Chapter 4 - Swimming Lessons

---Notice---

I can't really tell if you guys are enjoying the direction of this story; I do enjoy writing it, but I would appreciate some opinions and feedback.

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"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant." ~Horace

 Hirata laughs softly, "I apologize for that. I just arrived at my dorm, and I was eager to talk to you; I hope I didn't disturb you." he says politely.

"It does not matter; I was about to consume my dinner," I state, glancing at the ice cream before me while holding the phone with two fingers, "but perhaps it would be better to let it soften a bit more."

"Soften?" he inquires with a hint of curiosity.

"Indeed, I was about to consume some strawberry ice cream, but as I stated, that can be postponed. You are contacting me to inquire about my strategy to stimulate Class D, are you not?"

"Indeed I am," Hirata says warmly, "You understand me very well, Eru, but yes it should be fine for you to share with me if it's only between us, right? After all, I have been doing my utmost in class and am ready to do anything for the class."

"In general, it should not pose a problem," I state while contemplating whether I should deceive Hirata about my plan or tell him the truth, but I opt for the latter. Although the former is more likely to result in the optimal scenario, I want to observe Hirata's character and his reaction to my plan, "However, the truth is that I doubt you will approve of my idea."

"Well, you are certain it can benefit the class, right?"

"Naturally, or I would not suggest it," I state as I take my spoon and consume some ice cream, "The strategy is straightforward: you let Class D implode, you permit them to persist in their detrimental behavior in and out of class, maintain their terrible spending habits, allow them to engage in fights and neglect their academic performance, and by the beginning of the next month when the points reach zero, that would be the most effective motivation for Class D to reform their attitudes. That is the sole option."

He pauses for a moment as if he is trying to process my words. I detect a mix of shock, disbelief, and concern in his voice. He attempts to calm himself and speak in a respectful and rational tone. "Eru, I appreciate your honesty, but I have to disagree with your strategy. I don't think letting Class D implode is the right way to motivate them. I think it will only cause more harm than good, both to them and to us. I think we should try to cooperate with everyone; I think that is the best way to improve our class and ourselves."

"I see, Hirata. May I ask you a question?"

"Please, go ahead, Eru."

"Suppose we follow your method and gather in a group to discuss the school and point system, and by coincidence, it stimulates most of the class to exert enough effort to barely stay afloat of course, I am assuming here the rotten ones will not spoil the rest which is already questionable, but let us assume it all goes well enough so we have sufficient points to endure as Class D for the future. Would that satisfy you?" I ask him, and he ponders for a moment.

"I suppose it would, in a sense," Hirata says and pauses to think, "but I don't think barely surviving as Class D is enough to make me happy. I think we can achieve much more than that, both for ourselves and for the class."

"And the issue is that by pursuing cooperation and peace, by 'assisting' Class D, you would be gradually draining it of life, settling for mediocrity," I state, fiddling with my spoon in the bowl of ice cream, "It might appear cruel, but the sole method to inspire Class D is to demonstrate to them what awaits them along the course they are taking once they see that even mediocracy will scare them."

Hirata sighs, "Well, I don't have much to say, I suppose; it's not like I have a better plan right now, or I'm even confident I can keep Class D afloat." he says dejectedly.

"Do not be distressed," I state with a mouthful of ice cream, "things might appear unfavorable for a week or perhaps after Class D confronts reality, but subsequently, things will improve considerably."

"I'll believe in you then, Eru; thank you for everything," Hirata says warmly, and we hang up the phone.

That combination of kindness and fear might eventually turn against him. But that raises the question: why does he fear power? It must stem from some hidden trauma or guilt. After all, it takes a dictator to know a dictator, and most would not reject power simply because of its negative connotation.

`"Good morning, Eru," Ayonokoji says to me in a calm and indifferent tone as we enter the class at the same time.

"Yo, Eru! Yo, Ayanokoji!" Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo greet us loudly and enthusiastically as they see us.`

I am surprised by their greetings; usually those three, like many others, are absent from classes or, at best, tardy. What is different today? "You three seem unusually lively today," I state with Ayanokoji beside me, observing them.

"I'm sure you already know, Eru, that we have swimming class for the first period today. Isn't it wonderful that this school is co-ed?" Ike says with a lecherous smile.

