After watching the loving couple walk away, Tsuna looked away, shook the hand he was holding, and asked curiously,
"Shouko, which attraction do you want to try first?"
"Hmm..." Shouko glanced at the attractions, hesitated for a moment, then pointed to a blue sign in the distance to the right.
"How about we go there? Tsuna, can you teach me how to swim?"
"No?" Tsuna looked in the direction she pointed and saw the sign labeled 'Shallow Water Area.'
In that area, a few children in cartoon swim rings were paddling around.
"Shouldn't we try out those attractions now while there are fewer people?"
"Oh, let's go." Shouko ignored the slightly helpless look on his face and pulled him toward that area.
The intrusion of the two uninvited guests caused some of the children who were paddling leisurely to stop and cast their gazes upon the two.
Sunlight was sliced into golden fragments by the waves, reflecting the pool in shimmering spots of light.
Tsuna borrowed a shark float from a nearby staff member through a wristband, then led her to the edge of the pool.
The two ignored the gazes, and gradually, they withdrew their gazes and resumed their playful play.
As soon as her feet touched the water, she felt a surge of panic, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the float.
Tsuna, teaching someone to swim for the first time, was unsure which step to start with. He hesitated for a moment, his Adam's apple moving, before he spoke.
"First... let's start with holding your breath?"
"Hmm..." Shouko nodded repeatedly.
Tsuna, sensing her uneasiness, rubbed her hand with his fingertips, soothing her.
"Relax, Shouko. The shallow end of this shallow area is only up to your chest, and I'm here, so you'll be fine."
Shouko took a few deep breaths, and her panic gradually dissipated.
"Since this is your first time, we'll start with ten seconds, then gradually increase the duration to give you some comfort.
I'll mentally time you, and when the time's up, I'll pull you up."
"Yeah, I'll do whatever your coach, Tsuna," Shouko gave him a playful smile.
Seeing her calm, Tsuna swallowed the words of encouragement he'd been meaning to offer her.
"Let's get started,"
Shouko nodded, pinching her nose and about to squat. As the water threatened to cover her mouth and nose, the uneasiness that had dissipated suddenly surged back.
But she didn't flinch, burying her face directly in the water—she trusted Tsuna to protect her.
As Shouko trembled and lowered her face into the water, Tsuna, who was mentally timing it, suddenly realized that through the swaying water, he could clearly see the tiny hairs scattered on the back of her neck.
And then...
he lost his focus, forgetting to count the time until Shouko, unable to hold her breath any longer, suddenly looked up, her wet nose colliding with his jaw.
"Ah..." Shouko clutched her nose in pain.
"Splash!" Tsuna slipped because of her sudden move and fell backward into the water.
This scene naturally attracted the attention of the children in the swimming pool and the lifeguards by the pool again. They didn't look away until Tsuna stood up.
Except for a few children who were curious about what they were doing.
Shouko was about to reach out to pull him, but he stood up by himself. She could only ask with concern: "Tsuna, are you okay?"
Seeing her funny look with her hands covering her nose, Tsuna suppressed the corners of his mouth that were about to rise, and quickly shook his head to indicate that he was fine.
Shouko was like this because he was distracted. How could he laugh at this time?
"Sorry, it's because I was distracted that I forgot to count the time..." Tsuna reached out and took away her hand that was covering her nose. He was relieved to confirm that there was nothing wrong.
It would have been fine if she hadn't said anything. But once she did, the slight guilt she felt for bumping into him vanished without a trace, and she launched a furious beating at him.
She continued to complain, "It's all your fault! Are you distracted by all those pretty girls in swimsuits?"
"Stop, stop, stop. I was wrong, I was wrong."
Though her blows weren't strong, Tsuna noticed the eyes of the people around them, intentionally or unintentionally, on the two of them. Afraid of embarrassing Shouko, he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Shouko, look around here. There are only a bunch of little kids with barely grown hair. The only one you can see is the lifeguard.
But he's a man!"
Shouko glared at him before forgiving him.
It was true. Since this was a shallow area, hardly anyone came here, save for the parents of the children.
She didn't believe her charm could be inferior to those parents or the little girls in the pool.
"Continue?"
"Yeah."
Tsuna didn't dare to be distracted anymore, and Shouko's breath-holding time gradually reached 30 seconds. Tsuna asked her to hold her breath for 30 seconds and never added more time.
Shouko didn't stop until she had gradually gotten used to holding her breath underwater and the nervousness when she was submerged in the water had completely disappeared.
"Okay, Tsuna, the nervousness I felt when I was about to bury myself in the water has disappeared. Let's move on to the next stage."
"Hmm..." Tsuna thought for a moment: "Floating training allows you to feel the buoyancy of the water first and adapt to it. Then you will almost learn to swim."
Shouko nodded and looked at him puzzledly: "Okay, Coach Tsuna, what should I do then?" Waiting for his next instruction.
"Wait a minute."
Tsuna remembered something important and borrowed a pair of goggles for Shouko from the poolside staff. He returned to his seat, letting her put them on before slowly saying,
"I'll hold you. Take a deep breath, lower your head into the water, and naturally stretch your body horizontally. I'll show you."
With that, Tsuna led Shouko to the pool's edge. He placed his hands on the edge, took a deep breath, and suddenly lowered his head into the water, gradually stretching his body horizontally.
He slowed down his demonstration, holding onto the edge for a moment before standing up. "Get it?"
"Yeah!" Shouko nodded vigorously, already eager for Tsuna to hold her, but she didn't know where.
But it didn't matter!
"By the way, when you do it, keep your abs in, your shoulders down, and avoid sticking your hips out or bending your knees," Tsuna reminded her, seeing her eagerness to try.
Shouko was eager to try: "Then, Tsuna, where are you going to hold me?"
"Is this the key point?"
Shouko nodded repeatedly at first, then quickly shook her head.
When Shouko shook her head, water droplets from the ends of her hair splashed on Tsuna's face. He took a half step back as if he had been electrocuted, and then immediately stepped forward: "I will hold your waist and will never let go."
The girl hesitated and climbed onto his forearm. The crescent-shaped red mark left by her fingertips was hotter than the water.
Just as they were about to start, Shouko stopped moving, looked up at him, and said worriedly: "If you sink..."
Tsuna replied without hesitation: "If you sink, I will be your human float."
"That feels like I'm at a disadvantage..."
"Do you want it?"
"Yes!"
(End of this chapter)
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