Mizuto Irido
After checking in to our lodgings in Nago for the second day of our trip, each group headed to their respective courses. Two groups in our class had chosen the snorkeling and banana boat course—mine and Yoshino’s—for a total of twelve people. As such, we all moved to the beach on the resort’s grounds, changed into our swimsuits, and then put wet suits on top.
We sat, lined up on the beach as the instructor explained what we needed to be cautious of. Then, we practiced breathing with a snorkel and learned the hand signs we’d use underwater. Finally, after all of that, each group got onto their respective boat and headed out to sea.
The sky was perfectly blue with no clouds in sight. The surface of the sea reflected the rays of the sun off of it, making it sparkle. Yume and Kawanami simply gazed at it, while Minami-san was freaking out like a kid. Meanwhile, Isana was by herself in the corner of the boat, her face taut from nerves.
“I pray we arrive safely back to shore...”
“Don’t be such a drama queen,” I said, sitting next to my best friend and lightly patting her tense back. “We’re not going anywhere too deep. And I know you’re not thalassophobic.”
If she were actually scared, I wouldn’t tease her, of course. All I knew was that she wasn’t very athletic, nor was she good at swimming. The reason I’d decided on this course was ultimately because I felt this would be the most enjoyable activity for her since it wasn’t competitive.
Ninety percent of the time, people who ended up hating physical activities did so because they involved competing against others—which I related to. Getting immediately eliminated in dodgeball, being deadweight on the soccer field, or getting lapped during a marathon race were all the kinds of experiences that turned people off. But with snorkeling, all you had to do was listen to the instructor and float in the water. Well, to be fair, this is what I assumed, since I’d never gone snorkeling before either.
“Just have fun out there—it’ll be kinda like going to the aquarium,” I said.
“There’s no fear of drowning at the aquarium, though! Or, well...so long as the tanks remain intact...”
“We’re actually going to one tomorrow, so don’t jinx it. But seriously, don’t worry. You have a life jacket. You couldn’t drown even if you wanted to.”
“Precisely!” the female instructor said, leaning over, a bright smile on her face. “We’ve taken the proper safety precautions, so you can enjoy the sea without having to worry about a thing! If there’s anything you’re really concerned about, I’ll help as much as I can!”
“O-Okay...”
Well, I’m sure Isana’ll be all right. She’s not paralyzed with fear enough to suddenly start talking to new people.
The boat reached its destination, and it was finally time for us to disembark and begin peering into the world beneath the waves.
To be honest, I was a little nervous myself. After all, this was my first time going in the ocean. We didn’t have swimming classes at Rakuro, and it had been quite a while since I last swam. Maybe even since I learned how.
Seeing how the twinkle of the sunrays made the coral reef sparkle soothed my nerves. I wasn’t the type that was easily moved, but looking into the sea made me realize that it was almost like looking at a different world entirely.
We followed our instructor’s directions and swam around the boat while experiencing the world beneath the waves. Yume was standing with Minami-san and Asuhain, playing with the colorful fish that lived in the coral.
Ever since Yume had brought Asuhain back from Mihama American Village earlier today, the two girls seemed to have gotten closer. Asuhain was still a little hesitant, but Yume made up for that in spades by how aggressively she was trying to interact with her.
I couldn’t help but feel proud of how much Yume had grown. Though she’d had her high school glow up, her base personality hadn’t changed at all, in my eyes. Most likely, effort alone wasn’t enough to change the personality one was born with.
Anyway, regarding Asuhain—Yume was treating her the same way Minami-san had treated Yume when they’d first become friends. Yume was pulling Asuhain along, trying to deepen their friendship. I couldn’t help but remember a certain girl from middle school, not one friend to her name, who was even more socially awkward than I, and how I’d tried to involve myself with her despite it not being something I’d typically do. Then again, both Minami-san and I’d had ulterior motives when we first tried to get close to Yume.
Meanwhile, I was doing my best to make Isana comfortable while Kawanami, who was aggressively diving in the ocean, led us around. I glanced at Isana, but judging by how wide her eyes were as she enthusiastically gazed at the ocean, it seemed I had nothing to worry about.
By the time I was finally getting used to swimming in the ocean, Yume beckoned for me to come over. I covertly left Isana and Kawanami, and swam to her. I saw what was probably a school of at least ten striped tropical fish that looked like they could fit in our palms.
Yume slowly reached out to them, and a good number of them began pecking at her hand. I imitated her, and the fish began doing the same to me. It really made me realize that they were living beings. It was obvious, but it was something that you couldn’t feel through a monitor or the glass of a tank.
Yume and I looked at each other and smiled with our eyes. Well, what do you know? I’m having a good time on the school trip after all. I couldn’t help but think that my middle school self would be pretty disappointed that I was enjoying a school trip like this.