The ocean is alive. Once you touch its waves, it will immediately bare its fangs and attack. It is vast and empty.
But there's nothing to fear. The water accepts you as you accept it. The water holds you. It carries you.
And even if it carries you far away, far from all that is familiar, the water will always support you.
If you simply allow yourself to drift…
…the ocean will never let you sink.
Haruka Nanase allowed his thoughts to drift as he walked: his body on autopilot and his mind free from restraint.
This was not a good thing. After all, when the mind is unbound, unease sets in. And Makoto failing to meet him at the coffee shop they frequented — which Haru had just left — was enough to cause him considerable unease.
Envelope in hand, he climbed the familiar staircase to Makoto's apartment. The doorbell released a cheerful beep as Haru rung it — a sound he had grown fond of. However, after two minutes, no-one had answered…perhaps Makoto had left already?
Out of desperation, he tried the handle, not really expecting anything. However, to his surprise, the door swung open at his fingertips and his brow furrowed.
Makoto never left his door open.
Cautiously, he stepped inside, half-expecting to find evidence of a break-in and a missing Makoto… but instead, he was greeted by the sight of an olive-haired young man asleep at his desk.
A barely-audible sigh escaped his lips — partly due to exasperation, but also to relief.
"Makoto."
Aside from burying his head further into the pile of sheets on his table, Makoto did not respond.
"Makoto."
His friend's eyes opened slowly, half-closed and heavy with sleep. Then, he bolted upright in his chair.
"Haru!" He twisted around to check the clock on the wall, tangling his fingers in his already-dishevelled locks. His eyes widened. "Ehh?! I was supposed to meet you an hour ago!"
"Yeah." Makoto groaned.
"I'm sorry, Haru! I must've fallen asleep."
"Don't sweat it." Makoto's features melted in relief.
"How did you get in?"
"Your door was open," Haru replied.
"Ah, I should have guessed," Makoto laughed, rubbing the back of his head.
Haru surveyed him, letting silence hang between them for a moment.
"You never leave your door open."
Makoto winced.
"I must've forgotten today…" he looked down, a smile playing across his lips. "Guess I'm pretty tired." Haru's eyes narrowed.
"What have you been doing?"
"Well," Makoto began, folding his arms behind his head, "I've been doing a bit of practice-coaching at the local pool…and yesterday I stayed to help out a little longer because the usual coach was sick."
"That's all?" Haru asked skeptically.
"Hmmm…well, Nagisa had some questions about a holiday assignment — nothing too big or anything. His grades are improving really well! But I think with Rei on vacation in South Africa, he needed a little extra help."
"Is that what all this is?" Haru asked, gesturing to the mass of documents scattered across the table. Makoto laughed.
"Oh, no, that's for a friend! Since we're on break, she wants to study as hard as she can before we go back and I'm helping her out a bit. She's getting better — I think it's-"
"That's too much effort."
"No, it's no trouble!" Makoto said, shaking his head. His smile didn't waver. "I don't mind — really! It's just sort of…exhausting."
Haru pulled out the chair opposite Makoto and sat down. Now seemed like a good time to raise the question he had wanted to ask at the coffee shop.
"You need a break." Without waiting for Makoto to say anything, he laid down his envelope on the table.
"Huh? What are those?" Makoto asked, tilting his head.
"Tickets for a flight to Fukuoka."
Makoto gasped.
"Haru! Where did you get those?"
"Our team is holding a training program there," Haru replied, pushing the envelope towards him. "The extra ticket belonged to my teammate. He broke his leg so we have an extra place."
"And…you want me to take it?" Makoto hesitated. "Are you sure they'll be okay with that?"
"They will be. Actually, our coach has been trying pretty hard to find someone who can fill in."
"Really?" Makoto asked, taking a sip of coffee from a nearby mug, then grimacing when he realised it was cold.
"Yeah. The coach of the women's team threatened to cancel the program if one of our members was missing."
"That seems a bit extreme," Makoto murmured.
Haru leaned back in his chair. "She probably just didn't want to go."
"Why not?"
"She doesn't like our coach. They're always at each other's throats. So when she tried to cancel it...he panicked."
"Panicked?" Makoto asked. "Why, what did he do?"
"He threatened to ban mackerel from the cafeteria." Makoto's eyebrows shot into his hair.
"That's a pretty specific threat!"
"I told him to give me a day," Haru replied, unconcerned. Makoto laughed.
"So this is really all about the mackerel, isn't it?" he sighed.
"Are you in?" Haru asked. He could have corrected Makoto and told him that for the most part, he just wanted to swim with his friend again. The shimmer in his green eyes told him it wasn't necessary.
"Well…" Makoto said. "I do think I need some time off…I'm sure my friends will survive without me for a few days, right? And they can always call if they need help…"
Haru gazed on in polite science, already knowing what the answer would be. Then, Makoto's lips softened into a smile that could melt steel.
"Okay! If it'll help you, I'll do it…Haru-chan!"
Haru flushed, though not deeply enough for either to notice.
"Lay off the -chan." Makoto winced.
"Right…sorry!"
Haru sighed, ignoring the familiar sensation in his stomach. Like a paintbrush was dripping colour into his soul.
Though he had no idea what the feeling meant, it was always (inexplicably) accompanied by the presence of Makoto.