In the changing room, the clatter of metal locker doors opening and closing rose and fell.
Uesugi Hara had just taken off his school blazer when Hashimoto's loud voice came from behind him. "Uesugi, not bad! You've been hiding a body like that under your clothes?"
When he turned around, he saw Hashimoto reaching out to touch his arm. His fingertips were almost brushing the muscle.
Uesugi Hara slapped his hand away without mercy. "Looking is fine. Why are you putting your hands on me?"
"Don't be so stingy." Hashimoto rubbed the reddened back of his hand, his eyes still roaming over Uesugi Hara. "You're always so laid-back, so I never expected you to be this well-defined. Have you been working out in secret?"
Uesugi Hara ignored him and pulled on his swim trunks. A few laughs came from the other end of the changing room; clearly, someone had heard their conversation.
He glanced at Hashimoto, who was still muttering to himself, then simply turned his back to him. "Keep it up, and I'll tell everyone you said you liked seeing Kushida in a swimsuit."
Hashimoto's voice immediately caught in his throat like a cat being choked. He frantically clapped a hand over Uesugi Hara's mouth. "Don't go making things up!"
Uesugi Hara pulled his hand away and bent to tie the drawstring on his swim trunks. In the corner of his eye, he caught his reflection in the mirror. He really didn't look as listless as he usually did.
His shoulders and back were sharply defined, and the outline of muscles was faintly visible across his abdomen—the result of staying active for years. He didn't pay it much mind. After all, he wasn't the only one at this school hiding his cards. There was one right beside him, for that matter.
"Speaking of which," Hashimoto said, seeing that Uesugi Hara wasn't going to press the matter. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Aren't you worried Her Highness will hold a grudge? The way she looked at you this morning was kind of telling."
"If she's that petty, how could she be the center of the class?" Uesugi Hara slung a towel over his shoulder. "Besides, instead of worrying about that, you should worry about whether the girls will laugh at your doggy paddle."
"Yeah, right! You think I'm going to doggy paddle?" Hashimoto protested.
Just then, there was a stir at the changing-room entrance. Kamuro Masumi was passing by. When she saw them, she paused, the tips of her ears turning red again as she glared at them. She was clearly still awkward about what had happened that morning.
Hashimoto immediately nudged Uesugi Hara with his elbow and pointedly jerked his chin toward Kamuro Masumi. Uesugi Hara couldn't be bothered with him. He picked up his swim cap and pulled it on. "Let's go. We'll be late if we keep dawdling."
As he reached the door, he heard Hashimoto call out to Kamuro Masumi behind him. "Kamuro, do you think the girls will stare at Uesugi in the pool with a body like that?"
Uesugi Hara paused. Without looking back, he called out, "Hashimoto, I think I heard someone from Class D outside just now. They might've heard what you said about Kushida."
Hashimoto's furious shout rang out behind him. "Don't make things up!"
Uesugi Hara curled his lips into a smile and left the changing room.
The afternoon sun had warmed the tiles around the pool. Girls' laughter and chatter drifted over from the distance, so it seemed the weather had drawn them out for swimming class.
The pool shimmered in the sunlight, and the water was warm. Even his ankles felt comfortable when he first stepped in.
It was their first swimming class. They were supposed to have free time before holding a competition later.
Quite a few students from Class D had already arrived. Several boys were horsing around at the edge of the pool, while the girls gathered beneath the parasols to adjust their swimsuits.
Sakayanagi Arisu hadn't skipped class as she'd said she would. At that moment, she was seated on a lounge chair beside the pool.
She had changed into an outfit suited to the poolside atmosphere—a light brown straw hat with a red ribbon that made her silver-white hair look even more luminous, and a simple white off-the-shoulder dress. Its ruffled hem swayed gently in the breeze. She reclined beneath a parasol with a glass of sparkling water in hand, her cane standing quietly at her side as sunlight glinted along its shaft.
Unlike the other girls, she paid no attention to the commotion in the pool. Her fingertips occasionally brushed the cool surface of the chair, while her gaze drifted idly over the crowd.
Kamuro Masumi was waiting quietly not far from her side, like a little maid waiting for instructions. Every so often, though, her gaze wandered toward the pool.
As Uesugi Hara entered the pool area, a wave of gasps instantly swept through the crowd.
"Whoa, that body is incredible!"
"Oh my god, you'd never know it from looking at him normally!"
