"Suzune, quickly help me check, I think I got water in my ear."
Amane tilted her head, trying to drain the water from her ear.
"Honestly, it must be because you stayed submerged for too long. Wait a moment, I'll go get you a cotton swab."
Horikita walked back around the edge of the pool.
"Teacher, Miyako-san seems to have gotten water in her ear. Do you know where there are cotton swabs?"
Hearing Horikita's question, the Swimming Class Teacher seemed to wake up from a dream.
"Miyako-san, you, you, you, you!!!!"
Horikita covered her ears.
The teacher's sudden shout startled Horikita.
She almost thought the teacher had gone mad.
"Teacher, is there something wrong with Amane-san?"
Horikita frowned.
It was Kushida, standing nearby, who asked this question.
"Of course there's a big problem!"
Onodera Kayano sat at the edge of the pool, loudly exclaiming with excitement.
If possible, Horikita actually wished they could tell her the reason before venting their emotions so unrestrainedly.
"Can someone tell me the reason for your excitement? Some boys can swim in 21 seconds, and while Amane-san's time is good, there's no need to make such a fuss, is there?"
Horikita asked, somewhat confused.
The teacher then took out her phone, searched for something, and then showed it to Horikita.
The women's 50-meter freestyle world record is 23.67 seconds.
So what was Amane's record?
23.01 seconds.
"You're not joking, are you? Is this kind of record something a high school student can easily break?"
Horikita Suzune couldn't believe that Amane had casually broken a world record.
She even started to doubt the authenticity of the news.
"It's true! Although Miyako-san committed a foul, with her speed and technique, she could surpass the world record with just a little training. Miyako-san... is amazing!"
Onodera's eyes were full of admiration.
As a member of the swimming club, she knew better than anyone what surpassing a world record meant.
It was simply an unattainable goal for them.
After hearing Onodera's confirmation, Horikita felt a little dizzy.
Please.
Why play such a joke on her?
To encounter someone as incredible as Amane in a place like this... could it really be fate?
"Suzune, have you gotten the cotton swab yet?"
Horikita turned around.
Amane was patting her ear and waving at Horikita.
Only then did she remember what she was supposed to be doing.
With the teacher's help, Horikita found the cotton swabs.
She pulled Amane to sit on the stands and carefully cleaned Amane's ear.
"Eh heh heh."
Horikita, who was focused on cleaning Amane's ear, was startled by Amane's sudden laugh and almost accidentally injured her.
"Can't you just stay still?"
"Sorry, Suzune, you're cleaning it so comfortably, it's ticklish. I just couldn't help myself for a moment."
"Eh heh heh."
...Horikita thought for a moment.
In the end, she decided to ignore Amane.
If she were to argue with Amane, she would suffer a nervous breakdown sooner or later.
The swimming class results concluded with Amane receiving five hundred individual points.
The reason was that although her performance was excellent, Amane violated the rule of surfacing within fifteen meters.
Therefore, her result was invalidated.
However, due to Horikita's insistence, Amane was still recognized as having won the group competition.
She was awarded five hundred individual points.
After the competition, both the teacher and Onodera invited Amane to visit the swimming club.
However, Amane rejected them all.
Her reason was that it would waste her time.
But Onodera used a killer move.
She tried to lure Amane by saying there were many pretty girls inside, and even older students who looked super good in swimsuits, and so on.
Horikita initially thought Amane would see through such tactics.
So she didn't bother with Amane and walked ahead, planning to wait for Amane at the Palette cafe.
But when she looked back, she saw Amane happily following Onodera.
???
What on earth is this person thinking!!!!
"Amane-san, did you forget something important?"
Horikita sat in her seat and called Amane on her phone.
"Something important? Do you need me to buy a box of beef rolls tonight? I'm craving Suzune's beef rice again."
Even over the phone, Horikita could imagine Amane looking like a little glutton.
"Did you forget that you were supposed to drink bubble tea with me? What's going on with you running off with someone else?"
Horikita's tone was very gentle.
"Eh!!! I forgot!!! Wait for me, I'm coming right back!"
Beep, beep, beep.
On the other end of the phone was Amane's flustered voice.
Horikita sighed heavily.
Amane was probably the type of person who, as the legends say, could be abducted while walking down the street, right?
Horikita took a small sip of her latte.
Then she saw a white-haired idiot at the entrance.
She rushed into the shop in a hurry.
Then, somewhat awkwardly, she came and carefully sat down in front of her.
"I just..."
"Drink it while it's hot."
"Oh."
Amane took a sip through the straw.
A sweet taste instantly filled her mouth.
Why, why is it... milk!!!
"Suzune, this seems to be milk..."
Horikita calmly took a sip of her latte.
"Is there anything strange about it? Children grow up strong when they drink milk."
Horikita showed a faint smile.
This time, it was much more natural.
At least her smile wasn't as stiff.
It also looked much better.
Amane's face flushed slightly from looking at her.
She truly was a beauty.
If boys saw her like this, they would surely cause a commotion.
Horikita rested her chin on her hand, her gaze boldly meeting Amane's.
"I'm very curious."
Horikita used a tissue to wipe a stain from the corner of Amane's mouth.
"Curious about what?"
"Curious about your past, Amane. I seem to be quite interested in Miyako Amane now."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Amane's heart began to race.
This, this couldn't be... Suzune wouldn't be so hasty as to... but the current situation...
Amane instinctively wanted to avoid Horikita's gaze.
But Horikita gently nudged Amane's leg with her own as a hint.
It must be right.
Horikita must have meant that.
Amane confirmed her thoughts.
After taking a deep breath.
She also calmly looked at Horikita.
For the first time, the two looked at each other for a long time.
It was as if they both wanted to read each other's thoughts from their gazes.
The urgency to understand each other better.
Made the distance between them unconsciously draw closer.
Finally.
The distance between the two was so close that they could see their own reflections in each other's pupils.
They wanted to touch.
An ambiguous atmosphere naturally arose.
Amane reached out her finger and gently poked Horikita's finger.
Horikita was initially a little unaccustomed.
But after dodging a few times.
She still let Amane hold her hand.
Just as the two were about to take things further.
"Wait a moment."
Amane actually took the initiative to interrupt the ambiguous atmosphere.
"What's wrong?"
"Staring for too long, my eyes are dry."
"You... can't you just not ruin the mood?"
Horikita vaguely felt her head starting to ache again.
This time, her blood pressure must have shot up directly.