Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093077509774072/episodes/16818093079236829236
The light blue-haired woman takes her distance from me and says in her usual tone of voice
“Mouu~!! I’m a little surprised to hear that you are such a worrier!~”
“So you’re saying you’re not injured?”
“Yeah! But it is true that I was not in my best form compared to usual earlier, maybe I got nervous during the competition! onee san is so embarrassed to have been seen so nervous.”
……The next event was the backstroke.
The backstroke is an event that mainly moves the thighs rather than the legs, but it still puts a strain on the ankles because of the use of the legs.
Above all, the next event is the butterfly.
The butterfly requires what is called a “dolphin kick,” in which both feet are used at the start.
This is not something you can do with an injured ankle.
“….. I was wondering by the time I got to this room, are there any other swimmers in the club?’
“There are other kids on the swim team, but there are only a few who got into the special school for their swimming skills, and of those few, I’m the only one who will be here because I’m by far the fastest.”
“Are those people here to watch the meet?”
“Yes, I think they are.”
“Then you should call them right now and ask them to swim for you.”
“That’s really surprising~ I said I’m fine, but you’re such a caring ────.”
If there was no time limit, I could have accompanied this light blue-haired woman─── Mizushiro-senpai to her play, but unfortunately, while I was doing this, the time until the next event was getting closer and closer. In order to push the conversation a little further, I once again closed the distance between me and her and lightly squeezed her left ankle.
“Ouch……!”
She then screamed in pain.
And then, after a short pause, Mizushiro senpai said
“Actually, it seems like I was practicing too hard and was putting a strange load on my legs.”
Does that mean that her passion for swimming is genuine…..But
“But this much ────”
“Even if you do win three more events with such a light grip that it hurts, there will be a huge backlash afterwards.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that …… but────.”
“Mizushiro-senpai, I understand that you have pride as a player, but I think you should cherish your career as an athlete just as much… Mizushiro-senpai is only a sophomore in high school, and you will be attending special High School for over a year. You’ll be on the swimming team, so you have to be willing to sacrifice your pride sometimes.”
“….!”
When I first called out her name and told her what I wanted to tell her, she looked a little surprised.
Then, after a short pause, she says.
“Even if we call everyone here now …… , we won’t make it in time for the next event ──── if we include travel time and changing clothes.”
When I was about to say that, Mizushiro-senpai looked at me and froze for a moment.
And then she muttered in a small voice.
“I’m ready to give up my pride. ……”
Then, after a few moments of freezing, she turned to me and said
“Hey, I’m really embarrassed to say this to you who’s not on the swim team,…… but would you be willing to compete in the next event in my place?”
──── eh?
“…..with the way things are going right now, am I going to be in it?”
“You told me why, didn’t you? You told me that I needed to be ready to give up my pride,…… and I really don’t want to ask you, who is not a member of the swim team, to do this, but even if I call everyone from the swim team now, they won’t be ready for the next event,…… So, please! Please, just go out for the next event instead of me!”
She looked at me with straight eyes and said.
The fact that that she is so serious about her request shows how passionate she is about swimming,……, but I don’t have the personality to take on that kind of thing,────.
“…..”
How can I refuse something if you ask me to do it with such a serious face?
I said, nodding after a few moments of silence.
“Okay, I’ll just take the next event.”
“Really?!”
When I told her so, she took my right hand in both hers and said
“Thank you! I will definitely repay this favor in some way!”
“No, you don’t have to pay me back. ────”
“Ah! Of course I won’t get mad no matter how many places you win, so don’t worry! I just need you to swim with all your might!”
“All my strength…”
──── all my strengt
“…… Just out of curiosity, do you have men’s school swimsuits, swimming caps, and goggles?”
“Yes, I do! Yes!”
When I said that, she handed me a set of those things from the locker in this room.
“Then, I’m going to go out of the room because it will be too late if you don’t change your clothes soon,……, or can I watch you change your clothes?”
“Of course not!”
“Right~! I’ll show you my change of clothes as a thank-you next time!”
“No, thank you.”
“You’re really strange to refuse a chance to see onee san change clothes~”
Mizushiro-senpai said as she put her hand on the doorknob of this room.
“Good luck, I…I’m rooting for you, not just because we’re from the same school, but as an individual.”
With that said, Mizushiro-senpai left this room.
“….I can’t take half a result after being set up so well, can I?”
Besides,──── swimming cap and goggles, with these, my true identity will never be revealed.
I was supposed to just watch the competition, but I never thought I’d end up in this mess.
While muttering this, I changed into a men’s school swimsuit, put on a swimming cap, and put on goggles.
After some light stretching, it was a few minutes before the start of the meet, so I left the athletes’ waiting room and headed for the pool where the competition was to take place.
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