Youzitsu: To Protect Her Smile (Patreon)

Chapter 10: The Highly Anticipated Swimming Class

"Oh, here they come!"

The enthusiasm of the boys' group was very high, similar to rookies on the battlefield who haven't been through the brutal training yet. Without experiencing harsh beatings, they could maintain high spirits.

We walked out of the changing room in groups. Although I didn't know who was leading the charge or who was shouting, it was always safe to be at the back of the line. I relaxed all of my muscles to the fullest extent, even allowing a bit of a belly bulge to show on my stomach to give the impression of a slight paunch.

As long as no one scrutinizes my body closely, there shouldn't be any problems.

The only thing the boys typically notice about each other is whose body is bigger, but people pretend not to notice the small differences between themselves and others, not out of inferiority or self-satisfaction, but simply due to 'convention.'

Once I understood this rule on a deeper level, I became more convinced that this compliant class wouldn't do anything harmful to me.

Of course, there would still be some questions asked.

"You probably can’t swim, but do you know how to float?" Kanzaki, walking beside me, asked.

"What are you trying to imply?”

"Nothing."

"........."

"I know how to swim, but I'm not particularly good at it. When it comes to water, I prefer to just play in a place where the water is just around my ankle or wrist.”

"I don't know if your intelligence is normal, but your body is definitely the delicate type."

I've given up struggling against these remarks. No matter what logical arguments I make, Kanzaki has already labeled me as 'almost useless' in his mind, if not outright.

"Speaking of which, your muscles seem unexpectedly refined."

"Your words make me feel like you're evaluating pork at the market. Is that just my imagination?"

He didn't respond to my question but instead raised his hand and pinched my biceps.

"Soft— Just as I thought, what was I expecting?"

"........"

Following his lead, I started assessing his body from head to toe.

"Wow, abs." The prominent six-pack grid on Kanzaki's abdomen was the most authentic rectus abdominis.

"Didn't I tell you before? I used to be in the track and field club. During training, we did some planks and reverse crunches."

"Does the track and field club also need to do these exercises?"

"I'm not sure. I just followed the coach's instructions. Actually, I didn't have much passion for the track and field club myself. Joining it was just something I did out of boredom."

"I see."

"If you were more into exercising, you wouldn't be so soft." With that, he teasingly pinched the 'fat' on my arm again.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for that kind of thing. In fact, I haven't really exercised in a long time. Now it's just some light activity to keep my body moving."

"Wow! The swimming pool looks great!"

"Oh, oh, oh, can I dive right in?"

"First, warm up!"

The words of anticipation and excitement gradually reached my ears as I stood at the end of the crowd, blocking my view of the pool. I shuffled a few steps towards the side, and suddenly, the fifty-meter swimming pool appeared before my eyes. This width was ample for forty people, ensuring that they wouldn't interfere with each other even when playing simultaneously.

"The water quality looks good, clear and clean," commented Kanzaki beside me.

"You still pay attention to these things?" I asked.

"Yeah, I've heard about people excreting waste in the pool, which I find hard to accept, so I always pay attention whenever I go to the pool."

"...Is that still a thing?"

"Haven't you heard about it?"

"I rarely go to the pool, so I'm not really familiar with that aspect..."

"I see."

As Kanzaki had said, the water was crystal clear, and being indoors, it wasn't affected by the weather outside.

"Are they not here yet?" someone asked.

"Well, they're girls, so they're always a bit slower when changing clothes."

Shortly after this conclusion was reached, I heard some noisy whispers from the exit of the girls' changing room, followed by the girls, led by Ichinose, laughing and chatting as they walked out.

"Oh, here they come!"

Since it was a school-arranged class, students were restricted in their choice of swimwear. For boys, it was the usual square-cut trunks. If it weren't for the school's restrictions, I would probably wear something that covered my entire body, like a sharkskin suit, to conceal my body shape.

