Swimming Class

A new week brought a new subject to Class D's timetable, one that had many students excited: swimming.

The news spread on Monday morning when the class representative pinned a notice in the corner of the blackboard. Yoshida was the first to hurry over and read it. Then he turned and called to Sudo, "Hey, Sudo! We have swimming class on Thursday! We finally get to stop being cooped up in the classroom!" Sudo had been dozing on his desk, but at the word "swimming," he lifted his head. His eyes weren't even fully open, yet he was already grinning. "Seriously? That's great!"

The classroom instantly grew lively. The boys discussed how big the pool was and whether they could stay and swim longer after class. The girls gathered in small groups. Some worried about the style of the swimsuits, while others laughed and said the school-issued ones were all the same anyway.

Kanzaki Toru sat by the window at the back, twirling a pen as he watched everyone's excitement. His gaze drifted toward the corner at the front of the room. Sakura Airi's back was noticeably stiffer than usual. Her shoulders were drawn tight, her neck dipped slightly, and the brim of her hat nearly touched the desk.

Swimming class. For most students, it was a chance to relax and play in the water. For her, it was probably like a public execution. She would have to put on a swimsuit in front of the entire class and stand where everyone could see her, with nothing to hide behind. She couldn't wear a hat, retreat to a corner, or conceal herself beneath her loose school uniform.

Kanzaki looked away. He didn't go over to her. Comforting her wouldn't help with something like this.

Thursday came quickly. After the second class in the afternoon, the boys and girls headed to the changing rooms on opposite sides of the gym. Kanzaki changed into his swim trunks, draped the white towel issued by the school over his shoulders, and walked to the pool. The indoor pool was larger than he'd expected, with standard twenty-five-meter lanes and comfortably warm water. Sunlight streamed through the skylights and shimmered across the surface.

The boys were already making a racket in the water. Sudo dove into the deep end, splashing Yoshida on the poolside from head to toe. Yoshida cursed and jumped in after him, chasing him around as the other boys cheered. Kanzaki stood toward the back of the poolside, his gaze sweeping over the water until he spotted a familiar figure: Hirata Yosuke. Even amid the commotion, Hirata was involved just enough, joking with a few people without drawing attention to himself. He was the sort who fit into a group without standing out.

About three minutes later, there was a stir on the girls' side. They began filing out of the changing room, all wearing the school-issued navy-blue one-piece swimsuits. Some had towels draped around them, while others came straight out. In the border between the sun and the humid air, their skin tones stood out in contrast.

Kanzaki found Sakura Airi among them. She came out last, both arms held tight across her chest, her towel wrapped securely around her. She wasn't wearing her hat or her glasses—glasses weren't allowed in the pool. Without those two pieces of "armor," her face was completely exposed. Her purple eyes, usually hidden beneath the shadow of her hat, were narrowed slightly because of her nearsightedness. She looked confused and anxious. Her skin was paler than the other girls', almost startlingly so against the navy swimsuit. She was slender, with no dramatic curves, but her thinness made it hard not to look twice.

She stopped at the farthest corner of the pool and lowered her head, keeping both hands clasped in front of her chest.

A few girls went over and kindly asked if she wanted to join them for warm-ups. She hurriedly shook her head. They didn't press her and went off on their own.

Kanzaki was just about to get in when someone suddenly appeared beside him.

Horikita Suzune. She wore a swimsuit with a towel draped over it, her black hair tied into a simple ponytail at the nape of her neck. Compared to her usual cool demeanor, the outfit gave her a more natural, everyday air. She stood there, her gaze also resting on Sakura Airi.

"She's nervous," Horikita said.

"That's normal. For her, swimming class is no easier than a Special Exam."

Horikita didn't respond. Instead, she turned to him. Her purple eyes looked brighter than usual in the light reflected from the pool. "I heard about what happened behind the gym. You're better at fighting than you look."

"I didn't fight. I just said a few things."

"Getting second-years to back off with a few words is rarer than being able to fight." Horikita's lips moved ever so slightly, but the curve was so faint it was hard to tell whether it counted as a smile. "But you can't help her today. In the water, no one can take the stares for someone else."

Kanzaki was silent for a moment, then said, "She doesn't need help. She needs someone beside her, so she doesn't have to face everyone's eyes alone."

