Uneasy daily life

Angelina silently took two steps to the side to show her disdain.

"Quite an enthusiastic person," the burly man with a buzz cut nodded. "Kitahara, I think you need to learn from this student council president's social skills. Being too shy will make it hard to integrate into a new life..."

Kitahara Iori: "No, no, no! This has nothing to do with social skills!"

“That being said, we’re already here, we can’t just turn around and run away…” Kitahara Iori sighed, his shoulders relaxed, and he gave up struggling. He then wanted to talk about something else. “Are you guys from the Men’s Izu Tourism Group?”

The white figure shook its head and said, "We're here to go to university, Izu University."

Kitahara Iori was taken aback: "You guys are also freshmen at Izu University?"

The blond-haired burly man crossed his arms and exclaimed, "What an unexpected coincidence! The student council president who could fight me and Tokita to a standstill has become a junior in the diving club!"

“It is indeed a remarkable coincidence.” The burly man with short black hair agreed wholeheartedly. “To be able to turn enemies into friends is truly a wonderful story.”

“Yes, yes,” Bai Ying sighed. “I never imagined that the two seniors would be reported by girls for their immoral behavior and then sent to the police station for detention and reform, forcing me, a newcomer, to take on the heavy responsibility of the diving department. It’s truly unpredictable, success or failure is up to fate…”

Angelina silently took out her phone and pressed two buttons.

"Hahaha! Just kidding, just kidding, don't take it seriously! Come on, let's go inside and talk about it! It's so cold outside!"

The two burly men laughed heartily, extended a warm invitation, and turned to lead the way. Bai Ying followed with Angelina.

Kitahara Iori looked around and realized she felt a little out of place.

Something's definitely not right!

The group arrived at the entrance of an ordinary diving shop—not a shop that sells diving equipment, but a shop that provides diving instruction and diving experiences.

Bai Ying and Angelina looked up at the sign.

【GrandBlue】.

Chapter 138 I will help every awesome person!

"Let me make this clear from the beginning..."

Kitahara Iori was unusually serious and deep: "This is hell inside, not a place for girls."

"Huh?" Angelina asked, puzzled. "Why did you specifically tell me?"

"It's just a normal diving club gathering," the blond-haired man explained. "Our diving club is an inter-school club, and this is a base for our activities. Didn't Kitahara participate in any club activities in high school? You're making a big fuss over nothing."

The burly, black-haired man nodded in agreement, saying, "Looks like he's a very introverted type. That won't do, Iori."

Kitahara Iori revealed a pancake-shaped expression that was three parts ferocity, three parts disdain, three parts contempt, and one part disgust.

"I can already feel it, the abnormally high concentration of alcohol in the air, and the loud noise I can hear even through the door..."

Bai Ying sniffed the air, then suddenly pushed the glass door, which had excellent soundproofing, open inwards. Angelina was about to peek inside when a cacophony of noise surged out and instantly overwhelmed her.

OMG—what's going on?!

A group of... guys, oh no, it's hard to describe them as just guys, I should say a group of men drinking and partying, how should I put it... well, I don't know if it's youth, or passion, or youthful passion...

Angelina was bewildered, yet she also felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen this scene somewhere before.

"A bottle of beer, once down, brings forth the vastness of rivers and seas; two large hands, waving them, stir up the winds and clouds. Clothes that are cumbersome, are washed away, and one can drift with the wind, forgetting all worldly troubles, and talk about anything and everything."

Bai Ying summed it up with a curt remark: "A large-scale gay gathering."

Angelina suddenly slapped her palm, realizing something: "That's right! Back in China, Dad and some of his Chinese friends used to dine shirtless like this! Mom said it was a bad habit, but she broke it later!"

Bai Ying stroked his chin: "Speaking of which, my father was the kind of person who was rather reserved, with a bit of the airs of a cultured man. When I was a child, I saw him at parties with relatives and friends, and he would at most unbutton a few buttons on his collar to cool off..."

As they pointed and gestured, they discussed the guiding role of environmental culture and customs in human behavior.

Seeing this, the burly man with short black hair said to Kitahara Iori, "You see, it's because you're too introverted that they don't make such a fuss."

Kitahara Iori: "...No, no, no matter what, I just want to stay as far away from this kind of situation as possible!"

After the group went inside, a kind-looking middle-aged man with a square face greeted them: "Hey, Iori, has your homesickness been cured? And who are these two...?"

