Dream Breaker

Chapter 10

There is a famous sports college 15 minutes away from our school by foot.

As it is a sports college, the swimming pool facilities are quite impressive, and on days when there are no official competitions, they are open to the public for a fee.

"I don't like swimming pools."

"Why?"

It wasn't a big secret, so I immediately answered Song Seon-young's question.

"I'm not confident in my body."

It would have been nice if my muscles had naturally developed while carrying stuff at the convenience store, but that's the price I paid for saving money and eating instant noodles and frozen food.

'Muscles need enough protein and nutrients to grow!'

My diet consisted of carbohydrates, fats, cholesterol, and chemical seasonings.

Would I not die before the age of 30 if I added alcohol and nicotine to this?

Anyway,

"This is crazy."

"Why?"

"Didn't I tell you? I can only do the dog paddle."

"It's okay. I'll teach you."

"Ugh..."

Song Seon-young, with a swimming bag on her back, giggled and said.

"Let me explain once more. Aptitude is greatly influenced by the confidence that I am good at a certain field. So, all you have to do is beat me in swimming, Shaman."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Isn't it?"

"Let me ask you again. Is it possible?"

My aptitude is a 'shaman'.

On the other hand, the aptitude of this girl next to me, who is showing off her superiority with her slender figure and long legs, is a swimmer!

Aptitude isn't called aptitude for nothing.

No matter how many times I think about it, this is like 'trying to catch a tiger with your bare hands' or 'hitting a rock with an egg.'

"There's plenty of time."

"But the aptitude test is just around the corner?"

"Regression."

"Ah..."

In theory, I have an infinite amount of time to learn and practice swimming before the aptitude test.

It seems like I know why she chose me specifically.

"It seems you've figured it out. Shaman Kang Moon-soo, who doesn't lose his memory even when he goes back to the past, can practice until he beats me."

"What about the body?"

My body, which has been ruined by junk food, is not preserved like my memory.

"I've never taken care of my body either."

"......"

How could a body that she didn't care for look like that?

She was just born with it.

"Now you have no complaints, right? The conditions are almost equal. You even have an advantage because you're a man. All you have to do is beat me with your pure skills."

"...Let's give it a try."

If talent could be overturned by effort, the aptitude test machine would have simply ignored it.

'I know that.'

There was no other way that came to mind at the moment. If there was, I, a 'shaman', would have tried it first.

"Watch from inside."

"Okay."

Song Seon-young waved her hand and went into the women's changing room.

"Oh! Young man, you're lucky~"

"Huh?"

'Lucky? Me?'

An old man who just came out of the men's changing room gave me a mischievous wink.

"Your girlfriend is beautiful."

"...Thank you."

'Old man, don't be fooled by appearances! She's a girl who has committed suicide 42 times because she doesn't like her aptitude!'

And she's not even my girlfriend.

* * *

"It's a bit tight."

The swimsuit I last wore during my summer vacation in the second year of middle school.

It was only natural that the size didn't fit as my body had grown.

'Those were the good days.'

The present seemed to reflect how different it was from my carefree and happy middle school days. Just like this swimsuit that doesn't fit because it's too small.

"Shaman, where did you get that kindergarten swimsuit?"

"What does it matter what I wear..."

Song Seon-young's voice came from behind, sounding slightly teasing.

Feeling provoked by the word "kindergarten", I turned my head to retort, but my words trailed off.

'Avalokiteśvara, Om mani padme hum...'(Hail to the jewel in the Lotus)

I knew her body proportions were good, but they stood out even more because of her changed outfit.

Her figure suited the swimsuit that clung to her skin.

It was hard to take my eyes off her, even though it wasn't as revealing as a bikini.

Especially,

'She could be a leg model...?'

I didn't say it out loud because it seemed like I was exaggerating, but I genuinely thought so.

"Why?"

"Uh... You look pretty."

"I hear that a lot whenever I go to the swimming pool or the beach."

"......"

The old man I met in front of the men's changing room said something similar.

But isn't it a bit embarrassing to say that yourself?

That seems to be something she was born with.

"Shaman, I'm asking just in case, but you're not scared of water like a cat, are you?"

"Not at all."

This girl has been looking down on me since we got to the swimming pool!

I want to show her what I'm made of.

"That's a relief. Next... Ah! I'll show you a demonstration."

"Okay."

To show her my capabilities, I need to first assess Song Seon-young's swimming skills.

But before that,

"One, two, one, two..."

"One, two, three, four..."

Warming up is a must if you don't want to die in the water!

Oof, oof-!

The joints I hadn't used much before started to scream.

On the other hand,

"...You're flexible."

Song Seon-young's arms, legs, and waist bent at abnormal angles.

"It's because I'm a girl."

"Not all women's joints are like yours."

"You wouldn't know."

"Jeez..."

Song Seon-young, who finished warming up first, dived into the pool.

Splash!

'Her diving posture already seems professional...?'

I was already anxious if I could show her my capabilities later.

"Shaman, wait! I told you I'd show you a demonstration. Watch from there."

"Okay."

"...Watch closely."

Splash!

Song Seon-young, wearing swimming goggles around her neck like a necklace, started swimming by kicking off the edge of the pool.

'Wow...'

I wasn't timing her, but she looked fast just by watching.

A fish in human form!

She was proving that 'swimmer' didn't come out as a hobby in her aptitude test.

And was that her taking it easy?

Whoosh~!

As she returned from the opposite corner of the pool, she even showed off a stunt, leaping out of the water like a dolphin.

"Oh..."

"Wow..."

Exclamations from people who happened to see the spectacle came from all around.

...My feelings?

"I'm screwed."

Instead of admiration, a curse came out.