"The sight of all the lovely ladies in class wearing their snug swimsuits is already etched in my mind. I hardly slept a wink last night because of it." Yamauchi says, giving me a grin. "And don't think I don't notice those dark circles under your eyes, Eru. You must have had some naughty thoughts as well last night."

"I doubt it," Ayanokoji says as we stroll to class. "Eru's eyes always have that look."

"Yes, I suffer from insomnia. I hardly sleep at all," I say, agreeing with Ayanokoji's statement.

"Don't lie to us and say you don't wanna see the chicks in their bikinis?" Sudo says, elbowing me lightly.

"I do not care about seeing them. I have enough sweets in my bag to satisfy me for the day, so no, the sight of scantily clad females would not enhance my happiness." I say after some deliberation.

After listening to Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo's vulgar conversations about their bets on the girls' bust sizes and their plans to sneak photos of them changing, I briefly considered joining them for amusement, but I decided against it. I did not want to jeopardize my life if the girls discovered my participation in their schemes. With that in mind, we soon headed to the swimming area.

"Come on, let's get to the locker room," Ike said eagerly as we trailed behind him.

As soon as we entered the locker room, I started to change my clothes along with Sudo. We both removed everything except our underwear and took out our swimsuits.

"Doesn't it bother you to change in front of everyone else?" Ayanokoji asks as he notices us.

 "Why would I be? I have nothing to be ashamed of." I reply, and Sudo agrees with a nod.

"You're more ripped than I thought you were, Eru," Sudo says, checking me out in my swimsuit. "You could definitely score with the babes if you showed off more and dressed yourself up."

"I participated in national sports teams when I was younger," I say in response. "I also learned martial arts," I added.

"Seriously?" Yamauchi says, eyeing me. "What martial arts like karate or something? What rank were you?" he asks, and the four guys stare at me curiously.

"It is not a big deal. I was only a white belt," I say indifferently. 

 "Wow, you almost got me there. I was expecting you to say you were some old Chinese kung fu master," Yamauchi jokes, making the group laugh. "Come on, let's go already," he says, leading us to the locker room exit.

"Where are the babes? Are they not ready yet?" Ike asks, sounding like a dog in heat.

"It seems your photographer has been captured," I say, pointing to the upperclassman with his camera on the second-floor balcony surrounded by furious girls.

"Damn it!!! My naked locker room pics!!!" Ike screams, getting death stares from all the girls. Luckily, it looks like I won't be involved in any of this.

"What are you guys up to?" Kushida asks, glancing at me in her school swimsuit, her figure exposed as her hands are clasped behind her back.

Her figure is exposed, and my eyes briefly scan her chest area, and then a look of irritation crosses my face. "How foolish," I say to myself. I should have wagered on Kushida. It would have been easy money. How could the girls have possibly discovered my involvement? I mutter, still annoyed by my earlier choice to refrain from joining the betting pool.

 I catch a hint of annoyance on Kushida's face for a brief moment, but she soon smiles sweetly at me. "Is something wrong, Eru?" she asks innocently. "You look unhappy. Do you not like swimming?"

I glance at Kushida's face and then at her chest again and sigh. I detect traces of irritation on Kushida's face as I do. "The guys have a bet on the girls' bust sizes in our class. The winners of the bet would share the prize. I did not join because I did not want to risk my life, but I considered betting on you, so I am frustrated that I lost an opportunity to gain points," I say, still looking at her chest. How foolish was I?

Kushida's cheeks turned red as she heard my words. She lets out a soft laugh and says, "Oh, I see." She looks at me with a playful smile and whispers, "You know, most girls would call you a huge pervert for saying something like that, Eru. But I can tell that you were treating this as a serious challenge, not a lewd gamble. So I'm happy that you acknowledged me as the undisputed winner."

I reply to Kushida calmly, "Indeed, logic is the only valid basis for any decision. I always adhere to this principle; anything else is irrelevant and irrational."

Kushida's expression indicated satisfaction with my words. I wondered what the reason was, but I doubted she would reveal it even if I inquired.

A teacher arrived and gathered all the students together. He counted them and said, "Twenty-two students, fewer than I expected, but it should be fine. Come on, everyone, follow me to the front of the pool."

