Swimming Class is a Part of Student Life That Must Be Savored

As the class bell rang, the afternoon lessons officially began. Several theory and cultural classes passed in a flash without any extra twists, and soon it was time for the day's final class—public swimming.

At Advanced Nurturing High School, where the pressure was intense and everyone was constantly competing, swimming was one of the few "relaxing diversions," and also a course universally acknowledged as the most polarizing in the school.

For most boys, it was one of the rare chances to openly admire their classmates in swimsuits, practically the only perk amid the dreary games of campus competition. But for the vast majority of students who sat in classrooms year-round and rarely exercised, it was a massive public execution.

The physical flaws that loose school uniforms could perfectly conceal had nowhere to hide in fitted swimwear. Skinny stick-like frames, soft excess weight, awkward posture—every shortcoming would be magnified infinitely. It was practically a high school battlefield of looks and physique.

Thanks to the school's top-tier facilities, Advanced Nurturing High School's temperature-controlled swimming complex was absurdly luxurious. Its floor-to-ceiling glass walls offered excellent natural lighting, the brilliant blue pool water was crystal clear, and its year-round temperature control made it immune to heat and cold alike. Private shower rooms, smart lockers, and leisure viewing areas were all provided. Every facility was maintained with on-campus points, giving it all the prestige expected of a top elite academy in Japan—something ordinary public high schools could never hope to match.

After the boys and girls quickly changed in their separate areas, all of Class B lined up neatly by the pool, waiting for the teacher's instructions.

At a glance, the boys' physiques looked like a live-action catalogue of utterly ordinary people.

Most had the typical bookworm build. After years spent hunched over desks and grinding through practice problems without exercising, their limbs were thin and frail, their torsos weak and flat, with not a trace of muscle definition on them. They looked as though a gust of wind could knock them over. A few boys who had neglected their figures had soft flab around their waists and stomachs, completely losing any sense of youthful freshness.

Looking across the class, only Shibata Hayate, who loved soccer and exercised year-round, was reasonably presentable. He had a faint, lean athletic definition to him, making him the best of a mediocre lot. Even Kanzaki Ryuji, who had a calm demeanor, a wealthy family, and exceptional self-discipline, merely had a tall, upright build with only light muscle contours. He had the physique of a standard, well-put-together ordinary person—nowhere near stunning.

Everyone instinctively sized one another up and compared themselves in secret, each carrying a bit of quiet confidence. They felt that the gap between people their age could not possibly be that large.

Then their gazes swept over the figure standing at the far edge of the line. The entire venue fell silent in an instant, and everyone's mindset collectively collapsed.

Bai Mu stood casually and lazily at the very end of the line, tall and perfectly straight, relaxed yet sharp. His stance alone forcefully set him apart from every other person present.

His cool, pale skin was smooth and clear, free of acne marks, blemishes, or any excess fat. It was the clean physique cultivated through years of disciplined routines and scientific training. He did not have the exaggerated, bulky muscles of a fitness fanatic, nor did he look brutish or cumbersome. Every line of his body was smooth and taut, perfectly measured—a streamlined athletic build that combined beauty with explosive strength.

The contours of his eight-pack abs were neat and distinct, his toned waist and abdomen sharp and fluid. His shoulder-to-waist proportions were practically perfect, complemented by full, well-balanced chest muscles. He radiated strength without losing a teenager's crisp freshness. With his long, powerful limbs, excellent proportions, and simple, understated black swim trunks, he wore no unnecessary decoration, yet somehow carried the exclusive polish of a high-end model.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting delicate patterns of light and shadow across his skin. The tension in every muscle and the proportions of every part of his physique were perfectly balanced. The freshness of youth and the mature vitality of a grown man blended seamlessly together, making his presence overwhelmingly striking.

Most devastating of all was the silhouette outlined by his swim trunks, whose proportions were astonishing beyond imagination. The sheer contrast between him and the ordinary boys around him was like the difference between heaven and earth—an utterly crushing, tyrannosaurus-level gap that delivered a full-force visual impact.

"..."

Every boy fell silent. The air was thick with the feeling of shattered confidence.