At the sound of the comments, Beautiful Guy perked up too. Standing outside the crowd, he sized Uesugi Hara up for a few seconds, then took out a little mirror and checked his own reflection. He raised his trademark self-satisfied smile. "My, my. His physique is certainly beautiful, but compared to mine, it's still just a little lacking—ah ha ha ha ha!"
He waved his mirror around, his laughter ringing out as if he'd been utterly dazzled by his own "good looks." The people who'd been watching Uesugi Hara couldn't help laughing at his bizarre antics. The poolside was lively and strange all at once, and even the sunlight seemed to grow more vibrant amid the chaos.
Uesugi Hara nodded to Airi at the edge of the pool in greeting. The girl blushed like a strawberry warmed by the sun. Her cheeks flushed at once as she raised a hand and gave a flustered little wave, her fingers curling awkwardly. She looked like a startled fawn trying to return his greeting, moving her arm with such care that it seemed she was afraid to disrupt their shy little exchange.
Uesugi Hara strolled over to Sakayanagi Arisu and glanced at Kamuro. Then he teased Sakayanagi, "Didn't you say you were skipping swimming class because of your health, Miss Arisu?"
The look he gave Kamuro beside her was full of sympathy for her "voluntary" attendance.
Sakayanagi rested her fingertips lightly on the rim of her glass, a faint smile on her lips. "I had to see this story unfold with my own eyes. Otherwise, all this time by the pool would go to waste."
While the two of them chatted, the teacher began organizing the swimming competition.
"Miss Arisu, I'll have to leave you to it." Uesugi Hara turned to Sakayanagi Arisu.
Sakayanagi Arisu gently swirled the clear glass of sparkling water in her hand, her smile hidden behind its rim. Her voice was soft and clear. "Do your best, Uesugi. Don't let the competition get too boring. Kamuro, you should join in too."
By the time Uesugi Hara and Kamuro Masumi arrived, the competitors had already been chosen.
Boys' group
Class A: Uesugi Hara, Hashimoto Masayoshi, Kito Hayato
Class D: Koenji Rokusuke, Ken Sudō, Hirata Yosuke
Girls' group
Class A: Kamuro Masumi, Morikawa Aoi, Takahashi Yuna (I just made this name up, don't mind it)
Class D: Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, Onodera Kayano
Once the competitors were set, the teacher began announcing the rules. "It'll be a fifty-meter freestyle race. The boys and girls will each have one round, and the first person in each group to touch the wall will win five thousand points. Remember: no false starts and no illegal moves."
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, Sudo clenched his fists and headed toward the pool. The muscles in his arms tensed. "Hirata, just watch me leave those guys from Class A in the dust!"
Hirata patted him on the shoulder, but his gaze fell on the Class A lineup. Uesugi Hara was crouched down, adjusting his goggles as he casually wiped water off the lenses with his fingertips. The sunlight sharpened the lines of his profile. Kito Hayato was warming up his wrists, his gaze fixed on Class D like a hunter watching his prey. Hashimoto Masayoshi stood between the two with a frivolous smile. "Well, you'd better do your best."
Koenji, on the other hand, paid no attention to his opponents. He fixed his bangs in the mirror, his swim briefs gleaming in the sun as if he were about to walk onto a fashion runway instead of compete. "It's only fifty meters," he said with a faint scoff, his fingertips brushing the hair behind his ear. "For beautiful me, it's no different from taking a stroll."
On the girls' side, Takahashi Yuna had already started warming up. She stretched her legs, her knees perfectly straight, and glanced at the three girls from Class D. "Morikawa, we just need to keep a steady pace."
Morikawa Aoi nodded, nervously twisting the straps of her swimsuit. But her gaze couldn't help drifting toward Kamuro. She stood beside the other two, her back straight. She neither warmed up nor spoke, but quietly watched the pool, as if checking the water temperature—or waiting for some silent instruction.
Kushida Kikyo was just about to rise onto her toes to fix Horikita's swim cap. Her voice was as sweet as honey. "Horikita, don't rush too much later. Keeping your breathing steady is the most important thing."
Horikita brushed her hand away. "You don't need to worry about me. I know what I'm doing." Her tone was firm and distant, as if she didn't care how Kushida felt. It seemed the Black-Hearted Angel wouldn't be able to warm Horikita up after all. She'd have to leave that to Ayanokouji.
Onodera Kayano stood behind Kushida and Horikita, a few strands of her short hair fluttering in the breeze by the pool. She draped a towel around her neck with an easygoing air. But when she heard "five thousand points," her eyes lit up as if she'd discovered treasure.
