Faced with the blackened heroine, they actually stopped time

Oreki Gen said helplessly.

"You also see that there are so many people over there... Just take a few steps. Don't worry, I'll block them."

"Then Oreki-san, can you help me block it?"

"what?"

Before Oreki Gen could react, a voice came from behind.

Sakuraba Jianyue said a little annoyed.

"Sayuri! What are you doing here?"

"I'm cold too, let's keep each other warm together, Sakuraba-san~"

"Don't stick to me!!"

Later...are you playing the human centipede or playing "Eagle Catches Chicken"?

The only one left was the stubborn Asagiri Ran. Although she didn't get behind him, the distance between her and him was visibly increasing.

Come closer to me.

I guess if this girl froze to death, her mouth would be the hardest part of her body.

But at least I got into the swimming pool.

The swimming pool was much warmer and not as cold as I had imagined.

Because it is an open competition, there is no need to buy tickets or anything. It is enough to just walk through the venue and pass the security check which is seemingly non-existent.

However, the combination of Oreki Gen and these three beautiful girls still attracted a lot of people's attention as soon as they entered the venue.

When everyone was seated and only Sakuraba Mizuki was left standing in front of Oreki Gen with a frown on his face, the boy directly took out a blanket that he had prepared for a long time from his schoolbag and covered the chair with it.

Sakuraba Jianyue narrowed his eyes, but still sat down.

Sayuri Yukino, who was standing next to Sakuraba Mitsuki and Oreki Gen, leaned over.

"Oreki-san is so considerate?"

Oreki Gen smiled.

"I can't help it. If I take off my clothes in this weather, I'm afraid I'll catch a cold."

Oreki Gen had no way to deal with this girl's mysophobia, and of course he never thought about changing her habit.

After all, Sakuraba Mitsuki has every right to be "sentimental", and her financial resources fully allow her to be unrestrained in such matters.

Sakuraba Jianyue snorted.

"As long as I don't die, a cold doesn't matter."

Obviously, catching a cold for the princess is not a touching thing.

Asagiri Sō sat on the other side of Oreki Tsubasa.

There is no way to divide the absolute middle position among four people, and Oreki Genji does not want to experience such a Shura field. My goodness, thinking about such a scene makes him feel like dividing the family into the first and second rooms...it is too feudal.

"By the way, is the game about to start? I just saw the referee enter the arena."

Oreki Gen's gaze shifted over, and his relaxed mood also faltered.

Although I keep telling myself that as long as Oreki Sakura performs normally, even if she doesn't win the championship, she will definitely be in the top three, but I'm afraid that the treacherous correction power in this world might take advantage of this incident and trigger some bloody plot.

He doesn't want to experience such melodrama, such as a girl with a broken heart, or a sister who needs him to save her soul... Could you please watch less melodramatic TV dramas?

And in my sight, a figure has appeared in the contestant channel over there...

"Sakura? What are you looking at?"

At the contestant entrance passage, Oreki Sakura, who had already put on a swimming cap and changed into a swimming suit, raised her head.

With such an almost unrecognizable outfit, it is difficult to recognize him at first glance, except for his quite distinctive body shape and his height which is very conspicuous among his peers.

"Nothing, just looking for someone."

When Oreki Sakura walked out of the passage, the first thing she did was look at the surrounding stands.

Looking for a familiar figure.

Fortunately, it is not difficult to find them, because looking around, even though the entire venue is not full, the most eye-catching scenery undoubtedly belongs to them.

but...

Why are there so many people!

Four?

Besides her brother and that annoying woman, why... is there Sister Asagiri? Hey, who is that sweet and gentle sister?

Sitting next to Sakuraba Mitsuki, could it be that she is Sakuraba Mitsuki's friend and has little relationship with her brother? No, a woman like Sakuraba Mitsuki is also worthy of friends?

"Did your brother come to watch you play?"

She said with some emotion as her companion next to her looked very nervous.

"When I compete, I'm afraid that people I know will come to watch... But you're in a good mood and are in a mood to look for people you know."

Oreki Sakura smiled.

"Why should we be nervous? We are already here, so we can just see it. Why should the contestants feel embarrassed?"

Oreki Sakura's words made her companions hesitate.

"Don't you feel ashamed to try to do something that doesn't look so good in front of everyone?"

