I'll Take You To The Endless Blue

After setting up our main base on Kanata Beach for the day, there was a brief window of everyone doing their own thing separately. Emi, who was already in her black bikini, was still reading her magazine with her sunglasses on, under the shade of the parasol, Chinatsu, in her one piece swimsuit, was drawing something in a children’s sketchbook, while Daichi was off to the side playing some volleyball with a bunch of tourists. Hana, the most energetic of the bunch, was the first to go off on her own, splashing some water on herself at the shoreline. While I, had already taken off my top and was just standing around doing nothing in particular.

“I’m going in, who wants to come with?!” Hana turned back to us, with her now-wet skin glistening under the sun’s rays.

Emi momentarily raised her gaze from her magazine, before retreating back, without saying a word. Chinatsu did the exact same, turning back to her sketchbook seconds later.

Okay, play it cool, Yukio…

I think to myself, as I put on my sunglasses, and begin operation “ignore Hana”

Let’s just hope she forgets about my swimming classes for now…

“Phoo, phoo, phoo…” I begin to whistle merrily, sitting back down at a beach chair and turning to Daichi’s direction. He’s jumping up and down energetically slamming spikes over the net and straight into the opponent’s half.

He’s really going hard, huh?

As I momentarily forget my mission, and suddenly feeling the sun’s heat on my face subside considerably, I turn to look at what’s causing this sudden supply of shade. Then, I lock eyes with Hana, who’s got a devilish grin on her face.

Shit, abort mission, abort mission!

“You already know what time it is right, Yukio?” The girl towering over me voices happily.

“Uhm, its 2 pm?” I can’t help but betray my desperation with my voice.

“It’s time for YOU to SWIM!” And with that determined tone of hers, she pulls at my arm, and before I even know it, I’m on my feet.

What’s with her sudden gorilla strength?! She almost dislocated my shoulder!

“Emi, help!” I turn to the only reasonable person around, trying to escape my impending doom. Once again she raises her gaze from her reading. This time, she even flashes a grin, but soon retreats her gaze back.

Damn you! Is that fashion magazine even THAT interesting?!

Having no choice but to obey the devil, known as Izumi Hana, I take off my sunglasses and move to the shoreline with her.

“Hello! I’ll be your instructor today, the one and only, Izumi Hana!” She takes a deep bow, like she’s introducing herself to the audience.

“Wow…” I clap sarcastically.

“The first thing for beginners in swimming to do, is… Yes, Yukio-kun!” She points at me energetically.

I didn’t even raise my hand, you know…

“…Avoid the water.” And I take this chance to speak my mind.

“Bzzt, bzzt, wrong! The first thing we do here, at Izumi swimming school, is stretching and warming up!”

With that, Hana starts doing all sorts of different exercises to get warmed up, and I follow her every movement, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Thank god the beach isn’t packed.

If it had been, well, let’s just say my embarrassment levels would be over 9000 right about now.

“Okay, so now we’re warmed up, kids, let’s move towards the water!” The impromptu instructor announces merrily.

“What?! Nuh-uh! No way!” I form an X with my arms and back away.

Seriously, it’s too early for that!

“Oh come on, it’s really shallow around here, you can’t drown when the water is barely reaching your knees, right?” Hana tries to encourage me as she beckons me closer.

Okay, the water seems to be somewhat shallow over there…

I think as I look at her submerged legs. Plus, I’m taller than her so I should be above her in terms of submersion.

I shake my head in exasperation as I step into the water. I scrunch my eyes waiting to be assaulted by a cold sensation, but to my surprise…

It’s pleasantly cool…

The water is just the right temperature to enjoy a soak during this scorching heat, without feeling discomfort.

Soon, I make my way and stand next to Hana in the water.

“What now, instructor?” I ask sarcastically.

“Heh, are you more eager or is that my imagination?” She smirks at my supposed enthusiasm.

“Just your imagination.”

“Okay, now we’re gonna practice the most basic stroke you use to stay afloat! Move your arms, like this!” She takes a few steps away from me and starts moving her arms around in circular motions.

She looks like a helicopter…

“Yeah, no. I’m not doing that.” I say in a flat tone. There may not be many people around but that’s hella embarrassing!

“Oh, come on! Do you wanna sink to the bottom?!” Hana protests stomping her way towards me. Or she tries to at least, since the water provides significant resistant to her movements.

“Come on! Here!” She grabs my arm and starts moving it around in the same way as hers.

