Haru toweled off as he watched the Samezuka swim club practice. Rin hadn't given up on swimming, at least—even if he hated Haru, at least they both still had the water.
"What are you lookin' at?"
Rin's voice had grown coarser over the years, but Haru's expression remained unchanged.
"The water."
"Of course." Rin sank beside him. "The others bail on you?"
Haru grunted. He'd stayed as long as possible; the others had left when they'd gotten worn out.
"What's the matter with you?" Rin spat. "You've never been a cheerful ray of sunshine like Nagisa, but you at least used to talk." He hesitated. "Sometimes."
"You hate me." Matter of fact—cool and smooth like an untouched pool.
"I—" Rin looked away. "I don't hate you."
"I don't hate you," Haru agreed. Just a few more years until twenty—until he could be a regular person. Until he could swim without worrying about who it hurt. "I'm glad that you kept swimming."
Rin ground his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. "Somebody's gotta outdo you." He turned away.
Haru stood as the coach whistled to get everyone out of the water. Closing time.
"Hey," Rin called over his shoulder. "Like I said, I don't hate you."
Haru looked up and caught fire burning in Rin's eyes. The coach whistled again, drowning out the words that followed, and Rin huffed and turned away.
But the words lingered between them, even unvoiced: I love you.