Swimming Class

On Monday morning, Kiryu Yume was awakened by his phone alarm. He turned it off and sat up, reaching for the glass on his bedside table. Before his fingers touched it, he had already adjusted the spacing of his grip.

Swimming class was scheduled for third period that morning. During the first two classes, several seats were empty as members of the Sakayanagi Faction had gone to the pool early to prepare.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat at her desk reading, her cane propped against its edge. She would not be getting into the water. Kiryu Yume knew why—congenital heart disease, exempt from physical education.

"I'll watch you swim today." Sakayanagi Arisu closed her book during the break and glanced up at him.

"You're not going poolside?"

"I am." She tapped the book cover with her finger. "I'll sit and watch."

After the third-period bell rang, the whole class gathered at the swimming pool. It was an indoor, climate-controlled pool, twenty-five meters long with six lanes. Fluorescent lights cast shifting nets of light across the bottom.

The pool water was pale blue, and the air was hot and damp. Bare feet felt slightly sticky against the non-slip tiles.

The boys and girls changed separately. In the boys' changing room, Katsuragi Kohei had already changed into his swim trunks. Bald and powerfully built, his chest and shoulders looked thick even beneath the swimwear as he spoke to Totsuka Yahiko in an even tone.

Hashimoto Masayoshi came over from the lockers on the other side, his blond hair dripping wet from an early rinse in the shower area. Kito Hayato changed at a locker in the farthest corner. He was tall, with shoulders as broad as a door. He did not speak to anyone, and after tying the drawstring of his trunks, he headed out.

"Kiryu, what stroke are you planning to use?" Hashimoto Masayoshi asked as he rolled his shoulders.

"Freestyle."

"Me too." Hashimoto Masayoshi flashed a grin. "Then let's see who's faster."

Kiryu Yume changed into dark blue trunks and left the changing room.

Morishita Ran was already standing on the left side of the pool in a dark blue one-piece swimsuit. Its straps were thin, pressing into the outer edges of her collarbones. Her legs extended below the hem of the suit—straight, with well-proportioned thighs and calves. The outlines of her kneecaps rose faintly beneath the skin, smooth and curved like the surface of Japanese jelly after it had set in a mold. Her ankles were slim, and the indentation along her Achilles tendon was deeply defined from behind. One foot rested on the poolside, her toes slightly curled against the ground—five toes gathered together like peeled lychees lightly squeezed into a row, their nails pale pink.

Kiryu Yume's gaze lingered on those toes for a second, and an image surfaced in his mind—taking them into his mouth one by one, brushing his tongue between them. He shook his head and forced the image down. It was early morning, by the pool, with the entire class around him.

Morishita Ran did not notice him. She was looking at the floating lane markers. Her toes loosened from the poolside, swayed briefly above the water, then settled back down.

Kamuro Masumi stood on the right side of the pool, her long black hair tied in a high ponytail. She wore the same dark blue one-piece swimsuit. Her legs were a size slimmer than Morishita Ran's, narrower at the upper thighs and sharper in line—the long tendon along the outside of her calf cast a clear shadow under the lights. Her feet rested on the tiles, arches lifted off the floor in a steep curve. Her ankle bones were prominent, with faint veins visible beside her Achilles tendons. Her toes naturally spread apart, toenails neatly trimmed and unpainted, their natural pale white.

Kiryu Yume glanced over again. I want that foot to step on my face—just once. Then I can go swimming. He knew the thought was absurd, but his mind did not care. Kamuro Masumi's toes lightly rubbed against the tiles, like two cream puffs bumping together and springing apart.

Kamuro Masumi turned her head and caught his gaze. Her eyelid twitched. Barefoot by the pool, she was in no position to kick him, so all she could do was shoot him a cold look. That look was enough to make Kiryu Yume look away.

They were all different, each with their own strengths. He liked them all.

The PE teacher blew the whistle. The entire class lined up as he announced the day's lesson—warm-ups, twenty-five minutes of free practice, and finally a fifty-meter freestyle race. First place would receive five thousand points, while last place would stay after class to clean the pool.