The girls, on the other hand, wore Rose one-piece swimsuits. If I remember correctly, that's what they were called. They were usually made of nylon and Lycra fibers. These swimsuits could effectively cover their private parts while still exuding a hint of allure. Aside from that, the exposed thighs were also very eye-catching, mostly smooth and fair, and elegantly slender.

Hmm?

I glanced back at the group of boys, and suddenly all their eyes were fixed on Ichinose. To avoid any awkwardness, I decided to look in her direction as well.

Her breasts are bigger than I imagined.

My observations on the bus before were too superficial. Even though there were signs of the swimsuit restraining her breast, it didn't change the fact that she was probably between D and E. I wasn't exactly sure of the specifics, but it should be around there.

Immediately after, I averted my gaze. Not because of anything else, but because I noticed that the surrounding gazes were starting to become distracted.

Even though the boys group chat was lively, talking about how they would spend most of their class time watching the girls in their swimsuits and such, in the end, it was just all talk, the boys only watched the girls for a few seconds before continuing what they were doing.

"Alright, everyone gather round!"

After everyone entered the room, the muscular teacher who had been waiting on the side emitted a strong aura of competitiveness, as if bearing the absolute victory or defeat.

"So, your class doesn't have anyone who's proficient in swimming? Good!"

"Now, let's get straight to the point. After warm-up exercises, we'll head straight to swimming. We'll do a little assessment to roughly gauge your abilities, then I'll plan the lessons accordingly."

"What will the classes be about if we already know how to swim?" We chatted with the teacher during the warm-up exercises.

"Mostly learning techniques and physical training. Of course, there will be free activities as well. Although your swimming now is just for fun, it might come in handy someday."

After the warm-up exercises, we were instructed to swim a simple fifty meters. The depth of the pool wasn't a concern; even those who couldn't swim could touch the bottom if they relaxed.

I was the second to last to enter the pool because Kanzaki was afraid I might have an accident on the pool ladder, so I lost the chance to be the last. Although I wasn't sure how things would develop to make me have an accident, I appreciated the gesture.

It had been over a year since I last submerged myself in water, the last one was on some assasination mission. The water temperature in the pool was completely different from those of the river, which were cold and full of some aquatic animals and plants. It was warm and comfortable. After wetting my ears, I tried to swim.

My movements were stiff, but passable.

I followed the rest to the other side at a slow pace, undoubtedly at the bottom of the group.

"Luo, you're swimming really slowly; you almost got beaten by the girls." Shiratori joked with me at the bottom of the stairs.

"There's no rule in this world that says boys must be better than girls."

"Do you know freestyle?" Kanzaki interrupted.

"Yeah, I've learned it." I replied uncertainly.

"Freestyle is a bit faster than breaststroke."

"I know, but it's also more tiring." I dragged my wet body across the open space and sat down wherever.

"It's just a fifty-meter warm-up, and you're still panting and trembling. How long has it been since you exercised? Forget it, you're hopeless. I won't say anything more to you."

It was true that I was panting, but it was not from fatigue but from excitement. Adrenaline would surge at the beginning of certain situations, and I struggled to suppress this impulse and face the upcoming exercise with a calm mind.

"It seems that the classes for your class in the future will be quite relaxed." The teacher looked at us affirmatively, but the subsequent malicious smile made me feel a great sense of crisis.

"So, let's have a swimming competition directly. Fifty meters freestyle for boys and girls each."

"What?! A competition right away?" Takashima exclaimed excitedly. "Since it's a competition, I have to show my full power! They didn’t call me the “Kyoto Greatfish” for nothing!"

"Weren't you not that fast just now?"

"I just wasn't serious then. I'll show you what a real swimmer looks like next."

The teacher ignored the students' clamor and continued explaining the rules of the competition.

"Of course, since it's a competition, there will be rewards. I'll give a special reward of five thousand points to the first-place student. Conversely, the slowest guy will have to accept remedial classes. The remedial classes will be held with students from other classes, so be prepared."

"Remedial classes too?! But I'm not very good at swimming."

"Conducted with other classes? So if you need remedial classes, you'll have to go to other classes."

"No, please!"

