SAFE
(before study for test tomorrow)
(Sorry for my awkward grammar HA HA)
Based on Free! (High Speed novel) character - Makoto Tachibana.
My name is Amakusa Haruka. I'm 2nd year of Senior High School here in Iwatobi. I mean, I just moved here from Hokkaido. Yeah, I may say somewhere in Japan having a longer winter. Winter is warm for me and I miss Hokkaido so much. There are things that I always hate for sure, math and sport. I'm outstanding in biology and physics though and even join some competition when I still lived in Hokkaido.
This morning, I wear my uniform. Go to Iwatobi Senior High School, a half run cause I always remind myself that time is money. Preparing administrative things that not so a newbie one for me, meet my teachers and my homeroom teacher. Here I come to his desk.
"Morning, Tachibana-sensei."
"Mor.."
I don't know why, a sudden surprised appearance on his face. Yes, I'm sure he was shocked on that time but then take a control again on himself and smiling to me.
"..Morning."
"..."
"Ah...so you're a new student in my class..wait, Haru.."
And I'm sure for his surprised face again. Okay, here I will explain my appearance. I'm an average tall 2nd year SHS girl, having blue eyes inherited from my father and black hair from my mother. I have no brother neither sister. I have a half back-length hair. I'm a silent one as a student and barely smile to others. Is there anything awkward?
"..."
"..Amakusa Haruka I mean. Well, can I call you..Haru?"
"I'm fine with that, Tachibana-sensei."
I must say Tachibana-sensei is so kind, he is still young for a teacher term and I guess he's better be a bodyguard cause he have a wide shoulder and his very tall appearance. Green eyes and brownish hair, just why he became a teacher anyway? He always smiling to me during our conversation and I feel so awkward beside him. I hate to say it but my heart race suddenly, then I try to take my control again. He is a teacher, he is a teacher...
"..Um...what kind of lesson have you teach anyway?"
"Math and sport."
A sudden thunder on my head, a sudden thunder on my head you know...Why?..Why?...
"Ah...I see."
"What kind of lesson do you like, Haru?"
"..I like biology and physics."
"You must be an amazing one, I've seen your history in Hokkaido back then."
"..Thank you, Tachibana-sensei."
After write my name on the whiteboard...
"My name is Amakusa Haruka. You can call me Haru. Nice to meet you guys."
Then I back to my seat, a corner back one near the window. Today is math lesson, I always sleep in my past but here for now my heart race too much so it's uncomfortable to sleep.
At least I will write down Tachibana-sensei's handwriting in front of this class. Whatever.
I hate math so much, I don't know why I can't even understand it or whatever, so I just will study about it (by force) before exam and then forget it. Now, my heart seems back to normal...
"Haruka, can you answer this?"
I hope I can move to another school right now.
It's lunch time and I go to a cafeteria. Yes, after some dizzy times to understand Tachibana-sensei's explanation and now I can get out of my class. Alone, I miss my friends back then in Hokkaido, although we're a same rival too in class. I enjoyed my school life with them, go to bookstore together, take a lunch together.
"..."
"So...this is Haruka."
"Yes."
"I'm Rika and I want to tell you something...ah, for first..can I be your friend from now on?" She grab my hand.
"Yes. What do you want to tell me?"
"Sorry to saying about this so much. I know it's sensitive to you but..."
"...?"
"..Do you hate math?"
"Yes. I hate every lesson he taught."
"...Sport...too?"
"Yes."
"Me too."
I was surprised. "Eh..?"
"Yes. I think I have a friend now."
"You hate sport too?"
"Not so..I still can swim. And, do you know that our homeroom teacher is a swimmer too in his past? ..in this school."
"..."
"Why do you hate sport?"
"My mother is a cardiologist and she always force me to do something depend-on-talent like that. It's healthy she said, it's good for your heart or whatever. I can't swim although she loves to do that thing and almost every week."
"Hee..I'm sure you have a brilliant brain from your mom..and your beautiful appearance. Be grateful for that."
"..."
"Haah..I wish I can continue to a medical school too. I tell you that your brilliant think inherited from your mom, from her mitochondria for detail..I guess you like biology so you will understand more than mine. You even beat me when you were in Hokkaido."
"What...you know me?"
"I must say that I was your rival back then. But I know a rival on stage can be a friend in life."
"You reminding me of my past friend, Rika-chan." I smile to her.
