Yoshiyuki wasn't quite used to staying at home all day on a Monday, after that mad rush to ace the final exams and making preparations for graduation—but he was already living like this for about five months now. This time around the weekend never ended, the hot summer break never ended, even the heat from July seemed to repeat itself and Yoshiyuki was lethargic from the overall mugginess in the house. There were even a few cicadas to be heard somewhere. In the meantime, a new generation of third-years were trooping back to their classes from lunch, and second-years, and first-years—the last of them, and only a single large class of them, as the waves of settlement from earlier years have petered out to a trickle, and that means no more kids for a good while.

"Can't they convert it to a vocational school?" Grandma had wondered aloud. Maybe even an engineering school, if Professor Albright could be persuaded to settle down here with her family. Nonetheless, a possible school closure was at least two more years away.

The open windows only made the warm air filter in, and the wall fans were just blowing around a hot wind all over the living room. Yoshiyuki was lying face-down in the sofa, knocked out, and Grandma lay back in the rattan chair with her feet in a basin of half-melted ice.

"You still alive, son?" she groaned.

Yoshiyuki only groaned louder.

"It isn't so fun lying around saving your energy now, is it?"

He groaned again in response. Certainly, the heat of itself would have sapped all of his energy by now. There really wasn't much in the way of conversation. Maybe they'll just lie like this in suspended animation until the late afternoon sends in a cooler breeze.

"Say, Yoshiyuki, I think I heard a bell outside the house. Can you take a peek?"

#6. First Job

He managed to get up groggily, but it took him about five minutes more to actually slip into his indoor slippers and stand up. He trudged to the door, changed into his outdoor sandals, and went out to the front yard.

Turns out, there was a bicycle on the road. Whoa! Yoshiyuki snapped awake as though zapped by an electric shock. Kanako's skin—er, brows—glistened with sweat in the unforgiving sun. Her motion in wiping herself possessed a certain grace, at eighteen, which emphasized a figure that didn't seem to be there just a year ago. Her rich honey mane flowed down to her full hips. "I think I'm gonna die, zura…" she moaned.

"W-Why are you even out here?" he managed to say. "Is it going to kill you faster if you just called me?'

She produced a copy of the Kyunins Gazette, already open on a page which showed an announcement. Yoshiyuki took it, and was promptly electrified even more. "They're really coming here?!"

"Uh-huh! Now we don't have to cross over to Numazu to take the exam!" For a well-regarded university in the Kansai. The test will be held at Nankaisei on the 25th, which was a weekend.

"Is Ai going to take the test?"

"Do you really have to ask? The whole gang is… I mean those of us who are left…"

He only frowned. "That would only be the three of us."

"Nuh-uh. Shuka-shan's going." Anju had moved back to Uchiura with her parents to help at the re-opened ryokan there; she might sail back here as well if she hears of this, as there weren't any examination schedules anywhere in Numazu for the moment. Rikako had returned to Tokyo for the conservatory; they had dated for about a year after they returned from Italy, until her parents called on her once again to focus on her studies. Arisa was summoned back to Uchiura for a time to oversee some family business matters, so Kanako and Ai have been in charge of the dorm since then. The only thing that held Shuka back thus far was her cruise career, but now she was bent on a degree. Everybody have moved on except them three. "I can't believe this is real, zura. I'm gonna be a full-fledged lady. Maybe I'll be exchanged for America!"

Well. You are a lady already, I must say, he mused over her matured dimensions. "I'll tell Granny," he said ambling back into the house with the paper.

The examination day was re-scheduled to earlier, on a weekday, prompting the school to suspend classes just to accommodate their alumni aspiring to the bigger world. The calendar went back for a full year for that day as graduates once again excitedly filled the classrooms and hallways, jostling at the cafeteria, hustling to ace yet another test.

Kanako, Ai, and Yoshiyuki lunched at the courtyard as they were wont to do back in senior year, but Shuka was rather elusive and hard to talk to, wanting to focus exclusively on the exams.

