The spring of Haru's third year was the year that a dramatic change had happened.
Rin had come over for a visit in the first few weeks of school.
"Haru!"
Haru turned around at the sound of his name being called out. Seeing that It was Rin, he smiled a little and waved.
"So what's up?"
Rin smiled.
"I just thought I would come and visit you guys. Where's everyone else..?"
Rin looked around Haruka, not seeing anyone else from the Iwatobi swim team.
"Oh, Rei and Nagisa are at the athletics club meeting and Makoto went to the staff room for a moment"
"hmmm, i-I see"
Rin looked at Haru, who had already gone back to creating Iwatobi-chan figures.
A few minutes had passed with only the sound of the clock and the soft scrapes of an iwatobi-chan figure being created, Rin spoke a few words.
"What are you making those for?"
Haru looked up at Rin, momentarily stopping his work for the question.
"This is Iwatobi-chan our mascot."
Rin felt like his question was still unanswered.
"So, why are you making them?"
Haru stopped for a moment again and then continued to shave the figure as he talked.
"We were planning on attracting more people to our swim team this year, since there are only 5 people and two of us are graduating this year."
Rin laughed, his sudden sound making Haru jump
"ahaha, wow, you're working hard alright!"
Haru looked up for a moment and smiled, then got back to his work.
Rin sounded like he was going to talk for a few moments before he actually did.
"You know Haru, Recently you've been, laughing and smiling a lot.."
"mhhm"
"a-and….well, nevermind. I-I'll tell you later!"
The club room suddenly went quiet again.
A few moments later, Haru broke the silence
"Rin, could you put this Iwatobi-chan in the basket over there for me?"
"Okay, sure."
Haru set his knife down and handed Rin the wood figure he had just made.
"wow, you're good at these."
"thanks"
Haru gave him a slight nod.
He handed Rin the figure, their hands brushing together. Then Rin, as if suddenly taken over, grabbed Haru's hand and pulled the black haired boy towards him.
"R-Rin, what.."
The red haired boy looked into Haru's eyes and bit his lip. His shark like teeth flashing for just a moment.
"Haru, I've. I've always loved you."
"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about Rin."
Haru tried laughing it off and attempted to push him away, but Rin held onto Haru only tighter.
"No Haru, I'm serious. All I've ever thought about is….you"
Their eyes locked and Rin leaned in for a kiss.
Haru, having his body wrapped tight in Rin's Muscular arms, couldn't move and was kissed.
Haru reluctantly kissed back, their mouths mingling together for moments, until Haru sensed quick movement outside the door.
When he caught a glimpse of what was outside, Haru's eyes widened.
He pushed the Red haired boy away, struggling free of his tight grasp and sprinted out the door.
"Haru, Wait! What, I-I'm sorry I don't-"
Haru left before Rin could finish what he was saying.
Rin sat down into a nearby chair and sank into it, sighing, his face in his hands.
"What have I done."
Haru had never ran as he had done today. He was panting and cursing himself under his breath for being so stupid.
How could he do that with Rin, just WHAT was he even THINKING.
"MAKOTO"
Haru yelled down the hallways when he spotted the back of a brunette with wide muscular shoulders
He turned around and smiled at Haru.
Haru felt disdraught. How could he act so normally, had he not seen, is he ignoring it or does he not care?
"What is it Haru?"
Makoto's behaviour caught Haru by surprise.
"Makoto. I thought you….I thought you saw….did you…?"
"See what, Haru?"
Haru sighed, Makoto was just his normal self.
"So that wasn't really you."
Haru thought he saw a shadow pass over Makoto's face for just a split second.
Makoto then smiled like his usual self.
"Makoto, did you get your stuff handed in at the staff room?"
"ah, yes."
Haru smiled back at Makoto. He was relieved that Makoto hadn't seen any of the events that happened in the club room.
"Haru, did you, finish up with making the Iwatobi-chans?"
Haru blinked for a moment, and then he remembered what the brunette was talking about. He had forgotten all about Rin and his bag in the club room from the relief that he felt just now.
"Yeah, I think we've got enough to distribute to people"
"Haru, do you have your bag with you? Let's go home."
"OH, no. I kind of left mine in the club room, should I go get it?"
Makoto's eyes widened and he answered quickly.
"No, no, I'll go get it, you can stay here and wait for me please."
"ah…okay..?"
Makoto gave Haru a pat on the shoulder as he walked to the club room.
Haru felt weird for a moment, but shook off the feeling and sat down on a nearby bench, closing his eyes and imagining himself swimming in the water with mackerel.
As Makoto walked down the hallway towards the club room, many thoughts flashed in his mind, muddling up his brain even more.
He had seen Haru and Rin making out passionately and had felt a strong pang in his chest, as if his heart was breaking.
The brunette put his hand to his chest and squeezed his hand and his eyes shut for a moment and stood in the hall.
He then made a grimace, shook his head and continued walking to the club room.
When he got to the open door, he stopped for a moment, hesitating, feeling scared about possibly facing Rin inside the room.
Makoto screwed up his face, grit his teeth and walked into the room.
