Chapter 2454 Special Swimming Class (2)
Chapter 2454 Special Swimming Class (2)
With Orimura-sensei trusting me with teaching Yuika-senpai, I obviously wouldn't disappoint her. Furthermore, it's not like Yuika-senpai wasn't eager to learn.
When we stepped into the indoor pool, I could tell that she was also yearning to try her hand at swimming. Even if she skipped all of her swimming classes before, that didn't mean she didn't have an interest in it.
That's why to properly instruct her, I decided to use the follow-the-leader approach.
I jumped into the water first before extending my hand to her.
"Here, senpai. I'll catch you. Just take my hand and jump in. Before I let you do the activity, I'll have to make you familiarize with the feeling of your body submerged in water, alright? It's quite different than just dipping inside the bathtub, after all." I lightly joked to give her more confidence.
Yuika-senpai nodded as she caught my hand.
After taking a deep breath, she jumped in, creating a small splash as she got fully submerged in the slightly cold water of the pool.
She panicked slightly as she tried to resurface on her own so I pulled her up and held her by her waist to steady her.
Yuika-senpai immediately clung to me as she gradually settled down.
When she realized what happened, she shyly whispered, "I... I didn't think you were on a deeper part, Onoda-kun... I thought I was going to drown."
"I won't let that happen, senpai. Besides, I intentionally didn't tell you. You did a good job though. Every first-time swimmer has to experience courageously jumping in even though you know you'll be completely submerged."
Yuika-senpai forced a giggle, "It was scary. But I jumped because you're holding my hand, Onoda-kun. I won't be as courageous if you're not."
Upon saying that, she hid her face on my shoulder as she completely surrendered the control of her body to me.
I had to hold her properly to keep us both afloat before I squeezed her hand gently, "Regardless, you did it, senpai. Now, let's continue the lesson. You have to learn how to keep yourself afloat, senpai."
"How?"
"Like this." I gently pushed her away from me which made the girl panic slightly. But after that, I grabbed both of her arms, letting her float in front of me.
Whenever she was about to sink, I would lift her. Repeating this a few times, she gradually got used to not feeling her feet on the ground.
And from there, her body instinctively adapted. Still, she needed to be conscious of it to fully understand what was happening.
Hence, after she figured out she could keep herself afloat, I squeezed her arm, taking her attention.
"Can you sense it, senpai? Your feet are instinctively paddling the water to keep your body above the waterline."
Yuika-senpai nodded as she glanced down to look through the clear water, watching her legs kick. "I think I can feel it."
From that, I could sense the excitement in her voice. Her face brightened considerably as her fear wore off.
"Mhm. Now that you get it, let's go to the shallower part of the pool," I said, guiding her to the edge of the pool, letting her, where the water was only chest-deep.
Yuika-senpai's eyes remained glued to the water's surface, watching her legs kick. The way she clung to the side of the pool was adorable. It's like watching a newborn deer learning to stand on its own. She would then glance at me with that innocent smile, reminding me again how she was held back by the trauma he acquired because of someone she trusted.
"Careful, senpai. Here, I'll help you," I offered, stepping closer and wrapping my arm around her waist.
“Onoda-kun, you worrywart. Am I not safe yet? This is the edge.” She giggled but she didn’t push away.
She turned around to face me, her cold hand landing on my cheek.
“Well… I have no excuse. I can’t help it. You’re evoking this protective instinct in me, senpai. Is it bad?” I said with a chuckle, feeling her hand growing warm against my skin.
“N-no. It’s just, you’re being too kind to me, Onoda-kun,” She replied shyly, her gaze darting to the side. "Even when I kept hating you back then, you're still... you."
"Am I kind? I don't really feel like I am. But like I said before, I promised to take care of you. Don't feel bad about the past. You're justified to feel that way, after all." Placing my hand over hers, I pulled her close to me again.
Yuika-senpai bit her lips and then, on her own initiative, she tried reaching up with her lips, pressing them to mine. Her kiss was soft and fleeting because she couldn't hold herself up for that long.
"Un. You're right, Onoda-kun. I... I won't feel bad about it anymore so... Continue taking care of me." Her voice was small, but her eyes were filled with trust, her arms wrapped around my neck to keep herself from slipping under the water.
In response, my arms once again enclosed around her waist as I supported her weight, allowing her to float closer to me.
"Mhm, I promise I'll continue taking care of you until... you get tired of me." I met her lips with a gentle but firm kiss, a silent promise to be there for her always.
But perhaps because of my wording, Yuika-senpai hit my chest as she broke our kiss, "Don't say that... I don't think I'll get tired of you, Onoda-kun."
Her cheeks were a vivid shade of red and she looked like she wanted to sink into the pool to hide her embarrassment.
I responded with a nod before teasing her, "Senpai, you're adorable."
She hit my chest with her forehead before pressing close to me, I could feel the softness of her breast squeezed between us.
Without saying anything else, we floated like that for a while, the rippling of water around us was the only reminder that we still had her lesson to finish.
Her skin felt softer than silk under the water, and the sight of her in that swimsuit was doing things to me that I had to keep in check. We stopped in the shallow end, and I knelt, my hand supporting her back.
"Now, senpai. Move over here to the edge, let’s have you practice paddling your feet to move around," I said, guiding her to the edge of the pool, my hands still firmly around her waist to keep her steady.
Yuika-senpai nodded, her eyes focused on the task at hand. She placed her palms on the pool's edge and started to kick her legs. I looked around to find a floaty toy, something she could hold onto so she could move away from the edge but I guess that would be for later. She still had to get used to kicking.
I patiently guided her, my hands firm on her waist, making sure she felt supported. With each kick, she gained a bit more confidence. I watched as the water parted around her legs, her movements growing more coordinated.
Before long, Yuika-senpai's breathing gradually grew ragged. Her stamina wasn't quite there yet, and she was visibly tired.
"Alright. Let's take a break, senpai." Upon saying that, I gently squeezed her side before helping her to stand.
But because her legs became wobbly from exertion, she ended up leaning against me again. This time, I supported her fully as we moved to the edge and sat down together, half of our bodies remaining submerged in water.
As her back rested against mine, Yuika-senpai looked up at me with a satisfied expression, her chest rising and falling with each exhausted breath. I couldn't help but notice the way her swimsuit had become a second skin to her, revealing every curve and contour of her body.
Seeing this, my restraint was on the verge of snapping.