Reincarnated as a Tsubaki sister from COTE

Vol 0.8

Kiyo POV

Inside the White Room, there were designated spaces for various activities. One of them was the heated swimming pool, kept operational year round. Swimming was an essential part of our physical training, offering a low-impact way to develop endurance, strength, and coordination.

It also served another purpose—stress relief well probably this feeling was only mine.

Each session lasted two hours, broken down into four parts: a 30 minute lesson, a 10 minute break, 30 minutes of competitive swimming, and 30 minutes of free time.

During free time, I often sat by the pool, watching the others.

As expected, Yuki approached me.

"I knew I'd find you here," she said, standing beside me. "You set another new record today."

"I still haven't matched the instructor's time," I replied without looking at her.

"We're kids, they're adults. It's not weird that we can't reach their level yet," she pointed out before crossing her arms. "But it's frustrating. I can't consistently beat you anymore. One day I win, then for the next two days, you take first place before I catch up again. It's like an endless cycle."

Until a few weeks ago, Yuki had undeniably been the fastest swimmer among us.

"Since you passed me, it takes me longer to catch up each time," she continued. "How do you do it? I've been practicing just as hard as you."

"Breath-hold," I answered simply.

She blinked. "What?"

"Your form is perfect—until you take a breath. If you improve that, your time will improve."

Yuki clicked her tongue. "Annoying instructor didn't tell me that."

"Swimming instructors don't tell you everything. They want you to figure things out on your own."

"You can see yourself and analyze your surroundings. I don't have that luxury," she muttered, clearly frustrated.

"I'm no different," I replied, my tone unchanged. "I just push through it."

Many of the newer students were still struggling to keep up. Without a solid foundation, they focused too much on memorizing techniques rather than truly understanding them. That approach led to stagnation. Yuki and Shiro excelled because they instinctively grasped the fundamentals, allowing them to improve rapidly.

But I didn't envy them. The truth was, anyone could catch up with enough time and effort. Struggling at first wasn't a failure it was just the natural process of learning.

Yuki remained silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on me.

"...Do you need something?" I asked.

She tilted her head. "Is it strange for me to talk to you without a reason?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "You usually only talk to me when you need something."

"That's not true!" she protested, clearly offended.

I met her gaze evenly. "You're the same as always, Yuki."

She had been talking to me more frequently lately, even when she had no clear purpose. It was inefficient behavior.

But I didn't mind.