#258

On the second day, the final destination is Okinawa’s famous tourist spot, the Churaumi Aquarium.

In summary, when organizing the information, it was previously popular for its swimming whale sharks in the world’s largest aquarium called “Kuroshio no Umi,” and the name of the aquarium seems to mean something like “clear sea” in the Okinawan dialect.

“Wow…”

At the rear of the group walking with the team leader Nakayama, I exclaim in astonishment, looking up information on my smartphone as if talking to myself.

Certainly, at the back of the aquarium, the sea stretches out in front of you, and a clear sea extends.

I couldn’t understand the meaning in the dialect, so I’ve learned a little piece of trivia.

I have to brag about this when I get back to Kaede.

I turn off the smartphone screen and put it in my uniform pants, then I walk up to Shizuku and Kirasaka, who are proceeding with the entrance procedures.

“The upper level is the entrance, and the lower level is the exit. It’s an interesting design, isn’t it?”

“Since the sea is behind us… Certainly, it’s easier to make it from top to bottom.”

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels a little scared by that structure, in contrast to Shizuku, who tells me excitedly with shining eyes.

It’s okay, even if a large number of people enter in there at the same time, they won’t fall into the sea, will they?

The students around me probably don’t think about such worries at all.

Like our group, many students have the aquarium as their final destination, and the same uniform could be seen moving around in various places in my field of vision.

The direction is towards the entrance, which is also the signboard of the aquarium, a large gate with glass, which welcomes students, and a large monument of a whale shark, a signboard of the aquarium, greets the students.

“Kainmon…?”

<海人門, that’s the kanji here.>

I wonder why I feel dĂŠjĂ  vu when I see the characters written in three kanji characters.

Could it be… something like the Gate of Babylon?

Incorporating elements of eighth-grade syndrome.

As I tilt my head, Kirasaka, who passed by me, casually provided an answer.

“It’s Uminchu, it’s written as ‘people of the sea’ in three characters, U-Mi-N-Chu. It’s a word that means fishermen in the Okinawan language.”

“Oh, I see.”

Thank you, Kirasaka-the-dictionary.

It seems that the word already existed in her dictionary.

She does have a villa in Okinawa, after all.

“However, Uminchu… Well, it does seem like ‘Gate’ fits better in terms of pronunciation…”

<Wordplay: 門 = Gate, so he’s saying here that shouldn’t the English (Katakana) ‘gate’ would be better here for that feeling of ‘Gate of Babylon’ stfu. That’s what I understood, don’t ask me, I don’t know Japanese.>

“Gate, huh… Gate.”

“What’s wrong?”

Standing in front of the Uminchu Gate, I was pondering, and Shizuku asked me.

Could it be that once you pass through this gate, you become a fisherman too? Is there some kind of fantasy world setup here?

Shizuku, with a hint of amusement, pulled me forward as I hesitated.

“Everyone’s moving ahead, Minato-kun. Come on!”

“Uh, being a fisherman might be a bit too much for me…”

“What are you saying? Such a challenging occupation is beyond you, Minato-kun.”

“…”

Unexpectedly, I felt a sharp stab in my chest from Shizuku’s words.

Yuuto and Miyashita were walking ahead and they had apparently heard Shizuku’s voice. Both of them seemed to be suppressing their laughter.

Kirasaka, on the other hand, just gave me a sidelong glance and didn’t say anything. Well, it’s not like I can’t respond to her.

Regardless of my inner turmoil, I advanced through the Uminchu Gate and descended the escalator to the entrance.

As our group clustered to await our turn for the entrance procedures, I looked at Miyashita.

I noticed her gaze had shifted from Yuuto to me, and she was sending me a meaningful look.

Once we were a few steps away from Shizuku and the others, I faced Miyashita.

“What happened?”

Miyashita spoke immediately.

We were about to start the main event of our free time, and she was probably eager to get it over with, as an atmosphere of wanting a brief conversation could be felt.

“I wanted to ask… since the aquarium’s interior probably has dim lighting and it’ll be crowded, is it okay if we use a method to split up the group?”

“That’s fine. Thank you.”

Miyashita nodded in agreement, looking a bit apologetic.

“Sorry. I know you probably want to enjoy yourself, too, Shinra.”

Saying that, she glanced at Shizuku, Kirasaka, and finally, Yuuto.

Just like her, they were looking forward to the school trip, and they intended to enjoy it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us.

She must have felt guilty about inconveniencing us with her personal situation.

“In that case, could you tell them instead of me?”

She’d be better at explaining it to them. After all, the three of them were more excited about this school trip than anyone else.

And they were probably looking forward to the rest of the day as well, including today.

As long as our interests aligned on that, it was enough.

However, that was something Miyashita couldn’t possibly understand, and explaining our circumstances and feelings in detail would be a hassle.

So, after a vague response, I blurted out the one thing I wanted to ask.

“Are you planning to talk to Nakayama at some point?”

“…”

There’s a brief silence in response to the question. Their relationship is somewhat unclear, even though they may be considered friends.

She can’t just say goodbye and be over with it.

