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DIVE!! (Light Novel) - Book 4 Chapter 11 - Take Off
Book 4 Chapter 11 - Take Off
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
On a certain day in January of 2000, in a corner of a restaurant at Narita Airport that overlooked the runway, an athlete and a coach were picking at their sukiyaki.
Although they finished their check-in procedure two hours before the flight, there was still time before they had to get to the boarding gate. It was a familiar scene of people getting their last chance of eating Japanese food as well as killing time. If there was just one element that wasn’t seen very much, it was that only one of the two men with an age difference between them was hanging their head incredibly sadly.
“So? Have you eaten? Are you full? Don’t ever forget that aftertaste, and think over it when you’re over there. Don’t forget the shirataki noodles and the meat soup that soaks into them. Don’t forget the reserved deliciousness of the tofu. There’s only steaks and popcorn over there, but you must live healthily.”
“You might say that in the Edo period, but nowadays there’s Japanese food all over the world.”
Shibuki, with an amazed look on his face, calmly admonished Ooshima, who was acting like he was on his deathbed.
“First of all, even though half a year would just seem like an instant, that’s your blessing for me?”
“No, half a year is half a year. It is definitely longer than a moment.”
“But, it’s shorter than a lifetime.”
“Well, at most, I can polish my sukiyaki making skills during that time.”
“More than that, could you please add to your repertoire of dishes?”
The two sighed at the same time and looked out the window.
Massive metal masses could be seen taking off one after the other from the runway through the window. Just like a pair of scissors cutting up a light blue cloth, they cut through the clear sky with their rigidly spread wings.
“I wonder if Tomo is above the Pacific Ocean right now.” Ooshima murmured as he followed those flights with his eyes. “Isn’t it a few hours to New Zealand? I can’t believe it became a near miss with your departure. Even though we could have met at the airport if we were just slightly earlier, how disappointing.”
“You’re so naïve.”
“Huh?”
“That woman purposely decided to prepare my passport on the same day.”
“Coach Asaki did? How come?”
“She’s that kind of person.”
Shibuki clenched his knees on his knees.
“Or rather…that bad-natured woman was doing whatever it took to stir up the mood in that place. Even though she could have just said at the beginning that the chairman promised that he’ll give the money even if I didn’t win, but just clear 600 points, she shamelessly lied about it.”
“Now now, that was probably a way to get you fired up. First of all, thanks to the bad-natured woman’s negotiations, the way to Florida has opened.”
It was Ooshima’s turn to admonish a trembling Shibuki, and then he glanced at his watch.
“It’s almost time. Come, let’s go. Go, and try out your possibilities. Since I hate the idea of parting at the departure counter, I’ll see you off here while drinking a beer.”
As he said that, Ooshima took the menu and perused it from the top meaninglessly. It was almost as though he was afraid of meeting eyes with Shibuki.
Shibuki also silently bowed to match it, and stood from his seat with one small travelling bag on his shoulder. His larger luggage was already sent by ship in advance to the homestay introduced by Mr. Ben Bradley. For the moment, even if he only had his ticket to Florida and his passport, he felt like he could fly anywhere.
“Bye.”
At the moment Shibuki quietly said that and tried to leave, Ooshima suddenly put down his menu with a flop, saying “By the way,”
“Your beautiful girlfriend didn’t come and see you off, huh.”
Shibuki stopped his feet and carelessly responded.
“She hates the very idea of parting at the airport, not to mention at the departure counter. Also, she seemed to be busy preparing to come to Tokyo.”
“Coming to Tokyo?”
“She said something about studying foot massaging in Tokyo starting from April for a year…it seems that she’s going to breathe a new wind into the community of old people in Tsugaru.”
“Foot massage? How plain.”
“The grandpas and grandmas seem to be in pain, but since she’s enthusiastic about saying that she’s finally found what she wanted to do, isn’t that okay then?”
“But, there’s swarms of bad lovers in Tokyo. Half a year without you would be very long.”
Shibuki smiled at Ooshima, who was half-jealously teasing him, and flapped the ticket gripped between his fingers.
