Chapter 40: Would you consider becoming my daughter-in-law?

Today was the day to practice swimming at the high-end fitness club.

Although the Toraiwa Style occasionally held underwater training sessions, that kind of training was a completely different matter from the formal swimming lessons here.

Moreover, the number of underwater training sessions in the Toraiwa Style was limited; of course, if she spent all the time she came here practicing martial arts instead, Sensei would certainly be happy to increase the training volume… but she didn’t want that kind of “special treatment” at all.

As June approached, the weather grew warmer, and getting into the water was no longer a form of torture.

Normally, however, the temperature of an outdoor pool would still be quite low this season, and jumping in might even lead to heart failure from the cold.

Even so, the underwater training methods of the Toraiwa Style were simply too absurd: treading water for hours while holding heavy objects, swimming while covered in weights, or even practicing shooting, throwing, and archery underwater… just what kind of training was that?

Among all her classes, the swimming lessons at the fitness center could be called an oasis for the soul.

Although the outline of Coach Toyama’s tight swimwear was a bit embarrassing… she definitely didn’t mean that she disliked him; it was purely because she really didn’t want to stare at that part of a man.

Come to think of it, she seemed to have only ever seen Coach Toyama in charge of the swimming lessons.

Although there were other coaches in the fitness area… was it a coincidence?

But it didn’t matter; it had nothing to do with her anyway.

Those high-society ladies who came frequently also seemed to be instructed by Coach Toyama.

She had originally thought it was because he was popular, but thinking about it now, perhaps there were simply no other coaches to choose from.

Of course, it was also possible that he was so popular he squeezed out everyone else’s opportunities…

Passing through the front desk, Yuka walked into the women’s locker room.

As expected, it was still crowded with those plump “Water Bucket Ladies.”

Mmm… she was familiar with these faces; they were all regulars who had joined earlier than she had.

Logically, they should have been practicing even harder than she was, so why was there no change in their figures at all?

Were they actually exercising seriously?

“Oh, it’s Yuka-chan!”

“Good afternoon.”

Despite their gaudy attire, these matrons were genuine high-society ladies, with families or husbands of great wealth and influence; they were not to be neglected.

A high-end club like this was a social arena for the upper class; the consequences would be dire if one were to show a dismissive attitude toward those encountered here.

“Yuka-chan is so cute today too~ would you like a candy?”

“Thank you, but I’m about to go swimming…”

The way she offered the candy was exactly like an auntie on the street coaxing a child!

And she was about to get into the water…

“Oh my~ you’ll need to replenish your sugar after swimming, right?”

“Ah… that’s true. Then I’ll accept it for now and eat it after I finish.”

Since she had put it that way, it would be rude not to take it.

Come to think of it, during kindergarten and the early grades, teachers really did hand out candy after swimming.

Whether it was to replenish energy or simply out of custom… practices probably differed across generations.

The important thing was that since the other party had spoken a second time, she could no longer decline.

Although etiquette varied from place to place—some requiring two refusals before acceptance, others not allowing even one—this place wasn’t that strict.

Still, since she was being offered it warmly a second time, stubbornly refusing would only damage the good impression.

“Yuka-chan is truly well-behaved and cute~”

“Exactly, she’s much better than the little rascal in my house.”

“Would you consider becoming a daughter-in-law for my family?”

“Haha… I am honored by your kindness. Coach Toyama is waiting for me, so please excuse me.”

Yuka maintained a proper smile, extricating herself in a way that was neither rude nor excessive.

Although these ladies spoke like ordinary aunties, they were high-society after all, so she had to handle them carefully.

“Yuka-chan, we’ve heard those rumors too.”

“We are all on your side.”

“We know very well that you aren’t that kind of bad child from the rumors.”

“Right?”

Just as she was about to leave the locker room, the ladies suddenly spoke these words.

Yuka stopped, turned around, and bowed solemnly:

“Thank you very much!”

She maintained the bow for a moment before straightening up to meet the gaze of each lady, conveying her gratitude through her eyes before finally departing.

As expected, if one wanted to be understood, they had to take the initiative to socialize.

People who had no dealings with her would easily believe the rumors, but those who interacted with her frequently understood her character.

In the past, she had always avoided social interaction, but now she understood: even if she did nothing, malice would still find its way to her.

If you wanted someone to be willing to believe in you at such moments, the network of relationships accumulated in daily life was crucial.

Although she had understood this truth for a long time, she felt it even more deeply at this moment, and she couldn’t help but cheer herself on in her heart as she walked toward Coach Toyama.

“Puu-ha!”

Yuka surfaced at the end of the 25-meter pool, gasping for breath.

“Yuka-chan is impressive! You can already swim 100 meters…”

“Thank you, Coach. But my speed is still too slow…”

Coach Toyama was a fitness trainer rather than a professional swimming coach after all, so he was never stingy with praise.

If he were a competitive coach, he would certainly be strictly demanding about performance.

But the purpose of a gym was different: no scolding, no forcing, just appropriate encouragement to keep the students motivated to persist.

Of course, there were extremely strict fitness centers, but this was a high-end club exclusive to noblewomen, so the style was naturally different.