"Okay...ah I almost forgot. Here, I told you. In Iwatobi now is something awkward...I mean, everyone in class must be the best for their homeroom teacher lessons. I don't care you will believe me or not or whatever, but that's the truth and ...me too, I still struggling so much to match the expectation...although I love biology the most."
"..."
"I will always help you. Don't mind to ask me."
"Okay."
"Hey, cheer up, Haru-chan."
"Ah...thanks."
"What? She can't answer that question?"
"Is she..having a daydreaming or else?"
"Must be an outrageous one, poor her."
"She's so brilliant in physics anyway..so why does she hate math so much? I think physics is harder than math."
"She must be called out by Tachibana-sensei after class.."
"What?"
"Seriously?"
"Oh now after Rika.."
"Does every biology lovers like that? They even count for genetic question, right?"
"Seriously, to be grateful is..Tachibana-sensei never angry with anyone..unlike the...*** class."
"For real?"
"Why must she moved here...not in another class?"
"You know the others are full geez.."
Rika is still in the library, so I'm just here, sitting and begin to play music from my handphone. Then checking tomorrow schedule.
BIOLOGY
Yeah!
...
...
...
...
...
SPORT
What the...
Good evening, dear my dolls..cause my mother and father aren't yet come back home.
Here I want to tell you. About Tachibana-sensei.
He is too kind for me. I have explain to him after called to his room. I hate math. I hate sport. But he is still saying "Ganbatte ne, Haru." to me and smiling. I hate to say this, why must with him as my homeroom teacher..and even why Iwatobi. Altough the sea are beautiful and I love sea so much. I love water, I just hate to swim.
Tomorrow is sport lesson. I just guess what it will be.
Should I lie to him that I have an headache cause I didn't even sleep this night?
Am I the cruel one? It's so cruel if I lie to him. I can't do it. He place his hope to me to fight on.
Ah...what's the problem to be a different one? Is that thing make you all want to destroy this world or what?
Then I decide to awake until morning. Reading books or whatever. When someone comes to my bedroom I will hide myself in a blanket with a biology book beside it.
"Reading so much, huh? Sweet reading dear..also sleep is good for your body, and your skin around your eyes.."
My mother closed the door.
She know so well that I'm lying to her. I told you, she is a doctor, for detail..a cardiologist.
Yeah mom, and just why are you coming late on 2 after a catheter lab work?
My mother even prepare my breakfast after..yeah I know what are you doing until 5 is watching Asian Next Top Model television program. I still memorize the voice coming from television room tonight.
"..."
"Morning, my dear beautiful blue eyed panda~"
"Morning, mother panda."
"Eat your breakfast and be sure you will not sleep in front of Tachibana-sensei ya."
For the cruel one...she knows?
"So why?"
"I know your homeroom teacher is..obviously a teacher for everything you hate into..haha"
"..."
"Don't hate him too, he is too young to be hated by a young girl like you."
"..."
"Or...you like him instead?"
*cough cough*
Then I drink a lot and finish my breakfast today as fast as possible.
"...Haaah..mom, you make me shocked."
"Sorry dear..here here.."
"He told you?"
"What? No..I'm not even have his contact..I just know him after looking for a school for you and looking for informations. Technology nowadays are so amazing."
"Kawamura-sensei told my sleepover then?"
"He he..."
"..I will go to school then."
"Be careful dear.."
"Yeah."
"Haruka!"
Rika wake me up, then point on the whiteboard and an angry face of Haruma-sensei.
"Sorry, sensei..I haven't sleep yet."
"Just answer my question, come and write it. I know this is math and sport class well-known of but please don't sleep in class."
EXPLAIN HOW HUMAN CIRCULATORY SYSTEM WORKS!
"Sorry, Haruma-sensei...may I draw here?"
It's a rest time. I prefer to sit under the tree and listening to music than stay in class or cafeteria. I'm a bookworm, but not always stay in the library like Rika does. My mother always give me books I like so I can read it myself everywhere and everytime I want. She even offer her physiology books if I asked her too detail.
"Outrageous."
"Different."
Their voices are still around of my head. What the problem of becoming different? If everyone just the same then there will no biology lecturer, or even social lecturer.
My brain is too full to think too much of them. So I decide to forget it, forget how hurtful is it. When I drink my strawberry milk again, suddenly Rika comes.
"..."
"Haru-chan..so you're here."
"Yeah."
"The weather is so good, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Then she sit beside me.
"What's the matter of become different?"
"Eh..I don't think it's the bad one. Difference make someone respect the others...that's what I think of."
"Same here."
"They say about that again?"
"Nope."
"..."
"..I just think too much."