Shibata Hayate, who had just been quietly thinking his figure was not too bad, turned his head and got a clear look at Bai Mu's physique. His pupils instantly shook. Looking down at his own utterly unremarkable body with no standout features, his mentality completely exploded, and the corners of his mouth twitched wildly.

"This is ridiculous... way too ridiculous, isn't it?" Shibata Hayate lowered his voice, his face full of despair. "We're both high school students, so why is the gap between people bigger than the gap between people and dogs? With a body like that, he's not leaving ordinary people any way to survive!"

Kanzaki Ryuji, beside him, could not help glancing over in amazement, his eyes full of disbelief. Having grown up among the upper class, he had seen many elite individuals who worked out professionally and exercised year-round, yet he had never seen a teenager with such perfectly measured proportions. Not a bit too muscular, not a bit too thin—the balance between strength and aesthetics was flawless. It was practically a textbook physique.

The girls nearby were even less able to hide the amazement in their eyes, and quiet whispers began to rise.

Until now, Bai Mu had been seen by the entire class as a cold, detached, quiet top student. He did not like socializing, did not join in the fun, and kept to himself. Everyone only remembered his terrifying intelligence, formidable capabilities, and hidden depths. No one had known that his outward qualities could also overwhelm the entire crowd.

"So the top student isn't just brilliant—his body is amazing too?"

"I used to think he was too cold and hard to approach, but now my impression of him has completely changed!"

"With that body and that face, is he really supposed to be a high school student? That's basically cheating!"

The quiet compliments lingered around the pool, throwing the boys' already-fragile confidence further out of balance. Looks, intelligence, physical ability, wealth—and now even physique. They were being comprehensively crushed in every category, enough to make anyone question their life.

Even Ichinose Honami, standing at the front, could not help stealing a sideways glance from the corner of her eye, her heart trembling faintly.

Faced with the looks of amazement, shock, and devastated confidence around him, Bai Mu himself remained completely calm and unruffled.

Of course, that composure was only the cool exterior Bai Mu deliberately maintained.

No one knew that he was secretly thrilled inside, to the point that he nearly could not stop the corners of his mouth from rising.

He had spent more than a decade diligently disciplining himself—giving up late nights, rejecting laziness, training day after day, refining his physique, and strictly controlling every inch of his condition. What had it all been for?

Wasn't it precisely for the ultimate satisfaction of utterly surpassing his peers in every aspect and being secretly praised by everyone?

Normally, he kept a low profile, hid his talents, and restrained his edge. He could not be bothered to flaunt any of his strengths, but that did not mean he disliked being acknowledged or praised.

Listening to the waves of astonishment and compliments around him, feeling the atmosphere of everyone being thoroughly impressed, Bai Mu felt incredibly satisfied.

Quietly working hard, quietly staying disciplined, and finally stunning everyone—this low-key show-off feeling was truly perfect.

But as an old hand at keeping up appearances, Bai Mu naturally could not let himself slip on the surface.

With that hidden pleasure in his heart, Bai Mu casually swept his gaze over the line of girls beside him.

It had to be said that, as an elite academy selected through layer after layer of screening, Advanced Nurturing High School truly had an impressive foundation in looks. Nearly every girl in Class B was attractive, all youthful beauties with clear, lively features and the vibrant energy unique to seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds.

The swimsuits issued by the school leaned conservative, with simple styles and thorough coverage, deliberately avoiding flashy designs in favor of neat uniformity. Yet even such conservative cuts could not suppress these girls' naturally outstanding figures. Their balanced, toned physiques and smooth, graceful body lines still showed faintly through, filling the scene with youthful vitality.

And among all the eye-catching girls, Ichinose Honami was undeniably the visual center. Her figure was simply unfair, an overwhelming advantage on an entirely different level.

Her loose school uniform usually concealed her excellent proportions, making people think only that she was well-balanced and gentle in temperament. No one could have imagined that she possessed such remarkable physical features. Her lines were full and harmonious, her proportions perfectly balanced, tall and slender without being at all slight. Every curve looked naturally graceful and carried a powerful visual impact.

The boys, who had been wallowing in their shattered confidence moments earlier, instantly had their attention firmly captured.

