Just some idea that's been bugging me, I think about continuing it, so this is chapter 1. If I continue the rating will go higher. However, I will not be posting rated material on this site, I will only post the "censored" version. You'll be able to find the full version along with my other rated stories on AO3 (same pen name). Well, hope you like this story ^^
*Japanese note: -senshuu is the honorific suffix given to athletes.
Foam of the Sea
There was nothing outstanding or remarkable about the little seaside town of Iwatobi. Like many small towns in the obscure parts of Japan outside of the major cities, it used to be a tiny fishing village. It was so obscure it was left near untouched by wars, and so normal, it was undisturbed by any major natural disaster. With the years and economical changes, it grew and absorbed neighboring villages, but most youth still dreamed of exchanging the slow paced, quiet town life for the excitement the big city had to offer. However boring and mundane it may have been, the town of Iwatobi had prided itself for producing not one, but two internationally recognized Olympic swimmers, and one gold medalist.
There was a story the people of Iwatobi liked to tell, and it had made the rounds to the press at the time, the story about the summer of 2013, when the newly created swimming club of Iwatobi high-school made it to the regional summer tournament, won first place and disqualified for switching a member with a member from another school – a childhood friend. It was a sweet display of friendship and loyalty to dreams, they liked to say. It wasn't looked upon that favorably at the time, but that switched member and the ace of the team being who they were today, the negativity and backlash were gone and forgotten. The two swimmers had become local celebrities overnight following their performance in Rio 2016, but it wasn't until Tokyo 2020 when they had reached national awareness that the small town had begun idolizing them to the point it was near impossible to find a street in Iwatobi that did not try to affiliate itself with the two, and a line of "pilgrims" taking the recommended route to the favorite hangout places of the two heroes and childhood friends.
And then one incident had changed it all.
"Thanks for coming to see me, Rin." Haruka tugged on the bill of his cap. "I know you're busy."
Rin huffed and sat down in front of Haruka. They were at a small, but expensive coffee shop downtown a busy Tokyo district.
"That's an understatement," the red-headed returned the gestured with his own cap and took off his sunglasses, putting them on the table. "You must be too."
"Yeah."
At a nearby table, two young women were gushing over their cheesecake, when one of them raised her eyes and spotted the two suspiciously dressed young men at the other table.
"Ne, ne," she told her friend. "Those guys with the hats over there, they gotta be famous, right?"
Her friend turned around to have a look. "That guy sure looks familiar," her friend hummed. "I'm sure I've seen those strange teeth before."
"They look like shark teeth…" the first girl commented and chuckled.
"Yeah," the friend agreed, then her face changed. "AH! That's gotta be that guy! Quick, quick, take a picture!"
Haruka and Rin walked outside the café, shoulders brushing against each other. None of them spoke. There were a lot of people running around the busy street, no one giving them a moment glance. Tokyo was immensely different than the little town they had both hailed from. It allowed them to live their lives in anonymity.
"I missed you," Haruka said quietly, but loud enough to be heard in the din of the street. "You need to come over more often."
"Are you being emotional now, Haru?" Rin grinned and slapped Haruka's cap playfully, crooking it.
Haruka frowned and fixed it. "You're one to ta—"
Rin drew him into his arms, hugging him tightly. "I missed you too, Haru."
Feeling a little awkward at the sudden intrusion into his personal space, it took Haruka a moment to react and put his arms around Rin. "As I was saying," he said into Rin's ear.
Rin let go of him slightly and looked down, his forehead nearly touching Haruka's. "I have to go. Got a flight to catch."
Haruka unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, taking his shoes off at the entrance. "I'm back," he said out of habit to an empty apartment.
His stomach was still full of coffee and cake, but he had fresh mackerel he bought that morning in the fridge, and it would be a terrible waste if he didn't grill it right away. For mackerel, he didn't need to be hungry.
The phone started ringing while he was busy grilling the fish, so he ignored it. As usual, if it were important, they would try to reach him again. Haruka smiled to himself as he watched the chunks of meat sizzle on the griller. He was in a good mood. It was nice to see Rin after so long.
After turning the gas off and taking another sniff of the grilled fish, he decided he was hungry after all. The phone was still ringing, and he huffed in annoyance. He didn't recognize the caller ID and pulled out the plug. Anyone who really needed him, knew how to reach him on his mobile phone. And because he hated talking on the phone, it was permanently set to manners mode. That wasn't entirely true – it was a custom mode he named Makoto mode - his phone only rung when Makoto was calling, and he liked the arrangement, much to the chagrin of his coaches and other people who regularly tried to reach him, and whom he filtered based on his mood.
