Aqours Chapter 9

School Idols on Deck!

Aqours are in a lax mood. What awaits them next?

Story 1

Chika: *Yawn* You: What's wrong, Chika? Not getting enough sleep? You looked like you were about to pass out during class. Chika: Mmm... I was up late watching µ's DVDs again. µ's is so awesome. I never get tired of watching them! You: Ah, ha, ha. I see! Riko: You're as big a µ's fan as ever. Dia: Ahem. Hanamaru: Uh-oh! We're almost out of candy, zura! Ruby: Huh? But I just bought more the other day... Yoshiko: It's because you keep snacking absentmindedly, Zuramaru. You're going to get chubby if you don't rein it in. Hanamaru: *Groan* I know it's easy to get fat if you eat too many chocolates and cookies, zura. All right, from now on I'll stick to Japanese sweets! Hanamaru: I think there's a store that had a bunch of sweet buns out on display. I'll try those instead! I wonder if I have enough allowance... Yoshiko: It's not a question of what country the junk food comes from! Geez... Don't blame me if you end up so heavy you can't dance anymore. Dia: Excuse me! Kanan: Mari, what're you listening to? Mari: Something I bought the other day. It's a really cool. exciting number. Want to listen? Kanan: Sure... Whoa! T-Too loud! Turn it down, turn it down! Dia: TEN-HUT!!! Together: ?!?! Chika: D-Dia? What is it? Why're you telling? Dia: Don't act like you don't know! Why is everyone in here acting so laid-back?! Dia: We finally all made time to get together, time we could be using for any number of things, and you're wasting it by lounging around and chit-chatting! Dia: Our time is valuable, and we should be using it to practice! Chika: Urk! I-I know, but... You: We don't have any upcoming events that are... well, that are actual events. Riko: I looked for things going on outside of Uchiura, but even then I couldn't find anything. It might just be a slow time right now... Kanan: No matter how much we practice, it's hard to stay motivated when you don't have any opportunities to perform. Chika: I do wanna sing... Chika: ...to an audience of people who would come listen to what we pour hearts into. It doesn't even have to be on a big stage... Riko: Chika... Mari: That's the spirit, Chika! It's a complete waste of that inner shininess if you can't let it out for all to see! Riko: But we don't have any events scheduled.... Mari: Think outside the box, Riko. Who says we have to restrict ourselves to locally-organized functions? Take a look at this. You: Let's see, here... Huh? The website for a cruise line? Mari: A friend of my father's will be holding a big party on an upcoming cruise, and there are still open spots available for performers. What do you all think? Chika: Y-You mean... we'd be singing... on a boat?! Dia: Spectacular! Everyone, we absolutely cannot pass up this chance! We're going to participate, no matter what it takes! Hanamaru: What's a cruise? Ruby: Oh uhh... That's when lots of people go on a big boat to enjoy the scenery and eat lots of food. Yoshiko: Finally, the time is nigh for Yohane to descend upon the azure oceans! The wait is almost over, little demons! Mari: *Chuckle* That settles it, then! I'll go contact him about getting us signed up. Riko: We've got plenty of songs to choose from, so all we need are costumes. Mari, what's the date of the event? Do we have enough time to get ready? Chika: A live show on a real ship's deck! This is like. even more exciting than usual. Right, You? You: ...................... Chika: Hmm? Hello? Earth to You! You: The sea... A ship... *Squeal* My nautical passion is gonna be on fire! Chika: Oh, boy. You're nautical passion limiter is coming off! Mari: Oh! Riko: N-Nautical passion limiter? You: There's no stopping me now that I know we're gonna be on a boat! Leave all the costuming to You Watanabe! You: I swear I'll make us the most perfect, most supreme, most seaworthy costumes you've ever seen! Hanamaru: She's so motivated, zura. Chika: I have total faith in you, You. I bet you'll come up with an awesome design. You: Thank you, First Mate Takami! Yoshiko: ...first mate? You: (I'd always hoped that Aqours would get to sing on a boat out at sea, but I didn't think it'd happen so soon!) You: (Just wait, everyone. The costumes I make will have you all super shiny, or my name isn't You Watanabe!)

