The birthday party lasted until 7 p.m.
Everyone returned home quite late. Aside from those who had cars sent from home, the rest were driven back by a vehicle from the Sanzenin household.
As she had mentioned earlier, Sakuya Aizawa brought Kasumi Aika back to her home.
However, after getting out of the car, Sakuya didn't lead Aika into the main house. Instead, she headed toward the private swimming pool built in the annex, meant for diving practice.
When they arrived, the night was still and silent, not even a servant in sight.
Sakuya flicked on the lights, instantly illuminating the entire dark pool area.
"Miss Sakuya, what are you doing?"
Kasumi Aika still didn't understand what Sakuya was up to.
"Just watch from the side. This is my first time testing it, but since it's a gift from Ren, there shouldn't be any problem."
Standing by the pool's edge, Sakuya opened a sealed hatch.
The moment it opened, the lights inside the pool activated, and the surrounding monitors switched to underwater camera feeds.
At the same time, the pool's surveillance system also came online.
Looking down from the edge, it appeared you could see the bottom easily—it didn't even seem that deep.
But Sakuya knew the truth. The pool was 15 meters deep.
This was far deeper than standard snorkeling depths.
Normally, proper diving training in such a pool would require a professional coach to ensure safety. One mistake here could be fatal.
However, Sakuya didn't seem the least bit concerned about that.
"Aika, get me a towel and just observe from the side."
"Don't be overly surprised. And don't call for help. After you see my test, your questions will be answered. Then I'll explain everything."
Although Aika didn't understand, she still nodded slightly.
Wearing a kimono, she first retrieved a large bath towel to wrap herself in, then sat in the pool's rest area.
Sakuya glanced back at Aika, then tossed aside her shoes. Without even taking off her blue dress, she took a diving posture and plunged into the water like a dolphin.
The sight stunned Aika so much that she stood up in shock.
Just as she was about to rush forward in a panic, the monitors near the pool showed Sakuya's underwater condition.
Even in a dress, Sakuya moved swiftly in the water, accelerating with just subtle body movements.
The dress, which should have been a hindrance, didn't affect her at all.
This… is this Sakuya's hidden ability?
Aika glanced toward one of the surveillance cameras.
Anyway, her uncle should be arriving soon.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her nerves and continued watching Sakuya on the screen.
At that moment, Sakuya was filled with an overwhelming sense of excitement.
Ah, I can feel it. My entire body feels like it's breathing. I don't need to open my mouth or use lungs or gills to breathe. I can breathe naturally.
And my movements underwater are totally unrestricted.
However, there's a time limit.
She looked at her watch. A section of the dial had turned red, and the minute hand was ticking—clearly indicating a countdown.
Thirteen minutes. That's the duration I can breathe and move freely underwater. After that, the ability will deactivate.
That's more than enough.
She dove quickly, covering the full 15-meter depth. It took her less than 10 seconds to reach the bottom.
Fifteen meters wasn't enough to cause crushing pressure, but the water pressure was still palpable. She could dive deeper, but this was probably the safe limit.
As she continued to swim through the deep end, she suddenly heard a noise from above.
Even through the water, Sakuya could hear it clearly.
"Sakuya! Why did she jump?! Hurry! Rescue her! Hurry up!"
Looking up, Sakuya saw her usually unkempt father flailing at the edge of the pool, shouting in a panic.
Sakuya checked her watch. She still had eight minutes left. She had only been underwater for five.
Dad, you really rushed over quickly.
Sakuya sighed and shot upward like a dolphin.
The distance back to the surface was 15 meters. But before any rescue operation was ready, Sakuya had already broken the surface.
"Dad, your daughter isn't dead."
She rested her arms on the edge of the pool, looking at her father, who was frozen in place, his face blank with shock.
"S-Sakuya… you… you almost gave me a heart attack!"
Seeing his daughter alive and speaking, her father stammered, overwhelmed by relief and fear.
"Haah… and I was right in the middle of a good test."
Sakuya knew it was impossible to continue testing now.
Still, she had already confirmed the results. The underwater breathing function and movement efficiency were excellent. The equipment Ren made far exceeded her expectations.
She pulled herself up the ladder at the edge of the pool.
Her soaked dress clung to her uncomfortably, making her want to change immediately.
But aside from changing clothes, she also needed to calm down her father, whose heart had clearly taken a hit.
"Alright, alright, Dad. I'm fine, aren't I?"
"You're fine, but my heart isn't!"
Her father rolled his eyes in frustration. Heaven knew his heart nearly stopped when he found out Sakuya had jumped into the diving pool.
He had already lost his wife. The thought of losing his daughter too was unbearable.
Luckily, she was unharmed. Otherwise, how would he face her mother in the afterlife?
Though he didn't understand how it was possible, her father's heart finally began to settle.
"…Now explain everything to me. Clearly!"
I just finished a fic I was working on and I'm thinking of starting another soon, so if you have any recs, drop them. Also, it's a new week, don't forget to drop more stones for bonuses xD
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