Part II

Chapter 41

One week earlier...

The sparkling surface of water always appeared as if a collection of diamonds had been spilled across it, glittering, illusionary treasures that were impossible for her to hold. Of course, that had never stopped her from attempting such a feat before, either. Her earliest memories of swimming, from treading the smallest of pools to taking her first dips in the ocean, consisted of hundreds of fruitless chases to obtain those elusive gems, her laughter accompanying every single one of the attempts.

But, even though those youthful days had long since passed her by, the idea of being able to catch them had never truly left her imagination. Whenever she went swimming, she still toyed around with the concept in the back of her mind, sometimes pretending that she was chasing after them once again as she cut through the water.

On this day, however, she would have to settle for simply viewing those shiny baubles from the sidelines.

She placed the megaphone to her lips.

"Ok, everyone: Line up!"

Along one of the edges of the school's Olympic pool, a row of girls positioned themselves in a ready stance. They bent down low to the ground, their fingers touching the wet concrete, their blue swim caps and suits subtly reflecting the interlacing waves of water beneath them.

"On your marks. Here we go. Three, two, one, go!"

The instant that her final word went through the air, the group of girls sent themselves flying into the drink. With great speeds they raced across the bright blue field, touching the other side of the pool before heading back from where they had started from.

During it all, she watched them closely, scrutinizing each competitor's technique, at what points in the lanes they began to fatigue, and so forth. Next to her, other members of the girl's high school swim club did the same, each one of them tracking an individual lane, scribbling notes down on a clipboard, timers in their hands. Lap after lap, every part of the trial was analyzed and recorded in the rows of tables printed upon the papers they held.

Within a few minutes, it was all over, the swimmers now returned to the starting point, panting hard with exhaustion.

She brought the megaphone back up to her mouth. "Great job, everyone! Let's get the second round going now. Line up!"

On her command, the swimmers in the pool got out, trading places with another batch of girls that were readying to dive in themselves.

"Alright, here we go! On your marks. Three, two, one, go!"

The spectacle repeated itself, another test underway.

"...so...so what do you think, coach? Do we have a shot?"

She kept her eyes on her students as she replied to one of the club members next to her. "Well, we've got some really talented people, but it's gonna' be a pretty tough fight for us."

The girl who had asked the question, a young first year, frowned as she continued to watch the lane she tracked. "R-really...? Why?"

"I'm just basing it off the qualifiers. I mean, from what I read from the times, we did good, but, this team just barely scraped by. We got some real work to do if we wanna' place high at the meet."

Her student sighed.

"Hey, chin up! We're gonna' really put our all into it anyway, right? Yeah, it's gonna' be hard work and stuff, but that'll make winning the whole thing that much sweeter!"

The girl held her dismayed expression for another moment, but it soon transformed into a genuine smile. "R-r-right, coach!"

A chuckle escaped from her.

"Is something...funny?"

"Nah, nothin'! I'm just..." Her big, goofy, trademark grin spread itself across her face. "...I dunno'. I'm not used to being called your guys' coach still."

"But, that's what you are..."

"I know." She laughed again. "I just mean, I was in class with some of you guys just a few months ago, so, I guess I'm just not used to the name, yet."

"...do...do you want me to call you something else, then? I mean...I d-don't mind..."

Kagura let go of another hearty laugh, one that was loud enough for most of the other members of the swim club to clearly hear. "Nah, stick to 'coach'! I think I'll get used to it pretty damn soon!"

The last of the timed sessions was finally over, Kagura using her whistle to gather the whole of the swim club over towards the bleacher end of the pool area. Once everyone was assembled and seated, she spoke to them all, using the remainder of the day's practice to go over everyone's performances today: what they needed to work on, pep talks to those who needed one, details of the upcoming high school meet. When all of that was said and done with, she waved the lot of them farewell as the group headed off for the showers.

...I think that was good for my first day, right? I didn't say anythin' stupid or whatever, I hope...!