A faint collective intake of breath sounded across the venue, without a single exception.

No one had expected that their usually gentle, kind, obedient, and dependable class representative possessed such an outstanding figure. The huge contrast was far more stunning than any deliberately flashy appearance could have been.

Even many of the girls could not help looking her way, their eyes full of envy as they quietly marveled at just how exceptionally gifted their class representative was.

Bai Mu took it all in and silently added his own assessment in his heart.

Once free warm-up time began, the poolside immediately filled with quiet conversation again.

Several Class B girls naturally gathered around Ichinose Honami, chatting animatedly. Their topics were nothing more than the contrast in everyone's figures and the pool environment. As the backbone of the class, Ichinose was always the warmest presence in the girls' circle and the one best at keeping the atmosphere steady.

Bai Mu casually stretched his arms, his gaze drifting over without much thought—only to catch a very interesting little detail.

Amid the crowd, a fresh-faced girl with short hair and a quiet demeanor took an unobtrusive half-step forward, planting herself firmly right in front of Ichinose. She neatly blocked most of the gazes coming from the boys, naturally shielding the class president behind her from those subtle appraising looks.

It was Shiratori Chihiro.

Bai Mu instantly matched her to the information in her profile, while also recalling the little details from everyday life since school began.

Shiratori Chihiro was almost always glued to Ichinose's side. During breaks, meals in the cafeteria, club activities, and even on the way home after school, the two were practically inseparable. She usually did not speak much, and her personality was quiet and reserved, leaving little impression on most people. But when it came to Ichinose, she was exceptionally attentive and fiercely protective.

It had not been obvious when there were lots of people around and the atmosphere was lively. But now that everyone was in swimsuits and countless eyes instinctively drifted toward Ichinose's eye-catching figure, Shiratori Chihiro's instinctive protectiveness became especially conspicuous.

She did not make any exaggerated gestures or openly stop anyone. She simply stood quietly in front, seemingly taking up a casual warm-up position. In reality, she had forcefully created a small "screen," discreetly and thoughtfully protecting the gentle, unsuspecting class president behind her.

Quite a few boys who had wanted to sneak a few more glances at Ichinose found their view blocked and could only reluctantly look away. Though they privately regretted it, they were too embarrassed to deliberately move around Shiratori Chihiro, so they could only honestly focus on their own warm-up exercises.

Several boys from Class B exchanged looks, then shamelessly approached Bai Mu in twos and threes, their eyes filled with curiosity and envy.

That overwhelming display of physique had dealt them a massive psychological blow. As fellow boys, who would not want an attractive, well-built body instead of the dull, ordinary template of some random passerby—and gain the attention of girls along the way?

Especially since everyone had seen it just now: even Ichinose, the class's most popular goddess with the gentlest temperament, had secretly glanced at Bai Mu several times.

That invisible gap in "charm" struck straight at the hearts of all the ordinary boys.

"Bai Mu, your body is way too ridiculous!"

"Quick, teach us how you trained! We go to school every day too, so why are your lines so perfect?"

"Is there any quick method? We want to get rid of these scrawny bodies too!"

The group surrounded Bai Mu and bombarded him with questions, their eyes full of eager curiosity. Who did not want to transform their physique and escape being constantly crushed by others in both looks and body?

Bai Mu did not keep anything to himself. As he leisurely stretched his legs, he casually shared his secret, his tone as calm as if he were explaining a textbook concept.

"There's no special trick. Just long-term exercise combined with a regular routine."

"Keep up basic fitness training every day. You don't need fancy equipment—just make sure you get enough exercise and keep your muscles active. The most important thing is sleep. Rest on time, don't stay up late, and don't overthink yourself into exhaustion. Your posture and complexion will naturally keep improving."

In the end, he summed it up with the simplest—and most painful—two words: "Self-discipline."

Those two simple words instantly silenced every boy present.

They had imagined countless possible answers: talent, specialized training plans, special diets. The one answer they had never expected was self-discipline—something everyone understood, yet almost no one could maintain over the long term.

Shibata Hayate immediately let out a bitter laugh. "You might as well have said nothing! Those two words, 'self-discipline,' are the hardest cheat code of all!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.