Story 2

You: *Hums* Chika: You! There you are. Tee-hee. What're you up to? You: Hee, hee, hee. Like the old saying goes, make hay while the sun shines! I'm sketching the design right now. Riko: Ooh, lemme see! You: It's still a work in progress, but... Ta-da! Look! Everything's totally nautical-themed! Chika: Ooh! U-Uhh, huh? Riko: This is... You: I wasn't sure whether to go with white or navy blue, but in the end I thought white would be nice and crisp. And I left out the jackets to make it easier to dance. You: I'm gonna make my own symbol for the shoulder and hat, but I'll save that for later. I need to prioritize sketching the clothes first. You: *Sigh* But it's so hard not to want to use navy blue somewhere! The white looks fresh and airy, but navy blue has that strong stoicism to it. I can't decide! Chika: H-Hold on a second, You. You: Hmm? Is my design no good? Chika: That's not it at all! These outfits look super cool. It's just, uhh... Can you make them shinier somehow. Captain? Riko: They look more like actual uniforms than costumes. But I guess this is what a "seaworthy outfit" means to you, right, You? You: A seaworthy outfit, huh? Well, when someone mentions the sea, my mind jumps right to boats and the crews who man them. Chika: It makes sense. Your dad's a ship's captain, after all. You: Hmm... Well, when you two think of the sea, what pops into your heads? Chika: Me? The sea... the sea... Taking a dip? Swimsuits! Seeing all the new swimsuit designs in stores every summer. Every time I see them, I want them even more! Chika: But then I get yelled at because the ones I bought the year before are still in good shape. Ha, ha, ha... You: Swimsuits! I see, I see. There's definitely no separating the sea from swimsuits. Lemme jot that down... Chika: How about you, Riko? Riko: For me, it's the sound of the waves. The way they go "ksshhhhaaa" when they crash and pull back always sticks with me. Sorry, that might be too abstract. You: No, not at all. The sound of the waves, huh? That never even crossed my mind. I guess living so close to the water, I don't even notice it anymore. You: (That makes two keywords I never would've thought of on my own. If I get input from everyone, I might come up with even better ideas.) You: Okay, then. I'm gonna go ask the others! Hanamaru: What do I think of when I think of the sea, zura? You: Yeah. I need inspiration for our costumes, so I'm asking everyone their thoughts. Whatcha got for me, Hanamaru? Hanamaru: Hmm, that's a tough one, zura. So many things symbolize the sea, it's hard to pick... Hanamaru: The origin of life. Truth, wisdom, time, eternity... Hanamaru: The sea is a prominent place in lots of books. Sometimes it's just a body of water, but other times it's a metaphor for people's feeling or a particular scene... You: Wow! I totally get it! Thanks, that's all I need! Hanamaru: