ROUGH by Adachi Mitsuru あだち充
Rough (ラフ) by Adachi Mitsuru is a story about swimming and boarding school life at a suburban high school. This isn’t his most famous work but for fans, probably one of the best. Yes it is best in pace, in the storyline, the most interesting overall. I found it enjoyable to read even though you might have read it a couple of times. It is simply that amazing!
spoiler alert ^^ ^^
i wish to describe the ending, it’s not that I want to tell you how it ended it is more of my new thought about it.
Ami (二ノ宮亜美）and Keisuke (大和圭介) and his rival Nakanishi (仲西) are in a love triangle. The two guys are competitors in swimming. The ending of the story took place at the sports stadium on the day of the National final race.
A few days ago, Kei had asked Ami to record some songs for him to listen to during his free time at the race. So Ami got ready the tape recorder (the story was written in 1989) and guess what, she recorded something extra along with the songs: her own voice.
Ok here comes the day of the final of the swimming championship. The two men were getting ready to swim. Before the jump when the swimmers were aligned along the pool, Kei was wearing headphones with his Walkman and were playing the cassette tape that Ami passed back to him.
After a few songs played there was a pause in the tape. ..... n ... nz ... no sound? Can’t hear anything... Kei was wondering. Then alright, the race was about to begin, Kei got rid of the Walkman n started focusing on the race.
My thoughts: some are given facts I supposed ^^:
- Ami wanted to tell Kei her true feeling, expected him to have listened to it BEFORE he starts the race. (But he ended up haven’t hear or even noticed Ami said something).
- Ami told Nakanishi something before the race too, in person. And Nakanishi heard it BEFORE the race started. Nakanishi put that smile on the face when he saw Kei’s walkman got stuck (or smile at the fact that he haven’t HEARD that yet). By Kei’s side, he whispered: go to “save Ami” this time. Kei said firmly: Yes.
- Ami wanted Kei to be happy (about what she said in the cassette tape), and to carry along a happy mood to jump into the water. Ami would hope Kei can do his best, no matter the result! But Ami wants him to know that no matter the result, she will stand by him.
- Ami wanted Nakanishi to know the true feeling that she had for him. Nakanishi is a tough gentleman whom will do surely do his best in a race, and with his character, he will benefit from being told the truth sooner than later. I think he could have expressed all his feeling and emotion at that very powerful swim and he might have made his own best time!
- Keisuke (Kei), with a lay back character, may have performed his best swim in the situation when he had no distraction. So Kei may as well swam beyond his best record!
- so at the end, it was a brilliant competition!! (I think)
Adachi had not tell us the result of that race...
But in theory, who will care about win and lose in a race, in Adachi’s world? :)
(p.s I am hoping reader can explore the story Rough by themselves and have experience of their own ;)
Btw best ending ever in Adachi’s work.
