Shimizu Akira didn't pay much attention to Horikita Suzune, who was now deliberately keeping her distance.
His earlier remark had clearly struck a nerve.
—Sibling complex, huh.
Speaking of which, the weather was unbearably hot.
The sun scorched the poolside tiles, the heat searing even through his swim trunks.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Shimizu scanned the area.
(This heat… need somewhere cooler.)
His gaze landed on the glittering pool.
Thanks to the school's climate control, the water was kept at a perfect temperature—neither too warm from the sun nor too chilly in the shade.
A few eager students had already jumped in, their laughter echoing across the water.
With the PE teacher nowhere in sight, most classmates still lingered by the poolside, chatting.
"Might as well cool off."
Shimizu's eyes locked onto the third lane—empty and inviting.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the pool, Kushida Kikyō had broken away from the crowd, approaching Horikita, who stood alone.
"Horikita-san, where's Shimizu-kun?"
"Are your eyes defective? Can't tell men from women?"
"Hehe, you two are always together~"Kushida's smile didn't waver. "By the way, how's your swimming?"
"...Passable."Horikita's reply was curt.
"I struggled in middle school, but I improved through practice."Kushida glanced at the pool, her tone thoughtful.
"If you want praise, find someone else."
"Oh, you misunderstand!"Kushida gestured toward the water. *"Last week, Shimizu-kun said he barely practiced swimming. But look—he just finished a lap in 20 seconds."*
The boys' area erupted in commotion.
Sudō Ken and Kōenji Rokusuke had cleared a section of the pool, each claiming a lane, unconsciously competing with Shimizu.
Whistles and cheers erupted as the casual swim lesson morphed into an impromptu race.
A few boys shoved each other, eager to join.
After some debate, the crowd's attention settled on Hirata Yōsuke and Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
"You two are up!" a boy declared.
"Physique-wise, they're the best picks," the girls murmured.
Hirata smiled warmly. "If everyone insists…"
Beside him, Ayanokōji remained expressionless, giving only a slight nod.
"See? Even the competitive boys can't resist."Kushida observed. "Shimizu-kun's physical gifts are remarkable. The type who'd win any sports event, right?"
Thanks to middle school, she knew her strengths lay not in brawn or brains.
Yet seeing naturally gifted peers still stirred envy in her chest.
"What do you do at 5:30 AM daily? Do you exercise?"Horikita suddenly asked.
"That early…?"Kushida blinked. "I'm usually asleep. But on weekends, I do run 5km."
Horikita's gaze drifted to the pool. "That guy," she said coldly, "has trained at 5:30 AM daily since day two. Seven AM, he's always on the track. Claims he's kept it up for eight years."
"How many days have you lasted? A weekend jog doesn't qualify you to mock his 'gifts.' At your level, you're not even fit to discuss talent."
Kushida's smile froze. Her voice trembled. "I—"
"S-Sorry!" She bowed hastily. "I didn't mean—I'd never downplay his hard work!"
Horikita didn't even look at her, sidestepping as if avoiding trash.
"Horikita-san…"Kushida's smile strained like a over-tightened string. "Could you tell me… why you always reject my friendship?"
Silence.
"...I see." Her expression shattered, eyes darkening. "Not even worth explaining. Fine. I'll apologize to Shimizu-kun properly later."
(This arrogant bitch! How many times have I humbled myself to talk to her?!)
(Die die die! I hope lightning strikes Horikita Suzune!)
(So what if I slipped up? She jumped at the chance to humiliate me!)
(I always lost to muscle-headed girls in middle school! Why waste time on weaknesses? Is her brain cement? Thank god we weren't classmates—she'd have been insufferable.)
(Wait… does she like Shimizu? Defending him, memorizing his routine…?)
(Stalker creep! No guy would want a psycho like you!)
She turned away, her smile flawless once more, eyes locking onto Shimizu cutting through the water.
(And him—he totally faked incompetence during selections! Picking Kōenji over me!)
('Eight years of training'? Bullshit!)
(But… he did give up his seat for that old lady. Maybe he's actually dumb.)
(This naive doormat… perfect to manipulate.)
(With Horikita blocked, he's my only lead on that incident…)
(And Hirata! Why's he so popular?! This class only needs one center—me!)
(Ugh! Nothing goes right!)
(I'll vent properly tonight.)
Then—as if flipping a switch—Kushida's fingers lightly touched her chin, her gloom vanishing instantly.
A sunbeam-bright smile blossomed as she cupped her hands and called out:
"Shimizu-kun—ganbatte!"