During every single break between classes, the area outside our classroom was a cacophony of noise as students from other classes flocked over for a bit of sightseeing. Somehow, we managed to slip through the cordon and were currently spreading out our lunch boxes in the clubroom.
We were all wearing a palpable air of exhaustion, though.
"Sigh... I’m beat."
"No kidding. Getting swarmed like that every single break is just too much..."
"Most of them are just curious onlookers without any real motive; they’ll lose interest soon enough. We just have to endure it until then..."
Fortunately, there weren't any bold souls who actually dared to barge into the room to interrogate us, but our own classmates—apparently not satisfied with the morning's Q&A session—had been plying us with questions without any restraint.
Still, if we hadn't bothered to answer each and every question during the breaks, we probably wouldn't have been able to escape the classroom in the first place. When I looked at it that way, I wanted to believe those tedious interactions were a necessary evil.
"True. But thanks to that interrogation, I think we can safely say the commotion has calmed down to some extent, at least within our class."
"Probably. Even though we were a bit vague with some of our answers, we addressed the things everyone was interested in, so their curiosity should be satisfied for now."
"Once the unknown and the misunderstood are resolved, most people's interest and concern tend to fade," Hiiragi-san added.
If we could at least settle things with our classmates, we could enjoy a peaceful school life while we were in the classroom. The rest of the school would likely remain in an uproar for a while, but it was a relief to know that the place where we spent most of our time was becoming a safe haven.
"I just hope... we only have to endure this for today."
"I agree."
"As do I."
Yuji and Hiiragi-san nodded deeply in agreement with the hope I’d voiced, dreaming of the peaceful days we’d enjoyed until last week.
Pausing my meal, I cast a glance toward the clubroom door and let a thought slip out.
"Even so... Mika and the others are late."
It had been a while since the three of us started eating, but Mika and Saori-chan were still nowhere to be seen. A quarter of the lunch break had already passed, yet there was no sign of them approaching the clubroom.
At this rate, could it be...?
"They might have been... captured."
"Yes, they might have missed their chance to escape," Hiiragi-san agreed.
"You think so?"
When I asked for confirmation, Yuji and Hiiragi-san both nodded with slightly somber expressions.
I see... they got caught.
"Well, I suppose it was inevitable in a way."
"Whatever the case, our goal was to resolve the issues within their class."
"For the students who were feeling marginalized and pressured by those guys, the rise of Mika-chan and Saori-chan must be like a Buddha in hell. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone wants to place themselves under their protection," Hiiragi-san observed.
She was likely right. Even if they didn't officially join Mika's circle, just being on friendly terms with the two of them would make it harder for the Goto group to subject them to forced recruitment or other aggressive tactics.
Even just maintaining the appearance of chatting amicably with Mika and Saori-chan would be enough of a deterrent to make it worth their while.
"In that case, Mika and Saori-chan coming here during lunch..."
"Is probably impossible," Yuji finished.
"Yes. Even if Mika-chan and the others want to leave, the kids around them likely won't let them go..."
"...Maybe I should send them a 'good job' text later?"
Both of them were probably fed up with being treated in a way they weren't used to.
However, if Mika and Saori-chan didn't firmly maintain control here, they might be put on a pedestal and forced into the role of flagship for a full-scale confrontation with the Goto group, whether they liked it or not. Since their intention was only to deter the Goto group’s rampant behavior, they had to keep a tight rein on those under their wing to ensure they didn't go overboard.
"That’s probably for the best. If we clumsily show our faces there, we’ll probably just add fuel to the fire."
The classroom was likely in an uproar just with Mika and Saori-chan present; if we showed up, things might only worsen. On top of that, if we weren't careful, it could escalate into an immediate, full-scale confrontation with a panicked Goto group.
Even if they had regained some composure, it didn't change the fact that they were backed into a corner. It was definitely better not to provoke them unnecessarily.
"Indeed. But if that's the case... will those two be able to come here after school?"
"Who knows? It seems unlikely, though..."
The most likely scenarios for Mika and Saori-chan after school were either bringing a group of prospective new club members to the clubroom or going out to a shop off-campus to deepen their bonds with the classmates who wanted to be friends. While they could theoretically shake off their classmates' invitations and come to the clubroom on their own, doing so would likely have a major negative impact on their future deterrent efforts. No matter how much we were backing them up, without the support of their immediate classmates, there would be no deterrent to speak of.
After imagining the hardships Mika and Saori-chan were facing in their classroom, we all wore somber expressions and silently prayed for their souls. Hang in there, you two; we're always here to listen if you need to vent.
"...Alright. For now, let's just finish our lunch."
"Right."
"Yes. There's nothing more we can do at this stage."
And so, we resumed the lunch we had paused.
After spending a relatively peaceful lunch break, our first class in the afternoon was swimming. I changed into my swimwear in the cramped locker room and headed to the poolside. It felt a bit chilly since the sun was hidden behind the clouds, but it was better than when the pool had first opened for the season.
As I was lightly warming up and chatting with Yuji before class began, a male student with a smirk on his face approached us.
"Yo, Kokonoe, Yuji! What kind of show are you going to give us in today's class?"
"...Huh?"
"Oh, come on, don't play dumb! You showed us that amazing stuff during the sports festival! I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys do today!"
"..." "..."
With an expression full of expectation, the male student gave me a light slap on the back and walked away with a wave before we could even respond.
Hey, now....What was that about?
"...A show?"
"...Looking forward to it?"
Yuji and I finally managed to squeeze those words out after recovering from the shock.
Then, moving our heads as awkwardly as robots low on oil, we looked around. We realized that, just like the student who had spoken to us, the boys in our class were stealing glances at us with eyes full of anticipation.