"HARU, I-"
Rin instantly reacted to the sound of footsteps entering the doorway. But he froze at the sight of Makoto.
"Oh, Makoto. Sorry, I thought you were Haru… er…"
Rin looked around awkwardly. He then spotted Haru's bag and handed it to Makoto.
"Well, Haru had left his bag and….uh I think I'll go back now, I'll see you again soon, Makoto"
Rin smiled and walked out the door.
Makoto let out a huge sigh of relief. He had held his breath the whole time that they interacted with each other.
He didn't really know what kind of a face he had been making, but now that the moment was over, he felt his muscles relaxing.
Makoto walked into the hallways and passed by a classroom and looked inside for the time.
5 PM
He figured that Nagisa and Rei had already gone home from club activities, since the swimming team didn't have any particular meetings today.
"Makoto"
Haru stood up when he saw Makoto come towards him with his bag in his hands.
"Here Haru. Rin had come to visit today. I saw him in the club room."
Haru's eyes widened for a moment but went back to normal again.
"Yes, I knew that."
He sounded strained, but remained his composure on the surface.
"Well, Haru. Let's walk home."
The two friends walked home together into a setting sun.
The cool evening breeze rippled their hair as they walked to their houses.
There was a pleasant silence between the two of them, something that was always there and was a norm for the both of them.
Makoto turned to Haru.
"Do you want to come to my house today?"
Haru looked at Makoto
"hnn?"
"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to, as a first time during our third year sort of thing."
"If it's something like that, you can hang over at my house, my parents got me a box of mackerel yesterday."
Makoto laughed, Haru had always been a Mackerel enthusiast. He thought that his entire diet consisted of 90% mackerel too.
"ahaha, alright. I'll hang out over at your house today, but I'll have to drop by my house first for a moment today, is that okay?"
"Yeah, you can come whenever, since it's not like I have anyone else at my house all the time"
Makoto smiled.
When they got near their houses, they split their ways and went into their respective houses.
Makoto was excited, although he had been to Haru's house often, after what happened today, it just felt like he was claiming a part of Haru that only he knew about.
"Onii-chan, did something good happen today?"
"Nii-chan, can you beat this boss level for me?"
Makoto smiled at his younger brother and sister.
"Not today, Im going over to Haru's place."
Ren's and Ran's eyes sparkled.
"You're going to Haru Onii-chan's place? Can we go too? Please, please, please!"
"No, not today."
Their mother called and Makoto left his house and went to Haru's.
"Haru, I'm here."
Makoto let himself in, knowing that the front door was already or rather always open.
The black haired boy was cooking mackerel in the kitchen.
"Hey, Haru, my mom packed us some snacks. We can have those later."
"Yeah."
After they were done with eating, the two boys sat there talking and just sitting there. It was one of those very rare nice nights.
"Are you going to stay over tonight, Makoto?"
"hmmm, yeah."
Haru smiled, and Makoto surprised for a moment, smiled back.
When the two of them got into their futons late a night, they lay there in the dark.
"This is exciting in a way, like the time in the hotel room. We're alone again."
"Yeah."
Makoto suddenly flashed back to the time when he saw Haru and Rin kiss. He felt the pang in his chest again, yet this time a bit less, but it still hurt him.
"Haru.."
"Yeah…"
"Actually, I. I saw you and Rin kissing. I was surprised so a ran away and pretended that I didn't really see anything."
Makoto felt Haru suddenly sit up. He eased himself too.
The two of them sat there in the dark, facing each other.
"Makoto, I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry Haru, all you did was kiss the person you….liked…"
The brunette looked down and fidgeted with his hands.
Haru was quiet for a while.
"Makoto. I actually don't, like Rin romantically. Did you know that?"
"hnn"
Makoto's eyes widened and his heart started beating faster, but he didn't look up. He felt relieved and guilty that he was jealous of the possible romance between Haru and Rin.
Then when Makoto looked up, their eyes clashed together.
Haru's deep blue mixing with Makoto's brilliant green, they sat there, barely breathing.
Moments passed with them just sitting there, staring into each other's eyes almost reading what the other wants to say.
"Makoto"
"Yes"
"I….love you."
Makoto's heart caught up in his throat in surprise.
The two of them flushed red, but Haru held their gaze together, refusing to break from it.
"Haru…I"
Haru's face turned tender as if expecting Makoto to reject him.
Makoto's heart almost sank when he saw Haru look so sad like that.
He loved him too, but it was so hard to say it, since he was almost choked up in emotions.
"I…love…you too"
The words hung in the air. It was as if time had stopped.
Their eyes were still locked onto each other.
Then closer and closer, their faces moved towards each other, slowly fluttering their eyes shut.
The two boys shared a sweet kiss and came apart tenderly, still looking into each other's eyes.
It was as if their breathing and their heart's beating had synchronized together, both turning into one.
Makoto reached over and held Haru's hand, smiling sweetly, Haru, almost melting with joy smiled back.
Later they lay down facing the ceiling, feeling each other's warmth with their hands.
"Haru"
"Yeah"
"I love you"
"I know"