Zura? You: Ruby, Yoshiko, what about you two? Ruby: I think of the beautiful fish! Red fish, blue fish, fish with pretty, lacy fins... They're adorable! Ruby: What about you, Yoshiko? Yoshiko: The sea is dark, deep, and cold. The depths are forbidden to humans... a gate to the underworld, crawling with demons. Hanamaru: In other words, it's deep and scary. Yoshiko: It's not scary at all! When I's feeling sad, or I'm too worked up over something, looking at the water and listening to the waves helps me relax. Yoshiko: The sea puts my mind at ease. You: Aye, aye! Thanks. you three. You've been a big help. You: While I'm here, if you've got any good books related to the ocean, can I borrow one? Hanamaru: I'm on it, zura! Hang on a second... Here! You: W-Whoa! What thick books... Hanamaru: This's a great encyclopedia of sea creatures, zura. And this one has lots of detail about the ecosystem. Here's a collection of ocean folklore, and this one... You: Th-Thanks! These'll do just fine! Ruby: U-Umm, You... You: Hmm? Ruby: If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. Ruby: I'm not very confident in my design skill, but maybe I can at least help make the costumes. You: Ruby... Thanks a million! I'll definitely take you up on that offer. Dia: And so you decide to ask the rest of the group to help generate more ideas? You: That's right. What do the three of you think of when you think of the sea? Mari: Vacations! I can't think of anything more perfect than stretching out on a private beach, listening to my favorite tunes. Kanan: Listen to Miss Moneybags... Kanan: The water is an extension of my own body. It's like, of course the water's right there. I dive in it every day. Dia: For me... I suppose it'd have to be the fish. Mackerel, spear squid, Japanese sea bream, rockfish... Dia: Then I think about global warming causing sea levels and temperatures to rise, and the effect that will have on their ecosystems, and our way of life... You: Wow, what a deadly serious answer! Mari: Uchiura's primarily a fishing town... Why not incorporate that into your theme? You: Costumes with fisherman's gear, huh? Like maybe overalls, rubber gloves... and nets? Dia, Kanan: Nets... Dia: Nets... Like fishnet stockings?! Denied, denied, denied! Are you out of your mind? That's totally scandalous! You: You were the one who turned "nets" into "fishnets," Dia. Mari: Aww, that'd be killer! Fishnets would be so sexy! Kanan: Fisherman's overalls with fishnet stockings? That just comes off comical if anything... Dia: Anyways, I forbid you to show too much skin. We have a wholesome image to maintain! You: A-Aye, aye! Kanan: Moving on from the nets... Instead of just relying on words, why not come diving or something, and experience the sea with all five of your senses? You: Diving... Yeah! That's a great idea. Let's do it! I'll ask everyone about it!