* * *

I learned the basics one step at a time from the human dolphin, Song Seon-young.

"Keep your knees straight at all times."

"Why?"

"It's the most common mistake people make when they first learn to swim. They only move their knees, not using all the joints in their legs. Like your dog paddle."

"Aha!"

"So, seal your knees until it becomes a habit. Even if it's awkward and uncomfortable, you'll only use the other joints. Got it?"

"Got it."

In the end, I was learning to swim by force, but it was interesting and fun.

'When was the last time?'

I used to fill my time outside of school with part-time jobs and rest.

So I was always pressed for time, but it was refreshing that I could leisurely learn something.

"Grab the wall and kick the water again."

"Okay."

Splash, splash~

As Song Seon-young instructed, I grabbed the edge of the pool and kicked my legs back and forth.

"I told you not to bend your knees."

"It's not as easy as it sounds!"

"...And buy a new swimsuit. It's hard to keep looking at that."

"What's wrong?"

Why the sudden argument?

"Shaman, don't you care about other people's eyes? Your swimsuit is stuck between your buttocks."

"......"

Annoyingly, I couldn't refute her.

"Take short breaths while swimming. Exhale through your nose underwater, and inhale through your mouth when you come up."

"...Cough, cough!"

Water went into my nose!

"Ahahaha! So funny! Are you a fish? What would you do if you did it the other way around!"

Song Seon-young laughed, holding her stomach and bending her waist.

Is it that funny to see me struggling?

"Damn it- Cough, cough!"

I'll show her later.

* * *

"Kang Moon-soo, please come out and solve problem number 3 on page 338."

"Yes."

Obviously, it's not normal to skip school classes and kick water in the swimming pool.

'I never expected the police to be involved!'

The homeroom teacher, who knew that I didn't have parents to scold me, nagged me twice as much.

After a few hours, when I was about to go crazy from the nagging, the occult power was activated.

Swoosh, swish-

"Uh... Kang Moon-soo?"

"Yes."

"Did you solve this yourself?"

"Yes, I did."

I'm confident that I can solve this problem better than anyone else in the galaxy.

"There's nothing to say but that you're amazing! It's such a perfect answer that I, as a teacher, should learn from you!"

"Thank you."

Honestly, I want to stop solving this now.

Even after the teacher's praise, the not-so-happy class finally ended...

Creak!

"Hey! Shaman- Kang Moon-soo!"

Song Seon-young, who opened the classroom door roughly, called me with a sharp tone.

"...Why?"

"I've been waiting for you!"

"You waited? For me? Why? You have classes too."

"I just skipped out."

"Aha!"

I couldn't have imagined Song Seon-young's escape since I had just been spiritually educated by the homeroom teacher.

I was speechless.

"Oh? It's Song Seon-young."

"Kang Moon-soo! Go to hell!"

"What?! What's going on?!"

"Don't tell me, are you two dating?!"

My friends, who made nonsense with a disbelieving face, didn't seem to be in their right minds either.

"There are many patients with headaches in this class."

"Don't blame me!"

It's Song Seon-young's fault for barging into someone else's classroom.

"What are you talking about? You started it first."

"Ah, right."

Swoosh~

We sneaked out of the school fence like thieves.

"Oh my! The atmosphere has changed."

"It's because I've done it once."

At first, I was so anxious that I kept checking behind me to see if anyone was following, but by the second time, the guilt and hesitation disappeared.

'Ah, that's right.'

I called out to Song Seon-young, who was walking ahead, as I remembered something I had been curious about.

"Coach."

"Call me by my name."

"Seon-young."

"What?"

"We went to the swimming pool together, but how did you just pass by?"

"It's not my first offense. My parents and homeroom teacher gave up on me a long time ago."

"Aha!"

It was a very clear answer.

"From now on, don't take classes and come out right away. I don't like waiting."

"Jeez..."

Escaping from school during class, not even during break time?

It was an unimaginable adventure if it wasn't for the occult.

"...My parents don't care what I do or where I go."

"I see~"

As someone without parents, I had nothing to say.

Not all parents in the world are good, but there are probably fewer bad ones than good ones, right?

Song Seon-young said.

"How about you? Your parents didn't contact you either."

"Same here."

There are no telephone or broadband services in the afterlife.

* * *

After grabbing my swimsuit from home, we were able to enter the swimming pool within a 15-minute walk from school.

Splash!

However, Song Seon-young, who changed and entered the pool before me, didn't look pleased as she looked down at me.

"Don't stare like that. I already showered and warmed up."

"No, I told you not to wear that swimsuit."

"This is the only one I have at home."

"Buy a new one."

"I don't have money."

"I'll buy it for you. My eyes are precious."

"Oh! Really?"

"It's money I can get back when I die. So, I can spend it lavishly."

"Ah, that's right."

Even if I spend recklessly and my wallet gets thinner, it will be thick again when I go back in time.

'She's smart?'

As someone who's used to saving, it was an unimaginable method.

"When you breathe, never lift your head. You'll lose balance and your upper body will sink into the water. This makes it even harder to breathe."

"So, what should I do?"

"Twist your body."

"I'm not a genius, you know? I can't understand if you say it like that."

"Use your waist."

"Aha!"

The world repeated like a wheel without error, but my swimming skills were changing every time.

One day, two days, five days, two weeks...

I started to see Song Seon-young's back, which had seemed endlessly far away.

Little by little, very little by little...

As I got faster, the distance between us narrowed.

"Wait, hold on!"

After finishing first, Song Seon-young, who had been waiting for me to arrive, was startled and stepped back.

"Why?"

"You're too close!"

"......"

It wasn't just my swimming skills that had changed during that time.

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