The Last Lemon Squash

Holidays are always the best.
A blue sky.
Clouds beneath my feet.
The atmosphere slamming against my body.
And a broken parachute.

During the second half of Golden Week, after finishing my family duties, I went skydiving. My wife told me not to go because it was dangerous, while sipping her lemon squash. Arguing here would be a bad move. That's what I thought at the time. I pretended not to hear her, left the house, and told her I'd be back by evening.

The plane's altimeter read 4000m. I said goodbye to my daily stress and jumped out of the craft. I grabbed the rushing atmosphere with my whole body and balanced myself. With strength surging through my entire body, I glided through the air, left and right.

A 60-second freefall. It's not exactly safe. That's precisely why I can't stop. Right now, I am living my own life.

I open my parachute at around 1500m. After that, I head toward the landing spot while leisurely enjoying the view.

When skydiving, a question I'm often asked is about what happens if the parachute doesn't open. No need to worry. I'm equipped with a reserve parachute. If the falling speed doesn't drop even at 400m, a safety device called an AAD activates, and the reserve parachute is designed to open.

So, even if the main parachute doesn't open like it did today, there's no need to panic. That's what they said in the lecture.

Realizing my parachute was broken at 1500m, I purged it immediately. All that was left was to fall until I reached 400m. That would take about 30 seconds. I'll be fine. I told myself to enjoy the moment.

However, the body is honest. Memories of the past flash through my mind, one after another. Even so, the AAD still hasn't activated. In the end, I even had the luxury of thinking. Since I'm here, I might as well introduce a few things. There's no rhyme or reason to it, but I want you to read until the end. This might be my very last request.

When the bubbles of a lemon squash pop on the surface, they realize that what formed them was soda water. Without the soda water, they would be indistinguishable from the air. The face of my wife drinking lemon squash came to mind. She always blows bubbles with her straw. I like that childishness of hers.

When a petal falls to the ground, it realizes it is no longer a flower. And it would be stunned to find that no one pays it any mind. But it realizes that, high above, it has quietly borne fruit. Have I been able to leave anything for my children?

When a Shinkansen sees a maglev train, it fears and envies the fact that its own existence has lost value. However, seeing a train resting in the depot, it realizes that even if it becomes an old model, there are people who need it. The face of a colleague asking me for help came to mind.

When the parachute doesn't open, I—.

It's almost around 400m. The AAD still hasn't activated. I try hitting the AAD desperately, but the reserve parachute doesn't respond. I feel time compressing infinitely. There is nothing left for me to do. If there is anything, it's just to talk to you.

Please, don't forget the person I was. I'd like you to remember me, even if it's just once a year. If we ever meet, I'd like to hear your story next time. While drinking some lemon squash.

(End)

I think this turned out to be quite a strange work.

I participated in this project.

■ Dialogue
"You haven't gone, have you?"
■ Three Topics
・Shinkansen
・Petal
・Lemon Squash

▼ Submission Rules

• Submission Deadline (Optional): Thursday, April 23, 2026, 23:59

• Post with the hashtags "#ThreeTopicStory" and "#ShinkansenPetalLemonSquash"

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