Chapter 1

The usually quiet house was full of life tonight. People were laughing, talking, eating and drinking. Haru sat in the corner with a small smile on his face, holding his cane across his lap. Today was his twentieth birthday.

He wouldn't live to see twenty-one.

He had been diagnosed a year and a half ago. Cancer. Terminal. So sorry, nothing we can do. Life expectancy about twenty months. We'll do our best to make you comfortable.

He had to stop swimming competitively. He slowly got weaker, relying more and more on morphine. The only reason he was still here was Makoto.

Makoto had been there since the day he was diagnosed. He bought Haru his ocean-blue cane when walking had become too painful. He would stay in the pool with Haru for hours, helping him swim or just float on the surface. He made sure Haru took his medication and ate, and always kept an extra bottle of morphine with him. Just in case.

Right now, Makoto was sitting with Rei and Nagisa. Nagisa was stuffing his face with food while Rei and Makoto talked casually. After Makoto and Haru had graduated they tried to keep in touch with the younger students, but it was hard, especially after the diagnosis. They took this party as a chance to catch up.

Rei was in a serious relationship with a girl he met at university. He was considering asking her to marry him soon. He had also been offered a very good job at a law firm. If he took it, he would be living in Tokyo.

Nagisa had been a little more carefree after graduation; he took the year off and volunteered all over the country, traveling and meeting new people. He was planning on going to university the following year.

All their plans didn't start until the following year. Until Haru was gone.

Haru was grateful. Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted some semblance of normality. Like the world wasn't going to keep moving without him.

He stood up, leaning heavily on his left side, and walked to the sliding back door. With some difficulty, he opened it and walked outside, sitting down heavily in the grass. It was beautiful outside; summer was just turning into autumn, and a pleasant breeze swept through his hair. He had decided against chemo, which would have added a few months to his life, because of the cost to his parents, so the raven hair on his head was his own. He took pride in that. It seemed to be the only thing he still had control over. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. He was going to miss that scent.

He felt the grass rustle beside him, and looked over to see vibrant red eyes contemplating him intently.

"Didn't think you were gonna make it," Haru said, smirking.

"Come on, everyone else was just early," Rin shot back. They laughed and leaned back in the grass, hands behind their heads, elbows touching.

Rin had been accepted into the Japanese Olympic swim team right after graduation, following in his father's footsteps. He was in line to be one of the top swimmers in the country. They hadn't seen him in person since then.

It felt strange lying next to his former rival. There was no more competitive air hanging around them, but there was still tension. And guilt. Rin hadn't come to see Haru ever since he was diagnosed.

Haru breathed deeply, trying to settle his stomach. He had spent a lot of time thinking about death. What else did he have to do? He had come to accept his reality; he was going to die, and he didn't want any regrets. That's why he gathered everyone here. He was going to say goodbye to everyone, and he and his closest friends were going to his favorite place in the world, Wakasa Bay.

This was the only way he would have no regrets. Not that he could say the same for his friends and family; the sickness may be his, but the tragedy was theirs.

The boys packed all of their supplies into Haru's parent's old van, the one they had used when they went camping. Haru hugged his parents, who had come from Tokyo to help take care of him. He hugged Kou, now a woman, but still smiling and energetic. She had tears in her eyes.

"You guys have fun, ok?" she said shakily, wiping away tears. "You better bring me back a souvenir."

"Only the best," Rin said, rubbing his sister's head and kissing her. Makoto watched from the van, and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Haru's mother and father. They looked so tired. Haru's mother gripped his arm.

"Makoto," she whispered, "bring him back safely."

"Of course, Mrs. Nanase." She gripped him harder.

"Promise me. Promise me!" She shouted, her voice breaking.

"I – I promise!" he exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes. Haru had gotten much of his personality from his mother; she too was calm and buried her feelings. To have her lose control was completely out of the ordinary. She seemed to realize that she had scared him, and loosened her grip.

"I'm sorry, Makoto, I just…" she choked, hand covering her mouth. "I lost so much time with him. I don't want to lose more." Makoto looked at her with pity, his green eyes concerned. He wrapped his arms around her, and Haru's father stood by, not saying a word.

"I know," he whispered into her shoulder.

Soon, everything was piled into the van. Among their supplies were some oddities; Nagisa had brought a young tree with him, its roots still in a brown bag full of soil. He wanted to plant it in Wakasa Bay. He squished himself and the tree into the middle seat in the back, the top of his hand rustling the bottom leaves.

Also with them, folded up in the back, was a special cart for Haru. They all knew he wouldn't be able to walk the entire trip, but Haru refused to use it until he absolutely had to.

After their final goodbyes and have funs, they piled in. Rei was driving since he knew the fastest way there. Rin was next to him, and Makoto, Nagisa and Haru were in the back seats, and they were off. Haru stuck his head out the window, waving at his family and friends as they slowly became specks in the distance until they disappeared completely. He sat back in the van, only to find a video camera right in his face.