She let out a small, nervous laugh, some pent-up anxiety leaking out from her. For the most part, her initial foray as an assistant coach for her old high school's swim team had gone fairly well. Her former instructor, Minamo Kurosawa, hadn't been able to make today's practice, encumbered with some sort of faculty meeting, so Kagura had gone it all alone. And while she did have some help from some of the club members, for the most part, she was able to manage everything by herself with no real difficulty. She had easily remembered how things were always run in her own days as a club member, and so, in conjunction with her great experience as an expert swimmer, guiding and advising the current crop of girls had been surprisingly easy.

All in all, it had been a wonderful few hours during her initial return to her high school. Coming back as an alumni had gotten her quite the welcome from the members, Kagura having not at all been prepared for the boisterous reception she had received when she had first walked into the pool area. Since she was an ace athlete during her high school years, she already had somewhat of a fan club going for her, but combining that with her new status as a 'coach' had morphed her into a real campus celebrity. Every one of the girls had wanted to be the one to help her out with what she had required, or to be the member who stole the show in front of her eyes as she watched them compete. It had been hard to not let it all go to her head, but Kagura was now gradually getting used to the idea that she was a genuine rock star here.

...I wonder if coach ever felt the same way when she first came back here to teach?

"Is something wrong, coach?"

Kagura pulled herself from out of her thoughts, hardly aware that she had just been idly standing by the side of the pool, watching the calm water. She turned to her helper from earlier, the first year who had been wondering about their team's chances at the upcoming meet. "Ah...no, just thinkin' to myself. Hey, what time is it?"

The young girl looked at her watch. "It's about noon."

"Ah, thanks. Cool, I think coa-...Kurosawa-sensei's meeting should be over by now." She glanced over to the collection of clipboards that lay upon a section of the bleachers. "I'm gonna' go find her and give her the times. You guys did a good job in recording everything today."

Her assistant gave a wavering smile. "Th-thanks...! We're all...just glad to help, coach! Umm...do you want some help collecting the sheets...?"

"Sure! Let's get everything together."

The duo headed to the bleachers then. Within a short amount of time, they had a stack of papers and notes, all of the information that they had gleaned from today's trials.

"Thanks again for the help!" Kagura gave a hearty clap on the girl's shoulder.

Another broken, anxious smile crossed the first year's face. "N-n-o prob-blem, m'am...coach! Anytime...just ask me for help...!"

Kagura grinned at her. She had noticed that most of the members had acted somewhat timid towards her today, just like this particular girl was, and she could only chock it up to her former notoriety. Of course, to some degree, she also had to factor in her freshly acquired position of authority into the equation. These were her students now, and while that in itself was an awkward experience for her to personally grapple with, it must have been somewhat of an intimidating proposition on their end as well.

It's not every day that one of your seniors comes back to bark orders at you as an instructor, ha, ha!

"Thanks!"

"Are...are you going to shower before you see Kurosawa-sensei?"

"Nah." Kagura started to walk towards the locker area, her assistant following her. "I was gonna' do a few laps in the pool after I talk to sensei. I thought I'd be getting a workout here at the practices, but I just pretty much stood on my feet the whole time, huh?"

"Ah...yeah..."

"Yeah, so, I need the exercise! Anyway, I'm just gonna' toss on some clothes quick and find her."

"...have you seen her lately, coach?"

"Huh?"

The young girl looked at her in earnest as they walked into the locker room, their eyes blinded for a moment as they got used to the lack of sunlight now, almost bumping into a few other members by accident. "I mean...have you met with Kurosawa-sensei lately?"

"Oh...nah. She sent me an email last week with a bunch of directions for today, since she was gonna' be busy, but I haven't actually seen her since graduation. Why?"

"Oh...then you probably wouldn't know..."

Kagura stopped in front of the locker that she had selected to use earlier today, opening it. "What are you talkin' about?"

"...w-w-well...you know how we all love Kurosawa-sensei, right, coach? But..." The first year shuffled her feet about anxiously. "...you know how she can be sort of a stickler sometimes, right?"

"...I guess, yeah."

"...we've all been...kind of noticing that...umm...she's like, lightened up a lot..."

She smirked at the girl, having no clue as to what this conversation's intention was. "Ok...umm, good? That's a good thing, right?"

The girl frowned. "Y-yeah, I mean, but...I don't know, coach. It's hard to explain. She seems pretty happy, so we thought something might be going on with her. Like she finally found a guy or something like that."

