Whistle~~~
The moment Mashima-Sensei Whistled, Kiruyin propelled himself in a 50 degree angle with all his might. He jumped high and then streamlined into the water. Almost making no ripple. He almost touched the bottom of the pool but the water resistant started to push him up. Kiruyin changed his direction and used the repulsion to move forward fast.
He started to do rhythmic dolphin kicks. He streamlined in a 15 degree angle upwards. Using the repulsion to his advantage.
He emerged up but didn't fully get out of the water. He never broke the rhythmic dolphin kicks. He was swimming so fast that it seemed like was not swimming but gliding through a liquid cocoon, creating a laminar flow.
Kiruyin swam in straight line, never breaking the laminar flow.
In no time, his hands touched the wall of the other side of the pull, Kiruyin pulled himself out of the water and took a deep breath. He stayed like that. He looked like he was doi g cobra stretch in the pull. His head pulled back and eyes closed. Taking in deep, calming breaths. His head throbbed from the lack of oxygen, his heart felt like it was about to burst.
His instincts screaming him to take in air like a dying dog. But he didn't do that. He enjoyed the feeling. The feeling of gliding through water. The sensation and fulfillment of doing dolphin kicks in rhythm of the water. Like he had merged with the water. A feeling he had forgotten and didn't knew he enjoyed at that time.
A validating feeling spread through his being.
Kiruyin stayed like that for dozens of seconds while everyone looked at him with penthora of emotions. His classmates, they felt like they were dreaming. Seeing the surreally beautiful sight of laminar flow. The technique they had seen only the best of the best olympiad do. Many didn't understand what it actually takes to perform such actions but it was very cool to them.
Mashima-Sensei on the other hand stared at the stop watch like it was truing to deceive him. His hands clenching it turned white. His eyes wide in astonishment and disbelief.
19.99s.
That was the time it took Kiruyin to swim a full 50 meter pool. The World record for fastest swimming was 20.91 seconds...
It was considered that anything beyond sub 20 was humanly impossible. But here he was, witnessing the same conviction being broken by a 16 year old...
Mashima's mind shook from sheer disbelief for a moment. But he quickly composed himself. It wasn't time to drown in disbelief but recruit a logic defying talent.
He walked towards the now sitting Kiruyin with steady steps. His expression determined and eyes blazing with unyielding resolve to shape this unpolished- no. Present this rare, naturally polished gem to the world.
"Kiruyin Sakiho."
Kiruyin who was sitting on the pool wall while his legs still in the water, calming down his rattled mind heard the firm voice of Mashima-Sensei. He didn't notice the sensei approach because he had his eyes closed. He looked up and instantly stood up. Not daring to stay sitting in front of an elder.
"Yes, Mashima-Sensei!"
Mashima-Sensei didn't say anything, just turned the stop watch towards him. Kiruyin leaned closer and looked at the time displayed. His expression didn't change much. But he won't lie but he was a bit disappointed.
'Just 19.99 seconds? Barely sub 20? The hell? Doesn't that mean I could do better in middle school? My best was 20.09 seconds. Barely a 0.1 second improvement. Doesn't that mean all that effort, all that growing up and power up gone to waste? Bruh moment... Whatever. Not that I care anymore. What happened happened.'
Kiruyin held back his sigh of disappointment and straitened up. Its not like he didn't know what sub 20 means, it's just that it wasn't that impressive to him because he used various tricks. Not just pure strength. If he actually tried to go pure strength, his arms and legs might fly off from propulsion.
'I'm born weak after all.'
Kiruyin decided to use this defence tactic for the up coming trouble the talent hording sesei is about to give him. This was the same tactic he used against Kanzaki and it worked. He both Kanzaki and Mashima-Sensei were serious type of guy. If they hear his nonsense, they would understand that he is unwilling. Nonsense was the ultimate form of denial for these kind of people, rather than straight up rejection.