"What the hell, Nagisa!" he yelled, scooting away from the camera. Nagisa laughed hysterically.

"This is the trip of a lifetime!" Nagisa exclaimed. "We've gotta document every second!" He turned to Makoto, putting the camera right up to his nose. "Right, Mako-chan?"

Makoto laughed, giving Nagisa a playful shove. "Sure, Nagisa. Whatever you want."

Their first day on the road was a blast for all. They laughed, talked and ate until the sun started to lower in the sky. Rei pulled over near a small forest and they all climbed out and set up camp. Soon the campfire was set up and the smell of roasting sausages filled the air. The boys ate ravenously, except for Haru. He found that the drugs took away his appetite.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked, ripping off a piece of sausage and chewing noisily. Rei adjusted his glasses on his nose and whipped out a map from his pocket, unfolding it so everyone could see.

"Well, we're about right here," he said, pointing to a spot on the map far away from the nearest city, "and we'll drive about four more hours tomorrow until we get here, and then we begin our hike to the ferry. If everything goes smoothly, we'll reach the ferry the day after tomorrow." Nagisa cheered loudly and jumped up from his seat in front of the fire, waving his burned marshmallow around his head.

"We're gonna get to Wakasa bay in no time! It's gonna be amazing! Come on, Haru-chan, get excited!" he yelled, running over to Haru and gently tugging on his arm. "We used to have a blast there in elementary school, remember?"

Haru did remember. He remember the hours he spent floating in the clear water, throwing frisbees on the beach and late nights talking around the campfire. It was a place where they were all at peace; Makoto's fear was forgotten and Rin was still himself, not the obsessed-with-winning stranger that returned from Australia all those years ago. It was the one place where he felt like he could be truly happy and not care who sees. He could be free.

He allowed Nagisa to slowly lift him to his feet, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. Haru hadn't realized how much he'd grown. He was rivaling Makoto in height. Nagisa started to sing loudly, slowly helping Haru move as he danced around the fire. Soon all five boys were dancing around and yelling like maniacs, throwing wood into the fire and fanning it so it grew bigger and bigger, watching as the embers rose into the air and dissolved into the starry sky.

The boys rose with the sun the next morning and tiredly packed up camp. Well, Makoto, Rin, Nagisa and Rei packed up. Haru would only get in the way. Less than five hours later, Rei was pulling the van into an abandoned lot overgrown with weeds. Flowers poked out of the cracks in the asphalt.

"Alright, everyone out!" Rei yelled. The tired boys grumbled good-naturedly as the got out of the van and grabbed all their supplies. Makoto pulled his backpack on and walked up behind Haru.

"You feeling ok, Haru-chan?" he whispered. Haru nodded, rolling his eyes. Makoto was constantly worrying about him. Honestly, Haru kind of liked it, but he would never let Makoto know that, so he just started to limp away. He heard Makoto sigh loudly behind him and footsteps quickly catching up with him.

"Are you sure about this? You can use the cart, I don't want you to exhaust yourself," Makoto said. "It's gonna be a long walk."

They hadn't even started the walk yet and Haru was already being coddled. "I already told you," Haru said. "I want to walk as far as I can. Then I'll use the cart." He looked into Makoto's face, his worried green eyes, and softened his tone. He knew Makoto meant well.

"Please, Makoto. I just want things to be normal for just a little longer." Makoto's eyes widened, and he looked down.

"I'm sorry, Haru," he said quietly. "I just worry, you know?"

"I know."

"Oh my god, you guys are like a married couple!" Nagisa yelled, and Makoto and Haru jumped in shock. Nagisa laughed maniacally, jumping in between them. "Stop talking all secretively and let's go!" He yelled, letting go of them and running ahead. Rin came up beside them, pushing Haru's cart, which was filled with most of their supplies.

"He's become even more insane since I last saw him," Rin remarked. Makoto and Haru looked at each other and laughed. He had no idea.

They began their hike through the forest, and it was beautiful; the light shone through the trees in beams like spotlights, and everything was so green and moving and alive. Haru could feel it in the air around him. He hadn't had this much energy in months.

Makoto was walking close to him, constantly looking over at his face for any sign of pain, morphine in reach. But Haru's face was full of a bliss that it hadn't been since his diagnosis. Makoto finally let himself relax and enjoy the beauty around him.

A couple hours later and they had reached the edge of the forest and went into an open plain. The sun beat down on them, but a breeze made the walk across rather pleasant. The group had been talking almost nonstop since the beginning of their hike, but now all were quiet. It was a comfortable silence, until it was broken by Rin.

"What the hell is that?" he asked, pointing to the end of the plain. They walked toward it and at the bottom of a slight hill was a small tavern. They could hear loud music and singing emanating from it. Nagisa tugged on Rei's arm.

"Let's go check it out, Rei-chan!"

"No, Nagisa, we're underage, we can't possibly-"

"Who cares? We're on the trip of a lifetime right now, nobody'll know! Besides, we look older than we are," he reasoned. Rei was about to argue again when a yelp from behind him stopped him. He turned to see Haru limping quickly, already halfway down the hill, and Makoto stumbling after him.

