Chapter 206
Swim Club
"Alright, everyone had a good rest?" Sharona asked with a small smile, seeing that all the students had gathered in front of her.
But no one answered her. They all kept their mouths shut, warily glancing at one another.
Noticing that the students' eyes were fixed not on her, but on something behind her, she turned around. "Ah. Is it because of our new friends who came to try out the club today?"
Without a word, the kids gave slight, tentative nods. She tilted her head in confusion and muttered, "Hmm... They aren't usually like this."
Though I had grown somewhat used to this kind of atmosphere and the staring, it felt incredibly overwhelming while wearing a swimsuit. I hid behind Shine's back and lowered my head.
My pale, exposed thighs came into view. A faint red mark from an old bug bite still lingered on one of them. I aimlessly rubbed at the spot for no particular reason.
"Is there any kind soul who would like to show our new friends how to do our warm-up stretches?" Sharona asked the students, her bright smile returning. However, not a single student stepped forward.
"Hmm..." Clearly not expecting this kind of reaction from her students, Sharona looked troubled as she glanced between them and us.
"I guess I'll have to show them myself. Alright, everyone else, this session will be free practice!" As Sharona clapped her hands, the hesitant students immediately scattered in all directions.
Some slipped into the pool to avoid our gaze, while others headed back to the heated benches from earlier.
"Now, why don't you three come over here?" At Sharona's call, we stepped forward. She scanned our bodies, her voice filled with genuine admiration. "Do you all work out regularly?"
"Yes."
"Mmh, I see." She slowly walked in a circle around us. "Your proportions are perfectly balanced. And your skin is so nice."
Her gaze, which swept over every inch of our bodies, was similar to the way Shine looked at me when we showered together, but the feeling was slightly different. It felt lighter, devoid of any sticky, lingering intensity. Sharona was admiring us out of pure, professional appreciation.
"Have any of you taken swimming lessons before?" Shine and I shook our heads, having never formally learned, but Rain answered that she had, since she knew how to swim.
"Since Rain has learned before, you must know the very first thing we have to do before getting into the water, right?"
"Uh... putting on a pretty swimsuit?"
Sharona let out a soft chuckle at Rain's response and nodded. "Well, that's true too, but we have to do our warm-up stretches first."
"Ah."
"Alright, follow my lead. Okay?" With that, Sharona began a simple warm-up routine. The movements were light and easy enough for anyone to follow, gently releasing the tension in our muscles.
"Okay, did you get all that?"
"Yes!"
"Then let's begin."
Clap, clap, clap—
Shine, Rain, and I began our warm-ups to the rhythm of Sharona's clapping. Since the movements were so simple, memorizing the sequence was a breeze.
"One, two, one, two... You're all doing great!"
Arms and legs stretched out wide. Placing a hand on my hip, I leaned far to the opposite side. My flank and armpit were fully exposed. Catching a glimpse of Shine's pristine, pale armpit, I quickly averted my eyes.
"Now, the other side!"
Just as Sharona instructed, we bent our bodies in the opposite direction. This time, the angle allowed Shine to look directly at my armpit. Ignoring the intense gaze prickling from my side, I pushed through and finished the warm-up.
"Oh my, Jeff? Your face is so red. Was that too difficult for you?"
"A-Ah, no!"
"Rain is flushed too?"
"No, it's not! I'm not tired at all!"
"Only Shine looks perfectly fine. How strange..."
Just as Sharona said, both Rain and I had our heads lowered, our faces burning bright red. As I peeked upward, my eyes met Rain's. She swallowed hard, staring back at me.
"Now that we're warmed up, shall we get into the water?" Sharona took my and Rain's hesitant hands and led us toward the pool. With every step closer, the soles of my feet grew wetter. The water temperature was lukewarm. There were definitely heating coils installed under this pool as well.
Sharona sat on the edge of the pool, gesturing for us to copy her. Her long legs submerged into the water. After waiting a moment, she scooped up some water with her hands and began splashing it over her body.
"If you jump straight into the water, your body might go into shock. So, you have to prepare like this."
Once she finished splashing herself, Sharona slid into the pool. The depth seemed a bit shallow for someone as tall as her. Since the pool was designed for younger students, the water only came up to about chest height when Shine and I stepped in. It looked like Rain wouldn't have any trouble with this depth either.
I surrendered my body to the soft, lukewarm water, letting all my muscles go limp. My hands floated gently to the surface as I maintained a loose, relaxed posture. Sharona looked surprised to see me adapting to the flow of the water so effortlessly.
I didn't need Sharona's explanations. The moment I entered the water, I instinctively knew how to move. If that was the case for me, it would be the same for Shine. After all, she was my other half.
I relaxed my body and moved lightly. My feet drifted off the bottom. Without touching the floor, I spun gracefully in the water. My white hair spread out wide, creating soft ripples on the surface.
