Chapter One
Rin ruffled his messy purple hair in the mirror and sighed. He frowned so a small indent was left in the middle of his forehead, and stuck out his lower lip. "I can never get this bit to stay out of my face" he muttered as he curled the lock of hair around his fingers then attempted to push in behind his ear. It stayed there for a short while and then slowly fell back in front of his face. "Urgh!" Rin exclaimed. "I guess I'll wear the hat again today." he thought to himself as he walked into the bedroom and fished it out from under his bed. Rin ran down the stairs, stopping only for a moment to fasten the strap at the back of his hat, then pulling on it out of habit. Rin grabbed his bag which was resting in the hallway, quickly unzipping it to check if he had packed everything correctly. Goggles, swimsuit, towel...Yes it was all here. Rin threw the bag over his shoulders in haste and ran out the door.
The sun gleamed in the distance, the clouds were generously placed in the bright blue sky and the light sparkled like diamonds as it reflected off the smooth ocean. Rin's boundless energy suddenly depleted as he slowly came to a stop sighed. "I wonder if Australia is this beautiful..."
But before Rin could lose himself in thought, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance. A small, dark haired boy with a firm stance and a steady pace. A smile fell open Rin's face as he instantly recognised the boy. "Nanase!" Rin called out as his energy suddenly returned to him "Haru over here!" Rin could feel himself grinning as he ran towards the boy.
Haru turned around with that cool expression on his face he always wore, his deep blue eyes meeting Rin's before he turned his body around completely to face him. Rin hooked his arm round Haru "Trying to get in the pool as quick as possible, right?" Rin teased Haru with that silly smirk on his face. Haru pouted and broke his off his eye contact with Rin has he hastily turned his head away. Something Haru always did when he was agitated; Rin noticed. "Come'n Nanase you know I'm only kidding!" Rin said through a laugh as hooked his arm tighter around Haru's neck, pulling him closer. Haru sighed and turned to look at Rin again. "Your hair isn't parted properly." Haru commented in a monotonic voice. "Huh?! Yeah well I-" Rin spluttered "I thought the hat would keep the parting in place!". Rin could feel himself blush and he quickly took of his hat and attempted to sort out his hair. "It doesn't matter anyway." Haru said calmly, while continuing to walk ahead slowly. Rin stopped ruffling his hair and looked at Haru "Huh? What do you mean?" Rin questioned, bunching his hat in his hands nervously- was Haru about to pay him a compliment? "It doesn't matter because your going to put it all in a swimming cap anyway." Rin blushed at Haru's words, and laughed at himself for thinking Haru could actually manage to compliment someone. "You're right Nanase!" Rin giggled as he caught up to Haru and returned his arm to his usual place around his shoulder. "Have you decided that you're going to enter the relay yet?" Rin asked cheerfully. "I told you I only do Freestyle." Haru told him, not so cheerfully. "Aww come onnnnn!" Rin tighten his arm around Haru's shoulder. "Aren't you a little curious as to what I have to show you?"
"No." Haru shot back. "Please, Haru! It is going to be my last re-" Rin stopped himself there, he hadn't told his team mates he was moving yet, and he planned to tell them all at once. "Your last what, Rin?" Haru question coldly as he took Rin's arm off his shoulder to look him straight in the eye. "Oh- uh, nothing haha!" Rin laugh nervously as he fiddled with the stray lock of hair. Haru looked at him and frowned, then hastily turned his head to the side. "Oh great, now he's going to be annoyed with me for the whole practise." Rin thought, irritated at himself for being so careless with his words.
"I'll do the relay with you." Haru stated calmly, his head still turned to the side. "What? Y-you will?" Rin blurted out, extremely surprised. That was the last thing he had expected Haru to say. "That's great Nanase!" Rin shouted as he happily bounced over to Haru to hooked his arm around him once more, unsure but grateful towards the fact that Haru had agreed to do the relay with him.
Haru was unsure why he volunteered himself for that stupid relay also. Haru sighed. "I only do freestyle." he though to himself- "so why am I doing this?" Haru looked at Rin nattering away, his eyes filled with happiness and a spring in his step- then Haru realised why he had agreed to the stupid relay. It's because when Rin mentioned his "last re-" That joy left his eyes, Haru could tell that whatever Rin was going to tell him wasn't good news, it wasn't what Rin wanted. It made him sad. That's something Haru just can't stand to watch. Rin being sad.