Kiyomizu didn't pay much attention to Suzune Horikita, who was deliberately keeping her distance from him. His words had clearly hit a nerve. That's what you get with a bro-con.
Man, it's hot. The sun beat down on the tiles at the edge of the pool, and he could even feel the heat through his shorts. Kiyomizu wiped the sweat that was constantly beading on his forehead.
(This heat... I need to find a cooler spot.)
His gaze instinctively fell on the sparkling water of the pool. Thanks to the school's temperature control system, the water was kept at a pleasant temperature, neither heated by the sun nor too cold in the shade. A few impatient students had already jumped in, their cheerful splashes echoing across the water. With the PE teacher yet to arrive, most of the students were still gathered by the poolside, chatting in small groups.
"Time to jump in and cool off."
Kiyomizu scanned the area and locked his eyes on the empty third lane.
...
On the other side of the pool, Kikyo Kushida deliberately left the group and walked over to where Suzune Horikita was standing alone.
"Horikita-san, where did Kiyomizu-kun go?"
"Is there something wrong with your eyes? Can't you even tell the difference between a boy and a girl?"
"Hehe, it's because you two are always together~" Kushida's smile didn't falter. "By the way, how well do you swim, Horikita-san?"
"...Well enough to get by," Horikita replied curtly, her tone distant.
"My swimming wasn't very good in middle school, but I've improved after a lot of hard training," Kushida said softly, her gaze thoughtful as she looked at the pool.
"If you're looking for praise, go find someone else," Horikita responded coolly.
Kushida smiled slightly. "You misunderstand, that's not what I meant. Speaking of which, when I asked Kiyomizu-kun last week if he could swim, he said he hadn't practiced much. But look now—" she pointed at the pool, "he just swam a full lap in just over twenty seconds."
At that moment, a commotion erupted from the boys' area. Ken Sudo and Rokusuke Koenji had impatiently cleared a corner of the pool, each taking a lane and unconsciously starting a competition with Kiyomizu. Some of the onlookers whistled, others clapped and cheered, and the once quiet swim class instantly turned into a mini-arena. A few boys shoved each other, seemingly eager to join the impromptu race. After a heated discussion, the crowd's attention eventually fell on Yosuke Hirata and Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
"It's decided! You two!" one of the boys declared.
"Yeah, looking at their builds, Hirata and Ayanokoji are the most suitable," the girls whispered among themselves.
Yosuke Hirata gave a gentle smile. "Since everyone says so..."
Ayanokoji, standing beside him, remained expressionless as usual, just giving a slight nod of agreement.
"See, the other competitive boys can't hold back either," Kushida said, observing the scene. "Kiyomizu-kun's physical talent is really amazing. It makes me envious. He's probably the type of genius who would get first place in any sports competition he enters."
Because of her experiences in middle school, she had long since understood that her greatest strengths were not a strong body or exceptional intelligence. So when she saw such naturally gifted students, she couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and jealousy.
"What are you doing at 5:30 every morning? Do you have a habit of exercising?" Horikita suddenly asked.
"At that time..." Kushida blinked, slightly confused. "I'm probably still sleeping. But on my days off~ I make sure to run five kilometers."
Horikita's gaze went past her to the powerful figure in the pool. "That person," she said, "has been getting up at 5:30 to train every day since the second day of school. He's at the track running laps at 7 AM sharp. He says he's been doing it for eight years."
"And how many days have you kept it up? You're just..." Horikita suddenly turned to Kushida, her eyes as sharp as ice. "...going for an occasional jog. What right do you have to comment on someone else's talent? At your current level, you don't even meet the threshold to talk about physical talent."
Kushida's sweet smile froze instantly, her voice trembling unnaturally. "That's..."
"I-I'm sorry!" she quickly bowed her head. "I... I was just speaking casually. I definitely didn't mean to belittle Kiyomizu-kun's efforts!"
Horikita didn't even bother to look up, simply turning slightly to the side, creating an invisible wall with her silence.
"Horikita-san..." Kushida forced a smile, but her voice was as taut as a violin string. "Can you tell me... why you're so unwilling to accept my friendship?"
The air froze for a few seconds.
"...I understand," Kushida's smile completely vanished, a dark glint in her eyes. "Even an explanation is too much trouble for you. Then I won't bother. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Horikita-san. I will formally apologize to Kiyomizu-kun later."
(This arrogant bitch! How many times have I lowered myself to talk to her?)
(Die, die, die! Why doesn't Suzune Horikita just get struck by lightning!)
(I just accidentally let one true thought slip, and this bitch seized the opportunity to humiliate me!)
(Since middle school, I've always lost to those physically strong girls in sports. Why should I waste my time on my weaknesses? Is her brain made of cement?! It's a good thing I wasn't in the same class as her in middle school... that would have been a nightmare.)
(Wait... could this woman have a crush on Kiyomizu Akira? She's so protective of him, she even knows his morning run schedule down to the minute!)
(Disgusting stalker! Who would like a yandere like you!)
She maintained her flawless smile and turned, her gaze once again locking onto the figure cutting through the waves in the pool.
(And this Kiyomizu... he was definitely playing dumb during the selection last time, choosing Koenji!)
(He says these muscles are from training? For eight years? Who's he kidding!)
(But... seeing him give up his seat for the old lady, he does seem pretty dumb.)
(A simple nice guy like him... should be the easiest to manipulate.)
(Now that the Horikita route is a dead end, I'll have to get the information about "that incident" from him...)
(And that Hirata! So popular in class! This class only needs one core figure, and that's me!)
(Aargh... so annoying! Why is nothing going my way!)
(I'll have to "de-stress" properly tonight.)
Just then, Kushida's fingertip gently touched her chin, and the gloom in her eyes vanished in an instant. She suddenly broke into a smile as bright as a spring day, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted towards the pool, "Kiyomizu-kun—go for it!"
-------
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