Just as the philosophical atmosphere among the boys threatened to deepen, a whistle echoed throughout the pool area, cutting through the tension at just the right moment.
From the far side of the swimming complex, an office door slowly swung open. A towering man stepped out, his physique radiating the kind of presence only an athlete at the peak of their sport could possess.
Like all the boys in Class D, he wore nothing but swimming trunks, a whistle hanging from his neck and a timer clutched in one hand.
"Alright, students, gather in the middle. Class is starting!"
"Ah, did you hear that? We're assembling, we're assembling!"
Relieved by the interruption, Kure Ragna wasted no time escaping the sea of outstretched hands around him. With a quick leap, he broke free from the group, landing smoothly before shoving his hands into his pockets. Without another glance, he strolled toward the assembly point at a leisurely pace.
His movements were so swift that no one had the chance to react—though, even if they had, stopping him would have been impossible.
The students gathered in front of a standard 25-meter competition pool. Since the girls had obediently followed instructions without any unnecessary antics, they were already lined up neatly in the front two rows.
Naturally, the boys had to take their place in the back.
For some of them, this was ideal. After all, standing behind the girls provided a rare and shamelessly appreciated view of their backs.
"Excuse me, teacher… can I sit out today?"
A soft, hesitant voice cut through the murmurs of the class.
It was Kei Karuizawa. Unlike the others, she hadn't even bothered to change into a swimsuit. Dressed in her usual school uniform—now with an extra jacket draped over it—she clutched her arms tightly against her chest, as if she were bracing against an invisible chill.
The PE teacher, an experienced man, immediately noticed something was off. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Yeah… I think I caught a cold during lunch. My head's been hurting ever since," Karuizawa murmured, lightly pressing the back of her hand against her forehead in a dramatic display.
The teacher gave a nod of understanding. "Alright, you can sit on the side and rest. Just listen to the lesson."
"Thank you, sir…"
With a quick bow of gratitude, Karuizawa wasted no time skipping over to the benches, clearly relieved.
Now that he had dealt with that, the teacher turned back to the remaining 39 students.
"Before we start, let's do a quick check. Is there anyone here who hasn't learned how to swim yet?"
The way he phrased it was considerate—rather than bluntly asking, "Who here can't swim?" he framed it as "Who hasn't learned yet?" It softened the potential embarrassment of admitting to not knowing.
But no one raised their hand.
That was expected. Japan was an island nation, after all. Most students learned how to swim in junior high.
"Good. That makes things easier." The teacher nodded in approval.
"Alright, we'll begin with a simple warm-up lap. No need to rush or swim the full length—just focus on adjusting to the water temperature. Once we're done with that, we'll move on to the main event. Now, get in the water!"
There was no issue with space. The pool was a regulation-sized 25-meter competition pool with ten lanes, easily accommodating everyone in batches.
Athletes like Hirata and Sudou were, unsurprisingly, the first to dive in.
Ike, eager to impress the girls, followed close behind, showing off his decent swimming skills.
Kure Ragna, on the other hand, had no interest in competing. He deliberately chose the furthest lane, where fewer people had gathered.
Standing at the edge, he took a deep breath, then plunged into the water with a powerful splash. As soon as he resurfaced, he twisted his body, floating on his back with his arms folded behind his head, legs gently kicking to keep himself afloat.
Jellyfish mode: activated.
He had absolutely no intention of putting in more effort than necessary.
Logically, someone this lazy should be left alone. No one in their right mind would go out of their way to disturb him.
But, of course, some people were just built differently.
Barely five seconds had passed before Kure Ragna sensed movement in the lane beside him. Someone had entered the water—someone who, according to his calculations, should not have been there.
A sharp sound cut through the water as waves rushed toward him at an alarming speed.
Sensing danger, Kure Ragna cracked open an eye—just in time to see a white blur soaring through the air, heading straight for his face.
Gilgamesh?!
The absurd thought flashed through his mind an instant before impact.
Acting on instinct, he took a quick breath and dunked his head underwater just as a wave crashed over him.
The unmistakable sound of someone laughing echoed through the pool.
Kure Ragna resurfaced, shaking water from his hair as he turned toward the culprit.
As expected, it was Kouenji Rokusuke.
The blond-haired narcissist powered forward in a perfect freestyle stroke, deliberately swinging his arms wide to create even more splash. Each time he turned his head for a breath, he smirked in Kure Ragna's direction.
No apology. No remorse. Just pure, unfiltered arrogance.
Kure Ragna sighed. There was no point in getting irritated over someone like him.
Five Minutes Later
Everyone gathered at the edge of the pool, dripping wet.
The PE teacher clapped his hands together. "Alright, now that we're warmed up, let's move on to the main event—competition!"
"Competition?!"
The murmurs of curiosity quickly turned into excited chatter.
"That's right. Today, we'll be racing. But it's not just for fun—there's a reward. The top male and female swimmers will each receive 5,000 points. However, the bottom five from each group will have to swim an extra lap as punishment."
"5,000 points?!" someone exclaimed.
"Wait, is that coming from the school's budget?" another asked.
"Nope," the teacher replied casually. "That's my personal contribution. Think of it as an incentive for you all to push yourselves."
Before anyone could fully process that, a deep laugh rumbled through the crowd.
"5,000 points? That's pocket change."
All eyes turned toward Kouenji. With a confident flick of his golden hair, he strolled toward Kure Ragna and extended a hand.
"How about we make this more interesting?"
Kure Ragna raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
"A bet. 50,000 points. Loser pays up."
A small silence followed.
Kure Ragna studied him for a moment. "Do you even have that much?"
Kouenji smirked. "Of course. My balance sits at exactly 100,000 points."
Ah. That meant he had already blown through half his monthly allowance in just two days.
"…And if you lose? Won't that leave you broke?"
"That's none of your concern. I have my ways."
Kure Ragna considered it. Truthfully, 50,000 points was a lot for him at the moment. He only had around 5,000 left, and payday was still 28 days away. His deal with Ryuen wasn't finalized yet, meaning he had no guaranteed income.
Still… the opportunity was too good to pass up.
With a smirk, he clapped his hands together.
"Fine. I accept."