A stir ran through the line when the five thousand points were announced. Hashimoto Masayoshi let out a low whistle. Katsuragi Kohei showed no reaction, merely pulling his goggles down from his forehead to hang around his neck. Standing beside him, Totsuka Yahiko quietly said, "Five thousand points could buy a lot of meals." Kito Hayato stood in the back row with his arms folded, expressionless, as though he had not heard the word reward at all.

During the warm-up, Kiryu Yume loosened his joints by the pool. His wrists and ankles moved through wider rotations than usual, and once his shoulder joints had relaxed, his bones seemed to glide smoothly in their sockets. A pet cat's agility could be put to use in the water, at least in part.

Free practice began. He dove into the water and started swimming—standard freestyle, arms alternating through the water while his legs kicked up and down. The problem showed itself after twenty-five meters. His bodily coordination was fine, and his joint mobility was better than those in the neighboring lanes, but his breathing rhythm was off. He lifted his head incorrectly when breathing, and every side breath made him swallow water. After seven or eight strokes, his rhythm fell apart.

He stopped, holding onto the pool edge, and spat out the water in his mouth.

Someone swam over in the adjacent lane and surfaced beside him. Morishita Ran wiped water from her face. Her dark blue swim cap held all her hair tightly atop her head, droplets trailing down from her chin and pooling in the hollow of her collarbone, where they reflected the light.

Kiryu Yume instinctively looked down—the waterline sat just over the roots of her thighs, and her legs beneath the water had been refracted into rippling blue-white shapes. Her toes lightly tapped against the pool floor again and again. Her feet looked softer underwater than they had on land, like almond tofu soaking in syrup. He tucked the comparison away, keeping his expression blank.

"You're breathing wrong," Morishita Ran said.

"I know."

"If you lift your head, your whole body sinks. Turn to the side instead." She turned in the water and demonstrated slowly, rotating her head sideways, taking in air with her mouth at the surface, then lowering her face back into the water.

Kiryu Yume tried it as she instructed. He turned his head to the side, breathed in, and lowered it again. This time, he did not swallow any water.

"Try again."

After two laps, his breathing had smoothed out, though his movements were still unfamiliar.

Morishita Ran swam alongside him, surfacing occasionally to correct his hand position. "Keep your fingers together." "Your stroke arc is too wide. Save some effort." Each time, she swam away after speaking, then returned again a while later. Once, as she swam off, her heel kicked up a small splash, and the sole of her foot turned beneath the water's surface—the curve of her arch was especially distinct in the watery light. Kiryu Yume watched for half a second, and a thought flashed through his mind: Hold those feet underwater and lick from their soles all the way to their ankles.

He buried his head in the water and blew out a string of bubbles. Swimming first.

Fifteen minutes later, he could swim two full twenty-five-meter lengths without choking. His physical foundation was there; all he lacked was technique.

Five minutes before the race, the whole class gathered by the pool. There were six lanes, with students grouped by student number. Kiryu Yume was assigned to the third lane. Hashimoto Masayoshi was beside him in the second, putting on his goggles with that loose pre-race smile at the corner of his mouth.

Totsuka Yahiko was in the fourth lane, repeatedly practicing the motion of kicking off the pool wall with a nervous expression. Kito Hayato was in the first lane, his tall frame standing silently on the starting block, the muscles in his arms sharply defined under the watery light. Katsuragi Kohei was in the fifth lane, arms folded over his chest like a silent tower.

Kamuro Masumi was in the first lane of the second group, next to Kito Hayato, while Morishita Ran was in the sixth lane.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat on a bench by the pool, her cane resting across her knees, violet eyes fixed on the water.

The whistle blew.

Kiryu Yume kicked off the wall and entered the water. The instant his body stretched out, resistance slid over his skin, and every joint loosened to its fullest range. His kicking rhythm was steady, his arms alternated through the water, and he breathed—head turned to the side, inhale, face back down—more smoothly than he had during practice.