Although it may be an exaggeration to say goodbye, but Nakayama will continue to be around Yuuto, as long as she doesn’t express her determination like she did to me.

Until Yuuto is able to draw a firm line in their relationship.

“Yeah… that’s right.”

She says in a small, hesitant voice as she looks down.

In such situations, it’s often the boys who maintain a straightforward demeanor, while girls tend to hold on to grudges when group relationships become strained.

It’s a spark that flew close to me, and I don’t want to get caught up in it even after the school trip.

She waits quietly to see how Miyashita responds.

She raises her face with a determined expression.

“Should I go to the aquarium together, Tsumugi? And I’d like to talk to Kanzaki-san as well.”

<Apparantly, it’s Nakayama Tsumugi>

“Well, you can do as you like, Miyashita, but we don’t have time for two rounds inside the aquarium.”

Checking my smartphone screen, I noticed that it’s 3 PM. Since we’re staying in different accommodations on the first and second days, we have limited time, with a maximum limit of 4:30 PM.

Given the group’s schedule, there isn’t enough time for two rounds inside the aquarium. If Miyashita wants to talk to both Nakayama and Shizuku, it would be better to prioritize Yuuto’s time for her.

However, she understands that this is her request despite the constraints.

She smiles and nods in response to my words, not pushing the matter further.

Churaumi Aquarium’s route begins on the fourth floor before the entrance, and you exit on the first floor.

****

Each floor has its own theme, with the fourth floor inviting you to the open sea, the third floor taking you on a journey to the coral reef, part of the second and first floors leading to the Kuroshio Current, and the first floor marking the voyage to the deep sea.

The basic concept is a ‘journey.’

Since I’m not particularly knowledgeable about deep-sea fish and all that, I’d like to see penguins or seals. Dolphins are cool too.

On the fourth floor, you can look at the coral reef tanks from above. As you enter the facility, the first thing you see is a shallow aquarium.

Inside, there are starfish, sea cucumbers, and other creatures you can touch.

“Look, it’s a starfish.”

“Seriously, it’s a starfish.”

Next to us, the baseball team boys and some elementary school kids were crouching down, happily dipping their hands into the tank, exclaiming things without much substance.

Further ahead, you’ll find the coral reef you observed from the fourth-floor area, along with tropical fish. As you progress, the lighting becomes more stylish and dimmer.

The tanks housing water-dwelling creatures have round windows that are designed like windows for viewing.

“What’s that over there, an eel?”

“It’s big…”

Looking into one window, both Shizuku and I peered in to see a massive eel swimming serenely with the school.

I couldn’t help but think, is a big eel delicious? I guess aquarium dates are not my thing.

As I was getting closer to Shizuku to the point where our hair touched, a white hand slipped in and gently pushed her head to the left.

In her place, Kirasaka moved over and began explaining.

“They’re called giant oarfish. It’s not that eels have gotten bigger, they’re a different species altogether.”

“Eh, maybe Fish-kun…?”

“Shall I ensure that mouth of yours never opens again?”

Kirasaka replied with a smile, her expression poised. Her eyes were intense, and her voice carried an intimidating tone.

“Minato! Let’s move on.”

A little further ahead, Yuuto called out to us, waiting with other team members.

His timing for calling us was perfect; he might be able to become my best friend.

Silently praising Yuuto in my mind, I smoothly continued to the next section, passing between Kirasaka and Shizuku.

The aquarium featured areas such as theaters and shark exhibits, all about creatures I would never have shown interest in. Their existence was entirely new to me, and I found myself reading the informational plaques.

Finally, we reached the main attraction, the enormous tank called the “Kuroshio Sea” on the second floor.

Up until now, people would occasionally pause and look at various species in the tanks. But here, a massive crowd had gathered to observe the whale sharks swimming in the tank. Many were taking photos with their smartphones and cameras, and a few girls even posed for selfies in the dimly lit room.

This was the perfect place to discreetly separate from the team members.

“When I come to an aquarium, I don’t want to eat seafood for a while.”

It was completely off-topic, but I needed to say something to shift the focus to me, so I commented to Yuuto and the baseball team duo behind him.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to tonight’s cottage barbecue.”

“You’re really into meat, aren’t you?”

Yuuto smiled with empathy, nodding, and another male student made a somewhat bewildering remark.

At that moment, Miyashita approached Nakayama.

“Tsumugi, could you come with me for a moment?”

“What? What’s this all of a sudden?”

Suddenly, Miyashita took Tsumugi’s hand, and the two of them easily moved to the opposite side of the floor from where the rest of us were standing.

The guys in our group didn’t notice, their attention focused upwards. Even I, who knew they would be separating, quickly lost sight of them in the crowd.

This should be okay.

After taking a deep breath, I approached Shizuku, who was also watching the whale sharks on the right side, and quietly conveyed my request.

“It seems Miyashita has something to discuss. She’ll probably be on the opposite side of this floor. If you find her, please give her a call.”

“To me?”

Surprised by the unexpected request, Shizuku opened her eyes wide but nodded obediently.

Making the most of our remaining time at the Kuroshio Sea floor, our group reluctantly moved on to the next part of our journey.