Free! For the Future
Chapter 1
The water is alive. Once you dive in, it will immediately bare its fangs and attack.
But, there's nothing to fear. Don't resist the water. Thrust your fingers into the surface and carve an opening. Then you slide your body through that opening. Moving your arms, your head, your chest…
Even when you feel at the brink of exhaustion, of death…
You keep going. You keep fighting. You keep pursuing.
For the future.
A small, slender body pushed through the water, their arms gracefully attacking the surface and plunging underneath. Water droplets flung into the air with the sun sparkling through them. Their arms finally reach the wall, and their head lifts to the sky with a heaving chest. Reaching up, they clumsily pulled off their goggles and cap, allowing long, black hair to flow by their shoulders. Their deep blue eyes stared up at the sky, and they took a deep breath.
And she smiled.
"There, all done," Makoto said as he unpacked the last box. He rested his hands on his hips and glanced around the bedroom. His new apartment was anything but fancy, but it was cozy enough. Just outside the center of downtown Tokyo, the two-bedroom apartment was a little far from his university. But, the rent was on the cheaper end, and he was hopeful in finding a new roommate to help out.
Makoto sighed and plopped down on his newly made bed, staring at the white ceiling. He brought an arm up to his face to cover his eyes.
Classes start tomorrow, he thought. A flutter hummed nervously inside his chest at the thought. I wonder how Haru is doing…
A sudden buzz from his pocket immediately snapped him out of his thoughts. He reached inside of his pocket and answered his phone.
"Hello?" Makoto answered.
"Onii-chan!"
"Hey, Onii-chan!"
Makoto felt his flutter dissipate once he heard Ran and Ren's voices over the phone. A smile crept onto his face and he sat up from his bed.
"Ran! Ren! What are you guys doing?" Makoto asked. He stood up from his bed and moved to his desk, eyeing the pictures that rested neatly in a line.
"Mom said we should call to see if you are all settled in!" Ran said proudly.
"When are you coming home?" Ren whined.
"I already told you that Onii-chan has to study hard now, didn't I?" Ran argued.
"Now, now," Makoto said, unconsciously raising his one hand to calm them. "Tell mom I'm settled in and fine. And I'll visit as soon as I can."
"Yay!" they both squeaked.
"Okay, you two be good. I've got some stuff to do."
"Aww. Okay."
"Bye, Onii-chan!"
"Bye!"
Makoto hit the "end" button his phone, and took a deep breath. With a nervous smile pulling on his lips, he scrolled down his contact list until he got to "H" and then pressed send.
"Hello?" came a groggy voice after four rings.
"Ah, Haru!" Makoto's cheerful voice responded a little too loudly. "Are you in the middle of practice?"
"Just finished."
Makoto smiled. He was happy that Haru had found a dream. He had decided to attend a university in Tokyo as well, joining their swim team. Haru had left earlier than Makoto for team tryouts and practice. He had been too busy to hang out, and Makoto was surprised he even answered his phone.
"Ah, want to get dinner?" Makoto asked. "I can be by your campus in a little while."
Haru hummed, "Sure."
When Makoto arrived at the campus, he headed straight for the university's pool. It had been a little while since he and Haru had gotten together, and he felt a wave of giddiness erupt in his chest. A wide grin was plastered on his face as he headed towards the gate. But, as soon as he made it to the gate, his smile faltered.
"Ah, nice job today, Nanase!"
"Ah, thanks."
"Same time tomorrow, Nanase-san?"
"Yeah."
A few people from Haru's swim team were gathered around him, all with smiles on their faces. Haru's face was emotionless as usual as he stood with one hand in his pocket and the other holding onto his phone.
"Say, Haru," one of the taller swimmers began. He was taller than Haru, maybe even Makoto's height. Haru tilted his head to look up at him. "If you keep up those times, you'll make it big. Maybe even make it to the Olympics next year."
Makoto felt his heart jump. Haru in the Olympics?
That would be so cool… Makoto thought.
"Sure," Haru said and he glanced down at his phone.
"You've been anxious today," the tall swimmer chuckled. Haru looked away from his gaze.
"Not really," Haru responded.
The taller swimmer laughed and tilted his head slightly.
"Right, Right. Okay, Haru, see you later."
Makoto felt a jolt in his chest. Haru? Had he called him Haru? How close were they exactly? Several thoughts plagued Makoto's mind as he watched the tall swimmer walk away.
"Bye."
Makoto remained frozen in place, watching Haru from the gate. A dull pain ached his chest as he told himself to move. Move forward. Go.
After a deep breath, he forced one foot out in front of him and he walked towards his friend. He a nervous smile forced its way onto his face and he lifted his hand in a wave.
