COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

No one really paid attention to the little exchange between Hikigaya and Horikita. After all, the entire class was focused on Kushida. Who had time to notice two outcasts? 

The swimming instructor was a muscular middle-aged man, broad and powerful. The moment he stepped out, the students couldn't help but gasp in awe! 

Everyone could see that his muscles weren't just for show—they carried real strength, the kind you couldn't build just by taking protein shakes or steroids. 

The instructor laughed proudly. 

"You guys sure know how to hype things up! But I guess it's a bit of a shame that so many of you are just here as spectators."

The PE teacher didn't seem to mind that a full third of the students were just "observing" instead of participating and started the lesson. 

"Don't worry, everyone! I'll definitely teach you all how to swim before summer!" The muscular teacher pounded his chest with confidence. 

After a week of getting used to things, most of Class D had already learned to ignore the teacher's presence. Hardly anyone paid attention to what he said, and a lot of students were just treating the class as a way to relax, mess around, or check out the girls in swimsuits. Learning how to swim wasn't on their minds at all. 

The teacher frowned at their attitude. 

"Learning to swim is really important. It's fine if you don't know anything now, but I promise I'll teach you. You'll definitely find this skill useful someday!" 

At his insistence, the class started warming up and then moved on to some basic swimming exercises. 

"This is kind of strange." 

Hikigaya rubbed his chin. This swimming instructor seemed different from the other PE teachers. 

Normally, this kind of class would just turn into a laid-back session where people played around in the pool and checked out the girls. That's how their previous PE classes had gone—students just did whatever they wanted while the teacher called it "free practice." Some would sleep, play on their phones, chat, or even bring handheld consoles. 

But this teacher wasn't as lax as the others. He wasn't outright forcing them to train, but there was a subtle pressure in the way he handled things. And what he said was kind of interesting. 

Why was he so determined to make sure everyone could swim before summer? And what was he hinting at with the way he said it? 

Most schools started swimming classes in mid-June. Even though this school had a high-end competitive indoor pool, it was only mid-April. They had barely been in school for a week, and they were already starting swimming lessons? That seemed way too early. 

Hikigaya also recalled the class schedule for the semester. There was one swimming lesson every week until the final week before summer break in July. Based on what the teacher said, there was plenty of time to turn a complete beginner into a decent swimmer before summer. 

After that, they did another 50-meter swim drill. 

"Not bad, not bad! Most of you are doing well," the teacher clapped, looking pleased. 

"Ha! That was a piece of cake!" Ike, who had just climbed out of the pool, laughed smugly and bragged to the people around him. 

"Butterfly stroke is my specialty! Back in middle school, they called me the Agile Flying Fish! Little Phelps, you know?" 

Normally, a little bragging wouldn't be a big deal. But his friend Yamauchi immediately felt the need to compete. He refused to let Ike outshine him. 

"Flying Fish? So what? I basically grew up in the pool! They called me the Great White Shark!" 

Apparently, even that wasn't enough for him. He then declared himself the "Giant Bear of the Water" and claimed he had invented a special move called the "Bear Crash," which had won him a championship in middle school. 

He got so carried away that he actually jumped back into the pool to show off his move. But his so-called "Bear Crash" was just plain old doggy paddling. 

"That competition must've been scored based on style… because that was a perfect ten on form." Hikigaya sighed. 

Pfft! 

A small laugh suddenly came from the second-floor stands. 

It was Sakura—the shy, socially awkward girl. 

But as soon as she noticed Hikigaya looking at her, she froze in fear like she had seen something terrifying. Then, in a flash, she crouched down and hid from sight. 

Hikigaya: "..." 

Am I really that scary? (Sad noises) 

Meanwhile, the teacher laughed heartily, thinking Ike and Yamauchi were just goofing around for fun. 

"Alright, let's have a heated and exciting 50-meter freestyle race!" 

Some students who were planning to slack off groaned in protest. 

The teacher paused for a moment before adding, "How about this? The winner of the race will get 5,000 private points! But the person who comes in last… should be prepared for extra lessons!" 

Hikigaya narrowed his eyes slightly. That was unexpected. Was this reward something the teacher just came up with on the spot? Or was it part of some pre-planned system? 

If it was the former… then things were getting interesting. 

Of course, Hikigaya himself was very tempted by those 5,000 points. But unfortunately, his athletic skills were just average. The final showdown ended up being between Koenji, Sudou, and Hirata. As for "Little Phelps" and "Great White Shark"? They had already been eliminated. 

The result wasn't surprising. Koenji, the muscular blond, won with ease. His physique was on a completely different level from a normal high schooler's. 

On the other hand, Hirata, the popular heartthrob, ended up in third place. Some thought this loss might hurt his popularity. 

But when they saw all the girls rushing up to comfort him… 

Even Sudou, who had come in second, fell silent. 

The light faded from the eyes of every male student present. 

But the real highlight wasn't the boys' race. 

It was the girls' turn. 

Ike and Yamauchi were already staring with their eyes wide open, like they had activated some kind of radar. They kept their focus locked on the girls in the pool, making sure they didn't miss a single second. 

The other guys were no different. 

Even Hikigaya, despite himself, couldn't help but glance over once in a while. 

The winner was Onodera, a member of the swim team. 

Shockingly, Horikita came in second. 

But the boys didn't care about rankings. 

They were focused on one particular girl, who only placed fourth. 

"Whoa… That's insane…"

"Kushida, you got this! You're the best!" 

"Kushida, I'll always support you! Don't give up!" 

Kushida turned back and gave the boys a playful wink, instantly winning over a group of loyal fans. 

History really does repeat itself! 

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