“A swan couple stays a pair for their whole lifetime until one of them dies.”
At the same time Shibuki was looking down at the Pacific Ocean from the jumbo jet that was carrying him, Kayoko’s angry voice was ringing out as usual at the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center.
“One more time! Red’s takeoff was too late!”
“Green! Watch Red’s rotations more closely!”
“The two of you aren’t breathing in sync at all!”
“Do you guys think you can go to Sydney with this kind of incompetence!?”
When a ten-minute break finally came after the merciless training, Youichi and Camel…er rather, Red Yamada, flopped their bodies down together.
On the dimly lit poolside, two vivid points stood out. A brilliant contrast of red and green swim trunks—.
“Damn it, that woman should have just quietly gone back to America after all…”
Mustering the last of his strength to curse her, Youichi shut his eyes briefly, sinking into the valley of unconsciousness.
For three seconds, or thirty seconds, or maybe three minutes.
In that valley bottom protected by pure tranquility, at that moment, Youichi suddenly thought he saw Shibuki flying over the sky to a new world, and Tomoki treading onto another foreign country.
His father, Keisuke, should be next to Tomoki. The FINA World Cup, said to be the preliminaries to the Olympics. For Keisuke, who was unexpectedly selected as his accompanying coach, this was probably his last job in the world of winning and losing.
Those who continued to dive.
Those who quit.
Those who continued while choosing new ways to engage in it.
At the point where those paths intersected, the current him was there.
“I don’t get life at all.”
Opening his eyes with a snap, Youichi responded to Red, who was still breathing wildly beside him.
“You and I are aiming for Sydney by doing synchronized diving. It seems that even the JASF staff didn’t know that old man Maebara had ambitions for synchro diving. Well, it certainly not a bad view of things, or maybe I should say that old geezer really is cunning, that he really does have a medal fetish.”
When he looked towards him as he was saying that, Red was grimly staring in the direction of the day after tomorrow.
“What is it?”
“No, this way isn’t good enough, it doesn’t suit me at all.”
“Synchro diving?”
“Uh huh. Synchro diving’s a sport that prizes synchronicity first and foremost. In other words, the harmony of the two people is the deciding factor for victory or defeat. As far as that’s concerned, doesn’t that mean red and green swimming trunks aren’t good enough at all?”
“Hey, wait. Aren’t you the one who decided to try red and green? You said that it would be ‘Christmas-cool’.”
“But anyways, as a representative of Japan, I want to cherish and emphasize Japanese tastes. You know, like the soul of wabi sabi, (1) the beauties of nature, and the Japanese spirit… Well, here’s an idea, what do you think of the two-tone of pink and green, like sakuramochi?” (2)
“…You just want to go back to being Pinky, don’t you.”
Youichi lifted his upper body up while pressing his hand to his forehead.
At that moment, Kayoko’s intensely angry voice flew from the opposite shore of the poolside once again.
“You two, even though I said ten minutes you’ve been dawdling there forever. If you have no motivation, then just quit synchro diving and stick yourselves to the poolside for the rest of your lives. Forever, till you have grandkids!”
Good grief, Youichi and Red thought as they lifted their heavy backs up and headed for the top of the stairs once again.
Youichi thought that going to Sydney with synchro diving would be a meaningful step towards the crucial performance that would appear in the future. When he stood alone on top of the dragon four years later, his Sydney Olympic experience would surely be a great asset.
But, the fact that this guy of all people was his synchro partner…
And, the fact that that woman was the specialist coach that the JASF sent…
“No no, you didn’t do it at all! Both of your paces when climbing up the steps aren’t in sync at all. I’m laughing my head off at that synchronization, ho-ho-ho!”
With his back to Kayoko’s loud laughter, Youichi ascended the steps with Red again, and unwittingly let loose a feeble mutter from his mouth.
“Aah, I wanna go to Athens soon.”
At the same time Youichi and Red were beginning to show a splendid combination while talking about this or that, across the Southern Sea at Auckland Airport in New Zealand, a passenger plane carrying the Japanese water sports team participating in the FINA World Cup.
