Chapter 10 – Graduate (10)
There’s a prestigious sports university within a 15-minute walk from our school.
As expected of a sports university, its swimming pool facilities are top-notch, and on days without official competitions, they’re open to the public for a fee.
“I hate swimming pools.”
“Why?”
It wasn’t a big secret, so I answered Song Sun-young’s question right away.
“I’m not confident in my body.”
It would’ve been nice if carrying boxes at the convenience store had built some muscle, but the price of eating cheap instant noodles and frozen food to save money was clear.
‘Muscles need protein and nutrients to grow!’
My diet consisted of carbs, fats, cholesterol, and artificial flavorings.
Add alcohol and nicotine, and I might not make it past 30.
Anyway,
“This is crazy.”
“Why?”
“I told you, I only know how to doggy paddle.”
“It’s fine. I’ll teach you.”
“Ugh…”
Song Sun-young, with a swim bag slung over her shoulder, grinned.
“Let me explain again. Aptitude is heavily influenced by confidence in excelling in a certain field. So, all you have to do is beat me at swimming, shaman.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It is easy, isn’t it?”
“Let me ask again. Is that even possible?”
My aptitude is “shaman.”
Meanwhile, this girl next to me, flaunting her superiority with her slender figure and long legs, has the aptitude of a ‘swimmer’!
Aptitudes aren’t given for no reason.
No matter how you look at it, this is like “showing off in front of a master” or “trying to break a rock with an egg.”
“There’s plenty of time.”
“The aptitude test is right around the corner.”
“Regression.”
“Oh…”
In theory, I have infinite time to learn and practice swimming before the aptitude test.
I think I understand why she chose me.
“You’ve figured it out. Since you don’t lose your memories when we go back in time, you can practice until you beat me.”
“What about my body?”
My body, worn down by junk food, doesn’t reset like my memories.
“I’ve never taken care of my body either.”
“…”
She doesn’t take care of her body, and it’s still like that?
She’s just naturally gifted.
“No complaints now, right? Our conditions are almost equal. You even have an advantage as a guy. Just beat me with pure skill.”
“…Let’s do it.”
If talent could be overturned by effort, the aptitude testing device would’ve ignored it.
‘I know that.’
But right now, I couldn’t think of any other method. If I had, I, a “shaman,” would’ve tried it first.
“See you inside.”
“Yeah.”
Song Sun-young waved and headed to the women’s changing room.
“Oh! Kid, you’ve got skills~”
“Huh?”
‘Skills? Me?’
A man coming out of the men’s changing room gave me a mischievous grin.
“Your girlfriend’s a beauty.”
“…Thank you.”
‘Sir, don’t be fooled by appearances! She’s a girl who killed herself 42 times because she didn’t like her aptitude!’
And she’s not my girlfriend.
***
“It’s a bit tight.”
The swimsuit I last wore during the summer vacation of my second year of middle school.
It was only natural it didn’t fit, given how much my body had grown.
‘Those were the good days.’
My carefree, happy middle school days feel so different from now, symbolized by this too-small swimsuit.
“Shaman, where’d you get that kindergarten swimsuit?”
“What I wear is none of your…”
I turned to snap back at Song Sun-young’s teasing voice from behind but trailed off.
‘Guanyin Bodhisattva, Om Mani Padme Hum…’
I knew her proportions were good, but they stood out even more in her new outfit.
Her swimsuit, clinging tightly to her skin, suited her perfectly.
It wasn’t even a revealing bikini, yet it was hard to look away.
Especially,
‘She could be a leg model…’
I didn’t say it out loud, fearing I’d get arrested, but I genuinely thought so.
“What?”
“Uh… you look pretty.”
“I hear that a lot at the pool or the beach.”
“…”
The man I met outside the changing room said something similar.
But isn’t it a bit shameless to say that herself?
That must be another natural gift.
“Shaman, just in case, you’re not scared of water like a cat, are you?”
“Not at all.”
This girl’s been looking down on me ever since we got to the pool!
I want to show her.
“Good to hear. Next… Oh! I’ll give you a demonstration.”
“Alright.”
To show her up, I first needed to gauge Song Sun-young’s swimming skills.
But before that,
“One, two, one, two…”
“One, two, three, four…”
If you don’t want to drown, warm-ups are a must!
Crack, creak-!
My rarely used joints started screaming in protest.
In contrast,
“…So flexible.”
Song Sun-young’s limbs and waist bent at almost unnatural angles.
“Because I’m a girl.”
“Not every girl’s joints are like yours.”
“None of your business.”
“Geez…”
Having finished her warm-up first, Song Sun-young dove into the pool.
Splash!
‘Her diving form already screams professionalism…’
I was already anxious about whether I could show her up later.
“Shaman, hold on! I said I’d give a demonstration. Watch from there.”
“Alright.”
“…Watch closely.”
Splash!
Wearing goggles around her neck like a necklace, Song Sun-young kicked off the pool’s edge and started swimming.
‘Wow…’
I wasn’t timing her, but she was visibly fast.
A human fish!
She was clearly proving that “swimmer” wasn’t just a hobby aptitude.
And was that her holding back?
Whoosh~!
After reaching the opposite end of the pool and turning back, she leaped out of the water like a dolphin, performing a stunt.
“Oh…”
“Wow…”
Exclamations of awe came from bystanders who happened to witness it.
…My thoughts?
“This is insane.”
Instead of awe, I let out a curse.