"Haru!" Makoto called.
Haru glanced up from his phone, his deep blue eyes locking with Makoto's. His face softened and his shoulders seemed to slump in relief.
"You're here early," Makoto said nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"No, you were late," Haru retorted as he pushed his phone into his pocket.
"Eh?!"
Haru huffed quietly. His lips moved into a straight line across his face with the ends curling upward slightly. Was he laughing?
"It's good to see you, Makoto," Haru said.
Makoto's face lit up and his green eyes sparkled brightly. He tilted his head and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Same to you," Makoto said. "Shall we get going?"
Haru nodded and they left to find a nearby restaurant. After taking their seats, Makoto started his usual chatter, and Haru listened intently as usual. Haru look relaxed, his arm resting on the table while his other hand held a glass of water. After a few minutes of catching up, Makoto thought back to the scene from the pool gate. His smile faltered slightly and he stared down into his cup of tea.
"So I see you've made new friends," Makoto started. He kept his smile on his face.
"Ah," Haru hummed. "They're from the team."
"Oh yeah?" Makoto said. "You getting pretty close to them?"
Like the one who called you Haru and not Nanase?
Makoto frowned at his own jealous thought and his thumb stroked the handle of his cup.
"I guess," Haru responded. Makoto could not help but chuckle at his response.
"That's so like you," Makoto said, a small smile returning his face.
"Is that so?" Haru said, looking away.
There was a brief pause.
"So have you made any new friends yet?" Haru asked.
Makoto put his cup down and stared up him, his eyes widened and his lips slightly parted. Makoto had been at his new apartment for two weeks, attending orientations and freshmen seminar classes. He had met several of the other incoming university students, and even those within his major, but never had the courage to speak to any of them personally. A sudden wave of panic ascended into his chest as he stared back down at his cup, peering into his own distorted reflection with the brown liquid. He forced a smile on his face.
"Ah, well…" Makoto rubbed the back of his neck. "Not yet, but I'll meet new people in my classes this week."
Haru's eyebrows lowered slightly and he pursed his lips.
"Don't worry about me, Haru!" Makoto said, trying to widen his smile. "Anyway, who was your tall friend from the team?"
"Oh," Haru started. "He's my roommate."
"Oh, in your dorm, huh?"
"Why didn't you live in the dorms? You probably could've made friends easier that way."
"Yeah, well, my parents couldn't afford all of my tuition. So I offered to pay for my own place. I've already found a part time job."
Haru stared at Makoto, his brows furrowed and lips pressed tightly together.
"Don't overwork yourself," Haru commented.
Makoto frowned slightly and his eyes widened. After a moment, he gave Haru a smile.
"I wont."
The next morning, Makoto promptly got himself up early and ready for the first day of classes. Brandished with his new laptop, notebooks, backpack, and glasses, he headed for his first class. After the long commute, he finally arrived on campus and headed towards the building. His first class would start at 8:30 sharp. He walked in the open door and saw a large classroom that resembled an amphitheater. There were stairs along the sides that led to the long desks and chairs. Several students were already in their seats with notebooks out on their desks. After observing the room one last time, Makoto walked over to one set of stairs and climbed a few rows up to an empty row of chairs.
After taking his seat, he pulled out a notebook and sat stiffly in his chair. He put on his glasses and stared down at the white board and teacher's podium. Several more students walked in and found seats across the room. One student walked up to Makoto's row and saw down next to him. Makoto turned to him to greet him, but stopped when he realized he had headphones covering his ears. Makoto's eyes flitted back to the white board below, feeling his shoulders tense.
Within the next few minutes, the room was full except for a few seats in the row behind Makoto. The door opened and the professor walked in. He greeted the class with a dry hello and started to set up his belongings for class.
The professor immediately began the lecture, and the students were furiously taking notes as he went. Makoto felt his pulse drop to a steady hum in his chest, the rhythm finally beginning to settle.
Ten minutes into the lecture had passed when the door suddenly slammed open. The professor's jaw clammed shut and he turned his head sharply towards the door. The rest of the class craned their necks towards the door.
A short student wearing a white tracksuit and black hoodie entered the room. Their hood was pulled up over their head, making it impossible for Makoto to see their face clearly. They sheepishly held on to their straps of their backpack and a purple duffle bag and they ascended the staircase nearest to Makoto.
"You there!" the professor shouted.
The person jumped and whirled around, facing the professor. They bowed deeply.
"S-S-Sorry I'm late!"
Makoto felt his heart leap in his chest. Their voice was feminine. He stared at the figure as they straightened. The hood fell slid off of their head, revealing long, black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.
