Swimming

After the midterm exams, the school added swimming lessons to the curriculum.

Hoshida No was in the locker room, listening to a group of boys led by Yamauchi Haruki excitedly debating which girl in the class had the largest breasts.

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

Ike Kanji nodded in agreement, "Kushida's are definitely the biggest in the class."

At this, Sotomura Hideo, known by the boys as the Professor, refuted them, "Based on my observations, the largest in the class is Sakura Airi, and the second is Hasebe Haruka."

Sunlight streamed through the massive glass dome, refracting into shimmering spots of light on the water and illuminating the entire pool area with a bright, translucent glow.

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

He chose a quiet, secluded corner near the deep end.

His black swim trunks clung to his body, outlining the fluid lines of his muscles.

However, several unassuming white bandages were wrapped around his left wrist.

Soon, the boys came pouring in, noisy and boisterous.

Yamauchi Haruki and the others remained immersed in the excited topic from the locker room, their gazes scanning the girls appearing one after another like radar.

The girls arrived in twos and threes, wearing swimsuits of various colors, many subconsciously covering their bodies with towels or their arms.

Horikita Suzune's figure appeared at the entrance.

She wore a simple, solid black two-piece swimsuit, devoid of any extra decoration, as direct and cold as she was herself.

Her gaze swept across the pool and quickly locked onto Hoshida No in the corner.

She walked straight over and stopped in front of Hoshida No, blocking some of the blinding sunlight.

Her eyes fell on his posture, with most of his body hidden behind his arms, then glanced at the somewhat conspicuous bandages on his wrist, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Hiding here alone—are you afraid of everyone seeing your mediocre physique?"

Hoshida No looked up, his face expressionless, and gave an answer that completely caught her off guard: "I don't know how to swim."

Horikita Suzune was visibly stunned. In her understanding, swimming was an almost essential basic skill, especially in this well-equipped school.

Hoshida No was top-tier in physical fitness, reflexes, and academic ability alike; how could he possibly not know how to swim?

Hoshida No truly did not know how to swim. In the laboratory, he had access to books and underwent rigorous physical training, but projects requiring specific environments like swimming were naturally excluded.

"You..." Horikita was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

In the end, she just threw out a stiff, "Then learn properly. Don't drag the class down."

With that, she turned and walked toward the edge of the pool to begin her meticulous warm-up, though the corner of her eye still flickered toward that corner from time to time.

Just then, another figure appeared silently on the poolside not far from him.

Ayanokoji was wearing the most ordinary dark swim trunks, his muscle definition plain and unremarkable.

It wasn't until Horikita left that he strolled over and sat on the pool edge next to Hoshida No, his movements natural, as if he had simply chosen an empty spot at random.

"You don't know how to swim?" Ayanokoji asked bluntly.

"Yeah." Hoshida No nodded. His gaze wasn't focused on the immediate vicinity but had drifted past the crowd frolicking in the shallow end, landing on Kushida in the deep end.

Ayanokoji followed his gaze.

Kushida was indeed swimming exceptionally well in the pool. Her arm strokes were powerful and standard, her kicking rhythm was steady, and her breathing was smooth and natural.

"Kushida swims very well," Ayanokoji stated, "as if she's had professional training."

"Yeah." Hoshida No responded again, his eyes tracking the nimble figure in the water.

Kushida had become his ready-made, dynamic teaching demonstration.

In the pool, Kushida seemed to sense the gaze from the shore.

During her next breath, her eyes swept rapidly across the corner where Hoshida No and Ayanokoji were sitting.

Her facial expression changed under the water, but she quickly reverted to a smile.

She adjusted her direction, her arms parting the clear pool water as she swam gracefully toward the edge where Hoshida No and Ayanokoji were.

As she neared the edge, she did a nimble flip, gripped the pool rim with both hands, and pulled her upper body out of the water.

Water droplets rolled down her smooth forehead, cheeks, and wet tea-colored hair. Her pale pink swimsuit clung to her body, outlining her full curves.

Her gaze lingered on Ayanokoji's bland face for a moment before falling mostly on Hoshida No.

"Hoshida-kun, Ayanokoji-kun," she greeted with a smile, "What are you looking at? Oh, are you watching everyone swim?"

Her gaze fell naturally on Hoshida No, as if she had completely cast aside the unpleasantness of that night.

"Hoshida says he doesn't know how to swim," Ayanokoji replied for him, using his usual, flat tone.

Kushida blinked, a look of perfectly measured surprise appearing on her face, which then transformed into warm concern: "Eh? Really? Hoshida-kun looks like he has great athletic nerves!"

She rested her arms on the pool edge and leaned forward slightly, a posture that brought her closer to Hoshida No.

"It's okay! Swimming is actually really fun, and you'll learn quickly once you master the method. Would you like... me to teach you some basic moves? I happen to be free right now."

"Fine." Hoshida No replied concisely, bracing himself against the edge of the pool before sliding into the water. Standing chest-deep, he looked toward Kushida.

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

She stepped back lightly, leaving Hoshida No some space. "Then let's start with the basics: floating. It's the key to getting a feel for the water."

In the time that followed, Kushida displayed the same side of herself that she showed on land.

Her explanations were clear, her demonstrations were standard, and she even adjusted her focus based on Hoshida No's actual progress.

"Relax, Hoshida-kun. That's it, imagine you're a leaf, and the water will hold you up." She swam to his side and gently supported his lower back with her hand, helping him find his balance.

Her touch was brief and professional, pulling away the moment he stabilized.

Hoshida No's learning speed was astonishing.

Under Kushida's guidance, he managed to float steadily on the surface after only two attempts, his posture perfectly balanced.

A flash of genuine surprise crossed Kushida's eyes, followed by an even deeper smile. "Wow! That's amazing! Your sense of balance is incredible! Shall we try kicking now?"

She demonstrated the breaststroke kick, the lines of her legs appearing fluid and powerful in the water.

Hoshida No imitated her; his first few attempts were a bit stiff, but he quickly grasped the technique and rhythm, his kicks becoming powerful and effective.

During the process, Hoshida No noticed that Kushida would occasionally glance subconsciously toward Ayanokoji on the shore.

Ayanokoji remained seated there, his calm gaze following the two in the water, his face devoid of expression, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Hoshida-kun, your body control is truly impressive," Kushida remarked sincerely. "It feels like you've been swimming for years. Unlike me—I choked on so much water when I first learned."

She stuck out her tongue, making a cute, slightly embarrassed expression.

"You swim well," Hoshida No replied, his tone flat but acknowledging.

During a short break in the lesson, the two leaned against the edge of the pool to rest. The water rippled gently, washing over their bodies.

"Hoshida-kun," Kushida suddenly spoke softly, her gaze fixed on the other students playing in the pool, her profile looking somewhat soft in the interplay of light and shadow. "About that night... I'm sorry."

She didn't look at Hoshida No, her voice so low it was almost drowned out by the sound of the water. "I said a lot of terrible things and did some awful things... Thank you for... not saying anything afterward."

Hoshida No was silent for a moment, watching the flickering light spots on the water's surface.

"It's in the past. People aren't perfect. You're under a lot of pressure, so it's not a bad thing to let off some steam."

The unspoken second half of his thought was that as long as she didn't cross the line, they could maintain a superficial peace.