Everyone knew Haruka Nanase would swim forever.
That he would always be free.
Until he wasn't.
Society has a certain way of thinking when tragedies happen. They sympathize and empathize with others, with the mind set that it will never happen to them. It seems impossible, so they don't really worry about it.
Then the day comes when something happens to someone, and it's like a wake up call. At first, it's unbelievable. This has never happened before; I can't believe this. Soon, it changes everything. This did happen to me. People are different after going through that. Always have been, probably always will be.
It was the same for Haru.
Haru stirred, and his eyes opened.
He was floating in water. But when he looked around curiously, he discovered there was no end to the water in any direction. The surface seemed to stretch endlessly above.
At first, he was alarmed, but he soon calmed when he realized he could breathe. The oddness of such a thing didn't quite connect with him, and Haru merely brushed it aside.
The water was cool and impossibly calm. Light shone through the water from above the surface, and all was quiet. It was so calm, and Haru couldn't help but wish he could stay there forever.
"Haru!" A nurse quickly stepped in front of Makoto. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait outside."
Makoto looked around her to where Haru was being wheeled away. "B-But-"
She smiled gently. "As soon as we know anything, you'll be the first I go to, alright?"
Makoto stood there, pale and shaking, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Rei, sensing that Makoto was quickly shutting down, came forward.
"Okay," he said shakily, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "T-Thank you."
Nagisa was still crying, but it was soft now, with occasional hiccups and sneezes.
Rei was as calm as he could be, and he led the other two to the waiting room, where he went and purchased warm tea for himself and the others.
When he came back, Makoto was in an even worse state than before. He was completely silent and unresponsive as he stared at the floor.
Nagisa was curled up on the seat next to him, using his yellow sweater as a blanket. The blonde accepted the tea, also quiet, but at least he was still responding.
Rei sat down across from them with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"We should call Rin. He'd want to be here."
Nagisa flinched at the seemingly loud tone in contrast to the previous silence.
He blinked and reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone before holding it out to Rei with a trembling hand.
Rei smiled at him with all the encouragement he could muster. But even then, Rei could feel himself succumbing to either shock or full-blown panic.
He found Rin's number and had to dial twice, due to the fact that his fingers didn't seem to work properly.
He could hear the phone ring, and he waited while his heart began to thud in his chest.
Suddenly Rin picked up.
"What?"
Rei couldn't speak, as his throat was suddenly closed off.
"Hello?"
"R-Rin," he croaked while his legs began to shake.
"Who is this? Rei?"
"Something's happened to Haru."
"Something's happened to Haru."
Rin growled under his breath, "What the hell does that mean?"
But he knew it wasn't good, since he was driving to the hospital to see them.
His fingers tapped impatiently against the steering wheel.
When he finally made it into the emergency, the location alone adding to his panic, he froze in shock when he spotted the others.
Rin approached slowly, cautiously.
"What happened?" he breathed. He looked at Makoto, then down at his clothes.
Makoto, who had numbly followed Rin's gaze, he stiffened.
Red...red everywhere. On his hands, in his clothes, under his nails...
Makoto was covered in Haru's blood.
His green eyes grew wide, and he wheezed in a breath, becoming light-headed.
"Makoto!" Rei grabbed the brunette's shoulders. "Calm down!"
Nagisa began to cry again, shaking violently.
Makoto's vision swam, but he slowly started to calm down. When Rei saw he was breathing evenly, he released him and moved to Nagisa, pulling him into a hug.
Rei then remembered Rin, who was standing there like he had no idea what to do, which would be an accurate explanation for all of them.
"What happened to Haru?"
Rin was staring at him, expression so full of concern, that Rei eyes became clouded with tears.
"Haru's been shot."
The last control Rei had over his emotions snapped and he broke down and began to cry into Nagisa's shoulder.
Rin was like a deer in headlights, and he had to sit down.
"Haru's been shot."
"What do you want to do, Haru-chan?" Makoto asked. Haru merely blinked.
"I don't know. And drop the -chan."
Makoto just smiled brightly. "Of course."
Nagisa was bubbling with excitement. "We never have a day out together anymore. This is going to be so much fun!"
Rei pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "He's right," he admitted.
Suddenly, there was a click. Everyone turned to see a man standing there, dressed all in black, with a gun.
Currently aimed at Nagisa.
"Give me all of your money."
They all stared at him, and the man growled in irritation, and his finger moved to the trigger.
Everyone panicked.
Nagisa shrunk back and Rei grabbed his arm, while Makoto hurriedly pulled out his wallet.
Only Haru remained still. On the outside he appeared calm, but internally, he was anything.
His eyes were wide and he was trembling.
Makoto handed over all the money they carried and the man shoved it in his pocket. Then he moved the gun's barrel to point at Makoto.
"Sorry," the man said breathily, "I can't have any witnesses."
Haru's breath caught, and just as the man pulled the trigger, he pushed Makoto out of the way.
That's when everything exploded in pain and he was swallowed into blackness.