(A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first HaruGou story. I had written this story for one of my followers on tumblr. I just thought about publishing it here because it is well liked on tumblr so why not? So, I hope you enjoy! I am sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.)
All the characters in this story belong to Koji Oji and Kyoto Animation.
Gou waited for everybody else to leave before she ventured off to see him.
Maybe if she were to see him alone, she would find the answer to her question. Maybe, she would understand him.
As usual, she would always find Haruka swimming by himself in the swimming pool behind the school. But today, it was quite different. Haruka was no longer swimming. Instead, he was floating on his back, staring up at the sky as if the sky would answer all his questions for him by simply just looking at it. The brunette boy was too busy looking at the sky that he did not seem to notice the red headed girl's presence. And Gou was happy about that.
Because she still did not understand Haruka...
Haruka was a mystery. Gou had come to find after spending six months in the club. She had basically figured out everyone else in club, but when it came to Haruka, she was at lost for words. He was not like any guy she had met before; he was different. He was calm and quiet and kept to himself most of the time. He could be quite perspective and determine when the opportunity presented itself. But most of all, he was able to inspire people to swim just by swimming, but not her. She questioned it. She was intrigued by him. And for that, he was a mystery.
He was a mystery that she just had to figure out.
Gou slipped out of her school shoes and socks as she took a seat on the floor. She cringed slightly as her feet brushed against the cold water. She soon relaxed, kicking her legs back and forth, splashes of water flying up in the air for a moment before splashing back down. Her eyes were glued on the brunette boy in front of her. By this time, she was not sure if the boy was pretending to not notice her. Frustrated, she sighed.
"Haruka?"
Haruka hummed. He did not bother to turn to face her. He just continued to float on his back and stare at the sky, still searching for his answers.
She resumed. "Haruka, who are you?"
Hearing the red headed girl's question, Haruka rolled over and swam towards her. He only stopped swimming once he was a couple of inches away from her. His eyes widened as he asked her to repeat herself.
She shook her head. Instead of repeating herself, Gou made a confession.
"Out of everyone in the club, you are the only one that I do not understand, Haruka. I tried to understand, I really did, but at the end, I could not. You are always so quiet and you keep to yourself most of the time. And I cannot take it because you are one of my dear friends, and the fact that I cannot understand you makes me upset. So, who are you?"
Haruka looked down, searching for the right words to say to her because he honestly did not know how to respond to a question like that. It was the first time that anyone had ever asked him question like that. How was he supposed to come up with an answer? He let out an exasperated sigh as he ran his hands through his damp hair. "I really do not know how to answer your question, Gou. All I ever wanted was to be normal."
"Normal?" She leaned in closer. Her lips slowly curved upwards into a small smile.
He nodded his head.
"I want to be more than just a swimmer." That was all he managed to get out before he looked off to his side in a vain attempt to end the conversation. Gou was not going to let him get out of it that easily.
Her head titled. "But, Haruka, you are more than just a swimmer. You are an awesome team player and a dear friend to me." She stood up and held out her hand to him. "You are still a mystery to me, but Haruka, you are normal so please do not think otherwise."
Haruka placed his hand over his heart. He did not understand why but the words that flew right out of Gou's mouth had struck a chord with him. Her endearing words had made him feel so much lighter as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. And it felt good. He looked up at the girl. His eyes twinkled at the smile that graced the girl's face. He grabbed on to her hand, and pulled her forward.
Gou landed in the water with a splash. She wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to warm herself up. She opened her mouth to ask Haruka why did he just pulled her into the water, but Haruka cut her off when he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She sighed, allowing the brunette boy to hug her completely.
Haruka was truly a mystery. She had come to find. She was not sure if she would ever find the answer to him. But, in moments like these, where she was able to be so close to him, the answer did not matter, and for once, it was enough.