Some students expressed their worries about not being able to swim, but the teacher reassured them.

"There's no need to be afraid if you can't swim. I'll teach you all how to swim by summer, so just do your best. Trust me, swimming will definitely be a very useful skill in the future." He spoke with a friendly and encouraging voice.

"Swimming? A useful skill? By summer?" I repeat the teacher's words to myself, analyzing their meaning and the confidence behind them. Some of my classmates looked at me curiously, and the PE teacher gave me a brief smile as he noticed my muttering.

Before the teacher instructed us to enter the pool, I checked my pocket for any candy but found none. I muttered to myself, "Of course, I left them behind because of the swimming." I felt a twinge of disappointment as I entered the pool.

Soon after, everyone started to practice their swimming skills. Even the ones who had no prior experience in swimming learned quickly.

The PE teacher announced, "Since you all can swim now, how about a fun contest? Let's do a 50-meter race. The first one to finish will get a 5,000-point bonus, and the last one will have to take extra classes." Everyone got ready for the competition.

Incentives. Intriguing. Based on my contract with Chabashira sensei, I am aware that the teachers are linked to the school's point system. However, I am curious about the source of these incentives. Are they funded by the teachers or by the school itself? Regardless, I have no intention of exerting myself. 5,000 points is too insignificant for me to compete seriously.

The PE teacher separated the boys from the girls to create an elimination-style tournament. The class had a higher proportion of female students.

The main competitors of the first race were Kushida and Horikita.

 "Kushida Chan!" The boys shouted in support of Kushida, who was lagging behind Horikita in the race. She had apparently befriended almost everyone in class D, but that would not benefit her in this situation. Horikita reached the finish line at 28 seconds, leaving Kushida behind. I attempted to observe Kushida's facial expression at that moment, but it appeared that she was concealing it.

It was my turn to race, and I was glad to be in the same group as Sudo. This way, I could pretend to lose gracefully and spare myself from the unnecessary hassle of the subsequent rounds. I preferred to rest outside the pool. As we began swimming, I matched Sudo's pace, but I slowed down near the finish line.

The PE teacher announced, "Sudo, 24.43. Eru, 24.77." Sudo was panting and even appeared upset as I got out of the pool. I glanced at Sudo and deduced from our brief competition that he was very competitive. I shared that trait, but I also recognized the drawbacks his rash behavior could have, especially given his competitiveness. After my analysis, I headed to the edge of the pool.

"I understand. Thank you. I will proceed to the sidelines now," I say indifferently to the teacher as I exit the pool.

"Wow, Eru, you're really fast," Kushida says as I sit down, smiling brightly while Horikita nods in agreement, "You know, you're quite fit too."

Ike chimes in, "Actually, Eru told us before that he was on a national youth sports team."

Kushida and some of our other classmates look at me, waiting for me to confirm it. "Yes, I was a junior tennis champion in England."

I notice Karuizawa taking out her phone. Why would she bring her phone to swim class?

She shows her phone to the class and says, "You're lying. I just searched for your name online. If you were really a champion, there would be something about you on the internet." She sounds angry, and I feel some hostile stares from the others. Even Kushida looks let down.

"I used a different name for privacy reasons. I went by Hideki Ryuga," I explain calmly. Karuizawa's fingers started typing furiously, and her eyes widened in shock. The others crowd around her to see her phone.

"It's really him," Shinohara says, grabbing Karuizawa's phone and comparing me to it.

"What!? Eru, I thought you were just a regular player. According to this, you won the junior cup five times in a row. You literally just won it a few months ago! And you only played for five years!" Ike exclaims.

"I wouldn't have bragged about it if I wasn't skilled," I reply, keeping my eyes on the swimming contest.

"Bragged? You didn't even make a big deal out of it. You just said it like it was nothing." Ike shouts.

"Koenji seems to have won the swimming contest," I remark, trying to divert their attention. It works, as most of them turn their eyes to Koenji.

Kushida says, clasping my hand tightly, "Our class is full of amazing people, isn't it?" She beams at me, "I'm sure they will help us achieve our goal of reaching Class A."

The boys around me looked displeased with this situation. Apparently, I had unwittingly entered another contest that I did not care about.