The first strange meeting Makoto had with the swimsuit girl was in elementary school. It was when his fish had died. He had built a grave on the weekend but now he just wanted to be alone. So sadly he wandered into the park.
He hadn't walked home with Haru that day and he knew Haru would know something was wrong. He also knew Haru would give him the space he needed. It was damp outside. Mist clung to the air giving the park another worldly feeling.
Moss hugged the trees covering them in a green that stood out against the dull gray of the day. As he walked through the thin trees he found himself entranced with the moss and the bark. Until he looked around and saw that he didn't know where he was. Panicking he looked all around him. All he could see was trees. Looming tall over him, the mist swarming around him. Blindly he ran further into the woods.
Hot tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. Finally he collapsed against a tree and started to cry. He was scared. He was lost and sad, and all he wanted was to walk home with Haru and play video games.
He didn't know how long he had been there, but when he looked up he saw a girl around his age. She stood there wearing his swim teams swimsuit. It matched his only hers was for girls. She looked at him worried and puzzled.
"Hello." She said quietly. She looked at him with big green eyes. She crouched down so she could be at the same level as him.
"Hello." He said staring back at her. There was something entrancing about all of this. "Why are you wearing a swimsuit?"
"Because I was swimming. Why are you crying?" Makoto wiped his eyes embarrassed.
"My goldfish died and I got lost..." He said feeling slightly childish now. But the girl seemed to understand completely.
"I'm really sorry about your goldfish." She said. She seemed sad about the fish. She came and sat down beside him. Wrapping her small arms around his small shoulders she hugged him. They sat there in silence and watched the mist roll in around them. Then slowly the mist started to fade and Makoto could clearly see the path. He turned to look at the girl and thank her. But she had gone. On the ground next to him were a pair of goggles.
Makoto had told Haru about this encounter and was determined to find her and thank her. She was wearing their swim club swim suit so he asked the girl's team if they knew a girl with long brown hair and green eyes. He met all the girls in the club but none of them were her.
As years went by Makoto gave up trying to look and called her "The swimsuit girl". He was sure she was real and kept the goggles as proof, but he didn't know where to find her until Haru came over one afternoon almost 2 years later.
... ... ... ...
Makoto had been having a good morning. Her and Haru had gone to swim practice and Makoto managed to set a new record for herself. She was very proud and in high spirits when suddenly a wave of sadness hit her. She was scared all of a sudden and she didn't know why. She felt tears welling up in her eyes.
Haru noticed that Makoto was acting different while they were getting changed. Makoto wasn't even getting changed. She was just sitting in her swim suit staring off into space. Haru gave her a worried glance but decided to give her space. Makoto would ask for her help if she needed it.
Haru truly became worried when Makoto stopped being in the room. She vanished into thin air. Haru looked around frantically for Mako, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Makoto had been sitting in the change room one moment then the next she found herself in the woods standing in front of a crying boy. It was a frightening experience but somehow this boy comforted her. He told her about his fish and suddenly Makoto found that she knew his sadness. She could feel it herself.
She wasn't quite sure how, but she knew she shared emotions with this boy even if she didn't know him.
Sitting down beside him she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It hadn't been long before she felt her eyes close briefly and then someone's hands on her shoulders. Haru was shaking her lightly and gazing at her with worried eyes.
"Where were you? You suddenly disappeared."
"I'm fine. I met a boy and he was crying so I hugged him and then I came back here." Said Makoto as if that explained everything. Haru seemed partially satisfied with the answer and stopped shaking Mako's shoulders.
"Haru-chan do you know where my goggles are?"
"Lay off the chan."
Makoto tried to find the boy after that but she couldn't find him anywhere. She never found her goggles either. She gave up hope trying to find the boy and learn about him. She instead called him "The crying boy." She forgot about him until two years later when Haru went to the hospital