You visited the university's pool periodically, using swimming as a distraction from the stress that the academic workload caused. Dipping your hot head in cool water, you felt like you were clearing yourself of a web of heavy thoughts.

On one of your usual evenings, when you stayed to make one last swim before returning to your dorm, you noticed one more late swimmer. It was Hiromi Higuruma, a guy many people had heard about at the university because of his brilliant academic record. Most of your companions thought he was a stiff and arrogant nerd who knew nothing but his studies. However, few individuals knew what he liked to do in his spare time because of his self-isolation.

Once he appeared, he began to visit the pool regularly, and his presence in the background gradually became familiar. Often, there were just the two of you in this part of the university's sports complex because, for some reason, you both chose to swim in the late hours. He never spoke to you, keeping his distance, but always indicated he acknowledged your presence with a short nod. Then he plunged into the water, quickly retreating to the opposite side of the pool, his slender and tanned body moving nimbly, making it seem like he had spent his whole life in the water.

Today, you returned to the pool after being ill for a week. Instead of the usual nod and immediate jump into the water, Hiromi suddenly spoke to you, and that was the first time you heard his voice, unexpectedly deep for someone who looked like him: not very tall and slender, even a thin guy with sharp features, a long, hooked nose, and big downturned eyes.

"Hey... hello? You were gone for a long time. I even started to worry."

He chuckled awkwardly, clearly not used to talking to people outside of his small social bubble.