Kagura paused as she put a t-shirt on, chuckling a bit. For as much adoration and renown that her old coach had all over campus, she still always had this smidgen of infamy for never being able to land a steady relationship. "I haven't heard anything like that. But, who cares? All that matters is that she's in a good mood, right?"

Her assistant shrugged, sighing. "R-right...it is good, just...like I said, it's hard to explain. It's just...odd for her, I guess."

"Odd?"

"Just...I mean, we're glad that she's happy, but this is just...different..."

Kagura finished putting on a pair of soccer shorts, and then placed her feet into some slip-on sneakers. "Sorry...I don't really get what you're saying. Why are you tellin' me about this, anyway?"

The girl groaned, obviously frustrated with herself. "S-sorry, I'm not doing a good job at this. We were all just wondering about her...so...I just thought you'd know if anything was up with her, coach..."

"Well...I guess I can kinda' get what you're saying. If she's lightened up some, then yeah, I guess it can be weird, since she's usually pretty serious."

"Y-yeah...! I guess that might be it..."

"You guys are probably all just over thinking things. Just be glad she's getting happier, not angrier." She laughed as she closed the locker door. "Kurosawa-sensei can be pretty scary when she's mad, right?"

She got a chuckle out of the girl, who was nodding cheerfully now.

"Alright, anyway, I'm gonna' go find her now. Catch you later!"

Kagura shared a goodbye with her helper, and then took the collection of papers with her as she made her way outside, bearing the increasing heat of the day as she set off for the main high school building.

"Hey there...coach...?"

Minamo Kurosawa turned around in her desk chair, looking up at the girl who stood behind her. "Kagura! There you are!"

Kagura grinned widely, becoming a bit embarrassed as her old teacher stood up and gave her a wild hug in front of the other present faculty members. "H-hi!"

Her sensei chuckled, keeping her hands on her former pupil's shoulders as she finished with the embrace, just looking her up and down now. "Wow, when did I last see you? You look different!"

"R-really...?"

"Yeah! Did you put on a little muscle? You look great!"

She laughed lightly. "Ah...I guess. Just tryna' improve my game. You...you look the same, though...!"

Minamo laughed jovially, her cool smile and youthful demeanor still solid staples of her overall appearance, this sort of boyishness that really set her apart from most other adult women out there. Kagura could still even remember, way back on her first day of homeroom with Kurosawa-sensei, when all of the students, including Kagura herself, had originally mistook the woman for a young, handsome man.

In any case, her comment about her sensei's looks had been intended as more of a compliment than anything sarcastic. The woman's jet black hair, her signature dog ear bangs, her soft, friendly face, Kagura was genuinely glad that nothing about them had changed in the slightest of ways. She had greatly missed seeing all of those features on a daily basis, and now found that their presence in her life again was releasing a tension inside of her that she hadn't really been conscious of.

After a few more laughs, Minamo nodded happily towards her. "I guess that's a good thing? Anyway! How was your first day as a swim coach? Did everything go well?"

"Oh...yeah! I think I handled everything well. I just remembered what you always did and just pretty much copied that, so, it worked out."

Minamo chuckled, pushing in her chair. "Excellent! That makes me feel a little less guilty." She sighed. "I'm really sorry again, that I had to leave you hanging like that on your first day. That committee meeting announcement really caught me off guard last week, and I couldn't cancel it..."

"No problem, coach! The other kids helped me out with anything I needed, so don't sweat it."

The woman looked at her warmly, and then patted her shoulder. "I should have known you'd take care of things. You've really matured a lot since I first met you. You're all grown up now!" She gave a gentle punch to one of her arms. "And you're definitely a lot tougher, too! What sort of times are you pulling in the pool now with those guns?"

Kagura laughed with abashment. "...I don't remember, but...they're definitely better than my old ones..."

Minamo grinned again. "You really have to show off your stuff to the club sometime. Oh, geez, I'm so glad to have you help me out here, Kagura! Every girl out there is going to get really get inspired when they see what our alumni can do...oh." She noticed the stack of papers that her assistant coach was holding. "Are those the times for today?"