"My, it looks like you don't need my help at all. Are you sure you've never learned how to swim?" Sharona let out an awkward laugh as she watched me move. Her gaze then shifted toward Shine.
Shine, who had been standing still and feeling the water's flow, began to move exactly as I had. It was a mirror image, identical down to the finest detail. Spinning lightly, she glided toward me and grasped my hand, which was half-floating in the water.
The sensation of her touch underwater felt strangely intimate. Her open hand slid up the back of my forearm, eventually locking her arm with mine. Because the surrounding water was lukewarm, Shine's close, radiating warmth felt all the more intense.
"Um... could you three wait here for just a moment? Something came up," Sharona said with an apologetic smile, checking the smartwatch on her wrist.
"Of course. Go ahead."
But it didn't matter. Right now, I just wanted to fully enjoy this free, fascinating sensation. Once I saw Sharona leave the pool area, I immediately started moving. My body felt light. Yet, the water's resistance made quick movements difficult. Exercising in the water would probably be much more exhausting than on land.
Light but slow movements. I tried moving in the water the way I usually trained with Victor.
"Is it really that fun?" Rain asked, gliding over to my side as I was excitedly moving around. She moved as if she were one with the water. Unlike Shine and me, she seemed completely unhindered by the liquid depths.
"Yeah, it's fun." I smiled softly and reached out. Rain, who had drifted right in front of my nose, couldn't dodge in time and ended up caught in my arms.
"Ah! W-What are you doing?" Rain's voice was flustered. Her face flushed red as she began to squirm. The more she struggled, the more our bare skin rubbed against each other, creating a strangely tingling sensation.
It was a completely different sensation from our usual physical contact. Startled by the bizarre feeling, I quickly let go of her. Once freed from my embrace, Rain cast a strangely lingering, disappointed look at me before diving beneath the surface.
Swoosh— and she was gone. I lowered myself into the water to chase after her.
Gurgle— With the sound of tiny bubbles, all the noise of the outside world became muffled. The sensation of the lukewarm water enveloping my face, and the overhead lights refracting into a hazy blur. In the quiet depths, the faint sounds of Rain and Shine moving reached my ears.
Rain had already swum quite far away. Rather than chasing her, it seemed like a better idea to play a prank on Shine. Surrendering myself to the water's embrace, I drifted toward her.
She was still feeling the flow of the water. Her knees were slightly bent as if she had completely relaxed her body, her arms spread out to her sides, exposing her smooth stomach. Feeling mischievous, I slipped behind her back and wrapped my arms around her waist.
As my arms gently enveloped her, Shine's swimsuit-clad body pressed flush against mine. I had expected her to be startled by the sudden hug. Instead, Shine didn't panic at all; she simply let her body go completely limp.
Because of that, her body began to sink deeper into the water. As Shine leaned backward, her snow-white hair fanned out toward the surface. Under the overhead lights, her white tresses shimmered like falling snow.
As Shine fell backward, I was dragged down into the depths along with her. Caught off guard by her unexpected movement, I loosened my grip. At that exact moment, as if she had been waiting for my hold to weaken, Shine spun her body around.
Our bare skin rubbed softly against each other as Shine's arms instantly wrapped around me. Startled, I gasped, releasing a burst of large bubbles that rushed over her face. She was smiling right through the bubbles brushing past her cheeks.
We sank even deeper. Running out of breath, I tried to kick my way back up, but it was useless. Shine held me in a vice grip, completely pinning my movements. A shiver ran down my spine as her hand gently caressed my back.
I opened and closed my mouth in sheer panic, but Shine only offered a mysterious smile and refused to let go. I can't breathe. Let me go. I desperately pleaded with my eyes. There was no way she didn't understand what I was trying to say.
Yet, Shine did not release me. Instead, her face drew even closer. Something soft and pillowy pressed against my lips. Then, a rush of warm air poured into my mouth.
A single breath. As the air flowed deep into my lungs, my eyes flew wide open. Shine's white eyes were crinkled in a joyful smile. A strange tremor that started in my chest traveled all the way down, pooling right beneath my navel.
Hngh— I gasped again at the overwhelming sensation. But no bubbles escaped this time. Every bit of the breath I exhaled went directly into Shine.
She pulled my helpless body upright, sliding one of her legs between my thighs. Having lost all strength in my legs, I was forced to straddle her thigh as she hoisted me up.
And then, a second breath. Once more, she breathed life into me. Guided by Shine's hands, my limp body was pulled above the surface in an instant.
Drenched hair clung to my face as hot, ragged breaths escaped my lips. Neither Shine nor I said a word as we stared at each other. We did nothing but pant heavily. My head spun. My body trembled as if I had suddenly come down with a fever.
"Did you enjoy your little prank?" Shine asked with a slight flush on her cheeks, smiling. I couldn't find the words to answer.