Story 3

Chika: Yahoo! What a beautiful day! This is perfect weather for going out! You: Ohh! The sky and the sea are both so blue! Kanan: Hey, you two. We're not just messing around today, remember? Chika: I know, I know. But being out with everyone has me so excited, I'm about to burst! Woo-hoo! Dia: Chika! You're going to annoy people if you keep carrying on like that. Remember your role, and try to show a little restraint. Hanamaru: Kanan and Dia are acting like teachers, zura. Ruby: I understand how Chika feels, though. First we're all going to the aquarium together, then diving. I was so excited last night, I couldn't sleep! Yoshiko: You're such a kid, Ruby. You'll never be a full-fledged fallen angel like me if you can't control yourself. Hanamaru: Yoshiko, your eyes have dark circles under them too, zura. Yoshiko: Urk! Th-This is... eyeshadow! It's the latest in fallen angel fashion. Mari: Oh, Yoshiko. You're such a tsundere! Yoshiko: I-I-I-I am not! Riko: Excuse me, everyone. Can we please head inside the aquarium now? The other visitors are all staring. Chika: Wow, how pretty! What fish is this? Hanamaru: A cherry anthias, zura. The orange ones with blackfish fins are the females, and the reddish ones with white spots are males, zura. Chika: Cherry anthias... Wait, I've seen them for sale at the fish market in the grocery store! Dia: Those are red sea bream, a completely different fish. These are caught during their spawning season at the time when the cherry blossom blooms are at their peak. Chika: Really? Mari: This tank is very cute, too! You: Ooh! It's so colorful and fluffy. How cute! Kanan: That's yellow coral. You can find it in the Uchiura sea, too. Maybe we'll see some when we go diving later. Riko: This is coral? I've seen coral plenty of times on TV, but it always looked like a rock that grew branches. Riko: This looks like flowers blooming out of stone. All the yellows and reds looks so vibrant, especially since the surrounding is much darker. You: Riko, you're so... I dunno, like... artistic. Riko: Huh? M-Me? I-I'm sorry, did I say something weird? You: No, not at all! I was just thinking how you really have a way with words. You never stop with just "cute" or "cool." You express yourself in so many ways. Riko: Y-You're exaggerating. You: No, I'm not. Looking at this makes me think designing a coral motif into our outfits might work. We could pin corsages to our lapels, or have frills on our sleeves... Yoshiko: I can't really picture how coral sleeves would look... Are you talking about these wavy, tentacle-looking things? You: No good? Yoshiko: Something tells me we don't need them. Mari: Kanan, can you take these home and raise them as pets? Kanan: How should I know?! Dia: This is a wet suit? It's rather heavy. Ruby: We're really going diving.. Are we gonna be okay? Kanan: I'll be with you the whole time. You've got nothing to worry about. Riko: Kanan, is all this just for one person? It looks like a lot of heavy equipment. Kanan: It sure is. Every piece of equipment you see has some function to keep the diver alive. Chika: I've gone snorkeling before, but I've never done serious diving like this. I can't wait to explore the sea! Kanan: Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses. I've gotta explain the equipment to you first. Your air is stored in this scuba tank, and this regulator supplies it to you. Kanan: This vest-like thing is called a BCD, or buoyancy control device. You can put air in or let it out to control how fast you rise and sink. Kanan: These here are weights, which you wear to offset the buoyancy of you equipment. You'll attach them to a special belt, which you'll then put around your waist. Hanamaru: So many new terms... I feel like I'm living in the future, zura. Kanan: You have to breathe through your mouth while you're diving. It might be kinda weird at first, but just stay calm, breathe slowly, and you'll get used to it. Kanan: Once we're underwater, don't ever stop breathing. If you surface while holding your breath, the water pressure will expand your lungs, possibly until they burst! Kanan: Also, while you're underwater, at some point you'll feel like your eardrums are going to pop. Mari: Like what happens when you're on a plane. Sometimes swallowing will fix it. Kanan: That's it. If you feel like that's happening, take a bit of air into your mouth, hold your nose, and swallow. Kanan: It's called equalizing the pressure. If you don't do it every so often, your eardrums will pop. Just don't do it too hard, all right? Dia: Our eardrums or even lungs could burst... Yikes! Chika: It'll be fine! As long as we follow the rules, we've got nothing to be afraid of. Dia: That's... optimistic. This is your first time too, isn't it, Chika? Aren't you nervous at all? Chika: Nah! We've got Kanan with us, and there's a whole world I've never seen waiting for us under that beautiful blue water. I'm too excited to be scared! You: .......................... Kanan: What is it, You? You: Huh? Kanan: You're being awfully quiet. What's going on? Are you not feeling well? You: I'm fine... Just thinking. Kanan: Oh, about costume designs? I know going out together today was to help you come up with ideas, but aren't you tormenting yourself a little too much? You: No, no... Hearing everyone talk like this makes me realize there are views about the sea that I never would have learned on my own. You: We all see the same sea, but everyone views it differently. It has all these facets that I never knew about, and I'm so happy that I'm learning! Kanan: I see. So, think you can come up with a good design? You: Yup, I think so! Our costumes are going to incorporate everyone's favorite parts of the sea!