“Uncle, I’m not homesick!” Kitahara Iori sighed and casually introduced, “His name is Shirakage, and her name is Anshinin Angelina. They are also freshmen at Izu University this year.”

The burly man with a buzz cut smiled and said, "Newlyweds, we're so lucky to have met, why don't you come and have a drink together?"

He gave the blond-haired man a look: Ah Shou, you know what I mean, right?

“That’s right, that’s right,” the blond-haired man chimed in. “Come and experience it!”

Don't worry, Tokita! This is a great opportunity to recruit new talent!

There's nothing a bottle of wine can't solve; if one doesn't work, just add another!

Kitahara Iori sneered without saying a word, but sensed a hint of danger; it seemed her small arms couldn't possibly overpower the muscular giant she was dealing with...

Angelina looked on suspiciously, keenly sensing a familiar air of conspiracy...

Bai Ying calmly tapped her phone: "We're guests here for a diving experience. Are you two perhaps staff members? You actually encouraged our guests to drink alcohol before diving? That's quite an eye-opener... Tsk tsk, I'll contact the complaints association..."

"Please don't misunderstand, they are just random people."

Uncle Fangzheng instantly waved his hand, shooing the black and yellow duo aside, then revealed a friendly smile to greet guests: "Are you two here for diving? Did you bring your own equipment or do you need to rent some? Do you have a diving certificate? What level is it? You can take a look at the types of services we offer here."

Wow! I didn't know there was such a trick! Indeed, the service experience is naturally different when customers come to the store...

Kitahara Iori suddenly realized what was happening and felt two shadows appear behind her.

He turned around alertly: "What do you want? I...I'm also..."

Wait a minute! If I said I wanted to try scuba diving myself, my uncle would probably agree without hesitation...

But he can't swim.

"You're going diving too?"

"Ahem! I don't dive, so naturally I don't want to join your diving club!"

"Alright, alright, since you're not going diving, how about we grab a drink?"

"I'm only eighteen..."

"Shut up! You're practically twenty by now!"

Kitahara Iori, flanked by men, is putting up a stubborn resistance.

Angelina scratched her head: "Sir, what does 'twenty' mean?"

Bai Ying was filming with her phone: "Japanese law stipulates that you can give sexual consent at 14, get married at 16, be considered an adult at 18, and can only drink alcohol and smoke at 20."

Angelina exclaimed in surprise: "Huh?! So we're witnessing a crime!"

"Hey! Let's have a glass of water!" The blond-haired man chuckled and handed over a glass of clear liquid. "The water here tastes really good."

"Besides water, you can also try oolong tea." The burly man with black hair took out a cup of brown liquid and added, "Drinking a cup won't hurt. Don't be so introverted and shy, give it a try."

Kitahara Iori shook her head vigorously, struggling: "There must be something wrong with your water and oolong tea!"

Bai Ying clicked her tongue and put away her phone: "You're really experienced in circumventing the law. As long as you don't mention alcohol, taking a picture won't be considered evidence of urging someone to drink. At most, it'll be suspected sexual harassment of a same-sex person..."

Angelina: "Sexual harassment of other women is terrible enough, isn't it?!"

Hey! We're both freshmen, shouldn't you lend me a hand?!

Kitahara Iori struggled to fend off the approaching large pectoral muscles on either side as the manager began introducing the services to the two: "If you're going to try unlicensed diving, would you like to experience snorkeling or scuba diving? Snorkeling is diving without an oxygen tank, relying on a snorkel, and the maximum depth is three meters. Scuba diving requires an oxygen tank and the maximum depth is twelve meters. The former is cheaper, and the latter is more expensive..."

Angelina looked at the service form the manager had handed her and hesitated for a moment: "If I've never been diving before, should I try snorkeling?"

“What’s the difference between snorkeling and swimming? Scuba diving is definitely the better option. Since the shop offers this service, they must have an instructor to prevent safety issues, so you don’t need to worry about it,” Bai Ying decisively stated. “Scuba diving for two people, equipment rental.”

"Okay, please take a look at these terms and conditions first, and make sure you don't have any conditions that would make you unsuitable for diving, such as having certain medical conditions." The shop manager handed two copies of the terms and conditions to Bai Ying and Angelina, then turned to ask, "Nanaka should be back soon, right?"

The blond-haired man thought for a moment: "She's been underwater for a while now, her oxygen should be almost used up..."

