable your body is?"

Hoshida No looked up, his expression unchanged, and gave her an answer she clearly hadn't expected. "I can't swim."

Horikita Suzune was visibly taken aback. In her mind, swimming was practically a basic life skill, especially at a school with such excellent facilities.

Hoshida No excelled in physical ability, reflexes, and learning. How could he possibly be unable to swim?

Hoshida No truly couldn't swim. In the laboratory, he had access to books and rigorous physical training, but activities like swimming that required a specific environment had naturally been excluded.

"You..." Horikita didn't know what to say for a moment.

In the end, she only tossed out a brusque, "Then learn properly. Don't hold the class back."

With that, she turned and walked to the edge of the pool, beginning her meticulous warm-up. But the corner of her eye still kept drifting toward him.

Just then, another figure silently appeared by the pool not far away.

Ayanokoji wore the most ordinary dark swim trunks, and his muscles were unremarkable.

Only after Horikita left did he stroll over and sit beside Hoshida No on the pool's edge. His movements were casual, as if he had simply picked an empty spot.

"You can't swim?" Ayanokoji asked bluntly.

"Yeah." Hoshida No nodded. His gaze wasn't fixed nearby, but passed over the people playing in the shallow end and settled on Kushida in the deep end.

Ayanokoji followed his gaze.

Kushida really was an excellent swimmer. Her strokes were strong and precise, her kicking steady, and her breathing smooth and natural.

"Kushida's a good swimmer," Ayanokoji remarked. "Looks like she's had lessons."

"Yeah." Hoshida No answered again, his eyes following the nimble figure in the water.

Kushida had become a ready-made, moving demonstration for him.

In the pool, Kushida seemed to notice the attention from the poolside.

As she took another breath, her eyes quickly swept over the corner where Hoshida No and Ayanokoji were sitting.

Her expression underwater changed several times, then settled back into a smile.

She changed direction, cutting through the clear water with both arms, and swam gracefully toward the poolside where Hoshida No and Ayanokoji were sitting.

Near the edge, she made a nimble turn and grabbed the side of the pool with both hands, lifting her upper body out of the water.

Droplets rolled down her smooth forehead, cheeks, and wet chestnut hair. Her pale pink swimsuit clung to her figure, outlining her curves.

Her gaze paused on Ayanokoji's expressionless face for a moment, then lingered longer on Hoshida No.

"Hi, Hoshida and Ayanokoji," she greeted them with a smile. "What are you looking at? Ah, are you watching everyone swim?"

Her gaze settled naturally on Hoshida No, as if she had completely put that unpleasant night behind her.

"Hoshida says he can't swim," Ayanokoji answered for him in his usual flat voice.

Kushida blinked, her face showing just the right amount of surprise before shifting to warm concern. "Really? You look like you'd be good at sports, Hoshida!"

She rested both arms on the pool's edge and leaned forward slightly, bringing herself a little closer to Hoshida No.

"That's okay! Swimming's really fun, and once you get the hang of it, you can learn quickly. Would you like me to teach you some basic moves? I'm free right now."

"Okay." Hoshida No answered briefly and slid into the water, pushing off from the edge. Standing in water up to his chest, he looked at Kushida.

"Great!" Kushida's smile grew even brighter.

She gracefully moved back a little to give Hoshida No space. "Then let's start with the basics: floating. It's the key to getting a feel for the water."

For the next while, Kushida showed the same side of herself that she did on land.

She explained clearly and demonstrated each move precisely, even adjusting her instructions to suit Hoshida No's needs.

"Relax, Hoshida. That's it. Imagine you're a leaf. The water will hold you up." She swam alongside him and gently supported his lower back to help him find his balance.

Her touch was brief and professional, and she withdrew her hand at once.

Hoshida No learned astonishingly fast.

With Kushida's guidance, he managed to float steadily on the water after just two tries, his posture balanced.

Genuine surprise flashed through Kushida's eyes, followed by an even brighter smile. "Wow! That's amazing! Your balance is incredible! Shall we try kicking next?"

She demonstrated the breaststroke kick, her legs moving smoothly and powerfully through the water.

Hoshida No imitated her. His first few kicks were stiff, but he quickly mastered the technique and rhythm, making each kick strong and effective.

During the lesson, Hoshida No noticed that Kushida occasionally glanced toward Ayanokoji on the poolside without thinking.

Ayanokoji remained seated there, his calm gaze following the two in the water. His expression revealed nothing, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Hoshida, you have really good control over your body," Kushida said with genuine admiration. "You feel like someone who's been swimming for years. When I first learned, I swallowed so much water."

She stuck out her tongue and made a cute, slightly embarrassed face.

"You swim well," Hoshida No replied. His tone was flat, but it counted as an acknowledgment.

During a short break, the two leaned against the pool's edge to rest. The water rippled softly against them.

"Hoshida," Kushida said softly out of the blue. She gazed at the other students playing in the pool, the light and shadow lending her profile a gentler look. "About that night... I'm sorry."

She didn't look at Hoshida No. Her voice was so quiet it was almost drowned out by the water. "I said a lot of awful things and did something really wrong... Thank you for not telling anyone afterward."

Hoshida No fell silent for a moment, watching the shifting reflections on the water.

"It's over. No one's perfect. You were under a lot of pressure, so it's okay to let off some steam."

What he meant by the second part was that, as long as she didn't cross the line, they could maintain a peaceful front.