DIVE!!

Book 4 Chapter 2 - True Diamonds

Enemy.

Comrade in arms.

Or close friend?

The concrete dragon, which he couldn’t leave no matter what, even though he had repeatedly feared it, hated it, and shunned it since childhood. Tomoki waited for his turn at its feet while calming himself down. The dive order in the finals followed the preliminaries rankings in ascending order, and who would have thought that he would be the one to dive last?

First place in the preliminaries. Tomoki himself was the one most surprised by this unexpected, spectacular achievement.

It was a truth that his good performance had continued. Though he left Tokyo in perfect condition, ever since he entered Osaka his condition improved day by day. His body was light. The water was light as well. No matter what he dived, the technique ended up being perfect and interesting. Of course, the 4½ of his dreams was another story, but it seemed like a dream that this perfect condition continued into the competition—or rather, that he could even show its rise.

Nonetheless, though Tomoki was delighted, he was not in the least relaxed. The scores of the preliminaries did not influence the finals. It was visible from the start that if he lost focus even a little at the crucial moment, he’ll fall all the way to dead last in an instant. Anyways, at today’s competition, all of the contestants were veterans who had never been able to stand on the same stage thus far.

Nakayama Masahiko of JSS Takarazuka, who was second place in the preliminaries.

Asama Takashi of Waseda University, who was sixth place in the preliminaries.

What’s-his-last-name Shinji of Nippon Sport Science University, who was ninth place in the preliminaries.

Moriya Kazuteru of the Ishikawa DC, who was eleventh place in the preliminaries.

Although they were usually hidden in the shadow of Teramoto Kenichirou, who continued to be the sole winner, they were all university students with plenty of competition experience, and so they knew all about how competitions were organized and how to win. Even if they took one variation of their techniques, they were no match for Tomoki.

Of course, he couldn’t neglect the middle school and high school rivals that he recognized.

For instance, Pinky Yamada. He was said to have thoroughly trained to fix his fatal wound of his mental weakness. One could understand him with just a glance at him today that it wasn’t just a rumor. He, who had removed his frivolous self-consciousness itself from his waist, somehow appeared wearing a pair of camel-colored swimming trunks that resembled the stomach band of an old man. He had taken off the shocking pink swimming trunks that had been his trademark ever since he was little, as well as his identity.

Pinky…er, Camel Yamada was fourth in the preliminaries. Moreover, in the first round of the finals he had shown off a beautiful backwards somersault that made the best of his natural proportions, and immediately jumped to first place.

Although Tsuji Toshihiko, who had ranked second in this summer’s representative qualifying trials for the Asia Joint Training Camp, and Matsuno Kiyotaka, who had ranked third, were resigned to lower ranks in the preliminaries, it is unknown to what extent they would pursue him with their persistent performances. Forgoing those qualifying trials that many junior athletes gathered at, Ogawa Shinobu, who shined as the champion at the Inter-High where Youichi was absent from, was also very talented. And then, his greatest rivals were…

As Tomoki slowly climbed up the steps, right now, he looked up and saw Youichi just about to head out from the platform, and Shibuki waiting for his turn behind him.

Youichi and Shibuki. At the end of the day, he was here to compete against the two of them, after all.

Now, everything he had.

Everything he had acquired until now.

All for devoting everything to this entire moment on this day in his fourteen years, to take on the 4½, and to surpass that invisible box.

And of course, to win and go to Sydney—.

But… Tomoki’s eyes clouded as he looked at Youichi, who lacked his usual brilliance. Putting aside Shibuki’s third place, Youichi ending the preliminaries in fifth place was extremely strange. That Fujtitani Youichi is in a lower rank than me!

It was obvious that Youichi was different from his usual self. He, who should have never been discomposed in a competition, was in a state of disorder in this one important battle more than anything else.

What on earth happened?