Whoa, a girl. Wonder why she's late…
Water droplets slid down her cheeks and neck, as well as her hair.
Her hair is wet?
Makoto glanced out the window and saw that the sun was still shining in the bright blue sky.
It's not raining though…
"Don't interrupt my class again!"
Makoto snapped out of his thoughts and turned back towards the girl standing on the staircase. The professor below was fuming.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The girl turned around and Makoto was finally able to get a good look at her face. His eyes immediately were drawn to hers. She had deep, blue eyes that shined like the ocean, and she had an aura of determination that glowed around her as she walked.
She ascended the stairs with haste, water falling off of her head as she made it to the empty seat in the row behind Makoto. Makoto eyed her as she took her seat and sighed.
The professor resumed his lecture and all of the students immediately gave him their attention, their hands grabbing their pencils or typing away at their laptops. Makoto also started to write some notes, but his eyes kept pulling back at the girl in the row behind him. She was frantically trying to get organized on her desk space, dropping a pencil in the row in front of her. The guy in front of her slowly bent over to pick up the pencil and he leaned back to hand it to her. She gave an apologetic smile and grabbed the pencil from the boy's grasp.
"Thanks," she whispered as she wiped her wet bangs from her forehead.
Makoto listened to the quiet, silvery voice that escaped her lips. A small chill shot through his spine, sending tingles up his back. He turned his head back towards the board and focused on the lesson.
The next time the class met, Makoto was early once again and sat at his same spot near the back. The room filled quickly and the professor waltzed in to begin his lecture.
And after ten minutes of lecturing, the door slammed open and in walked the girl in the same white tracksuit with a black hoodie. Her black hair was dripping with water and she was out of breath, her hand clutching the doorway as she panted. Her backpack was barely on her shoulders and her purple duffle bag was on the ground. After receiving a few harsh glances from the professor and some students, she quickly made her way back up to an empty seat.
Once class had ended, Makoto stood from his seat and glanced back at the girl. Her head was on her desk, with her eyes closed.
She's asleep?! If she keeps this up, she'll have a hard time passing the class…
Makoto felt his stomach twist painfully at the thought of failing a class. He packed up his things and left the classroom, feeling a slight twinge of guilt for leaving the girl sleeping the emptying classroom.
Within the first two weeks, Makoto found his routine. He would go to class during the day, and at night he would go to work.
On the weekends, he would hop on a train and go to the other side of Tokyo to hang out Haru and watch him swim. He had a Spring meet coming up and wanted to be in top shape. This prompted Makoto to suit up as well and swim a few laps.
He was still looking for a roommate in his apartment, the one empty bedroom at the end of the hall haunting him as he passed by it every morning, but tried his best to ignore it. Haru would always ask every weekend if he'd found a roommate yet, eliciting a nervous response out of Makoto who'd promise he would soon.
Makoto's other classes were going as well as he had expected. The homework load was beginning to pile, but he took a deep breath and kept plugging along, determined to get his degree so he can get his dream job and teach kids how to swim.
And, as usual, on his three-days-a-week class, that same black-haired girl would show up late and soaked only to fall asleep halfway through class. Makoto raised a brow at her as he stood to leave the classroom that Friday morning.
She seems like someone who wouldn't get their work done, he thought. He thought it best to steer clear of her, punishing himself for having such negative thoughts. As the students were beginning to leave, the professor caught everyone's attention, even waking the girl from her peaceful slumber in the row behind him.
"Starting next week, I will be locking the door at 8:30. If you are late, you will miss class," he announced, and he briskly left the room.
Makoto felt a jolt of panic in his chest. He glanced back one row and saw the black-haired girl's eyes widen. Her hands curled into nervous fists as she stared hard at her desk.
After a long weekend at Haru's, Makoto missed his train and had to wait an extra half hour to get home. He stayed up late to catch up on his homework, falling asleep on his desk sometime around two in the morning. His phone, which was still on silent, mutely rang for his alarm for that Monday morning.
Makoto woke up to the sun shining in his room. He raised his head from his desk and glanced around.
"What time is it?" he asked himself, still exhausted from the lack of sleep. Makoto glanced down at his watch and he suddenly felt his exhaustion flee from his body. It was almost eight, just thirty minutes until his class. "Oh, no no no!"
Makoto sprang up from his seat, his chair falling backwards. He scrambled to gather his things, his heart racing. Once his backpack was full, he ran out of his apartment and sprinted down the street.
I can't believe I overslept! Makoto thought as he raced towards the right building. This class is important for my degree too!