At the first twenty-five-meter turn, he was third in the third lane. Ahead of him were Hashimoto Masayoshi and a boy from the swim club. Hashimoto Masayoshi swam steadily, his arm strokes clean and standard. Kito Hayato led in the first lane, putting tremendous power into every stroke and throwing up surging white water with each push, though his tempo was on the low side. Katsuragi Kohei kept pace in the fifth lane without rushing, his bald head rising and falling over the water.

He turned and kicked off the wall. The underwater push sent him shooting forward, and the cushioning in his knees as he pushed off was better than he had expected.

For the final fifteen meters, he increased his tempo. His arms moved half a beat faster, while his kicks narrowed but became more rapid, allowing him to catch second place. In the last five meters, Hashimoto Masayoshi was half an arm's length ahead. Kiryu Yume drew in a deep breath, plunged his face underwater, and gave everything to his final three strokes.

His hand hit the wall.

He lifted his head from the water, water streaming down from his forehead as whistles sounded one after another.

The PE teacher announced the results. The winner of the third lane was Kiryu Yume.

Hashimoto Masayoshi came second, behind by a fraction of a second. Totsuka Yahiko came fourth, clinging to the pool edge and gasping for breath. Kito Hayato took first in the first lane. He pushed himself out of the pool, water pouring down his broad back. Without saying a word, he walked over to the side and picked up a towel to wipe his face.

Katsuragi Kohei climbed out of the fifth lane after taking first in his group. When he passed Kiryu Yume, he paused and nodded, saying nothing else.

Kamuro Masumi climbed out of her lane after taking first in her group as well. As she passed him, she slowed for a moment.

"Your stroke frequency in those final few pulls was right." After saying that, she continued on, droplets flying from her ponytail and scattering across the tiles.

Kiryu Yume glanced at her feet on the wet tiles—with every step, the soles lifted slightly from the floor with a faint, sticky sound as wet skin briefly adhered to the tiles before separating. He thought of being stepped on again and moved his eyes back to the water.

Morishita Ran also took first in the sixth lane. By the time she came over, she already had a lollipop in her mouth. She pulled it out and looked at Kiryu Yume.

"You fixed your breathing."

"You taught me well."

Morishita Ran put the lollipop back into her mouth and headed for the changing room. When she walked, her heels touched down first, and just before leaving the floor, her toes lightly gripped the tiles—five toes curling and relaxing one after another like little glutinous rice balls. Kiryu Yume looked away.

Last place went to a girl from the Sakayanagi Faction, who was kept behind to clean the lane floats and the changing room floor. Totsuka Yahiko climbed out of the pool and passed by her, quietly saying, "It's okay. You'll swim better next time." The girl gave a reluctant nod.

Sakayanagi Arisu rose from the bench, her cane tapping against the tiles as she walked up to Kiryu Yume. Her violet eyes rested on his drenched hair for a second, then shifted to the small puddle at his feet.

"The little cat learned how to swim."

Her tone was soft, much like when she usually patted his head. Kiryu Yume said nothing as droplets fell from the ends of his hair.

Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head slightly, the curve of her smile barely there. "You look a little better in the water than on land."

With that, she turned and walked away, her cane tapping at its usual rhythm. Kamuro Masumi followed behind her. As she passed Kiryu Yume, she lowered her eyes to glance at him—her ears seemed a little redder, and her steps quickened.

Kiryu Yume stood where he was. Behind him, the pool water rippled gently, and the fluorescent web of light broke into scattered fragments on the bottom.

He turned and headed toward the changing room. Hashimoto Masayoshi was waiting for him at the entrance, a towel draped over his shoulder.

"Kiryu, let's race one-on-one sometime."

"Sure."

Hashimoto Masayoshi patted him on the shoulder and went in first. Kito Hayato emerged from the changing room, already dressed in his school uniform. As his tall frame passed Kiryu Yume, he paused, turned his head to look at him, then gave him a nod before leaving.