The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 50

After lunch.

I parted ways with Rin and Hanaba, who seemed to be taking a break, and Luna and I soaked ourselves in the still waters of the pool.

“So, you said you wanted to practice swimming… Are you really going to do it?”

“People say you should try everything once, right? With you helping me, it should be safe.”

“You can live a normal life even if you can’t swim, you know.”

“But don’t you think it’s better to be able to swim?”

“…Well, I guess you’re right.”

The goal was for Luna to practice swimming.

My role was to assist her.

Letting a non-swimmer practice alone is risky, and I had no intention of leaving Luna by herself anyway.

“Besides, it’s after a meal, so something relaxing like this is just right.”

“…Can you even call this relaxed pace swimming practice?”

“That depends on your teaching skills, Hakuto.”

Isn’t the responsibility on me a bit too heavy?

I have no intention of letting her drown, though.

Looking back at the time when I couldn’t swim, I remember how I used to tense up and get exhausted.

Just being in the pool takes a lot of energy.

For Luna, who has little stamina due to her reclusive lifestyle, it might be even more tiring.

“My goal is to be able to swim alone in a pool—specifically about 25 meters.”

“That’s elementary school-level, but that’s quite a challenge to achieve right away.”

“Which is why… I’ll have you teach me step by step, Hakuto-sensei.”

Luna offered her hand to me with a smile.

I took it, letting out a wry smile in return.

“I’ll do my best, but… can we drop the ‘sensei’ thing?”

“Then, how about ‘master’?”

“Are you teasing me?”

And so, we began swimming practice.

Of course, neither of us thought she’d suddenly be able to swim.

Skills need to be developed step by step.

“Alright, let’s start by getting used to the water. Put your face in the water and hold your breath for ten seconds. You can keep your eyes closed if you want.”

“Got it.”

Luna replied, nodding with a nervous expression, and took a deep breath.

Then, cautiously, she submerged herself completely under the water—

“Phew… I can handle this much, at least.”

After counting to ten, Luna surfaced and caught her breath, ready to move on.

If she can submerge herself without issues, then her inability to swim probably isn’t due to a fear of water.

“Next, let’s practice floating. I’ll hold your hands, so try to float on the surface.”

“…So you’re acting as a float board?”

“Exactly.”

“I see… I’ll do my best.”

I took Luna’s hands as she nodded earnestly, leaving the timing up to her.

She adjusted her breathing and looked at me.

“Here I go.”

With those words, Luna’s upper body dipped awkwardly while her legs floated up, becoming parallel with the water’s surface.

Without submerging her face, Luna stretched out her arms, which I supported as she floated on the water.

I had expected her to struggle and almost sink, so the result surprised me.

If things continue like this, it might not take long for her to learn how to swim—but just as I thought that, Luna’s waist and legs began to sink.

Her expression changed to one of panic.

“Hakuto…!”

Her eyes and short, desperate words begged for help, but there wasn’t much I could do.

I was holding her hands, so she wasn’t going to drown, and the water was shallow enough for her feet to touch the bottom.

Still, for someone who couldn’t swim, staying calm while sinking was a tall order.

She gripped my hands tightly, the pressure causing her to lose buoyancy, and soon her upper body sank as well. At that point, I supported her and had her restart from the beginning.

“…Hakuto. Can humans really swim?”

“If they couldn’t, there wouldn’t be a sport called swimming.”

“This is where you’re supposed to agree and comfort me, not state facts.”

“Swimming is hard, isn’t it? I totally get it. It’s okay not to swim; you’re trying your best, Luna… Is that better?”

“Stop being so monotone. Well, I know I’m just avoiding reality. Let’s get back to practice. I feel like I’ve gotten a sense of it. Maybe I can manage a dog paddle now.”

I debated whether to count the dog paddle as swimming, but Luna probably wouldn’t accept that.

She’s surprisingly competitive.

Still, that’s a separate matter.

“You can keep going, but pushing too hard defeats the purpose. You’re at your limit, right?”

“It’s true I’m more tired than I expected, but let me try a little more.”

If Luna insisted, there wasn’t much I could do.

She should know her own limits, and I could always step in to support her.

Thinking that, we resumed practice.

With some advice, Luna managed to float properly on her own.

From there, she practiced kicking, putting her face in the water, and breathing techniques.

Eventually, I let go of her hands, and although her form wasn’t perfect, she managed to swim on her own.

“…Humans can swim after all.”

Luna swam several meters before surfacing near me, whispering her thoughts.

“Congrats. For the time you spent, you picked it up quickly. You’re a quick learner.”

“It’s because your teaching was good, Hakuto. Being able to trust and relax makes a big difference, right?”

“Maybe, but you’re the one who worked hard.”

“Then, pat my head.”

Luna smiled and leaned her head, tied neatly without coming undone, toward me.

I gently patted her wet hair, careful not to ruin her hairstyle.

Her eyes narrowed happily.

“Being able to do something you couldn’t before is fun. Cooking, cleaning, swimming… If it weren’t for you, Hakuto, I probably wouldn’t have even tried.”

“If given a chance, I think you’d have started on your own. You’re quite determined.”

“You could look a little happier, you know? You’re the one who changed me, Hakuto. Don’t you ever feel like making me your own color?”

“That sounds a bit arrogant. I’m happy you say I was the trigger, but all I did was give a little push.”

“That little push was a big step for me.”

“So,” she said.

“Let’s do many things together from now on.”

“If that’s all you want, I’ll join you anytime.”

And so—

“Many things,” huh?

Is the first half over?