“Until the plane has completely stopped, please wait with your seatbelts on and without standing from your seats.”
As they listened to the announcement with a strange accent, Keisuke spoke to Tomoki, who was looking out the window curiously.
“We’ve finally arrived. How do you feel?”
“I feel really heavy and sleepy and full.”
“Well, after ten days your body should gradually acclimatize itself. How is your state of mind?”
“Mind?”
“This is your first experience with a genuine international competition. The aspects and tastes of diving differ again between the Western countries and Asia, so I hope you are not crushed by the pressure of being a Sydney representative…”
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Tomoki responded with a lively smile. “Even if you say it’s my first time, I’m with you, Coach Fujitani. And, yesterday Youichi-kun taught me a lot of things on the phone, like how to have physical contact with Western people.”
It wasn’t just Youichi-kun. In Tomoki’s knapsack the day before he departed, the new training schedule from Kayoko was hidden there. As well as letters from Reiji and Ryou, Sachiya’s flag, and for some reason a prayer charm for a good marriage match from Shibuki’s girlfriend’s grandmother. And, there was also an original support rock minidisc from Hiroya.
The plane carrying Tomoki, who was supported by all of those things and facing his first international competition, smoothly tilted its wings, and a few minutes later, it caught hold of the approaching ground with its wheels and safely touched down on the runway.
The Japanese water sports team, leaving the plane in droves, had a total of eighteen people. All of them except for Tomoki and Teramoto Kenichirou were swimmers. They were outnumbered as usual, but Tomoki, the youngest there, puffed up with pride and followed after Teramoto without shame. The knapsack he was carrying on his back was stuffed with an overflowing amount of fighting spirit, along with the many things that everyone gave to him.
It didn’t matter if the 4½ at the Olympic representative qualifying trials was just a one-time fluke. He could make it into the real thing through many years from now on. He knew very well that he was miles away from competing for medals at this World Cup as well as at Sydney in the summer. Even so, if he went after them with all his strength, even if he was defeated to exhaustion, no matter how many times he fell, he would surely become one level stronger. Four, or eight years later, he will have the power to compete with Youichi and Shibuki for the Olympic podium.
Bracingly focusing ahead, Tomoki advanced on a long and narrow pathway, and his field of vision suddenly opened, and a row of counters stretching horizontally jumped in.
Was this the problematic immigration inspection? Tomoki recalled the advice Youichi gave him last night, and let in fighting spirit into the pit of his stomach.
“Listen up, Tomo. The first thing about Western countries is that they regard physical contact between people as important. Testing this ability for contact is called immigration inspection. I know many tongue-tied people who were sent back to Japan when they failed it. You don’t want that, right, so first you have to greet the inspection officers by saying ‘sightseeing’ in a loud voice. Then, when the other person responds with something, introduce yourself simply in English. Favorite color, favorite flowers and so on. The most important point is heart. As long as you get across your disposition for contact, the other person will be satisfied. You have to be cheerful and smiling till the end.”
The immigration inspection counter was approaching moment by moment. On their side that was separated by a white line, various skin colors, various hair colors, and various eye colors were harmoniously forming a line. As Tomoki’s chest nervously beat fast, his eyes chased after Keisuke and Teramoto, who were a step ahead heading towards the counter. As expected of veterans with plenty of international experience, the two easily cleared it. Next please. An inspection officer who really did seem to be asking for skinship beckoned him, and it was finally Tomoki’s turn.
Tomoki took in a deep breath, and stepped towards the inspection officer with drooping eyes and a red face. Then, with his whole face smiling, he shouted “Sightseeing!” in a loud voice that seemed to echo throughout the entire airport.
My name is Tomoki Sakai.
I am a Japanese second-year middle school student.
My favorite color is blue.
My favorite flower is the moth orchid.
My favorite animals are dogs and dolphins and whales.
After that, after that…
“My favorite thing to do is to dive!!”
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Translation Notes
1. Wabi sabi is, according to Wikipedia, “a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.” Examples of wabisabi include zen rock gardens and bonsai trees.
2. Sakuramochi is a sweet pink-colored rice cake wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf.