Listening to the screams of the unconfident students, I couldn't help but feel a sense of despair.

"It looks like you might be in trouble."

"...It shouldn't be that bad." I glanced over at the girls and noticed a hint of concern in Ichinose's eyes.

"Let's start with the girls first, divide into groups, five students per group, and the student with the shortest time wins. You can choose your own group members; I won't intervene."

"Ichinose, good luck."

As the first group started, the boys were enthusiastic, while Ichinose seemed a bit awkward. In less than a month since entering school, Ichinose had gained high popularity, even interacting with students from other classes. From this perspective, she was indeed impressive.

"Ichinose probably isn't that great at physical activities."

"I don't know, I haven't asked."

"After all, carrying two big burdens while swimming means she would expend more strength.”

"Probably." I replied with uncertainty. If you asked me about whether swimming while carrying a backpack or a firearm would make it easier or not, I might be able to give a definitive answer. But with regards to the female anatomy, I hadn't experienced it... Maybe it's like wearing a backpack, but in front?

"Alright, let's begin!"

"Three, two, one!"

After the whistle blew, five girls jumped into the water. Ichinose was in the third lane, Shiranami in the second, and Kobashi Yume in the first. The other two, due to my limited vision, I couldn't identify, but based on their body shapes and hair colors, they should be Hosaka and Motohashi.

At the start, Motohashi took the lead, with Shiranami closely behind, while Ichinose seemed to struggle a bit, trailing in fourth place. This position remained until the end of the race.

"Ah, almost got first place."

"That was close, too close." Motohashi exclaimed, patting her chest.

"But I didn't expect Honami-chan to be bad at sports."

"Haha~ my physical fitness wasn't that great before. Although I've been exercising, it seems to have little effect."

"It's okay, that's also part of your charm~" While the girls joked around, most of the boys' eyes were fixated on the fleshiness of their thighs and buttocks.

The first-place time was thirty-one seconds, while Ichinose's was forty-one seconds.

The competition proceeded orderly, and in the end, Koyama Kayoko won the overall first place for girls with a time of twenty-nine seconds.

"She's really good."

But there was still a big gap from the world record. If I remember correctly, the fastest time for fifty meters freestyle for girls is around twenty-three seconds, and for boys, it's eight seconds longer than my best, twenty, I think.

"Now it's our turn to race. Aren't you nervous?"

"Not really nervous, just a little afraid of being put on the remedial list."

"You still need to have some competitive spirit."

"As long as I meet the minimum requirement."

"...Then just do your best."

"Thanks for your encouragement."

Due to the enthusiastic competition among the boys, I was undoubtedly placed in the last lane of the fifth group. Currently leading was Shibata, a rising star from the soccer team, with a time of twenty-six seconds. It's hard to imagine this level for a high school student; his skills could already be considered those of a national-level athlete.

After clearly understanding most people's abilities, I began to focus on the competition in front of me.

In the lane next to mine was my friend, Kanzaki. On the surface, he appeared calm, but he had a strong desire to win deep down. It's frustrating; he always seems so composed on ordinary days, but becomes so passionate at crucial moments.

Comparing myself to Kanzaki in the neighboring lane, my rhythm made me appear quite mediocre.

Ah, it's too late to switch groups now; I can only give it my all to avoid being last.

As I pondered over this, I quickly jumped into the water when the whistle blew.

Out of the corner of my eye, Kanzaki fiercely took first place in our group with a time of twenty-six seconds. Meanwhile, I clocked in at thirty-eight seconds, landing in sixteenth place.

Anyway, this should be enough to avoid the time-consuming remedial classes.

"Wow, Kanzaki, your time is the same as Shibata's!"

"So fast!"

"Not bad, not bad. Although not particularly impressive, this result is enough to be commendable." The teacher applauded nearby. "But since you're evenly matched, I'm not sure how to award points. How about a one-on-one match between you two to determine the winner?"

"Alright, Shibata, let's do this!"

"Go for it, Kanzaki, beat Shibata!"