If someone rejected them, their will be 90% to 100% chance that it will not register in their mental system. But nonsense will. Because that's their natural opposite. And like magnate, serious guys rejects nonsense.
'A perfect plan.'
But he suddenly got remembered of the cane holding loli he saw on the first day. He felt a bit guilty about using the "born weak" narrative, but on second thought,
'Morality? What's that? Is it tasty?'
Mashima studied the student in fornt of him. He doesn't seemed to he that surprised about it.
'This isn't his first time...!'
He reached a shocking conclusion that made him even more determined to guide his boy to the right path.
"19.99 seconds. That's how long it took you to swim a 50 meter pool."
He announced and few gasps rang out. Murmuring instantly broke out because the highest previously was 27.78 seconds. And the few who knew about the world records were visibly shaken. But even they didn't get the deeper meaning behind the number.
"...Sakiho, meet me in the staff room after the class is over."
Mashima-Sensei didn't explain it either. Kiruyin's eyes fidgeted around for few moments before settling down and accepting the proposal. If they talked here, he could use some people as shields, but in private talking wouldn't allow that.
But regardless, this wasn't the time to create a scene. And talking in private wasn't a bad thing either. If things came down to it, he could lay down and beg until the teacher gave in.
The class continued without much drama. But some classmates and dude's from Tower class came to talk to him about his expertise in swimming after the class was over and there free time before the period ended. The girls and boys were enjoying their time in the same pool
Mr. Cuck(Ryuen) was pretty good swimmer as well. But that was expected. If you are a thug, you need to be git to run from police. Swimming as one of their speciality.
The friends from Class-C were likely sent here by Mr. Cuck to get some information about him. Kiruyin entertained everyone. And they showered him with praise in response, which he took with extra steps.
They were very generous with their praise.
"Sakiho-kun, what was your motivation for swimming? How did you become so good? How long do you train every day and, were you traning from childhood?"
A male student from Class-C suddenly asked with a mix of genuine astonishment, fear, reluctance and envy in his eyes.
'Is Mr. Cuck trying to get information about my past? How is he going to use it? ... Who knows man. Thug folks may have special means that I'm not aware of? I'm just a normal dude after all.'
Kiruyin smiled nostalgically. As if remembering good old days. Which was true.
He was surrounded by the boys in the pool. The girls were paying on the other side of the pool. They still didn't know about Kiruyin's achievements or doesn't care enough to cone and "Oil" Kiruyin's ego at the size of a peanut.
"Hmm~. It all started with me meaning a girl. She was beautiful and stole my heart on first sight. I feel in love and wanted to get closer but we were on different class. Butt! I didn't let the distance matter! I collected information about her and got to know that she likes swimming. Determined to get closer, I, with the help my best friend, started to practice swimming and also joined the swimming club! She was kind like an angle! Her smile made my day~! Every day we were getting closer~... and closer~..."
Kiruyin said with animated gestures and paused for a moment.
The boys were immediately pulled in by Kiruyin's rich narration. Their imagination playing like a movie. Kiruyin looked at them and a small mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"...Until one day she reported me that I was bullying her by being better then her at swimming. Lol."
Then he immediately ruined the whole mood, leaving a bad taste on the boys. They looked at him with displeased expression.
"Why would she think your bullying her Sakiho-kun!? Does she has some screws lose!? What did you do after wards!?"
Some gossip hungry guy won't let it go and asked another set of questions, gathering the scattered attention of all the boys present.
'Tsk.'
He clicked his tounge internally but kept and smiling face outside.
"She was just a naive girl my friend. And that! Is what made me fall for her~. Her innocent smile soothed my wounded soul~. Everyday~ I would wait on the bus stop to get my soul healed by her smile~."
He again started with his dramatic gestures. But no one found it cringe, instead, they could actually picture themselves feeling Kiruyin's emotions and sympathised with him. The atmosphere around 10 or so boys were heavy and melancholic. Everyone remembering their own unfulfilled love story.
