"Onoda-kun, we won!" Umeda exclaimed with barely subdued excitement as she climbed out, her voice trembling with disbelief. She turned to help me up, but I was already hauling myself beside her.
The moment my feet touched solid ground, Satsuki stomped over and jabbed a finger into my chest. "Cheater! You stole my technique!"
Though that sounded like an accusation, the girl was simply expressing her frustration for having her record beaten by us. I grabbed her hand and pulled her down, enough that she landed on my lap, "That's called strategy, Satsuki. And we've used it a lot better than you did."
"Shut up. I don't need you to explain that," Satsuki grumbled as she tried to push herself off my lap.
Naturally, everyone's attention was already on us. Umeda, who was still tethered to me, had no idea where she would place herself. She ended up sitting beside me with her legs folded sideways.
"Look at this shameless brat. Enough flirting, Onoda-kun and stand up there. We're not here to watch you fondle girls," Orimura-sensei barked, tapping her clipboard sharply against my head. Satsuki scrambled off my lap and pinched my cheek before returning to the crowd.
After that, Ryouko-san also approached us. She lightly shook her head, preventing any sort of reaction to what had just transpired as she announced.
"With this, Team Onoda-Umeda wins with a time of two minutes seventeen seconds." Her announcement silenced the excited chatter instantly. "That concludes the relay. If someone has an objection, you can raise it now."
Silence stretched. But then, Fukuda stepped up, scowling like an idiot, "Sensei, are you sure they only get a 12-second penalty? They sped past all three zones! It's impossible that they only got that much!"
"Are you saying we failed to count properly?" Orimura-sensei stepped forward, her voice dangerously calm. She pointed to the clipboard where she'd meticulously recorded every penalty. "Four seconds for clipping the net barrier, three for touching two buoys, and five for hitting the rings. Twelve seconds total. Would you like to inspect the records? Or maybe you're insinuating something else...?"
Having been scolded by her earlier, Fukuda immediately looked like he had taken a bitter pill. He muttered something under his breath before taking a deep breath. Fınd the newest release on novelFirｅ.net
As I expected from him, he's not going to back down. This was his chance to discredit me, after all.
"No, sensei. I'm merely stating that Onoda's... unconventional methods deserve scrutiny," Fukuda insisted, gesturing toward where Umeda still sat tethered to me, her knees drawn up protectively. "That shortcut through the rings wasn't regulation. They practically bulldozed through!"
"There's no rule prohibiting forceful navigation," Ryouko-san countered calmly. "Isn't that why they received that much penalty? If they navigated it accordingly, they could've reached the goal longer but with fewer penalties."
Ryouko-san's explanation was correct, of course. But since that guy stepped up to try to discredit me, I stood up to face Fukuda directly.
I gestured to Ryouko-san, signaling for her to let me handle this.
"Are you that bitter that I won another activity? Shouldn't you be looking at your performance? Who was it that lost during the first round?" I asked Fukuda calmly and menacingly.
The other students parted, revealing him standing stiffly. "Performance? You won because you cheated! That shortcut--"
"Can be done by everyone. Look, do you want to be known as a sore loser? I get it. You hate my guts but man... This won't make you look good."
He gritted his teeth before his scowl deepened. In the end, he had already lost all initiative to argue. He muttered something like 'Whatever' and turned away. The tension dissolved into murmurs as Ryouko-san clapped her hands. "Alright! Congratulations to Team Onoda-Umeda! You'll receive bonus points for PE and some other reward from me." She turned to Orimura-sensei. "Shall we proceed with cooldown stretches?"
I turned around and guided Umeda back to bow politely. "Thank you, sensei."
We removed the tether and were about to return to our respective classes when Umeda grabbed my wrist. Her fingers trembled slightly as her knees began to buckle.
"W-wait, Onoda-kun. I suddenly feel..." Umeda's whisper cut off as she almost collapsed. My reflexes immediately acted, wrapping my arm around her waist to steady her.
While everyone started wondering what had happened, I turned to Ryouko-san and Orimura-sensei again. Sensei, Umeda-san might've pushed herself too hard during the relay.