"Kanzaki, want to compete?" Shibata approached Kanzaki.

"Let's do it."

"Looks like you're getting fired up." I muttered quietly in Kanzaki's direction.

Dragging my weary body, I positioned myself in the spot with the best view for spectators. Most of the others were at the far end of the pool, eager to find out who would claim the title of first place.

I didn't really care who would win, as the outcome of this competition wouldn't affect me personally, so I chose to watch the process unfold.

Just as the competition was about to begin, I suddenly sensed something approaching me, deliberately concealed. Instinctively, I wanted to move away from my position and glanced backward, but considering that everyone here was a student, I chose to quietly wait for the sports event to unfold.

"Are you ready?"

With the teacher's command, a hand gently poked my back and continued to tap lightly. Ichinose was curiously examining my back.

"...What are you doing?"

"There are several shallow scratches on Luo-kun's back. Did you get injured before?"

"Oh, those? I got scratched by thorny branches a few months ago when I was walking in the forest park. It hurt a lot at the time."

How annoying, how come my skin is back to normal yet?

That annoying doctor said that the claw wound from that bear would heal completely in a year at max.

As expected, trusting him is a bad idea.

However, even after I explained my prepared excuse, Ichinose continued to move her hands.

"Ichinose, It's common for people to have some scars on their bodies. Is it necessary to be so curious?"

Using her fingertips to tap on my back like this was a bit torturous.

"Sorry, I'm just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"No matter how you look at it, Luo's body is the type that can swim very fast."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not confident in swimming at all."

"But you clearly didn't give it your all, did you?"

"I'm not sure if it was my all, but I did try to engage all of my muscles."

Ichinose began to focus not only on my back but also slid her hands through the gap between my bent legs and body, touching my chest and stomach.

Poke, poke, poke, poke—

"Can you stop that? Someone might see."

"Luo's muscles are really strong. Have you been exercising?" Ichinose said, unconcerned.

"Not long ago, I received the evaluation of being 'soft and weak' from Kanzaki and even compared to the pork in the market. If you're trying to console me, I appreciate the sentiment."

"No, I'm stating facts. Your body is really great." She pinched my forearm. "Your forearm muscles are also very developed, in all aspects."

"It's probably because I'm on the thinner side. Although I'm an energy-saving enthusiast, I unexpectedly can't gain weight."

"Oh—?"

Ichinose leaned in a bit closer, her ample chest completely occupying my field of vision, even pressing herself against my right arm.

This isn't good. Isn't anyone going to rescue me? Or has no one even noticed over here?

"The race has already started."

"Um— Luo, try harder."

"I'm not very strong, so doing this will only disappoint you. And I'm not very good at leveraging others' strength..."

"Just give it a little effort, to satisfy my curiosity, okay? If it doesn't work, I can lend my arm to Luo as a grip object."

Don't get so close.

"Is this enough?" I cautiously asked Ichinose, who was approaching me with zigzag jumping.

"I said to use your full strength, Luo."

"This should be close enough."

"That's obviously not right." Ichinose's face showed a pouty expression as she leaned even closer to me. The tip of her nose felt like it was about to touch mine in the next moment, while her ample assets disrupted my thoughts, causing me to unintentionally lean backward, with my arm supporting me. Even at this moment, Ichinose didn't move her hand from my upper arm.

This is bad.

"This... is really strong..." Ichinose's words trailed off as she stared somewhat dazedly at my stomach, which due to Ichinose's cheeky behaviour, I had forgotten to relax, my six pack were on display, and her ears visibly turning red.

I quickly relaxed all of my muscles, trying to put my body back to its proper position, but it was clear that it was already too late.

"Ah..."

"..."

"Ooooooooooooh—! Shibata was faster by 0.6 seconds!"

"It looks like they've finished over there..."

"Um..."

"Then, let's go there together. It's also time for free activities. I really want to play in the water."

Ah, I failed.

Watching Ichinose run off, I squinted my eyes.

Although I didn't need to worry about her revealing this matter, that man is right, women are truly terrifying creatures.