Oreki Sakura turned her head and glanced at the girl whose hands seemed to be shaking.

As he is in the same grade as me and this is his first time participating in a national competition of this nature, it seems inevitable that he will feel nervous.

Oreki Sakura thought about it, then reached out and shook the other person's hand.

"Don't worry, Kana-san. When you work hard, you shine the brightest. You don't need to feel embarrassed because this is not a performance. This is your effort to live a life without regrets. So I'm not nervous because this is a battlefield, not a stage, right?"

The girl looked at Oreki Sakura's determined eyes, as if she was infected by the girl's inexplicable fighting spirit.

She nodded vigorously.

"I see, thanks Sakura!"

"Let's go, come on."

Oreki Sakura withdrew her gaze and looked at the stage over there again.

He met those eyes in an instant, and when no one else seemed to have found him, the boy's eyes were immediately focused on him.

It's like precise positioning.

A wonderful connection.

We are obviously not related by blood, so why did he recognize me so quickly?

It must be because I like it, right?

Oreki Sakura knew that thinking this way might make her look a little crazy, but it didn't matter.

Why should people live and persevere?

What she wants is not money or power, but love.

"All contestants, get ready. The competition is about to begin!"

When the referee's voice came.

Each of them went to the position that had been assigned in advance.

Looking at the slightly rippling water, Oreki Sakura had warmed up in advance and did not feel cold.

Just looking at the pool, she suddenly remembered that summer.

Just this summer not long ago.

The scene she remembered was simple, and it was the scene that she recalled countless times and made her feel satisfied and happy every time.

It was the scene of myself having cramps and nearly drowning, but being picked up from the pool by the young man.

Although the boy is not around now, he is in the stands that seems far away.

But Oreki Sakura knew clearly that from now on, the boy's eyes would be on her, never leaving her.

Even though he wasn't by his side.

But now I can still seem to feel him holding me in his arms, his strong arms, and his vigorous heartbeat.

Like a mark, it is engraved in your heart and resides in your soul.

Now standing by the pool, following the referee's instructions, she bent down, bent her knees, and prepared to enter the water in one go.

Until the water waves can ripple your face.

Oreki Sakura took a deep breath, and only now did she seem to feel the slightest bit of tension.

However, the source of this nervousness was not because she wanted to achieve any results, but because she wanted to prove to the boy that she was no longer the little girl who needed him to worry about her all the time.

You can decide your own life, and you... can be responsible for what you like.

"start!"

"boom!!"

The splashing water seemed to drown the vision all of a sudden.

It seemed that the momentary darkness and the slight dizziness in her head could make her panic, but this was the stage where she had competed for two days, so she did not hesitate at all. The familiar movements and the water that seemed to flow quickly past her seemed to become her driving force.

She remembered.

I often hear others in the swimming club envy me.

The general idea is, if you are so beautiful, why do you have to be so good at swimming?

Also, people are so good at comparing themselves to others that they get frustrated. Some people just don't have to do anything to get the talent that God has blessed them with...

Thinking of those words, Oreki Sakura just wanted to laugh.

Because of their face and temperament, most people ignore the efforts they have made for it.

She was never late or absent from the swimming club's training, and was often the last one to leave the venue.

I have suffered no less injuries from swimming than others, but I never tell others about them openly.

My future self may not stick to swimming, and others may regret that I am wasting my talent, but only I know that I have definitely lived up to this path.

At least, I have a clear conscience.

just now.

She emerged from the water and glanced at the other side.

Now she has to win without hesitation.

There is no better time than now to realize her talent. She has both talent and hard work, so why can't she win?

She just wants to win.

Win now and win in the future!

Oreki Sakura is naturally in no mood to look at her opponent's results now. She can only focus on herself and devote herself wholeheartedly.

However, the four people in the stands who saw the person entering the water had strange expressions on their faces.

Even Sayuri Yukino couldn't help but turn her head and look at Oreki Gen.

"No, Oreki-san, your sister is capable of this... why are you so nervous?"

Oreki Gen also found it difficult to describe his feelings.

It's like...being nervous about someone for a long time only to find out it was all in vain.

Because in his sight, he could only see the surging swimming pool.

There was a girl who was like a mermaid, she seemed not to be swimming.

Instead, it is equipped with an engine and is running.

The water surging under her feet, the smooth arms that occasionally appeared...

One turn and you have a big lead.