A/N

So I just finished watching the first season of Free! today and I have to say, I fell in love instantly and couldn't stop watching. And, naturally, I just have to write a fanfic about it! However, I'm going to need opinions from you guys but I'll save that until the end to ask my questions. For now, just enjoy the prologue like the beautiful people that you are ^u^

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 slide your body through that opening. Moving your arms, your head, your chest... Become free!

The nerves pulse through my body as I slide my skin into contact with the cool metal handle of the door, the one that will be opening up a completely new lifestyle to me. This is my new start, my chance to become someone other than the person that everyone knows me as. Finally, I can be free from all of that and just be my own person. And this is where it all starts! Swallowing the gathered breath of nervousness that has built up in my throat, I thrust down the handle before gently creating an opening that I would be able to slip through and enter the room that awaits me. The second that the door so much as opens, all eyes in the classroom are instantly drawn to me, yet they seem unblinking and relaxed which highlights that they don't recognise me at all. Thank goodness for that; I don't know what I would've done if they figured out who I am as soon as I even set one foot into class.

Soon enough, the teacher instantly beckons me towards the front of the classroom, a sweet smile worn on her pale face, which is framed by a short crop of chocolate-coloured hair that curls under her chin at the tips. I obey her silent order and take my place next to her, facing the class of at least 20 students, all of their gazes draping over me as if they are assessing every single aspect of my body. The thought makes me want to wrap my arms around my chest in embarrassment when I find a few eyes staring in that general direction; I can't deny that this particular area of my body doesn't exactly suit my slim structure since they seem to be bigger than they should. Though most girls would be proud to showcase a chest like mine, I personally hate it; it means that I can't streamline my body as much as I'd wish, which is important for someone like me.

However, just as the teacher is introducing me to her class, I spot one person in the back row on the far right corner, his eyes fixated on the world that lies outside of the window with a glum expression of boredom covering his complexion. I'm guessing that new arrivals aren't something that really strike his attention too much; he seems completely detached from the world around him. With the look that's in his eyes, it's evident that he'd much rather be doing something other than sitting around in a classroom, where the height of excitement is a new student.

"Class, this is Mizu Nakama. I hope that you all welcome her into out school with open arms!" She announces to no reply, everyone silent as her overwhelming enthusiasm just seems to embarrass them all. I honestly can't blame them; if my old teacher had have been like this, I would've begged to have been placed into a different class altogether! However, I think that I'd probably be able to tolerate it now; I've matured lots in the past few years of my life and, as much as it ails me to say it, it wasn't by choice.

Once my name is revealed, the head belonging to the boy in the corner quickly snaps to the front of the class with an awestruck expression now replacing his dissatisfied one as he just stares at me with unblinking, cerulean eyes that seem to swirl with wonder. Ignoring his gaze, I merely pull up the idle hand from my side and give the class a small wave, a sweet giggle sounding from me as I make an attempt to be vaguely cute. And, it seems to work when I see a couple of the males in the room actually bite their lips or begin murmuring to the others around them. And all the while, the navy-haired corner boy just stares, causing my stomach to slightly screw up. Has he figured it out?!

As expected, class drags by with a painfully slow pace, leaving my mood completely drained by the time that we're freed for break, since it was a two-period lesson that consumed the first third of the day. Only two thirds to go until I can finally seek out what I'm really excited for, being a club that awaits within this school. It was the main reason that I chose this one in all honesty; I could've gone to many others, however, there was just something here that I was unable to pass up. Just as I'm packing up my books, a tall guy with cobalt hair and scarlet glasses approaches me with a look of intense concentration on his face, as if he's trying desperately to figure out some kind of challenging puzzle that' been bugging his mind for most of our time in class.

"Have we met before? I seem to recognise you from somewhere," he murmurs, his voice soft yet completely honest as he speaks the gnawing question that's resting on his mind. Crap, he knows about me! Wait, Mizu, don't get ahead of yourself; he might not actually have figured it out yet. After all, you hardly look anything like you did back then! I'm sure that he wouldn't know who you are just from one glimpse at your face; you haven't shown it on TV in 2 years!

"Nope, never. I just have one of those faces, that's all," I stutter, finding myself tripping over my words as I increase my pace of cramming my books into my satchel in the hope that I can escape from his conversation as soon as I possibly can. If he's close to realising who I am, then I need to get away before he can reach the conclusion that he's so desperately pining for. He sighs once, agitated by the fact that no answers have approached him, and lightly shrugs his shoulders before casually righting his glasses with his index and middle fingers.

"My mistake, Mizu." The way that he says my name in such a monotone voice, which conflicts the tone that he was just using with me completely, allows my stomach to curl itself into an ever-growing knot. He knows, there's no doubt. He's the first one to work out my history as an Olympic swimmer.

"Rei! Come on; we have to use every bit of time that we have to get some new members! Hurry up and get a move on!" A voice emanates from the door that lies towards the front of the classroom, which holds three boys in its threshold, consisting of the boy from the corner, who has once again kitted his face into its bored expression. However, there is one boy who is waving impatiently, his blonde hair framing his face in soft waves that also manage to cascade over his head every now and then, making him possess a childish kind of quality that's further enhanced by his huge, magenta eyes that glint with excitement.

Reluctantly, Rei leaves my desk and makes his way over to his friends, leaving me to deal with the stirring curiousness that's constantly swirling within me; though they're wearing uniforms, I can tell that all four of them are really well built. Built like swimmers.

"What are you trying to find members for?" I blurt out accidentally, my nosiness finally getting the better of me; these boys may be the ones who I am to turn to in order to receive what I wish to become a part of in this school. The blonde-haired boy turns to me with a wide smile on his face, boosting the element of cuteness that surrounds him; though I'm not into him or anything, I can't deny that he's absolutely adorable!

"We're proud members of the Iwatobi Swimming Club!" He announces with explicit pride completely over-riding his tone, his hand held in front of him as he offers up a peace sign to me, a wink worn on his face so that only one of his magenta eyes is visible. However, I can almost feel my heart burst with excitement as he confirms my judgement of them being members of the swimming club that I've been so eager to join ever since I witnessed them competing last year for regionals. They just seemed to work perfectly with one another and I envied the way that they expertly fit together like the perfect team, something of which I wanted to be a part. Though I don't intend on swimming any relays with them in the future, I still wish to become a member of their team!

"Care to join us?" Rei questions with a smirk worn on his lips, a glint of mischievousness playing on his irises, since he knows my true identity and also has full knowledge that there's no way that I can possibly pass this up; swimming used to be my life and I need to get it back! The blonde-haired boy seems to lean forward with a gasp of anticipation as I withhold my answer from them all for dramatic effect. Then, I allow a smile to break onto my face and I nod confidently.

"I'd love to!"

A/N

So... what did you think? I have some really good ideas for this story and I really hope that you guys are up for listening to them ^u^ However, I may not be able to update as much as most people since I have so many stories already on the go on Wattpad x'D

Still, let me know of your opinions and don't forget to drop a comment if you feel like it :3 later on through the story, I'll be asking questions of you at the end, such as if you think that ideas that I have are good ones

Anyways, that's all from me, folks! Join Mizu in the next chapter when she gives Haru a run for his money ;)

Peace out, my lovely peeps XxX