"I think everything went really weird when An-chan-senpai's class graduated," observed Ai. "It's not like we can handle the club all ourselves." They did try to recruit underclassmen, but just when they were the only club members left, and by then not only was Aquasports truncated in membership and activities with the departure of the third-years, it also lost much of the glamor that attracted fans in the first place. They were reduced to a monthly schedule for the rest of the year.

"Where do you plan to go, Yoshiyuki?" asked Kanako.

He was a bit tongue-tied there. He wasn't quite prepared to say, "back to Tokyo." He settled for a jest. "Say, why don't I just follow you around for a bit? I'll work where you work."

"Hmmmm?" she said inching her face menacingly towards him. "You're gonna stalking me, zura."

"I will join Onee-chan at university," beamed Ai. "I'll cheer her in the classroom everyday."

At the end of the day, Yoshiyuki walked the girls to the bus stop just as in old times. Making his way alone on the coast road back to Grandma's, he gazed at the evening sky, musing. He had barely thought about life after school. A half-witted "stalking" plan was all he could come up with. For three whole years at Nanakaisei he was all Aquasports. Even that last year when the club was winding down, he was thinking of club instead of the future.

It was the release of the test results that ended up occurring on the 25th. The weekend morning saw Yoshiyuki get up early and dress up like it was just another Monday half a year ago. He looked himself over in the bathroom one last time and made a small face at his hair; it ended up rather cheesy with all that extra (pomade), too straight and combed-up like he was a sixth-grader dolled up for a declamation or something, but whatever. He never had a big day like this in ages. And why shouldn't he? He was a young man now. His chest hair was all over the place like an untended lawn. Even he was intimidated by his (biceps); he could probably strangle a goat if he was mad enough. His belly seem to have halved.

As he marched forth across the living room to the door, Grandma eyed him approvingly. There goes the newest member of society, ready to take on the world. "Your folks should see you now," she remarked. "I don't think you have ever looked so tall until now, honestly." She chuckled. "If you put on a suit, I think I'd be persuaded to hire you in my little office right now, if only Granny made enough to give you a living wage."

He halted for a moment. Mentioning his parents made an otherwise glowing assessment feel awkward. Does she really know enough to confidently predict how they might feel? But like any good adult man he silently pushed the door open and went outside without so much as a soft "I'll be back."

The day wore on in the little office as grandma made a number of calls to clients from Yokohama and Numazu, as well as making herself some lasagna to get herself through the morning. By lunch she had mostly finished, and was left with checking some files while a reality fishing show prattled on the screen. It was that she heard the door chimes—Yoshiyuki just came in through the kitchen door. She covered the rest of the lasagna for him and expected him to come into the office any moment now. He never did. Yoshiyuki had locked himself up in his room for the rest of the afternoon and it wasn't until dinner that Grandma would fetch him.

He did not make the cut.

At the dinner table, grandma looked on worriedly, her heart rent asunder by the shadow over her grandson's face. He ate in small bits, and there were long pauses where he just stared into nothing. There was little she could do. By the time she had cleared the table he was still sitting there, as though severely injured and could not stand up. It took about an hour for the wounds to heal enough for him to make his way back to his room.

Both Kanako and Ai, and Shuka, have passed the test. Now, they have moved on, as well, and life had discarded him like an old toy. For a terrible moment the fullness of the implications came down on him; he was alone, nary a friend around to take in the strange Tokyo boy, every last bit of the student life he had known incontrovertibly gone. What will become of him now? Who was he now, even, without those people who had given him his place under the sun? It seemed like the house was now floating alone in the universe; outside that door was just a limitless black void.

The next morning found Yoshiyuki sitting on the porch steps facing a warm breeze from the sea. The weather had changed little since before the entrance exam. It was a hot, muggy day as usual, but he didn't seem to mind his (shallow breathing) as he was still dazed from yesterday. Grandma approached from behind and sat beside him with a plateful of onigiri and ham. "You haven't touched your breakfast, Yoshiyuki," she said worriedly.