Kamuro's gaze swept lightly over the three girls from Class D before quickly returning to Class A. There, she met Takahashi Yuna's eyes. The other girl gave her an almost imperceptible nod, and Kamuro answered with an equally subtle one. Neither said a word, yet it was as if they'd silently confirmed their rhythm.
With the boys' race about to begin, Uesugi Hara stood beside the starting block and glanced at Koenji. His voice carried a hint of casual provocation. "Koenji, are you really going to hold back? Don't make excuses if you lose."
Uesugi Hara wanted to see how he measured up against an heir to one of the top conglomerates.
At his words, Koenji slowly lifted a hand to smooth his water-dampened bangs. His mouth curled into its trademark self-satisfied smile, and he radiated an aura of "I'm the most beautiful in the world." He laughed aloud. "Ha ha! How could victory ever slip away from my perfect form? Just wait and witness beautiful me crush everyone!"
As he finished speaking, the starting gun went off. The two of them dove into the pool together, and water sprayed everywhere. A contest of looks—er, skill—had officially begun.
The instant he entered the water, Uesugi Hara skimmed across its surface. His strokes were so precise they seemed measured, each arm pulling with enough force to cut through the water. His splashes were low and fine.
Koenji, meanwhile, maintained his usual elegance. His body stretched through the water like a swan, and his strokes were flawless—but he deliberately swam half a beat faster than Uesugi Hara, as if savoring the water against his skin. Every so often, he even turned his head to adjust a loose lock of hair. Even in the water, he couldn't forget to maintain his "beauty."
Sudo was already seeing red. He swung his arms wildly, fueled by sheer strength, and sent up more spray than the other two combined. Yet he clung to their wake and refused to let them pull away. Hirata Yosuke kept a steady pace, while Kito Hayato and Hashimoto Masayoshi followed close behind.
The cheering from the poolside was loud enough to lift the parasols. Kushida Kikyo led the shouting, fists clenched. "Go, Hirata!" Horikita Suzune didn't say a word, but her fingertips seemed ready to dig into her palms. On Class A's side, Takahashi Yuna watched the water, quietly memorizing Uesugi Hara's stroke rate as she prepared for the girls' race. Airi was also silently cheering him on in her heart.
The moment his fingertips touched the wall, Koenji even had time to lift his chin slightly.
The numbers on the timer jumped beneath the sunlight. The referee stared at the screen, hesitating as if he couldn't believe the result. After waiting quite a while, he finally called out, "Class D's Koenji Rokusuke, 21.23 seconds—first place!" He also invited Koenji to join the swimming club, but Koenji ignored him.
Water slid from Koenji's shoulders. When he surfaced, barely a strand of his hair was out of place. He brushed droplets from his bangs and fixed his gaze on Uesugi Hara, who had just steadied himself. "Did you see that?" His laughter mingled with the sound of the water, arrogant and self-satisfied. "I told you. Beauty never loses."
Uesugi Hara wiped the water from his face and raised an eyebrow at Koenji's "of course I won" expression. "You were fast." Neither of them had gone all out, but there was still a clear gap between them.
"Of course." Koenji swam toward the pool's edge, lightly skimming his fingertips over the water as if admiring his reflection. "Still, you're somewhat interesting—at least you're worthy of being beautiful me's opponent. But that tiny difference proves that you still lack a bit of talent when it comes to 'perfection.'"
He climbed out using the steps at the pool's edge, his swim briefs gleaming in the sunlight. Passing Sudo, he tossed his hair and added, "Sudo, you should learn a little elegance next time. You can't win a competition with brute strength."
Sudo let out an "argh" in the pool, furious enough to nearly splash water all over Hirata.
Uesugi Hara watched Koenji walk toward the resting area and tapped his fingers against the pool wall.
Beneath a distant parasol, Sakayanagi was wiping droplets from her cane with a handkerchief. When she saw him looking, she suddenly mouthed the word "perfect" at him. She'd clearly watched their entire contest.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth and swam toward the edge. In the ripples spreading behind him, Koenji's declaration that "beauty is justice" seemed to linger in the air.
The girls' race, by comparison, was much less intense.
Onodera Kayano from Class D came in first, while Kamuro Masumi took third.
That brought the first swimming class to an end.
I didn't manage the pacing well, so the ending is a bit rushed, and some of the plot might feel a little clunky too. It's my first time writing a book, so I hope you'll understand. (＞﹏＜)