***
I started learning the basics, like splashing, from the human dolphin, Song Sun-young.
“Don’t bend your knees. Keep them straight.”
“Why?”
“It’s the most common mistake beginners make. Flicking just your knees instead of using all the joints in your legs. Like your doggy paddle.”
“Oh!”
“So until it becomes a habit, lock your knees. It’ll feel awkward and uncomfortable, but use your other joints. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Though I was being forced to learn swimming, it was interesting and fun.
‘How long has it been?’
Outside of school, my time was filled with part-time work and rest.
I was always pressed for time, so it felt refreshing to leisurely learn something new.
“Hold the wall and try kicking again.”
“Alright.”
Splash, splash~
Following Song Sun-young’s instructions, I grabbed the pool’s edge and swung my legs back and forth.
“I said don’t bend your knees.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds!”
“…And buy a new swimsuit. It’s hard to look at.”
“What?”
What’s she picking a fight about now?
“Shaman, can you consider other people’s eyes? Your swimsuit’s riding up your butt.”
“…”
Frustratingly, I couldn’t argue back.
“Breathe as short as possible. Exhale through your nose underwater and inhale through your mouth when you surface.”
“…Cough, cough!”
Water went up my nose!
“Hahaha! That’s hilarious! Are you a fish? You did it backward!”
Song Sun-young clutched her stomach, bending over with laughter.
Is my suffering that entertaining?
“Damn it—cough, cough!”
I’ll show her later.
***
“Student Kang Moon-soo, come up and solve problem 3 on page 338.”
“Yes.”
It’s obvious, but skipping school to splash around in a pool isn’t normal.
‘The police got involved!’
My homeroom teacher, aware of my family situation with no parents to scold me, lectured me twice as hard.
A few hours later, when I was half-dead from the teacher’s nagging, the occult triggered.
Swish, swish-
“Uh… Student Kang Moon-soo?”
“Yes.”
“Did you solve this yourself?”
“Yes.”
I’m confident I could solve this problem better than anyone in the galaxy.
“I can only say it’s impressive! Your answer is so perfect, I should be learning from you!”
“Thank you.”
Honestly, I just want to stop solving it.
Even my teacher’s lavish praise didn’t make me happy. When class finally ended…
Slam!
“Hey! Shaman—Kang Moon-soo!”
Song Sun-young burst into the classroom, throwing the door open and calling me in a sharp tone.
“…What?”
“I waited forever because you didn’t come out!”
“You waited? For me? Why? You have class too.”
“I slipped out right away.”
“Oh!”
Her escape was something I hadn’t even considered, still reeling from my teacher’s mental reeducation.
I was dumbfounded.
“Huh? That’s Song Sun-young.”
“Kang Moon-soo! Go to hell!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Are they dating?!”
My friends, spouting nonsense with disbelieving faces, didn’t seem sane either.
“This class is full of headaches too.”
“It’s because of you!”
Song Sun-young, barging into someone else’s classroom, was the problem.
“What? You started it.”
“Oh, right.”
Whoosh~
We slipped out of school like thieves, climbing over the fence.
“Wow! The vibe’s different.”
“Because I’ve done it once.”
The first time, I was so anxious I kept looking back to check if anyone was following, but on just my second try, the guilt and hesitation vanished.
‘Oh, right.’
A question I’d been curious about popped into my head, and I called out to Song Sun-young, who was walking ahead.
“Coach.”
“Call me by my name.”
“Sun-young.”
“What?”
“We went to the pool together, but how did you get off so easily?”
“Because I’m not a first-time offender. My parents and teacher gave up on me long ago.”
“Oh!”
A perfectly clear answer.
“From now on, skip class and come out right away. I don’t want to wait.”
“Geez…”
Escaping school during class, not even break time?
Without the occult, I couldn’t have imagined such a stunt.
“…My mom and dad don’t care where I am or what I do.”
“I see~”
With no parents, I didn’t have much to say.
Not all parents are good, but aren’t there more good ones than bad?
Song Sun-young said,
“What about you? Your parents didn’t contact you either, right?”
“Similar.”
There’s no phone service or fiber optics in the afterlife.
***
After grabbing my swimsuit from home, we quickly reached the pool, just a 15-minute walk from school.
Splash!
But Song Sun-young, looking down at me after I changed and entered the pool first, didn’t look pleased.
“Don’t stare like that. I showered and warmed up first.”
“No, I told you not to wear that swimsuit.”
“It’s the only one I have.”
“Buy a new one.”
“I don’t have money.”
“I’ll buy it. My eyes are precious.”
“Oh! Really?”
“It’s money that comes back when I die. So spend it freely.”
“Oh, right.”
Even if I blow through my wallet, it’ll be full again when we regress.
‘She’s smart.’
As someone used to pinching pennies, I couldn’t have imagined this approach.
“Don’t lift your head when you breathe. It throws off your balance, and your upper body sinks, making it harder to breathe.”
“Then what?”
“Turn your body.”
“I’m not a genius. I can’t understand if you just say that.”
“Use your hips.”
“Oh!”
The world repeated like a perfect hamster wheel, but my swimming skills changed each time.
One day, two days, five days, half a month…
Song Sun-young’s lead, which once felt impossibly far, started coming into view.
Little by little, ever so slightly…
As I got faster, the gap between us narrowed.
“Wait!”
Song Sun-young, who finished first and was waiting for me, flinched and backed away.
“What?”
“You’re too close!”
“…”
It wasn’t just my swimming skills that had changed.