"Ah, yeah." Kagura presented them to the woman. "Here you go. Do you wanna' go over them now?"

"Yes! Of course! Would you mind if we walk around the hallways and discuss everything? I've been sitting down for a few hours now and my legs are killing me!"

Kagura agreed to the request, and soon, they were walking down the school corridors, chatting about the details of the upcoming swim meet as they made their rounds. Since there were no classes currently in session, the building was, for the most part, empty, their voices echoing around in the silence. And even though the dead air was a bit disconcerting to Kagura, the campus as a whole normally so full of life, she didn't really mind it. The solemn atmosphere just reinforced the notion that out of every other possible graduate that could be here right now, walking right beside Minamo Kurosawa, she herself had been the one chosen to do so.

She listened to the woman talk as she went over some of the candidates for particular events, feeling a gentle bliss waft through her as she did. When her sensei had originally offered her the opportunity to become a fellow swim coach for the summer, Kagura had been absolutely ecstatic about the chance. Not only was it a great experience for her future athletic career, but more than that, it was a sure sign that the person she revered the most in life really thought something extraordinary of her.

"...I think she'll do fine! She placed third in the 400 meter, so we'll give her a shot! What do you think?"

"Oh, yeah!" Kagura looked over to the document that her sensei was currently holding. "I was surprised since she was a first year. She's pretty strong..."

With every word she spoke, Kagura had to fight to keep the childish glee from out of her voice, being absolutely delighted that she could talk with her old coach and mentor as somewhat of a peer now. This was the woman that she had looked up to so greatly over the last few years, the only other female athlete that she had ever been able to really and truly identify with. And, above everything else, she was the one who had helped her get into the position that she was now currently in, Kagura preparing to enter a college and future that wouldn't have been possible without Kurosawa-sensei's help.

Yeah...I do wonder...where I'd be now if she hadn't talked some sense into my folks. Definitely...definitely not here, anyway...

She let those old troubles float out from her mind, simply just enjoying the company of her beloved sensei as their time together continued. However, despite the great amount of fun that she was having while their discussion of the swim club went on, Kagura couldn't help but feel that something was just slightly beginning to throw off her concentration, a fly buzzing around in her thoughts.

...that first year was right. There is somethin' different about her.

Kagura had let her initial bewilderment slide by, when her old coach had so openly and affectionately embraced her back in the faculty room. While Kurosawa-sensei was undoubtedly a loving individual, her earlier greeting had been something that didn't quite fit in with her usual low key and composed set of behaviors. Kagura had simply assumed that her sensei was just really that excited to see her again, but now, after having spoken to her almost non-stop for the last ten or so minutes...

She's like...man, she's...ditzy?

That was the only word that Kagura could use to frame her sensei's current personality. It wasn't anything outright, just so many little peculiar mannerisms that she wouldn't expect to come from this usually reserved woman. Any comment that was in the least bit humorous would illicit a string of giggles or uncanny grin, and the way in which her sensei was speaking just had this distinctive bounce to it. Even her dialogue itself was different, Kagura almost feeling as if she were now conversing with some giddy teenager, rather than a seasoned, adult teacher.

I guess she's just really relaxed or something. But...something's bugging me about it...something about that smile...

"...I'll give her some tips when I see her next practice. Ah, hey, coach, are...are you pretty excited about the meet or something?"

Minamo looked at her with delight. "Of course I am! I always am."

Kagura chuckled sheepishly, still a bit taken aback from the off-character responses. "Ha...well, I mean...you just seem to be pretty pumped up today for some reason."

"Do I?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. Maybe I'm wrong, but, I don't remember you getting as excited about the other meets before."

There was a brief pause before Minamo interrupted it with laughter. "Well, I'm looking forward to it, of course. Hmm...I guess I've just been in a pretty good mood lately. Things have just..." She looked towards the ground as they walked, grinning. "Things have just been going fantastically for me lately, Kagura. I'm on a wave!"

"Oh, like what?" She chuckled. "Did Yukari move outta' town or something?"

Minamo began to snicker wildly.

...whoa...was what I said that funny?