Makoto glanced down at his watch, feeling some panic rise into his chest. Only a few minutes left until the professor would lock the door. He bolted into the building and saw the open door at the middle of the hall.
Almost there, almost there!
Just as he was about to enter the classroom, a small figure ran out in his path. Makoto tried to stop himself, but it was too late.
Makoto ran into the other student and lost his balance, falling backwards. He dropped his backpack and its contents spilled out onto the floor. Some papers fluttered in the air before crashing down beside him. A huge sense of guilt and worry flooded his core and he had completely forgotten about his class. He sat upright and glanced at the small student who had also collapsed onto the floor. His eyes widened. Black hair. White tracksuit. Black hoodie. Purple duffle bag. Blue eyes that shined like the ocean.
It's that girl who's always late!
She sat up quickly and stared up at Makoto.
"Oh, no!" Makoto started, putting his hands up. "Are you—"
"I am SO sorry!" the girl blurted. She frantically bowed to him, her wet, black hair falling into her face. "I wasn't looking where I was going and I was trying to be on time for class! I'm really sorry!"
"No, no!" Makoto felt heat rise in his face as he put his hands up defensively. He waved his hands in a panic. "It was my fault, too!"
She peeked her head up from the floor and glanced up at him. He could almost see his reflection in her blue eyes. He stared at her, feeling himself lost in her intense gaze.
Suddenly, the door to the classroom slammed shut, snapping Makoto out of his trance. He scrambled to his feet and stared at the shut door, his thoughts and heart both racing at full speed.
"Oh, no! We're too late!" Makoto whined. He sighed and hung his head.
"I'm sorry," a mumbled apology left the girl's lips. Makoto spun around and saw that she was sitting up, her eyes focused on the floor. "If I hadn't run into you, you wouldn't be late."
Makoto put up his hands, ready to reach out to comfort her. "W-Wait, don't apologize! It was an accident!"
Suddenly, the girl's head shot up and she stared hard at him. "Let me make it up to you!" she blurted. Makoto's hands rested by his side, confused by her sudden change in mood. He watched as she hopped to her feet and rested her hands on her hips. His eyes widened when he realized that the top of her head only came up to his chest.
Could she be shorter than Nagisa?!
"Have you had breakfast yet?" she asked.
"Uh, no, but—"
"Then I'm treating you!"
She gave him a wide, genuine smile, and her blue eyes sparkled against the light of the hallway. As if entranced, Makoto's head nodded as he followed her out of the building.
"So, what's your name?" she asked, her eyes locking with his.
"Tachibana Makoto," Makoto said. He was surprised that he was able to get his name out without stuttered or fumbling over his words.
"Ah, Makoto. That's a nice name!" The way his name escaped her lips made his chest swell and his heart jolt. "I'm Shizumi Kanade."
Kanade…
"Nice to meet you, Shizumi-san," Makoto said with a smile. He pondered what made talking to her so easy. Was it her eyes? Her smile?
"You too, Tachibana-kun!" she flashed him a big smile. "You're not usually late," she said, leading him towards a local café.
"Oh, uh… I slept in," Makoto chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, I hope you didn't get hurt from the fall earlier!"
The girl waved her hand and smiled. "Nah, I'm pretty solid!" She flexed her arm. Makoto's smile widened and he laughed softly. The girl was nicer than he thought. "I always try to get to class on time, but I always get caught up in my training in the mornings."
Makoto paused, thinking carefully. Tracksuit, sleeping in class, duffle bag, wet hair…
"Training?" Makoto asked. Kanade stopped in front of the café, her hand on the door. "What kind of training?"
Kanade blinked, her lips slightly parted. Then she flashed a small smile and lifted up her duffle bag. It had the school's logo and the word's "Ladies Swim Team" written in white on the side.
"I'm on the university's swim team," she said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
Makoto's eyes widened, feeling a hum in his chest as he stared back at her. Her deep blue eyes met his, and he felt his heart begin to race. He felt that he could get lost in those eyes, and he wished that this moment could last forever.
Haru rubbed his wet hair with a towel as he walked back into his dorm room. Letting the towel rest on his shoulders, he walked to his bed. Before he could lay his head on his pillow, his phone buzzed loudly on his desk. Haru sighed and got out of bed, his brows furrowed in annoyance. He glanced at the screen.
1 New Message
Makoto
Haru raised his brows and opened the text.
Hey Haru! I hope training went well today.
Typical Makoto, Haru thought. Meddling, annoying, caring, sweet Makoto. He scrolled down the text and felt his chest leap.
I met someone new today! And guess what? She's on the swim team here!
Haru paused, staring at the words on the screen.
She?