Suddenly, the shop door was pushed open, and a tall woman stepped into the shop. Her slightly curly long hair was damp with water, her face was friendly and beautiful, and her figure was slender and graceful. Instantly, the atmosphere of the men's party in the shop was refreshed.

Angelina instinctively turned her head to look and was surprised.

"Nanaka, you're back just in time. There are two guests here who are planning to go diving. Could you show them around for a bit?" the shop manager said, gesturing for them.

"OK, all right."

The woman quickly agreed, smiling and nodding at Angelina and Bai Ying, then turned to look at Kitahara Iori, who was being attacked by two burly men and whose eyes were somewhat dazed: "Iori, it's been a long time."

Kitahara Iori nodded blankly: "Oh, nice to meet you, hello, hello..."

"Nice to meet you? Uh... You've even forgotten your cousin? That's a bit heartless."

"Cousin..."

Kitahara Iori belatedly realized, "Ah! Nanaka-nee?! You've changed so much?!"

"Chisa has changed a lot too, but let's catch up later."

The woman smiled gently and moved closer to Bai Ying and Angelina: "Have you two decided? If there are no problems, I'll take you to the changing room. You can leave your luggage and pets at the store for now."

Angelina looked at the other person with a hint of something unsaid, her mind a jumble of conflicting thoughts.

Bai Ying then lifted the little white cat on her shoulder: "Can cats dive? I want to train its ability to fish in the sea."

"Huh? Can cats dive?" The woman paused, then pondered seriously, looking troubled. "Maybe they can? But I don't have any diving equipment for cats..."

"Then forget it. It seems I'll have to hunt for this guy myself."

Bai Ying casually placed the little white cat on the counter, feeling slightly regretful.

"Hmm! Do you have any other questions?" the woman asked with a smile, her gaze fixed on Angelina, who seemed a little hesitant.

Angelina scratched her cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed at the woman in the diving suit...

"Let her through." The white figure patted Angelina's shoulder. "You can't pull off this curve-revealing look. Even a wetsuit doesn't show as much skin as this casual outfit..."

"(へ㕬)! Shut up!"

Angelina, blushing with embarrassment and anger, suddenly realized that the woman seemed even more shy than herself. She waved her hands awkwardly and chuckled incoherently, "Haha, what curves... cough cough, guests really like to joke. I'll take you to the changing room!"

The woman led the two excited men to the changing room behind the shop, where they could faintly hear the noisy chatter of men covered in sweat.

"Come and give it a try! There are no useless experiences in the world. How will you know it's bad if you don't try?"

"I've already tried it!"

"Where have you tried it? Come on! You try it first and then we'll see!"

"Impossible! I would never pick up your bad habits!"

Kitahara Iori's strong and resonant voice echoed in the store.

College students are actually a little scary.

Angelina thought about it subconsciously, but quickly focused her attention on diving.

Under the woman's guidance, we changed into wetsuits, put on diving masks, weight belts, diving gloves and other equipment, and then took our flippers to the seaside balcony behind the shop. The wooden balcony was suspended directly over the sea, and the steps leading down to the sea extended directly into the water from the side.

"No matter what happens, don't panic too much. I will always be watching over you."

The woman smiled gently, putting everyone at ease.

"Uh-huh!"

Angelina nodded repeatedly, then suddenly remembered something that made her uneasy, and turned to look at the white figure.

The white figure was observing the seawater with a deep expression.

"What are you thinking about?" Angelina immediately became alert.

"Shouldn't diving involve things like harpoons, water guns, and diving knives?" Bai Ying said. "I also want to experience what it's like to fight fish."

The woman smiled and said, "Harpoon guns are quite dangerous for inexperienced beginners. There's no need to use a diving knife in this area either. If you want to take it a step further, you'll need to get a diving certificate, whether it's going on a boat trip to dive or you two."

"No problem, let's go!"

The white figure leaped into the sea.

"Hey! Be careful!"

……

The sea was so quiet; the occasional sound of flowing water made the quiet even more so.

I felt a little out of sorts when I tried to breathe, as if my muscles had forgotten how to breathe and I had to consciously control them.

Looking down, the seabed is so close, you can just twist your body slightly and flip over with the current. The surface of the sea, only a few meters away, shines through the sunlight and seems both distant and like paradise...

The diving instructor followed along, occasionally gesturing to point out more beautiful scenery or to spot small fish, shrimp, corals, and other marine life.

Beneath the sea lies a landscape entirely different from that on land.