Horikita glanced at him, then turned and walked toward the girls. She stopped in front of Sakura Airi. Sakura looked up, squinting because of her nearsightedness. It seemed to take her half a second to recognize who stood before her. Her body tensed instinctively. Horikita's presence in class could be intimidating to anyone.

"Warm up with me," Horikita said. "I'll show you how if you don't know."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Sakura froze. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. Horikita didn't wait for an answer. She simply went to stand beside her and began stretching. Her movements were precise and decisive, and she paid no attention to the eyes watching them.

After a brief hesitation, Sakura cautiously mimicked her. She didn't dare look around, focusing only on Horikita's movements as she copied them one by one. Her motions were clumsy, but at least she was moving.

Watching them, Kanzaki's lips curved in the faintest smile.

Horikita Suzune was as cold as a blade on the surface, but at certain moments, that very coldness could become a source of support. Because she wasn't gentle, you didn't need to feel grateful or try to repay her when she stood beside you. You only had to follow along. For someone like Sakura Airi, that was probably the least suffocating way to help.

"Kanzaki."

A gentle voice sounded behind him. Kanzaki turned around to find Kushida Kikyo standing there, her head tilted as she smiled at him. She, too, wore a towel over her swimsuit. Her short hair was tied into a little ponytail at the back, and she looked fresh and bright.

"What are you doing standing here by yourself? Aren't you getting in?" she asked.

"I was just about to."

"Then let's go together!" Kushida handed her towel to a classmate and strode confidently to the pool. Her figure was well-proportioned, and she moved naturally, neither shy nor deliberately showy. Several people instinctively made way for her, watching as she leaped into the pool with a graceful dive. Her splash was tiny, and her movement clean and crisp.

Kanzaki got into the water, too. The temperature was comfortable. He leaned against the side of the pool and watched Kushida swim a lap with ease. Laughter from the girls and whistles from the boys rose and fell wherever she went. She surfaced, waved and smiled at everyone, then glanced in Sakura Airi's direction.

"Sakura, aren't you getting in? I can teach you!"

Her voice was loud enough for half the pool to hear.

Sakura Airi stiffened visibly at the poolside. Horikita stood beside her and glanced at Kushida Kikyo without saying anything.

"I-I'm not very..."

"That's okay! You can learn if you don't know how. Come on!" Kushida had already swum to the edge of the pool. She reached out to Sakura, her smile as radiant as sunlight on the water.

Sakura's face flushed bright red. Several pairs of eyes had turned toward her at Kushida's call. Some were curious, some indifferent, and some plainly impatient. She stood there, caught between going forward and backing away, gripping the edge of her towel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Kanzaki kept his eyes on Sakura across the pool. Then he pushed himself up from the edge and walked step by step toward the corner.

Halfway there, he happened to see Kushida Kikyo glance his way. Her smile was still gentle, but amid the shimmering reflections on the pool, it seemed to carry another meaning.

Then Kushida pushed off lightly from the pool wall and climbed out. "It's okay. Take your time," she told Sakura, before turning to join the girls playing nearby.

By the time Kanzaki reached Sakura, her shoulders were still trembling slightly.

"How strong are your glasses?"

Sakura froze, then looked up at him, squinting. Without her glasses, her purple eyes looked much bigger. Her nearsighted gaze was slightly unfocused, the light from the pool's skylights reflected in her pupils.

"...Four hundred."

"Then you really can't see much." Kanzaki said, "It's easier to get nervous when you can't see clearly. Follow the wall. There's a row of handrails over there. Take your time getting in and try the shallow end first."

"...Aren't you going to tell me not to be afraid?"

"If you're scared, you're scared. Telling you not to be afraid won't make you feel any less afraid." Kanzaki placed a towel on the bench beside the pool. "The handrail's on your left. Go to the third post, then head down. There are steps there."

With that, he turned and walked away.

On the far side of the pool, Hirata Yosuke seemed to have noticed what was happening. Standing among the boys, he glanced toward the corner, then casually looked away and continued chatting with the classmates beside him. Like Kanzaki, he didn't go over. There were already enough people by the pool.

After a while, Sakura Airi made her way to the shallow end, one step at a time, holding the handrail. Horikita Suzune stood at the edge of the pool. She didn't hurry Sakura along; she simply stayed there, like an unassuming landmark.

Kanzaki leaned against the poolside and watched.

