Chapter 84: Swimming lessons(2)

I couldn’t believe a week had passed already. The days had flown by, a blur of studying for midterms. Maintaining a top-three ranking wasn’t easy!

And now, swimming lessons were upon us. A two-hour block. “Ugh…”

“Rina, let’s go.”

“O-Okay…” Aya, ever decisive, pulled me along, her grip firm, leaving no room for argument or playful resistance. I clung to Mizuki, seeking comfort.

“Mizuki…”

“Rina-tan, just give up and come on~ You can’t escape swimming lessons~”.

“Even you, Mizuki…!” I wailed, betrayed by my usually playful friend’s sudden practicality. Who could I turn to now?!

I knew the swimsuit scene was a staple of romantic comedies, an unavoidable event. But now that it was real, I wanted to scream. In my past life in Korea, swimming lessons had always been synonymous with “self-study” time.

I trudged towards the locker room, clutching my bag containing my swimsuit and gym clothes. I’d almost left the house that morning with just the swimsuit, when my mother had stopped me, sighing. “Rina, are you really going to go with just your swimsuit? You need your gym clothes too, right?”

If it weren’t for her, I would have had to walk from the locker room to the pool in just my swimsuit… mortifying. ‘These lingering male memories are going to be the death of me…!’

Well, if you can’t beat them, join them, right? I entered the locker room with a forced sense of bravado, but seeing my classmates undressing, their swimsuits… it was… a lot.

‘Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look…!’ I kept my gaze firmly fixed on the floor, desperately trying to avoid… accidental eye contact. Some girls had even worn their swimsuits under their uniforms. Weren’t they hot?

“Rina-tan, why are you so shy~? It’s not like it’s your first time in a swimsuit~,” Mizuki teased, nudging my shoulder as she undressed beside me.

“I-It’s nothing…!” I turned away, flustered, only to see Aya calmly unhooking her bra.

“—!!” My face burned, and I quickly turned around again.

Could I… survive this?

“Rina, what are you doing? Hurry up and change,” Aya’s calm voice said from behind me.

“O-Okay…” I quickly stripped off my clothes, pulled on the swimsuit, then grabbed my gym jacket and put it on, the extra layer of clothing a small comfort.

We left the locker room and headed towards the pool, my heart pounding with a mix of dread and anticipation. This… this was a scene straight out of a romantic comedy. As we reached the pool entrance, our classmates, already changed, were milling around excitedly. The pool, housed within the dome-shaped gymnasium, shimmered under the bright lights, the clear, blue water a stark contrast to the nervous flutter in my stomach.

“Rina, why are you so nervous? It’s just swimming.” Aya, noticing my expression, smiled gently, and her smile, as always, had a calming effect. “Yeah, Rina-tan, what’s with that face~?” Mizuki giggled, her usual playful self, seemingly unfazed by the events of the past few days.

“I-It’s nothing… just a bit… warm…”

“Sure~ it’s the heat~”, she teased, poking my side. It wasn’t entirely untrue, so I couldn’t argue, just stammered, “N-No… it’s not…” “Rina-tan, your reactions are so cute~”, Mizuki grinned, linking her arm with mine.

“Your face is so red, Rina-tan~! Adorable!”

“Mizuki, enough.”

“Aw~ Aya-ring’s being protective~”

The teacher had been giving us disapproving looks for a while now. We were lucky we hadn’t been reprimanded. I was already feeling self-conscious, and I didn’t want any more attention. Just then, the teacher clapped his hands, his voice booming.

“Alright, everyone, I assume you all know how to freestyle? You’ve all been swimming since you were kids. Warm-up exercises, then we’ll get in the pool!”

“Yes, sensei!!” the class chorused.

Freestyle? Since when had I been swimming since I was a kid?! I had no idea how to freestyle! Ah, wait, I was Kurosawa Rina… My flustered state, the lingering embarrassment from the locker room, had made me forget. Thankfully, the middle school Rina had been a good swimmer.

I glanced down at my… modest chest. Less resistance.

As I was lost in thought, the teacher clapped his hands again. “First row, line up along the edge of the pool! When I blow the whistle, freestyle to the other side and back. Understood?”

“Yes, sensei!!” I stood near the starting line, watching the first group swim. I recognized one of them: Okada-san, the girl who had helped me with the shooting game during the festival. She was fast, her movements smooth and powerful, easily reaching the other side first. She must have been in a sports club. She looked… impressive, not in a… suggestive way, but just… cool.

‘It’s just girls… it’s just swimming lessons…’ I took a deep breath, calming myself, reminding myself that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. And besides, I had Aya and Mizuki beside me.

Standing at the starting line, I could feel the competitive tension between them.