Although the underwater training of the Toraiwa Style and her recent exercise had increased her stamina, her swimming speed remained stagnant.

It was a child’s body after all; small in size and lacking strength, it was simply unavoidable.

“With your talent, Yuka-chan, you should go to a professional swimming class and aim for higher goals.”

“Thank you, Coach, but I think here is just fine.”

Although the coach’s praise made her happy, it was likely mostly polite talk.

At her speed, it was impossible to achieve anything in swimming—the people walking nearby moved faster than she swam.

Although the training here and with the Toraiwa Style had improved her endurance, her crucial speed never increased; she could forget about being an athlete.

Ultimately, she was the young lady of the Ishikawa family, so it was impossible for her to pursue a career as a professional athlete.

Furthermore, coming to “Grande” on the way home from school was very convenient; she didn’t know if there were better swimming classes, but the location here was certainly ideal.

She had been skeptical when her brother first recommended this high-end fitness club, but now she had to admire his foresight.

As for changing training locations… perhaps it really was possible now?

In the past, her mother would have certainly stepped in to intervene.

Without her mother’s consent, she didn’t even have the freedom to choose her classes.

But what about now? Her mother ignored her completely.

Did this mean she could now independently change her prep schools, fitness classes, or even her martial arts style?

However, she had already made up her mind: a convenient prep school like the Chika Association was rare to find, the fitness center’s location was irreplaceable, and as for the Toraiwa Style… she would never give it up.

Although it seemed inconvenient to publicly promote this style… she truly enjoyed the time spent training with Toraiwa-sensei.

Once she had mastered it one day, she would certainly announce to everyone with pride that she was a successor of the Toraiwa Style.

She absolutely could not give up at this halfway stage; she had to master the Toraiwa Style to its very limit!

“Let’s finish up with two more laps today.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Alright.”

In the past, she was always reminded not to swim too much, but now the coach increasingly respected her judgment.

Of course, safety was still guaranteed, and she would be stopped if she overexerted herself, but her opinion was indeed given more weight—a world of difference compared to when he insisted she use a kickboard.

After completing two more 100-meter sets, today’s swimming lesson officially ended.

After swimming, Yuka sucked on the candy given by the lady, feeling the sweetness dissolve on the tip of her tongue.

“Mmm, so sweet.”

It felt as if energy was being infused into her tired body.

Although she knew it was impossible for sugar to take effect so quickly, tasting something sweet when exhausted was truly healing.

Furthermore, this seemingly ordinary candy was actually quite high-end; although she didn’t know the specific brand or price, it was definitely not a cheap item from a supermarket or convenience store.

“Are you leaving already, Yuka-chan?”

“Yes, I’ll take my leave for today.”

“Would you like to meet my son next time?”

“Uh… I’ll think about it…”

This casual attitude of arranging blind dates was truly terrifying.

To her, it was only the first grade of elementary school, but in this circle, it was already late to not have one or two engagement partners at this age.

Usually, even if nothing was formally settled, families were already secretly scouting for suitable candidates, taking the interests of their family businesses into consideration as well.

She herself had no such arrangements at all… Come to think of it, even within the Ishikawa family, her brother Yota was already a sixth-grader and the heir, so it wouldn’t be strange if he had a fiancée, right?

What about Shoko? And Marina? Even Nogami Hiroki and Kurohara Masahira didn’t have engagements… Why did it feel like the people around her were particularly unusual?

Of course, these classmates were all characters from Love 100%, so the setting was understandable; if there were “sweet childhood fiancés” right at the start of the game, how would the plot even unfold?

However… a setting like “a fiancée on the surface who actually doesn’t want to marry but has to manage it due to her family status” was certainly possible…

Nogami Hiroki and the Lady Yuka from the game were in this situation, with the former even using the latter as a shield.

But what about Kurohara Masahira? He was the son of the top-tier Kurohara family; it would actually be strange if he didn’t have an engagement partner.

And Shoko and Marina? In the game setting, almost everyone had confirmed marriage partners by the high school stage.

But neither of them had an engagement now.

It wasn’t just them; even though the world-view was like this, characters with clear engagements were actually in the minority.

There were many reasons in the game: for instance, it might be in the setting but not reflected in the plot, or major characters might not be given fixed partners for the sake of the dating sim’s playability.

But what if this was the real world?

In the game, for the sake of the plot, neither Shoko nor Marina had lovers or engagement partners.

But in this real world, when they grow a bit older, would their families forcibly arrange them?

Right now, the Matsuyama family was single-mindedly intent on having Shoko marry Nogami Hiroki, and the Anmiya family likely had the same plan.

That was why Shoko and Marina hadn’t been forcibly assigned other engagements for the time being.

But what if they weren’t able to marry Nogami Hiroki or Kurohara Masahira in the future?

Yuka suddenly felt a pang in her heart… a certain unease surged in her chest.

If one day Shoko and Marina were to be taken away by some inexplicable person… what would she do? And what would they do themselves?

Perhaps such a marriage would be better for them.

Ultimately, as an outsider, she had no standing to oppose or support it… but… what was this feeling… she really… didn’t want them to be taken away…

What if they missed out on happiness because of her interference? Was that something she should stop?

Although her reason thought so… just imagining that scene made her heart ache in waves.