Okay, this is even more ridiculous…

“Okay, okay…” I lay my stubbornness to rest and start doing what she did before. I can already feel the heat rising to my face.

Soon, Hana smiles in her usual manner, and starts moving her arms around as well.

After 10 minutes, and some more stroke variations consisting of the most basic stuff, Hana perks up.

“My studento! It’s time to go deeper!” She announces with determination.

“No, thanks.”

What? I just moved my arms around a little and now she thinks I won’t sink like a rock? Pfft, I’m not falling for that.

“Relaaax! You’re gonna be fine! Have some faith in me! I’m not a diving instructor just for show!”

“You’re a what now?” I give her a funny look.

“It’s true. I got my official license in spring! I even got a lifeguard license, last year! So you don’t have to worry about a thing!” She gives me a thumbs up and beckons me towards the deeper part of the water.

“Let me think about it…” Trying to delay my potential death, I tap my chin in thought.

“Ey!” Just as I’m pretending to contemplate, a yelp, followed by a wave hits me square in the face, and suddenly, my face and hair are soaked.

“What the hell…?” I glare at Hana who smiles mischievously.

“Eyyy!” She hurls yet another splash of water my way.

“Okay, now you’ve done it!” I go into the attack myself and use both hands to send a massive wave at my assailant.

“Haha, you little! Take this!” She fires off a weaker wave and starts running around.

“Come back here!” I chase after her without thinking and before I know it, I’m fully submerged from my chest down.

Damn it, I was dancing in the palm of her hand this whole time!

“See? It’s not that scary, right?” She grins at my furious glare. “…Now start moving your arms and legs like I showed you.”

Well, I don’t have a choice, do I?

Having mentally admitted defeat, I do as I’m instructed.

At first I start moving my arms like before, and then it hits me. What about my legs? She told me how to move them, but right now, I’m using them to stand.

“Uhm…” I look at Hana in confusion.

Having realized what I’m so confused about, she starts to explain. “Lean back a little and lift your feet off the ground. Then start moving both your arms and legs to keep yourself afloat.

“Lift my feet? Oh, I’m definitely sinking…” I look down. The water is clear enough to see the shape and color of my feet, which are still rooted deep into the sand.

“You can always touch the ground if you feel like you’re sinking, dummy!”

She has a point…

Mentally preparing myself, I inhale and exhale deeply.

“Here goes…” I lean back just a tiny bit and lift my feet off the ground. I start moving both arms and legs like my life depends on it, scrunch my eyes shut and hold my breath. When nothing happens, I open my eyes again, and see Hana looking at me with a smirk.

“I’m not… sinking?” I question reality, as my body floats in the water without any kind of support.

“See? You’re a natural!” My teacher beams at me, and I can’t help but smile myself.

Me? A natural at swimming? There’s no way… right?

“Okay let’s up our game now!” Hana voices before grabbing my arm in the water and dragging me towards her.

I use my feet to keep myself from sinking and follow behind her, hesitantly.

“Uhm, Mrs. Instructor, are you sure this a good idea?” I say while getting dragged towards the deeper end. When I don’t get a reply, I start feeling anxious. “…Izumi Hana-san? Hello?”

“Here.” She says as we reach a stopping point.

“Here?” I ask, looking down at my feet. The water is barely below half of my neck, but I can still make out the outline of my feet if I look down. But this time, just a step in front of me, lies a steep cliff. The seabed spreads out before me, in what looks like 4 or 5 meters of depth.

Before I even realize it, I’ve lost sight of Hana, and I’m now standing alone, before the threshold of safety.

“Ey!” As soon as I notice the girl standing behind me, I hear a familiar little yelp, and feel a force pushing my back. Not a second later, I’m sent over the threshold.

What the hell Hana?! You trynna kill me?!

“Take the leap!” She voices energetically as I start kicking my legs and arms in order to stay afloat. I’m dying! I’m drowning! I’m sinking!

My survival instincts kick in and I turn my back at the ocean spreading before me, like it was a natural movement I had already learned. Steadily I feel my body rise higher in the water and my legs and arms start synchronizing.

“I’m doing it! Hana, I’m doing it!” Like an excited little kid, I fail to contain my excitement and cry out to her.

“I knew you could do it!” She swims next to me, floating effortlessly on the water as she giggles. She really has a talent for this! And she’s not half bad at teaching either, it doesn’t matter that she… wait.