Even though he was normal yesterday… Tomoki thought about Youichi from the previous day again. Although he hadn’t said a word in the morning’s practice, Youichi had always been frighteningly silent when he was concentrating. So, that was the normal Youichi. He didn’t seem to be very interested when they were sightseeing in Kobe, but Youichi wasn’t interested in anything that wasn’t related to diving. So, that was the normal Youichi. At night, when everyone visited Reiji’s and Sachiya’s room, he was unusually excited and raised his voice. That wasn’t the normal Youichi. But, everyone wasn’t acting normal at that time. Because, Coach Asaki was…

Tomoki moved his gaze towards Kayoko, who was sitting at the front of the second row of seats.

And so, after that he recalled what he had talked about with Youichi and the others.

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Asaki Kayoko was returning to America.

That sentence was too sudden, too unexpected. Was that what they called a rod from a bush, a bolt from the blue, or a dropped bombshell? (1) That was why Tomoki, Shibuki and Youichi were confused for a moment at first, like they had been attacked while asleep.

But, when they calmed down and thought about it, they realized they had overlooked it because they were too preoccupied with the qualifying trials, but from the bushes they had snuck looks at flickering and disturbing shadows over the past few days.

“Come to think of it, she’s been awfully quiet.”

The immediate shock had passed, and in a sudden reversal they turned strangely talkative.

It was Shibuki who fired the first shot.

“During practice, outside the pool it’s like she’s always thinking about something, or like there’s a gloomy atmosphere around her… She suddenly falls silent, and gets a faraway look in her eyes.”

“That’s her looking at America,” Youichi nodded with a grimace. “Today’s sightseeing in Kobe is quite strange when you think about it. Has that woman ever done anything so nice for us? Have we ever caught a glimpse of even a tenth of that concerned heart?”

“Everyone gets nice before leaving,” Reiji also went along with the mood.

“Maybe that niceness was a part of the plan from the beginning. First by bringing everyone to Kobe, then going back to Osaka and talking to the American. She’s been carrying it out slowly, without worrying about anyone watching.”

“Well, was it decided from the beginning?” Tomoki looked like an abandoned puppy. “Did Coach Asaki decide to go back to New York when the competition is over tomorrow before she came to Kobe?”

“Maybe. Is she just running away without even a word of discussion with us? That seems like something she’d do.”

“That’s awful. That’s so…selfish.”

“She said as much as she wanted to say, she did as she pleased, and then she quickly disappears. She’s the daughter of a high-class family after all.”

“Ever since Coach Asaki came to the MDC, she’s been skipping over things awfully impatiently. She never said anything like ‘there’s no time’ or ‘I have an incurable disease’ during that time, and I was feeling nervous deep down, but I wonder if she really only wants to go back to America early.”

“Well, human nature aside, as a coach she’s definitely top notch. I’m confident she can work wherever she wants.”

“But what about us?”

“That’s why I said she’s selfish.”

“As expected, you can’t trust women who wear waterproof eyeliner.”

“I wonder if they have arranged marriages in America.”

They let loose the loads on their chests all at once, and then fell silent again just as abruptly as when they started talking. They finally seemed to realize that the loads and pains in their chests weren’t going to disappear, no matter how much they let it all out.

During the night that gradually deepened, at that moment Sachiya, who had kept silent before, murmured something.

“Well then, why did Coach Asaki decide to return to America?”

Separating himself from everyone’s circle, Sachiya sprawled out by himself on the bed and continued on without waiting the other four’s response as they looked at each other blankly.

“As your supporter, no matter who wins or loses at tomorrow’s competition, it’ll definitely be painful. That’s why I’ll be happy for one of you, and feel sad and frustrated for the other three. That’ll definitely be really heavy for three people. Coach Asaki has always worked harder than I did, and that’s why she couldn’t stand being here any longer, because it’s so painful and heavy.”

The four cast their eyes down still without saying a word, their expressions indicating that they weren’t denying Sachiya’s words.

It did not mean that they were impressed with the perception of Sachiya, who cultivated his people-watching skills through observing the moms who went to the synchro swimming class.