Story 4

Chika: The day's finally here... Today we perform a live show on a cruise! Riko: C-Chika, don't stand so close to the edge! It's dangerous! Chika: I know, I know. I can't believe how lucky we are to get to ride on a huge ship like this! I'm gonna brag about this to my sisters when I get home. You: It's definitely a great ship. I wonder if they'll let me in the control room? *Gasp* Are those people staff members? D-Do you think they'd mind if I took a picture? Kanan: *Giggle* That's our You. Looks like you're all back to normal. Dia: What do you mean by that? Mari: Heh, heh. And that's our Kanan, acting like You's big sister. Dia: Huh? Kanan: It's not like that! She just seemed like she's had a lot on her mind, and I've been wondering if she was okay. Ruby: Eek! I-I'm starting to get nervous... Hanamaru: R-Ruby... Here, I'll write "It's all good" on your hand. Yoshiko: Calm down, already. We've got two whole hours till the show starts. Do you want me to get you a drink or something? Hanamaru: Yoshiko, what's in that bag, zura? Yoshiko: N-Nothing! I brought it just in case, that's all! Hanamaru: ...? Chika: It's perfect weather, and the sea is nice and calm. It's gonna feel so good to dance out here! You: Mm-hmm. Days like today make for perfect performances. I'm really itching to get out there. Chika: You designed the cutest costumes, too! I can't wait to put mine on. Riko: Yes. *Giggle* For a moment there, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. You: Hee, hee, hee. I know. I took it right down to the wire. Ruby and I had to make a mad dash to the craft store to buy more supplies. Ruby: For a moment, I got scared we wouldn't finish in time. You: I'm so sorry! But Ruby, once you got to work, you were unbelievable! Especially the way you handled those scissors. You looked like a pro! Ruby: A p-pro? Dia: Chika, shouldn't we go over the performance one more time before the show starts? Chika: Good call. Okay, everybody, let's move. It's too cramped here in the dressing room. Hanamaru: Huh? Is it dark out here, or is it just me? Riko: Ni, you're right. It's really cloudy, and the wind's a bit chilly, too. Brrr, it's cold! Kanan: The weather forecast said it'd be sunny all day... Oh, no. I hope it's not gonna rain. You: What's gonna happen to the event if it rains? Mari: It's supposed to be out on the deck, so if it rains, they'll have to cancel it. Mari: A little sprinkle would be one thing, but if it rains so heavily that people need umbrellas, that'd be dangerous. The audience and performers could slip and get hurt. Chika: Oh, no! We practiced so hard, and this was our first live show in a long time. Ruby: Are we not gonna be able to sing for everyone? Riko: I-It's just cloudy right now! It's not a given that it will rain. M-Maybe... Dia: Riko's right. Besides, even if it's canceled, all our practice and efforts certainly weren't a waste of time. Dia: We'll be able to use what we learned for our next show. That much I'm sure of. Kanan: That's true. And until we're able to wear them, we'll take good care of our costumes so they don't get dirty. You: Kanan... Yoshiko: Stop moping, my little demons! Chika: Huh?! Hanamaru: Yoshiko! Don't stand so close to the edge of the deck! You'll fall, zura! Yoshiko: I know the unease you all feel in times like this, when gloomy rain threatens to fall. Heaven's hatred for me and my demonic ilk is truly fierce! Yoshiko: But have no fear. You all have Yohane at your side... Wh-Whoa! WHOA! The boat's rocking! Hanamaru: *Screech* Sh-She's gonna fall overboard, zura! Yoshiko: Geez, I'm the one who almost fell, why are you the one who looks like she's about to cry? But, uhh... That was kinda dangerous, so let me just get down... You: What the heck are you doing, Yoshiko? Yoshiko: Urk! Ahem! You all are being tested by the heavens, but fear not, for you have Yohane's protection! Everyone find yours and equip yourselves! Chika: What the heck? Whoa, these are huge teru teru bozu dolls! Riko: And their faces... Are these supposed to be us? Hanamaru: Is this what you had in your bag, zura? Did you make all of these yourself? Yoshiko: For as long as I can remember, bad things always happen to me on important days. I'd get sick and oversleep the day of a test, or crows would steal my rice balls... Yoshiko: And it's practically a daily ritual for it to start pouring with rain the second I leave my house to go anywhere. Yoshiko: I didn't want Yohane's curse to cause it to rain on all of you, so I... Umm... Chika: *Giggle* Chika: Thank you so much, Yohane! I'm sure your fallen angel powers will reach the skies and beyond! Yoshiko: .....................! Ruby: Hey... Hey! Everyone, look at the sky! Hanamaru: Whoa! It's clearing up, zura... The fallen angel powers actually blew the clouds away! Mari: Oh my God! Maybe Yohane's not a fallen angel, but a real angel! Yoshiko: It worked... Kanan: Hee, hee, hee. The fallen angel herself is the most surprised one! Chika: Now the event can go on as planned! Dia: It's almost showtime. Everyone, let's hurry up and get changed! You: (I get to sing and dance with my closest friends out on top of my beloved sea. The joy in my heart feels like sparkling ocean waves. Now I have to show them!) Chika: Let's make this the best show ever! C'mon, everyone! Aqours... Together: Sunshine!