Akira supported her waist, his hands resting lightly on her soft sides. The warmth and texture beneath his fingers made his ears turn red despite himself.
Submerged in the water, Shouko remained motionless, her breath held, her body frozen. The slight tremble of Akira's fingers made her forget everything he'd just taught.
"Did you forget the movement I just showed you?" Akira asked, noticing she wasn't continuing. He gently lifted her out of the water with both hands, his expression curious.
"It's nothing, really!" Shouko quickly shook her head in a fluster, then raised her index finger to signal, "One more time. Just one more time."
The sudden lift had made her heart pound like a drum. She lowered her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.
"Alright," Akira replied, turning his blushing face away. The two silently resumed the lesson.
As Akira continued to support her waist, Shouko gradually adapted to the water. Her movements became steadier and more precise.
Akira hesitated. Should he let go? Maybe she was ready to try floating on her own.
Just as he was about to loosen his grip, a mischievous voice rang in his ears:
"Coach over there! If your hand moves up five more centimeters, I'm calling the police~!"
It was Matsuoka Miu's voice—sharp and playful.
Startled, Akira's hands immediately let go.
All eyes around the pool turned toward Miu, then followed her gaze to the shallow end.
Plop!
There was a loud splash. In her nervous panic at the sudden release, Shouko accidentally inhaled water, flailed instinctively—and slammed headfirst into Akira's abdomen.
The floor of the pool was slick. Caught off guard, Akira had just turned to glare at Miu when the unexpected headbutt knocked him off balance, sending them both tumbling into the water.
Onlookers saw nothing more than a girl coughing in the arms of a boy gently patting her back. No one thought much of it. They weren't looking for a pervert anymore—just a couple being close.
Even the lifeguard, who had been watching from the start, didn't intervene. It was clearly a harmless moment between two people.
"Shouko! Are you okay?" Miu, realizing she may have gone too far, rushed over in concern.
Sakuragi Matsuri and Ito Chika hurried behind her.
The people who had been watching quickly pieced together what happened. Realizing it was all a joke among friends, they muttered irritably and slowly dispersed.
Still catching her breath, Shouko shook her head at Akira to signal she was fine. But noticing the trio rushing over, she asked in confusion:
"Miu? Why are you here?"
She hadn't heard anyone speaking earlier, let alone Miu's teasing remark.
Akira resisted the urge to lecture Miu on the spot—it wasn't the time or place. He calmly explained the situation to Shouko… and, of course, pinned the blame squarely on Matsuoka Miu.
Naturally, Shouko gave her a stern scolding that day. And just how stern?
Let's just say—for months afterward, Miu never dared to joke about the two of them again.
Once the girls left, Akira resumed the swimming lesson. Before long, Shouko had learned how to float on her own without any support.
"Alright, now I'll teach you the last move. Once you get this down, swimming won't be a problem."
"Mm-hmm!"
"Hold the kickboard with both hands, lie flat on the water, and kick your legs up and down alternately. Make sure your knees are slightly bent."
Akira picked up the shark-shaped kickboard and demonstrated the technique two or three times in front of her. After confirming she had memorized it, he stood upright again.
"This movement's similar to the last one. The key is to use your thighs to drive the motion of your calves. Keep your insteps straight to push against the water—don't bend your knees too much."
"Do you have any questions?"
"Yes, yes!" Shouko raised her right hand like a student in class. Once Akira nodded, she asked curiously:
"Coach Akira, is it okay if I hold onto something else while I practice?"
"Hm…" Akira actually took her question seriously and gave it some thought. Then he nodded. "As long as it's stable and floats—it can be used for practice."
"Okay!" Shouko beamed, then without hesitation, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his chest.
"Wait—are you planning to use me?" Akira looked down at her, a little stunned.
"You said anything's fine, didn't you? Just say so if it's not okay. I'll go back to using the kickboard."
"…Alright, alright."
"Hehe~"
Shouko hugged him tightly, but it didn't feel quite right. She shifted slightly lower for a better grip.
"Just hold still—don't move your hands around…" Akira muttered, feeling slightly awkward.
"I was uncomfortable just now, but this feels better," Shouko grinned, took a deep breath, and dove underwater to start practicing.
Akira immediately regretted it.
Because while her legs kicked exactly as he'd taught, her face kept brushing against his stomach underwater.
It made his heart race. He felt like he was the innocent one getting teased.
No way she's doing that on purpose… right?
"Uh… Shouko," he said when she surfaced, "can you not… rub against my stomach when you're holding on to me?"
"What do you mean rubbing your stomach?" she asked with wide, innocent eyes. "Coach Akira, don't make false accusations. I've been practicing properly! When did I ever rub anything?"
"…It's nothing. Just my imagination," Akira replied, feeling a bit unsure of himself.
He had raised her from when she was little. She couldn't possibly be doing something like that on purpose… right?
Looking at her genuinely innocent expression, he started to doubt himself.
"Coach Akira, anything else? If not, I'll keep practicing!"
"Go ahead."
"Okay!"
Shouko smiled brightly and leaned forward again, hugging his waist before plunging into the water.
Then came the familiar sensation—her face brushing lightly against his stomach.
Akira glanced down. He could almost see a mischievous smirk beneath the water.
He quickly shook his head. No, that's impossible. I'm just imagining things. The water distorts everything anyway…
"Coach Akira," came her voice like a siren's song, rising with a splash, "your heart's beating really fast~"
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