As if to confirm what I had just said, her face started to turn pale. Her breathing became shallow and rapid.
"Dizzy..." She murmured, leaning heavily against me.
Ryouko-san hurriedly came to our side to check on the girl, while Orimura-sensei took over to direct the other students for the cooldown stretches.
"What do you think, sensei? She might need some water. I could run to the vending machine."
Ryouko-san knelt beside Umeda, pressing two fingers to her wrist. "Her pulse is racing. Onoda-kun, help me get her to the infirmary." She glanced at Orimura-sensei, who nodded sharply while clapping her hands to regain the students' attention. "Everyone, start stretching! Sakuma, lead the cooldown!"
"I got it, sensei. I could carry her to the infirmary. It's just that... we're still in our swimwear." I said as I slipped my arm under Umeda's knees, lifting her bridal-style. Her head lolled against my shoulder, damp hair sticking to my neck.
Ryouko-san nodded briskly, grabbing towels from a nearby bench. "Wrap her in this. As for you... I'll have someone bring your uniforms. Make sure she gets there first."
She draped a towel over Umeda's trembling shoulders before tapping my back. I could tell she's also considering coming with us but since this was her class, she couldn't just leave everyone alone. Furthermore, her trust in me was that of her beloved. She knew I'd handle it.
Well, I also didn't expect this to happen. While I was also glad that we won, I was already looking forward to spending the rest of the swimming class with my girls. Alas, I had to carry Umeda-san to the infirmary.
I looked at the girls who were looking on worriedly and they all gave me an approving nod.
With Umeda trembling in my arms, I moved quickly out of the Pool Area. We passed the changing and shower rooms and headed towards the Administration Building.
If we're lucky, we'll find Hayashi-sensei in the infirmary. If not, I'll have to look after this girl.
On the way, I also stopped momentarily to buy a refreshment drink from the vending machine. I could have her drink once she's settled. She seemed to be recovering a bit, but her breathing was still shallow.
"O-onoda-kun. I'm sorry. I... I didn't think I'd..." Umeda's whisper was thin as I carried her through the still-empty yard.
"Stop talking and save your energy. It's not life-threatening anyway. I can't just leave you alone," I replied firmly, shifting her weight in my arms as we reached the administration building's shaded entrance. Umeda's head shifted against my shoulder as her face somehow became snug against my chest. I could feel her warm breath, considering I was only wearing my wet trunks.
A few teachers lounging in the faculty saw us entering but since the infirmary was located upstairs, I ignored them and continued to the stairs.
Soon, I reached the infirmary door, nudging it open with my shoulder. The sterile scent of antiseptic washed over us. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone inside.
Hayashi-sensei must've returned to her office upstairs. She's not playing as the elusive school nurse at this time.
Opening one of the curtained spaces, I laid Umeda on the bed gently and then placed the canned drink on the nearby table. She groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open as she tried to sit up.
"Don't move," I instructed firmly. "You're pale as chalk. Just breathe slowly. When you regain a bit of energy, drink that. Oh, right..."
Her skin still felt cold to the touch, so I grabbed the towel Ryouko-san had draped over her earlier and started drying her hair and the exposed parts of her skin vigorously. Of course, given that her school swimsuit was still wet, the bedsheet beneath her was already damp.
It should also be quite uncomfortable for her.
"I can run back to get your uniform," I offered, draping the towel over her shoulders. "You'll catch a chill lying there wet."
Umeda shook her head weakly, fingers clutching the towel's edge.
"Hmm? You don't want me to leave you alone?" I asked and she quickly answered with a nod.
"Alright then... I think it'll be better if you... get out of that wet swimsuit and I'll move you to another bed." I said before taking a step back, hinting that I could turn around to give her privacy.
Umeda's eyes widened slightly as she glanced up and down at her own swimsuit. She hesitated for a moment before nodding weakly. She then grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed before looking up at me.
I raised my hands and said, "I'll just be outside the curtain. You can take your time."
"Pervert." Umeda let out a soft laughter, her cheeks regaining a hint of color as she clutched the blanket tighter. "I'll tell Itou-san if you peek."