"No, no! She's not moving away. That was a good one, though! Umm, things...things are, well...you know how life goes sometimes! Like I said, lots of little things just go right at the same time! That's what it is, Kagura. Everything is just perfect...or getting there, anyway."

"Ah, yeah, I guess I know what you're saying. You had a pretty good summer then, I take it?"

"Very good, actually! And how did yours go? Actually, how's your family and everyone doing now?"

The next few minutes were spent by Kagura mostly doing the talking now, explaining how her improving relationship with her parents had been coming along, the college preparations she had been undertaking, her anticipation for being able to join in on this associate coaching program. Throughout it all, her sensei smiled generously without let, nodding merrily and chuckling at everything her former student was saying to her.

"...so...yeah. It was a lot of work, but I think the effort paid off...I'm definitely able to lift a ton more than before. But anyway...how about you? You didn't really tell me what you were up to in the summer, coach."

Minamo mulled over the question. "Oh, the usual! Just working, take it easy here and there. Oh, I keep forgetting! You should join my intramural league if you ever get a chance! I'd love to have you there; we just finished up tennis, and we're doing indoor soccer next."

Kagura nodded. "Ah...that would be cool! I dunno' if I'll have time soon, though...but you never know, right?"

"Right! But, yeah, besides that, it's mostly just the normal routine for me. And..." She hesitated again. "...and, you know, just...hanging out with Yukari, sometimes..."

"Oh, yeah? How's she doin', anyway? I don't think I saw her here today."

"She's doing fine! And yes, she's here today, too! She's just never around when you want to find her! You know how she is, right?"

Kagura chuckled. "Oh, man, yeah. She always pops up at the worst times..."

"Yep! You do know how she is. Not as well as I do, though."

She didn't respond to that last comment, totally lost on from where it had come from.

"No one does, actually! Hey, Kagura, did I ever tell you that she and I have been best friends since high school?"

"Umm...yeah, I think so..."

She looked to her old student, grinning. "See? That's why I know her better than anyone!"

Kagura glanced at her, noticing that there was this sort of smugness in the expression her sensei now bore, as if she were incredibly satisfied for some odd reason. "O-oh...yeah, that makes sense!"

"It does, doesn't it?" Minamo faced forward again as they rounded another corner of the the hallway. "And...and I guess...she's a part of the reason...of why I'm in such a good mood, Kagura."

"...why's that?"

"It's just...we've been getting along really well lately...and having a lot of fun, like the old days. And...then everything else...is...like I said...just going fantastically as well...so everything's great! "

The enthusiasm in her sensei's voice was more than obvious now, Kagura physically feeling it smack her in the face.

Minamo chuckled. "Sorry, I'm...I'm being silly now. But...I just can't remember the last time that things had just all gone my way..." She looked over to her again, giving her the most sincere, mirthful smile in her repertoire. "Life is going great, Kagura! It really, really is...!"

Kagura just simply stared at her sensei for a moment, finding herself a bit in awe from the expression presented to her. The woman's eyes had gained this light to them, her entire face radiating a cheerfulness that was impossible for Kagura to not smile back at. Although she didn't understand exactly why her coach was so amazingly happy, she still found herself absolutely delighted by it. If there was anyone on this planet who deserved to feel wonderful, then it was Kurosawa-sensei, the kindest, most outgoing, most amazing person that she had ever met in her life.

Man, I guess she's in heaven now or something. I don't think I've ever seen her like this...maybe things have been rough for her for awhile? Well, whatever, it's just great to see her happy. Maybe this is how she really is when there's no pressure or anything on her, or th-

They broke off their mutual stare, returning their gazes ahead of them.

...wait. That was...weird...

Kagura furrowed her brow, looking slightly away from her old teacher, pondering over something that she had just noticed. That unidentifiable niggling had just suddenly returned, the small feeling that something was just slightly off about her sensei's jovial attitude. Howver, some reticent instinct had just given her a possible clue as to what was bothering her about it all.

It had been so hard to discern, but at the very edges of her sensei's smile, at the very edges of her capricious behavior today, there was something just so...

...creepy...?

She shook her head, throwing away the idea as she got back into a deep discussion with her beloved sensei, choosing instead to bask in her affectionate warmth, rather than think anything ill of such a perfect and loving individual.