The water was warm, and sunlight streamed through the skylights, shimmering across the surface. Sakura waded in the shallow end, never daring to let go of the handrail. But from the moment she got in, she seemed a little less tense. In the water, everyone had only their heads and arms above the surface. No one stood out more than anyone else.

He closed his eyes and opened the Illustrated Guide in his mind.

Sakura Airi's page glowed quietly as before, her affinity at 70. It hadn't changed, but a new line had appeared in her status bar: "Trying to step outside her comfort zone in public." Horikita Suzune's page was taking shape, and the affinity field was still flickering.

There was another detail. When Kushida Kikyo looked his way in the pool, her page in the Illustrated Guide seemed to turn slightly. No number, no note—just a faint movement.

He opened his eyes. Kushida Kikyo was playing around with a few girls in the deep end, her smile flawless and radiant.

Kanzaki took a deep breath and sank beneath the water, letting it cover his head.

All the sounds grew muffled and distant underwater. Only the splashing from some far-off corner and his own heartbeat remained. When he surfaced, he saw Sakura Airi release the handrail and walk two steps toward the center of the shallow end on her own. The water reached only her waist. She stood there, squinting at the distant, blurry surface, the faintest curve appearing at the corners of her mouth.

It wasn't a smile. She was just breathing.

But standing in open water in full view of everyone and breathing normally was already a big step forward for her.

Watching her, Kanzaki's lips curved in the faintest smile, too.

When swimming class ended, he stayed by the pool for a while. The students gradually left, with just a few remaining to shower. As he wrung out his towel, a figure came to stand beside him.

Kushida Kikyo.

She had already changed back into her uniform. Her hair was still slightly damp, and she held a towel in her hands. The setting sun streamed through the windows of the pool building, gilding her silhouette.

"Kanzaki, you're so nice to Sakura."

It wasn't an accusation or a sarcastic remark. It was just an ordinary comment, delivered in her usual gentle tone.

"I wouldn't call it being nice. I only said a few things."

"That wasn't all you did." Kushida tilted her head as she looked at him, her eyes curving. "You didn't go near her during the whole swimming class, but you still kept an eye on how she was doing. Not everyone's that observant."

Kanzaki watched her in silence.

"So I was wondering," she said, draping the towel over her shoulder and turning toward the door, "if I ever need help someday, would you watch over me like that, too?"

After saying that, she walked into the sunset. Her steps were light and carefree.

Kanzaki watched her disappear into the glow at the entrance of the pool building, wrung out his towel, and hung it over the bench. There were two possible meanings to her words. It might have been a sincere probe, or it might have been an attempt to draw him in for some ulterior purpose. He hadn't been the only one watching Sakura throughout swimming class. Kushida had been watching, too. She was observing Sakura as well as him. She'd wrapped what she'd learned in a half-joking remark, drawing closer while leaving herself a way out.

He headed for the changing room. In the Illustrated Guide, Kushida Kikyo's page turned again. Her affinity field still showed no number, but the outline of a title was beginning to appear.

He stopped and focused on the outline.

It hadn't taken shape yet, but he could just make out the shape of a label. Beneath it was a faint annotation, its strokes blurred and indistinct: "Boundary between public and private sides unconfirmed."

Kanzaki closed the Illustrated Guide and entered the changing room. Public and private. It was true: Kushida Kikyo had a public side and a private one. Her public side was a kind angel. What her private side was, he still didn't know. But since the Illustrated Guide had placed that note there, its judgment seemed to point in the same direction as Horikita's intuition.

He changed back into his uniform and left the pool building. Dusk was falling. A few people were still playing soccer on the field, but they were already scattered. Sakura Airi was walking alone back to the girls' dormitory, holding her camera. She'd changed back into her uniform and put her hat on again, but her steps were a little lighter than usual.

The sense of accomplishment from swimming class was probably still with her. He watched her disappear into the girls' dormitory, then turned and headed in the opposite direction.

Swimming class had confirmed three things for him. Sakura Airi was stepping outside her comfort zone. Slowly, but she was moving forward. Horikita Suzune had leadership skills, though her style was blunt. Kushida Kikyo was currently the most noteworthy variable in Class D.

He had confirmed one other thing, too: water could hide a lot, but it could also bring things that had been hidden to the surface.

And now that class was over, the things concealed beneath the surface of the pool were slowly rising, one by one.