"…"

She sighed. "It's cooler inside, come on."

He tucked his head between his knees.

"Yoshiyuki… If I have to send you over to Numazu just so you could take another exam, I will. We only have to wait for the next."

But Grandma did not quite get him. Everything Yoshiyuki had known have been shattered just like that. Life had just torn him apart from the last of Aquasports, indeed, the last of Nankaisei. What's going to await him at university, anyway? Especially so as it seemed he was never meant for higher education in the first place, something his family back in Tokyo must have known all along.

"I'm finding a job."

Grandma missed it, even if she heard the words clearly. "Excuse me?"

"…"

"Yoshiyuki… did you just say…?"

"There must be a manga shop here somewhere that will take me in."

"Yoshiyuki. You can't be serious."

"Am I trying to make you laugh?" He stood up to go to the bath. "I'll be off now if you don't believe me."

She also rose and grabbed him by the arm. "Are you going to settle (as a grunt) for the rest of your life?!"

His eyes grew hard. But he said nothing.

"I'd hate to do this, but I'll have to lock you up in your room until you truly change your mind."

"Do what you want. But I'll be away, anyway. Try knocking me out with a chair if you don't want me to move."

"…"

As soon as he felt her grip loosen, he gently slid his arm out of her grasp. She can get pretty overbearing. At times, he honestly wanted to yell at her, but somehow he never did. If it was back in his first month in the islands he probably might have brought himself to. Probably…

But he's leaving. That's for sure.

He spent nearly the whole night sitting on his bed by the lamplight and composing his masterpiece of a résumé, as far as his clueless mind could expertly make it. They barely touched on the subject of applying for a job back in Nankaisei, your typical Japanese exam-oriented stepping-stone to college, like every school he has ever known. There was the added burden of not accessing Grandma's laptop and printer, but whatever, he snuck some forms out of the office; surely islanders wouldn't mind something that would be unacceptable in Tokyo.

By past eleven, he has thrown in some six or seven application sheets in the trash bin and finally settled on something which had a few creative embellishments (such as placing his age at 24). He slipped in everything he would need a folder, along with the stiltedly formal introduction letter he thought fit for a big-city firm, which was then placed in a manila envelope. Everything was set. He turned off the lamp and lay down, holding the envelope which held all of his hopes and dreams.

He got out of bed very early the next morning, while it was still half-dark and Grandma lay asleep. He only grabbed a donut or two from the fridge, with the application papers itself tucked into a shonen magazine. He wasn't taking her scooter. For a good stretch of daybreak he just mindlessly drifted along the coast road toward the airfield, which was weird, as the harbor area where most establishments stood was exactly in the other direction. Maybe because Nankaisei and its bad memories were close by. Maybe there were farms where he was going without any extra hands in a side of the island Grandma didn't quite visit. Maybe he just felt random; no need for a reason to anything while it was still this early. Perhaps he could just circle the island within the day and get to port before the shops close for the evening.

He ended up spending the morning loafing (away) on a rocky swath of tidal pools gazing at starfish, and the afternoon hitching a ride on a farm truck. He spent nearly all his pocket money on corn cobs.

At about the time the Nankaisei bells rang out the end of the school day he was at the harbor district below the hill where the academy stood. The last shop he asked waved him away and closed the door in his face. There was nothing left to do but sit on a stone bench and watch as Nankaisei students walked by in front of him, chattering, horsing around, something he would do with the girls back in the day, now with Kanako and Ai, now with Anju and Shuka and Rikako, quite a bit with Rikako. For a moment he thought he saw a vision of all of them… but it was another boy, nearly as tall as he, surrounded by a bevy of five girls—come to think, it was pretty rare Aquasports walked home as a single group of all of them.

He looked away from this slap in the face and shut his eyes trying to un-see the memories, but in the darkness they all simply returned to him.

Curses.