Suddenly, realization hits me like a train.

“Hey! You idiot, why did you push me?!” I snap at her while still flailing my arms and legs about.

This seems oddly familiar for some reason..

“NOW you notice?” She smirks as she replies.

That little…

“Never mind that, I need to show you something…” She voices after shaking her head, while some little droplets of water find their way to my face. Okay, that had to be on purpose, right?

“Hold your breath and look down.” She instructed me before submerging her head.

Wait, she wants me to voluntarily stick my head in the water? What’s the point of that…?

I want to see.

That thought finds its way to the front of my mind. But… why? The ocean is dark, and dangerous…

I want to see for myself.

Soon, an odd sensation rises within me. Impatience. Anticipation. Yearning. Doing this, right now, just feels… right.

Without a second thought, I hold in a deep breath and lower my head in the water.

When I can feel my whole face underwater, I slowly open my eyes.

What lies before me, is a sight so magnificent and grand, I even forget to breathe. Thankfully, I don’t have to.

The depths of the ocean spread out before me, illuminated by the rays filtering through the water. I can clearly see everything. Schools of fish swimming below us, small coral reefs spread out around the sea floor, and the mesmerizing color of blue painting everything in my vision. At the far end of my view, my vision seems to darken, but it is in no way as dark as I pictured it to be.

I suddenly, but naturally, come to a realization. The sea isn’t dark, nor scary. It’s vibrant, peaceful. Alive. All those thoughts I used to have about the sea, suddenly felt so silly, I almost laugh. I realize I have been fearing the ocean, and depriving myself of this view, without even taking the time to see it for myself.

When I was thrown involuntarily into the ocean on my first day here, I refused to open my eyes and resigned myself to my fate. I gave up, without even trying. But, had I seen this view, I doubt I would have let myself sink. Because, this view… awakened something deep within me.

And as I gazed into this never-ending blue canvas, small pieces, moments, memories, came flooding in. Memories of Hana and I swimming together in the ocean, spending countless hours just playing around these azure water. Memories of my mum and dad, happily enjoying themselves in the shoreline, looking over at us with a smile.

Then, I finally realized. There was a piece of myself, locked away in a hidden part of my mind, and this view served as the key to unlock it. That hidden part reminded me, that I didn’t just learn how to swim. I knew all along. I just needed to remember how.

Why and HOW exactly did I forget how to swim? Is that even possible?

As my thoughts run on a highway at full-speed, I suddenly realize I’m out of air, and scramble to the surface.

“Pwaah… haah!” I inhale deeply, filling my lungs with much needed oxygen.

“Hey, you okay?” Hana asks, her brows furrowed with worry.

“Yeah… I’m good.” I say, instinctively swimming towards the shallow end so I can collect my thoughts.

“So… how was it?” The girl already swimming ahead of me, flashes her usual smile in anticipation.

The words spill out of my mouth, without me needing to process them. “It was… beautiful.” I stop for a moment.

Since the day I came back to this island, I’ve been treated to some really picturesque views. But, I’ve always restrained myself from acting excited and making heartfelt comments at the spur of the moment. A word like beautiful, was never in my dictionary up until now. In fact, I rarely ever used it. It was like I was keeping it, just to use it in this moment, just for this alluring sight.

Hana, who had noticed that I paid a compliment to the scenery for the first time, looked at me in pure surprise.

“So you liked it, huh?” She smiled to herself, casting her gaze towards the water.

This momentary silence gave way for my thoughts to resurface. And as I was lost in them, Hana proposed we take a break.

WHY did I forget how to swim? Is this even normal? I need to know…

But not only did I not have the answers to my questions, but they kept on multiplying, the more I tread deeper into them.

But for now, the most overwhelming thought of them all was…

I want to see more. I need to.

We were almost at the shoreline, while I was still lost in my own little world.

The ocean was far more mesmerizing than I could ever imagine. I couldn’t even remember how hating the sea felt now. A feeling deep within my heart, spurred me onwards. I needed to see more of what the ocean had to offer, and something deep down, told me that the answers I seek must lie somewhere around these waters.

Instinctively, I turned around, and noticed Hana was staring at me. And as if the girl, who was the sole cause of all this, could read my mind, she extended a hand to me, her silhouette outlined by the glowing sun, and with a smile more radiant than I’ve ever seen, said:

“Hey, if you liked it that much, then come with me…”

“I’ll take you to the endless blue…”