"..." "..."
Yuji and I instinctively looked at each other, our faces twitching as we fell into an awkward silence.
Everyone's expectations were heavy...
"W-What should we do?"
"You ask me that, but..."
With our cheeks still twitching, Yuji and I agonized over how to handle their expectations. Surely, meeting their expectations and pulling some stunt during this class... was out of the question.
However, completely betraying their expectations was also something to consider. After consulting each other, we reached a conclusion.
"We'll take the lesson seriously and then play around a bit during free time... sound good?"
"Yeah, that should work. But nothing too flashy, okay?"
"Of course, I get that."
As Yuji and I nodded in agreement on the plan, the male and female PE teachers appeared on the poolside and gave the order to assemble.
Following the order, we split into male and female groups. We gave our opening greetings for the class and listened to the male teacher's explanation.
"Right, today is our first PE class since the sports festival ended. The excitement of the festival might still be lingering, and you might feel like putting in more effort than usual, but underwater activities like swimming carry a significant risk of accidents if you make a mistake. Don't go overboard; stay focused and take the lesson seriously. Now, let's start with warm-up exercises."
When he mentioned "putting in more effort than usual," the teacher's gaze drifted toward the three of us. So that was how it was. We’d essentially just been warned, but in a way, this provided a good excuse to avoid any unreasonable demands from our classmates. Later, I’d just tell the guy who made the request that we couldn't do it because the teacher had strictly forbidden it.
After finishing the warm-ups, we proceeded with the swimming lesson according to the teacher's instructions.
"Alright. That concludes today's swimming lesson. The remaining time will be free time. Be careful not to get injured or drown!"
"Yes!"
With the teacher's signal, the swimming lesson ended with about twenty minutes to spare, and the rest became free time. Since many in our class held an explorer permit and had significantly higher strength and endurance compared to non-explorer students, the actual lesson content was completed in short order.
By the way, the lesson content consisted of swimming a total of 1,000 meters using four strokes: crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. The explorer students who were good at swimming finished the task in about ten minutes, meaning they were naturally shattering freestyle world records.
"So, what are you going to do, Kokonoe? Are you going for it?"
"I'm not doing anything. Even if it's free time, we were warned beforehand."
As I was floating on my back in the water, Shigemori approached me after diving.
"But... look around."
"...Hmm?"
Prompted by Shigemori, I kept my floating posture but moved only my eyes to scan the area. Eyes full of expectation, from both boys and girls, were fixed on the three of us, waiting for something to happen....Are you serious?
"It doesn't look like they'll be satisfied unless we show them something, even if it's minor..."
"Right?"
For now, Yuji and Hiiragi-san seemed to be intentionally ignoring the gazes directed at them, but I could feel the intensity of those expectant looks increasing, giving them an air of discomfort.
However...
"But still..."
I shifted my gaze to the PE teacher sitting on a bench on the poolside, monitoring the students. It was clear at a glance that he was heavily on guard against any movements from the three of us.
If we responded to everyone's expectations and moved now, we’d definitely be called over for a lecture later.
"...True, you can't really do it with him being that wary."
Following my gaze, Shigemori agreed with my assertion. After all, nobody wants to go and get scolded after specifically being warned by a teacher.
"Well, hypothetically, I wouldn't mind doing it if I had permission..."
I replied to Shigemori regretfully, stating a condition that seemed impossible to fulfill, as if I were joking.
However...
"Ah, you idiot."
"...Eh?"
Immediately after Shigemori whispered his insult at my slip of the tongue, I saw several male students climb out of the pool and head toward the PE teacher. They seemed to be explaining something to him with grand gestures, desperately trying to persuade him. Oh boy, no way...
And after a brief negotiation, the PE teacher let out a weary sigh, and the male students broke into cheers.
The three of us were now standing side-by-side on the starting blocks of the pool, which all the other students had exited.
...How did it come to this?! I wanted to scream that out, but I couldn't open my mouth under the reproachful glares of Yuji and Hiiragi-san standing on either side of me. Yes, I know. It's because of my big mouth, isn't it?
"We will now have a 50-meter time attack competition between these three. Make absolutely sure to avoid any accidents."
Listening to the PE teacher's somewhat exhausted explanation, we let out small sighs. But now that it had come to this, we had no choice but to commit. I gave my cheeks a light slap to psych myself up.
And then...
"Now, take your marks. Get set..."
The three of us exchanged glances and nodded lightly...
"Start!"
With the teacher's signal, we leaped from the starting blocks... and each of us used the lane rope about five meters ahead on the left as a foothold to leap again toward the lane rope about five meters ahead on the right.
"Wait, heeey?! What do you think you're doing?!"
Ignoring the teacher's wide-eyed scream, the three of us continued to traverse the pool by repeatedly jumping using the lane ropes as footholds.
I mean... Teacher? It seems the class was expecting this more than us just swimming normally, you know? In fact...
"Whoaaa?! That's amazing!"
"What the heck is that?!"
"Is that even allowed?!"
"So fast! All three of them are already on the turn!"
Our classmates were all on their feet, cheering loudly. Riding that wave of cheers, we reached the goal almost simultaneously without swimming a single stroke of the 50 meters. And the time it took to reach the goal was seven seconds for all three of us... I guess we managed to meet everyone's request for now?
However...
"You fools! I told you to be careful not to cause an accident!"
For our dangerous behavior, the three of us ended up receiving a lecture from the male teacher after all.
Sigh, it really wasn't worth the trouble...
It wasn't so much water-running as it was a lane-rope version of the Eight-Boat Leap.