A giant cruise ship—
"Awoo awoo!!!"
"So fast!"
"This breeze feels amazing!"
Everyone was experiencing this luxury cruise ship for the first time and was incredibly excited!
Technically, they were supposed to try it yesterday… but… Amuro forgot...
As a result, after the seniors finished their explanation, the group scattered like a pack of huskies off their leashes—looking here, peeking there~
"Everyone, let's have a little meeting~"
Nanaka's gentle voice pulled the huskies away from the edge of the ship. If she hadn't spoken up, they would've turned into literal wet dogs.
The meeting itself was nothing special, mostly about local attractions and a repeat of the safety instructions.
This time, Iori and Kohei had learned their lesson and sat like good students in the front row, jotting everything down word for word!
"Well then, everyone, please get ready~"
"Got it!"
In perfect sync, over a dozen grown men stripped off their pants—unsurprisingly, they were wearing nothing underneath!
"Changing room! Go change in the changing room!"
Aina's eyes spun like spirals. For a delicate maiden like her, this kind of shock was way too intense!
Other passengers on the boat were stunned too, some even instinctively pulling out their phones to call the police.
Was… was this diving experience really legitimate?
"How are you feeling?"
Shiro looked to the four people beside him. It was their first time diving in such a proper setup, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
"No problem!"
"Make sure to take good pictures!"
"I-I'm ready!"
"No problem."
The four of them gave a thumbs-up, their bright smiles so genuine and pure!
No one knew when it began or why—but they had all fallen in love with diving.
Perhaps it was the vibrant scenery underwater, or maybe it was the people who were always by their side—
Splash~
…
"The sea turtle was that close to us!"
"And it had little turtles with it too!"
"That was amazing!"
"Whew~ It was like being in an anime."
"Why does your 'dimension' keep going down?"
Back on the boat, everyone was buzzing with excitement, sharing everything they saw underwater!
The vibrant ocean was the most beautiful love letter they had ever seen, a scenery so captivating it made them lose themselves—
Sadly, forty minutes went by too fast, and even though they had just returned to the boat, they were already looking forward to the next dive.
Shiro leaned against the railing, gazing longingly into the distance. He dreamed of diving in faraway places, of exploring deeper parts of the sea!
Poof~
Something soft collided with Shiro from behind. Without looking, he already knew who it was!
With that size, it could only be Azusa or Nanaka!
But Nanaka would never do something like this!
"Azusa, quit messing around. Why are you here?"
Shiro didn't turn around and instead took out his prized camera to snap a picture of the distant scenery.
"Wrong guess~"
That gentle voice froze his hand mid-air. Surprised, he turned around—and saw that it was Nanaka who had jumped on him?!
"N-Nanaka-nee?! What are you doing here?!"
"Disappointed?"
"Of course not! Just surprised!"
If it had been Azusa, Shiro wouldn't have been shocked at all—she's always been carefree and bold.
But Nanaka was different. In Shiro's eyes, she had always been the epitome of grace and gentleness.
Nanaka didn't answer. She just brushed her hair aside and stood beside Shiro.
"How was it?"
The sudden question startled Shiro, who had been staring at her intently. After a moment, he understood what she meant.
Once he recovered, he grinned and replied, "It was beautiful—way better than our tea plantation."
"Hehehe, Shiro really does love the ocean."
Nanaka's eyes softened. She remembered how Shiro used to hate their family's tea plantation and always talked about going to the seaside—to feel the ocean.
(Actually, to check out Japanese bikini girls~)
"Of course! I'm the Sea God, after all!"
"Right right~ our little Shiro is the Sea God~"
"You know, being able to dive here is truly amazing!"
Shiro snapped a photo of a seagull in the distance. "It's not just the diving that's enchanting. Even the time spent on the ship is full of experiences I've never had before."
…
"Like everyone talking about what they saw underwater, or eating together, or soaking up the warm sunshine!"
Shiro flopped down onto the deck, lying there completely relaxed. This kind of feeling was something he had never experienced in the past twenty years.
It felt… so wonderful!
Nanaka gave him a doting look. He had changed a lot, but somehow also hadn't changed at all.
Ten years ago—
Nanaka had also gone through a rebellious phase. Back then, she wasn't like how she was now.
She loved the sea but hated being tied down. She wanted to see other places and witness different landscapes.
That's when she met Shiro—an equally mischievous kid who also wanted to run away and explore.
Maybe it was because of their shared rebelliousness, but Nanaka acted differently around him. She tried hard to play the role of an older sister.
That's probably why, even during her rebellious phase, Shiro still saw her as the ideal traditional Yamato Nadeshiko.
After that, Nanaka traveled all over—mountains, snowy lands, big cities…
In the end, she realized that the place she loved most was still the ocean—the one that brat always shouted about wanting to visit.
She never imagined that, ten years later, fate would bring them together again.
That brat had finally made it to his long-awaited seaside, and she had finally come to understand her own heart.
Nanaka's lips curled into a smile. This ocean really did seem to hold some kind of magical power.
It brought people joy, laughter, and happiness.
She looked around— Iori and Kohei were roughhousing, Aina and Chisa were sharing photos they took underwater, Tokita and the others were planning tonight's drinking party, and Azusa had somehow snuck over and was hugging her.
"Honestly, it'd be great if things could always stay like this."
"Heehee~ You mean you want me to keep hugging you like this~ (??ω??)"
Azusa started tickling Nanaka's sides, and the two of them started play-fighting right beside Shiro.
Eventually, everyone tired out and just lay on the deck to rest, the warm sunlight bathing each of them.
Click~
Another picture was added to the album of their youth. Everyone in the photo had a truly joyful smile—it was obvious how much they were enjoying this trip.
Perhaps this moment—for them—would be something they would never forget.
The first official dive, complete!!!
Would you like me to continue with the next chapter as well.