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Hai's Perspective

It wasn't the act of diving that made him love the sport so much. True, Hai did find a certain solace in the quiet that came with submerging so deep in the pool. But, even more so, it was the sense of belonging that accompanied being so good at something. Nobody questioned that Hai was made for diving. Nobody could ignore how good he was. Nobody could ignore him. 

Looking from the platform into the water below, Hai felt an intense peace. In just a few moments, everything he had worked for would crest. He didn’t feel nervous. Taoyu and he had practiced over and over again. Taoyu was like his shadow, perfectly replicating Hai’s movements. He anticipated the feeling of finally producing the motions they had practiced again and again, drilled into their minds. He desired the rush he got every time he swam above the water, escaping the silence to applause and praise. This was his moment.  


When Hai was younger, he was always running about, a ball full of energy. He followed his sisters everywhere they went, as he chattered away. They didn’t listen to him much, but he just kept on talking. Hai wanted to be heard. He craved attention.  So when the diving scouts came to his school, Hai knew he had to go. It didn’t matter that he had been at the beach more than the pool. Hai was eager for new places. New people. 

Hai knew he belonged the moment he stepped on that bus. Everyone was chatting, excited. He had sat next to a timid looking boy whose name he found out was Taoyu. Hai immediately knew they would be good friends because Taoyu listened intently when he talked and looked at Hai like he was the only person in the world. It was like having a little brother who followed you around everywhere and wanted to be just like you. And it worked with diving too, how Taoyu copied his movements. They were always together. They slept in the same bed, ate together, and dived together. Maybe it got a little annoying when they got older, but Hai wasn’t bothered because they dived together like magic. 

When Taoyu kissed him, a part of Hai wasn’t surprised. But he didn’t think about it. Taoyu was sad because his mother had died and Hai had ignored him earlier that day. Taoyu was confused. Hai was not confused. Hai knew there was only one thing that mattered, and Taoyu had simply forgotten. Diving was the only thing on his mind.

Everyone told Hai and Taoyu they were going far. They were the next big thing. Hai focused more and more on diving as he grew older. Everything else was a backdrop to the praise and belonging he felt when his coaches and fans cheered him on. The more people told him how good he was, the more motivated he became to be the best.       


When the moment came, Hai jumped. Soared through the air like a bird, performing perfectly. He felt the future he had been striving towards for so long at the tip of his fingers, but when his body submerged, he felt the absence of the shadow beside him. 

Comments

  1. EssraaMay 11, 2022 at 12:13 PM

    I love the insight into Hai's character, especially with the parallel regarding Hai's possible childhood and the aspect of wanting to be heard by others. From the way you wrote Hai's character, it shows that Hai always seems to have diving on his mind, especially being absorbed with it to the point where he only noticed Taoyu had left at the very end. This opened up a new possibility of personality to Hair, for while I didn't originally get the vibe that he was almost bordering self-centeredness, I can also see how this is an accurate representation of who Hai could really be without the bias in Taoyu's perspective.

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  2. Andrea_TorelliJune 1, 2022 at 7:12 PM

    I think it is really interesting to get Hai's perspective in this story. Your depiction of Hai's experience provides meaningful information about the true relationship of both characters. I thought you did a great job of showing how Hai dealt with his relationship with Taoyu and how diving always was first to him. Great work!

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