Chapter 67: Impossible Dilemma

Sanaka's parents continued to entertain their guests by offering them more food and drinks. They also made small talk with the Help club members and asked how their daughter was at school and at the Help club. They were very sincere in providing hospitality toward their guests. Sanaka was uncomfortable with some of her parent's questions to her friends, but it was all in good fun and everyone laughed in the end.

A few hours passed and it was evening already. Angelie said that she and the others shouldn't prolong their stay any longer as they already spent half the day there. Kanao said that everyone should have dinner there. Everyone courteously declined as they were already full from eating most of the food Sanaka's parents prepared.

Kanao and Tadashii joined Sanaka at their gate to send off their visitors. The Help club members were already standing outside of the gate.

"Thank you again for coming today. We're glad that she has such nice friends that take care of her."

Kanao smiled at everyone.

"Take care on your way home. You guys are always welcome here anytime, okay?"

Tadashii stared into everyone's eyes and then smiled heartily.

"And now, time to honor my deal with Yuurei-chan…"

Sanaka closed her eyes and nodded.

"What are you talking about?"

Akuma glared at Sanaka.

"Kiba-kun will walk Mimi-san home. Akuma will then walk Angelie-san home."

Sanaka pointed at Kiba and Akuma simultaneously using her two hands.

"No thanks. I feel much more in danger if I'm alone with him."

Mimi stared blankly at Sanaka.

"Oh, come on! No need to be shy. Maybe I'll say hi to Kuchi and Hana-san."

Kiba smiled and tapped Mimi's back.

"Whatever. Do as you wish."

Mimi, without looking at Kiba, started to walk away. Kiba waved goodbye at Sanaka and her parents and then followed after Mimi.

"I also gladly refuse. I can walk home by myself."

Angelie bowed at Sanaka and her parents. She started to walk in the opposite direction of Mimi. Akuma's phone suddenly sounded a message alert. He took his phone out of his pocket and read the message. After a while, he slapped his hand on his face. He then glared at Sanaka. She just smiled back at him. Akuma then went after Angelie.

When Akuma caught up with Angelie, she looked at him.

"What are you doing? Go home already."

"I can't. Yuurei just confirmed with Sanaka if she saw me walking you home."

Akuma looked straight ahead.

"I thought you'd lecture Yuurei-chan to stop doing these things?"

Angelie furrowed her brows as she faced toward Akuma.

"I did… But you have no idea how scary a younger sibling can be at manipulating their parents."

Akuma shivered as he remembered the past.

"You're right. I don't know, since I'm an only child."

Angelie giggled for a moment.

"You're lucky you don't have to deal with that."

Akuma scowled as he gripped his phone.

"Well, I'm seeing a glimpse of it. Look at how she's torturing us to be stuck together even if we don't want to."

Angelie slightly smiled while looking straight in front of her.

"Torture is right. She's better at it than me."

Akuma shook his head.

"Anyway, you can just accompany me half way. No need to walk me all the way home. Let's not prolong the suffering more than it needs to be."

Angelie made a side glance at Akuma.

"Yuurei's way ahead of you."

Akuma took his phone out again and showed Angelie a message. It read 'Don't even plan on ditching Onee-san halfway. I will call you later and if I don't hear her voice, you won't want to find out what would happen. Anyway, take care on your way home, Onii-chan.'. After reading the message, Angelie awkwardly smiled as she scratched her cheek with her finger.

"What are we going to do about Yuurei-chan…"

Angelie let out a deep sigh.

"Hopefully, she gets tired of it. But as far as I know my sister, that's highly unlikely to happen."

Akuma just shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"What if I act angry toward her? Do you think she'd stop?"

Angelie quickly turned her head toward Akuma.

"As long as you can stand to see her be sad and crying, then be my guest."

Akuma glanced sideways at Angelie.

"Oh, no… I can't do that to her…"

Angelie lowered her head and looked at the ground. The two of them simultaneously let out a huge sigh.

---

The following week, the Help club conducted two more swimming training sessions. During the first session, Akuma hammered home the importance of the basics of proper breathing and correct stroke form. He made sure that everyone knew how to do those things properly.

On the second session they had for that week, the Help club conducted the mock swimming contest. Akuma said that the other students should focus on doing things properly instead of trying to win the practice contest. The Help club members joined the competition, except for Akuma. He was in charge of overseeing each race of the swimming contest.

The participants were randomly divided into four groups. The team captains were the members of the Help club. Angelie was the captain of Team A. Team B was led by Kiba. Mimi was in charge of Team C. Lastly, Sanaka was the leader of Team D.

There was one student absent during the practice competition so the total participants ended up at an even twenty-eight people. Each team had seven members. Captains would decide the order their members would swim.

Each race would be for one lap, or just swimming from one end of the pool to the other. Points would be awarded to each swimmer depending on their ranking in a single race. Ten points would be awarded to the winner of the race, five points would be given to the second placer, three points to the third placer and one point to the last placer. After each race, their scores would be tallied. The team with the highest point total after seven races would be the winner.

The competition began and each team showcased what they have learned. The races weren't fast paced since Akuma told them to concentrate on doing things properly than focus on speed.

At the end of the mock swimming contest, Sanaka's team won. They celebrated and cheered. As it was the last session before the actual school swimming competition, Akuma made some final remarks while standing on the poolside. Everyone else was either inside the pool or standing on the opposite side of the pool.

"Well, good work, everyone. I did my best to prepare you guys for the competition. I saw all of you made progress from total newbies to actual swimmers. I just have two things to say that I want you to remember. First, just remember to swim properly during the competition. And second, it was me, Jizen Akuma of the Help Club, who helped each and every one of you. That is all."

Akuma walked away from the pool and headed inside the male changing room. Almost everyone looked at each other and didn't know what to make of his announcement. The Help club members were all shaking their heads.

After a while, the other students got changed and then thanked the members of the Help club. They then left the pool area. The Help club members stayed behind to clean for the last time.

"What the heck was that speech you gave?!"

Angelie glared at Akuma, who was seated on the bench.

"Did you already forget my goal? I need to be popular enough to win the Student Council elections. Name recognition will surely help with that. They'll spread my name throughout the school as their savior!"

Akuma laughed maniacally.

"Taking all the credit sure made them think you are a good leader."

Mimi didn't look at Akuma as she mopped the floor.

"So, now that this is over. I'm guessing we're all enemies now, right? The swimming competition is between classes, after all."

Kiba squeezed the water out of the cloth he had in his hands.

"The three of us are in the same class. So, not everyone is an enemy."

Sanaka smiled at Kiba.

"Hmm. I realized something. Did we just train our adversaries? Most of them were second-year students…"

Kiba looked up at the sky.

"When I suggested these swimming training sessions, I already factored that in."

Akuma stared at Kiba while he crossed his arms together.

"What do you mean?"

Angelie turned her head to look at Akuma again.

"I never told them or showed them how to swim fast. I just told them to swim properly, remember?"

Akuma smirked at Angelie.

"But, won't they know how to swim faster instinctively? I mean, when you're in a competition, you usually do things faster."

Kiba turned around to glance at Akuma.

Akuma went completely silent. Sweat drops started to fall throughout his face. Angelie then slapped her forehead with her hand.

"He didn't think things through again, did he?"