"Wait, Haru! What are you doing?"

Haru didn't answer, even when the rest of the group had caught up with him. An exasperated Makoto put his hand on Haru's shoulder.

"Haru, I don't think this is a good idea. All those people are drunk, I don't know what they'll do…"

"I don't care," Haru spit back, shrugging off Makoto's hand. "I'm going in."

And that was it. Once Haru set his mind set on something, there was no stopping him.

The walk to the tavern was further than Haru had originally thought, and the group had to stop halfway so Makoto and Rin could set up the cart. Soon, Haru was secured and they set off again. He could feel the leaves of Nagisa's tree tickling his legs from its position underneath the cart.

It was close to evening by the time they made it, pushing the cart through the large stone entrance. It looked as though a party was being hosted outside, but it was a strange one; people were wearing a mix of traditional Japanese garb and more modern clothes, with variations of kpop and western music playing in the background. One thing was clear, though; most of them were hammered.

Nagisa squealed in delight at the strange mix in front of him, grabbing Rei by the sleeve and dragging him towards the crowd. He started a dance that would've looked strange if anybody else had tried it, and Rei awkwardly shuffled his feet next to him.

Rin went up to the bar to grab a drink, leaving Makoto and Haru alone on the edge of the crowd. Makoto sat down at the nearest table, swiping a hand across his forehead. He looked exhausted. Not that he would ever complain, Haru thought to himself.

"So, Haru, what do you want to do?" Makoto asked. Haru had been so adamant about coming here, but all he had done since arriving was sit and stare. He didn't answer, not that Makoto had expected him to.

A few quiet minutes passed before a loud yell from the middle of the crowd made them turn their heads. A fight had broken out in the crowd, and it looked like Rei and Nagisa were being dragged into it.

Nagisa had the biggest smile on his face as he dove into the crowd, looking like he was trying to piggy-back ride on someone with a fist raised toward another man, and Rei had a look of utmost terror as he tried to pry the blonde off.

Rin was walking back with the drinks when he spotted the commotion. He heard a spluttered, "Rin-san, h-help!" from Rei and immediately put the drinks down, a smile on his face and gleam in his eyes as he lunged into the crowd.

Haru just watched the chaos with a blank face, even as Makoto panicked beside him. But his stoic exterior betrayed the fire he felt surging through his veins.

He looked up and saw a white feather floating through the air toward him. With a speed he didn't know he was still capable of, he snatched it out of the air with bony fingers and brought it down to his face. It was a down feather of some kind of sea bird, and he could smell the faint scent of sea salt on the tip. He rubbing it between his palms before pocketing it and turning to Makoto.

"Push me over there."

"What?" Makoto asked, looking at Haru as if he had gone insane.

"You heard me," Haru answered, picking up his cane. "I want to do something crazy."

"Haru…"

"Remember how I wanted to turn twenty, so I could be ordinary?" Haru asked. Makoto nodded slowly. "I changed my mind. I don't want to spend the rest of my life being ordinary." He looked back at Makoto, who had tears in his eyes. "Don't cry, Makoto."

"Sorry," Makoto whispered, rubbing his eyes quickly. He walked behind the cart and gripped the handlebars tightly, head hung low. "I just never thought you were ordinary, Haru."

"Let's be crazy for a little bit longer, ok, Makoto?" Haru said quietly, reaching back and grabbing Makoto's hand. He felt a squeeze in return. He then turned his attention back to the crowd in front of them, where the fight was still going on. He raised his cane in front of him like a sword.

"Charge!" he yelled, and continued to yell as Makoto pushed him as fast as he could toward the crowd, effectively splitting it in half. Soon, Haru was enveloped by the chaos around him, blindly swinging his cane. The adrenaline pumping through him was exhilarating. He hadn't felt this way in so long.

His euphoria was cut short when a fist came out of nowhere, smashing into his jaw and knocking over his cart. He fell along with it, smashing his shoulder into the ground, hard.

"STOP!"

"Haru-chan!"

"Get the fuck off him, bastard!"

Haru felt a pair of strong hands lift him off the ground and set him back into his cart. His vision was a little blurry, but he could see Makoto next to him, his worried face taking up most of his vision, and Rin standing in front of them both like a protective guard dog. A big man from the crowd tried running past him to get at Haru, but Rin tackled him to the ground.

"I said stop! You can't hit him," Rin shouted, his voice cracking. "You can't hit him, he's got cancer."

A/N: Thank you for reading! This is going to be multi-chaptered, but I'm not sure of the length yet. As you can probably tell, there will be a major character death in a future chapter. I didn't put it in the summary cause I didn't want to scare people, haha. This story is based of the movie "Third Star", which is on youtube, so if you haven't seen it go watch it and bring a box of tissues. Reviews are greatly appreciated! I'm going to try to update within the week, so see you then! xoxo