Suddenly, Tachibana-sensei find us there. Rika smiles to him, raise my hand up and we bows together.
"Ah..I just pass by here."
"It's fine with us, Tachibana-sensei.." Rika answers
"How about your new class so far, Haru?"
"..It's good."
I don't want to see his face, so I answer him without eye contact. Rika seeing my reaction then she pat my shoulder and smiles to him, telling him that I'm fine.
I just feel so warm, even warmer when Rika pat my shoulder. She almost hug me. Then Tachibana-sensei leave us again. I see him with my racing heartbeat, then sit again under the tree.
"..."
"Hey, Haru..your face is red..don't tell me..."
"What?"
"Haha..so you can't even hide it."
"What do you mean?"
"Hey, you like Tachibana-sensei, don't you? I can see it through your eyes when he leave us."
"I...It's not like what do you think."
"For real? Hm?"
"...I told you, I'm not.."
"...?"
"..I hate every lesson he teaches."
Okay, have a nice day..heartbeats.
"Thank you so much, Haru. You saved us."
It's Asuka, our class representative.
"You're welcome."
"Sorry for our attitude into you last time. I know become the different isn't always easy. It's the first time Haruma-sensei teach us peacefully, thanks to you..you even have a better explanation skill than him too."
"..." I just bow my head.
"..Okay, so the next one is sport...are you fine with that?"
"I want some sleep.."
"..."
"It's better than make you all shame of me."
I hide myself from Rika this afternoon when class ends. I will waiting until no one in the swimming arena in the school so I can try it. At least I like water, I like the sea.
Next week is swimming test. I must do it, I know I can. I read theories, I even watch the videos and so on. I must do it!
I change my clothes, I'm sure classes up there are empty now. So, no one will see me.
I'm Tachibana Makoto and I just finish my class. Next week is swimming test, I just wondering why Haru didn't even present in the lesson just now. She explained that she hate math..does sport..too? She speaks a little and even...her appearance was just like my past Haru back then.
She reminds me of my past though, my friend, my freedom..Haruka Nanase. The one always love water and gonna swim everywhere water exist.
It's a different Haru though.
I missed my time, my past time. When I was a swimmer back then, I miss this school's swimming pool.
I decide to go there, lots of works make me tired here.
I sit in the corner of this swimming pool, so wide and the water is so refreshing. I wear this swimming uniform and still playing with water when my legs wet there.
I like water.
I like the sea.
This is a sea's mini size...so why I must be afraid of?
Then I play my legs, make the water sounds so cute and laugh. Unconsciously, my body move forward and move forward...
*SPLASH*
"KYAAAAAAAA~! HEEEEELLLLP!"
I move my legs, I move my arms, I scream out loud.
I'm alone here.
Drown.
Water.
Sea.
This is more deep than a beach play.
Bubble.
Mom.
Dad.
Tachibana-sensei.
3 meters deep?
Why?
Careless girl.
I can't swim.
I...want some sleep in sport class.
I...
"Haru!"
Someone shouts.
*SPLASH*
Suddenly someone comes, bring me up, save me from the water. Save me from drown and sleep.
I cough several times, wipe my wet face, try to breath and open my eyes. Someone saves me in the right time, hold my body tight. The green eyes, brownish hair, wide shoulder, firm body builder..and princess carrying me.
"Are you fine?"
I cough several times, again. Water comes out. He bring me to the shallow area and let me stand up in the water. I try to realize who is it. Who saves me. Why I feel so warm right now and I don't even know about my face. When I realize it..I just surprised...Don't tell me..
"T...Tachibana-sensei?"
"Haru-chan, don't be careless again."
I wipe my eyes, I'm crying a lot. I don't know what to do. Teardrops flows, looking into his eyes. His worried face.
"Why it's must be you? Why?"
"..."
"Why..you save me?"
"..."
"You're still wear your shirt.."
"..."
"Why you teach math and sport...why?"
"..."
"Why you even make me feel safe..?"
"..."
"..After my sleepover in cl..."
He hug me tight and pat my head. It's even warmer than hugged by Rika. I cough but I don't feel too cold. My heartbeat race again and again, but I feel safe here. I even feel his breath, his same racing heartbeat.
"It's fine now. Don't be careless again. I don't want to lose my Haru again."
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..Tachibana-sensei.."
"..."
"..Sorry..."
"..."
"I'm sorry.."
"It's fine..I will teach you if you don't mind then."
For now, let me hug him tight. Whoever he is. Whoever Tachibana Makoto is.
~FIN