It was understood even though it wasn’t said aloud.

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“Huh.”

“Really?”

The divers waiting for their turn were suddenly astir.

When Tomoki returned to himself with a start, Youichi had already disappeared from the platform, and right now there was only the violent splash coming up from the water that swallowed him.

Splash?

Tomoki couldn’t believe his eyes.

He hadn’t seen Youichi make a splash in years.

From behind the astonished Tomoki, Reiji, who was waiting for his third round, spoke as though he couldn’t bear it any more.

“You know, Youichi-kun just now…”

“What?”

Tomoki turned around, but Reiji looked down and said, “Never mind, I’ll tell you after.” It seemed like he remembered that it was breach of etiquette to talk to athletes who were close to their turns.

While worrying about Youichi’s unusual incident, what Reiji was going to say, and Kayoko in the stands, Tomoki’s second round was still gradually coming closer.

If I was my former self right now, I would’ve stood on the platform in that confused state, dived without putting my mind into it, wobbling all the while.

Tomoki thought as he reflected on himself up until just a few months ago.

He, who had been half-hearted on the land and in the water. He envied Youichi without making any effort, he only went along with Reiji and Ryou for appearances, but he really didn’t understand anything at all. Because he himself was unreliable, he was ambiguous towards others as well, and he ended up hurting everyone.

It’s different now. I’m different now.

Because I have the diamond eyes.

But, that’s not how the kinetic vision Coach Asaki named works.

From the day that he resolved to only do diving, Tomoki’s eyes reflected a lot of light.

From Kayoko’s no-compromise, thorough attitude. From the heroic resolution of Shibuki, who suffered from back pain, and though he returned to Tsugaru once, accepted the hard fight and stood on the platform again. From the solitary battle of Youichi, who even gave up the Olympic representation right he obtained at great pains, just so he could maintain what was most important to him. From Reiji, who surely carried complicated feelings deep down within but had consideration for his unconcerned comrades—.

Absorbing all of those shining things, now, my eyes have become true diamonds.

The strongest light that can’t be defeated by anyone.

Showing the best dive is surely how I should repay them.

Right when he steadfastly swore that in his heart, a scattered applause rose up from the conspicuously empty diving stands. Shibuki, standing on the stage after Camel Yamada, seemed to have succeeded at his forward 1½ somersaults pike without any problems.

That was followed by another big round of applause. Nakayama, second place in the preliminaries, seemed to have given a good performance as well.

Now, it’s my turn.

He breathed in heavily, stretched his spine quickly, and then moved his feet forward on the black anti-skid mat laid out on the platform.

The distance from the start point to the tip. The rhythm of his approach. The timing of his takeoff. He quickly checked the necessary items, and then finally, he threw his gaze towards the stands.

Bathed in the white light falling from the dome’s ceiling, Kayoko could be seen with her hands clasped as though in prayer. He could see Keisuke. He could see Ooshima. He could see Sachiya. And somewhat separated from that group in the seats behind them, he saw a couple cuddling affectionately together—it was Hiroya and Miu.

Tomoki nodded with an “OK,” and then broke into a run.

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Rankings as of the Second Round (Cumulative)

① Sakai Tomoki (99.0 points)

② Yamada Atsuhiko (96.75 points)

③ Asama Takashi (92.37 points)

④ Okitsu Shibuki (91.26 points)

⑤ Nakayama Masahiko (89.4 points)

⑥ Kaburagi Shinji (87.12 points)

⑦ Matsuno Kiyotaka (81.15 points)

⑧ Moriya Kazuteru (80.28 points)

⑨ Ogawa Shinobu (76.8 points)

⑩ Tsuji Toshihiko (76.2 points)

⑪ Maruyama Reiji (74.64 points)

⑫ Fujitani Youichi (71.82 points)

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Notes:

1. Tomoki uses three Japanese idioms for surprise here, so I had to translate the “rod in the bush” one literally, and find another English idiom for the third one.