"But the day I was called to the principals office changed it all~~!! I found her shaking and crying~. Breaking my heart~. I wanted to soothe her, tell her not to cry~~."
'Damn. Am I a poet?'
Kiruyin said gently, some sensitive dude even sniffed. But none called him out. The mood was that heavy.
"But later~ I learned that I was the reason for her tears~. I was shocked! And scared~ for what was about to~ come~."
'Damn. I should really think about poetry seriously.'
"The reason being... her dream of being national~ level Olympiad~ was getting crushed! By me~~. I couldn't take it~ and left swimming ~~. And thus my friends, how my journey of swimming came to the end~~~."
Kiruyin finished with a slow, melancholic melody. His expression sad and heavy. But he opened his eyes slightly to look at the boys around him. They all had heavy aura around them. The lively atmosphere of the indoor pool facility couldn't seemed to reach this part of the pool. Like a barrier was blocking any happiness from getting in. The boys wiped and sniffed, full of emotions they didn't knew they had.
After a while, they recovered and all just patted Kiruyin's shoulders firmly like soldiers encouraging another, before going away.
Kiruyin silently waved at them, his expression unreadable.
'Bye bye~ spread my story far and wide boys~~. Make sure Mr. Cuck gets a version mixed with your own emotions~~. Kukuku~.'
But internally he was cackling like a villain. The very reason he told them this story was for the Class-C guys to tell Mr. Cuck. To make sure they don't forget the context, he performed it for them in a way that will have more emotional impact than pure memory input. That will allow their subconscious mind to slip in their own judgment.
By the time Mr. Cuck gets this, the story might have already been processed into a different kind of emotional bandwidth and in term, creating his character profile with that story as foundation.
And the reason he was so confidant is because none of what he said was false. Not a single word. Just the delivery was twisted according to needs.
Left alone, Kiruyin stopped all movement of his body and just floated like a dead body. Again found a comfortable position. The cosmic forces seemed to be aligning once more. An ambiguous feeling of comfort spread through his body as he floated.
The heat of the sun filtered through the thick glass hit his front side of the body, making him feel the warmth, and the cool pool water he was floated acted like a cool mattress of otherworldly comfort. His ears submerged in water was like natural ASMR to his brain.
'Damn.. what luck. Two times in a row? Is lady luck looking at me today? Ah~ oh~ amazing ~~~.'
Drowsiness slowly cloud led his mind before he was interrupted once again.
"Sakiho-kun~. The period is over. Let's go or you will cathc cold."
Ichinose appeared once again. He instantly became displeased but couldn't do anything this time because it was a valid point. His head throbbed again but he obediently God out.
"Your the fist person I've seen who could find sleep in such weird places Sakiho-kun."
Ichinose said as she got out of the pool. Water dripping off of her body. The sun light reflected off from the water. Her skin glowed in a healthy shine, making her appear like a goddess in bikini.
But Kiruyin felt nothing but irritation while looking at her. He wanted nothing more to then just strangle her to death.
"Sakiho-kun!! Your thinking something bad about me again!"
Ichinose said with a sterne expression, hands on her hips.
"No~. No~. How could I think something bad about a pretty girl like you~? But regardless, I have something I want to talk to you about. Meet me after you've changed clothes~."
Kiruyin said as he stood up and walked languidly. His tone carried a similar languid edge as his posture.
Ichinose breath hitched for a moment when she heard him call her pretty. She had heard countless people call her pretty, beautiful but none reached her heart because everything seemed to have a motive behind them. But she knew for a fact that Sakiho wasn't the type of person to hand out empty compliment.
He would call out mistakes if he saw any, and give genuine compliments if anything or anyone deserves it.
Ichinose's heart beat quickened a bit, her face getting getting slightly flushed, but she quickly composed herself and ran ti her friends with a bright smile towards the changing room like nothing happened. But her heart was still beating faster under her ribs and it didn't seem like it will calm down any time soon.