He arrived home in a deep silence. Grandma was even more worried. She quietly made him some matcha and sweets which she set down on the coffee table by the sofa where he sat, dejected. Not that she expected he'd actually touch it… just, maybe, if he somehow remembers to feel starved.

The next morning he went away again early. Last night's serving was still on the coffee table, cold.

In the evening he returned with the same glum mood. The Numazu ferry had rejected him for a lack of experience on rough water, after which he only looked for more farms.

Grandma set down coffee before him, but this time she also sat next to him, trying to feel him if he would be alright. He stayed down for a good long while, and though Grandma wanted to keep pushing hope into the situation, her patience was wearing thin and she tried to come up with some words that could help him in some way.

At length, "Yoshiyuki, have you tried the Moris?"

"Huh?"

"Miss Mori knows you, right? There are only two of them over there at Okaa-san, I'm sure they could use an extra hand."

He was somewhat surprised he didn't even consider the dive shop so far, or even Piazza Hotels, for that matter. But then he didn't want to have to cross over the water just yet. And…

"They'll be alright, Granny," he said weakly. There will be more reminders of Aquasports. Grandma didn't quite understand why he would reject a place where they would be far more willing to take him in, such a silly lot these youngsters are these days. But she knew her mind was made up, so she went over to the office straightaway to write a letter for him.

The next morning he was up before she was, as usual, but he found a white envelope on the dinner table along with some yen bills, with the breakfast of toast and a lunchbox. His day was already marked out for him.

The sea was mildly rough at past seven in the morning and the ferry arrived at Okaa-san at about eight. The breeze was cool and stiff, but not too strong, only promising to keep up all day. Strange, it seemed the distance to the shop was noticeably shorter than when he last remembered, visiting with the club. He felt like playing a banjo as he walked on. Even the slope was easier, almost as if gravity went uphill, like his own feet have taken a mind of their own and took over his body as they strode onward toward the dive shop.

At the top, he paused to finish his last taking in the grand view of the island, the Moris' cove a startling cobalt blue, the roofs of the shop's houses gleaming invitingly in the morning sun. Alright, time to go, Yoshiyuki.

The last laps to the shop, he was answering a series of e-mails from Grandma. Yeah, the sea was fine. Yes, I had breakfast. I'm just about there, don't be so pushy. Will I have to move in with them? Once a week home would be fine, twice if it could be helped, though I imagine I could be holed up for weeks and weeks here if business is brisk. No, you don't have to visit. Think of your knees or something. Alright, I'll be fine. I'll call you at lunch.

When he finally got to the place, however, the doors were locked. What? He went up to the open terrace and found it empty, as well. Did they just head over to the mainland today? Fine timing, Yoshiyuki. He sat down on the pavement leaning against the railing and feeling the breeze. Maybe he'll be having lunch early.

"Wonderful! We could get started tomorrow!"

A bright and cheery girl's voice instantly stood out above the wind. He found himself scrambling to his feet. Soon enough the distant chatter of voices came clearer and clearer and finally resolved itself into a group about five middle-aged tourists coming onto the terrace from the cove below. Leading them was an energetic man in his sixties, sporting a nice tan on his still lean and muscular physique… and his granddaughter, a shapely young woman about three years Yoshiyuki's senior. Nanaka.

Her waist down was clad in a wet suit, but the rest was porcelain skin with only a swimsuit bra on, and diver's goggles to go with the luxuriant high ponytail, wet and gleaming in the sun. What sunscreen was she using to stay that fair? They were well into small talk with their customers and didn't quite notice Yoshiyuki there even after she'd already spotted him at a corner of her eye. Then, Grandfather whispered to her, and she broke off from the group to fetch Yoshiyuki.

"Glad you're here!" she said sunnily taking his hand—and he was electrified by that touch out of nowhere. "Our guests will need assistance with the outfit. Please help Grandpa carry things while I take care of the booking."

And, just like that, he was accepted into the employ of the Moris' dive shop.

Next Time! #7. Look Who's Paying a Visit to Nanan-chan.