Once he had finished eating and put the dishes in the washer. He walked to the living room and plopped down on the couch, raising his legs over the coffee table. The sun was starting to sink, and he threw a glance outside the big window, overlooking the skyscrapers of Tokyo and the hazy horizon where, according to his real estate agent, on a clear day, it was possible to see Mt. Fuji. He had yet to see that glorious sight and suspected it was either a myth or a fancy exaggeration meant to raise the worth of the apartment and bring in the deep pocketed customers. Haruka didn't really care. It wasn't the reason he leased the place. If it were up to him, he'd still live in his old and traditional Japanese house in Iwatobi. Sometimes he still wondered if he could go back and live there, if it weren't for the fact his parents had moved back in, following his father's retirement. Either way, Mt. Fuji or not, one of the selling points of the mansion was the communal pool on the roof.
Haruka thought about going to the pool for a little swim and sunset viewing, when a muffled, familiar tune reached his ears. His mobile, which was left in his jacket, on the hanger at the entrance, was ringing. Which meant Makoto was calling. Haruka put his legs down and stood up, then walked a bit faster than usual to answer the phone in time.
He didn't. By the time he fished the dated mobile phone out of the pocket, it had stopped ringing.
He was about to return the call, when he noticed he had a few calls from an unidentified number. As he was wondering who might be searching for him knowing he would not answer anonymous calls, his phone buzzed with another incoming call, which he clicked to accept by mistake.
Since he had already accepted the call, he brought the phone to his ear.
"Nanase,"he said briskly, and waited for the caller to identify himself.
"I know your true identity," a masked voice said quietly on the other side of the line.
"…huh?" Haruka asked in confusion and clicked his tongue. From all the calls he could've wasted a moment of his precious free time on, it had to be a prank call?
"I know you're gay," the gritty voice continued. "And I know who your boyfriend is."
Haruka puckered his lips in annoyance. "Who is it?" he asked. "Is it Nagisa? It's not April's fools yet, I'm going to kill you," he grumbled.
"I have evidence," the person continued, ignoring Haruka's half-hearted threat. "And unless you pay me 2 billion yen in 48 hours, I will send the evidence to the press."
"…what?"
"This is not a joke, nor a prank call. I will contact you again in 3 hours to hear your decision."
"Now wait a mo—" Haruka's protest were cut off when the call was.
Haruka stared at the phone for a bit. It had got to be a joke. There were only a few people who had known about his relationship, and they would never make a joke like that. He also trusted them never to spill his secret to anyone. There has got to be an explanation, but for the moment, Haruka needed to get rid of that extremely uneasy feeling in his stomach.
He clicked on his phone and waited.
"Makoto!" he said, almost too happy to hear the cheerful voice on the other side of the line instead of the creepy computerized voice.
"…I'm fine. …really." A heartbeat. "No, something happened. …It's a bit early, but can you come home now?"
He was on pins and needles, waiting for Makoto to return, and nothing seemed to calm him down, not even a soak in the bath. He thought about going to the pool, when he heard the door unlocked and Makoto's voice announced he was home.
"Makoto!" Haruka hurried to reach him. "Are you all right?" He grabbed Makoto's arms with both hands. "You didn't receive any weird phone call?"
"Huh?" Makoto furrowed his brow, looking at Haruka with concern. "Only from Haru."
Haruka sighed and withdrew his hands. He folded them over his chest and rubbed his arms. "Sorry for making you come home early," he said quietly.
"It's okay, I've finished most of my work," Makoto said and took off his suit's jacket, before starting to undo his tie. "What is it, Haru? You look pale. Not feeling well?" he asked.
Haruka shuffled his feet and looked away. "I think… I think I'm being blackmailed."
Makoto stared at him for a moment, confused. "Eh?"
"I received a threatening call," Haruka explained. "And they want me to pay them 2 billion yen in two days."
"Eh?!" Makoto widened his eyes, then more calmly, asked, "Wait, what do they have on you, exactly?"
"If it was just me, I wouldn't care!" Haruka raised his voice. "But he knows, about you," he stressed. "I don't care about coming out, but I don't want you to get in the crossfire."
Makoto sighed. "Any chance it's someone we know pulling your leg?"
Haruka shook his head. "Who would make such a bad joke?"
Makoto rubbed his chin in thought. "That's true."
"He said he will call again—" Haruka checked his watch. "In two and a half hours now."
"We should contact the police," Makoto said. "Maybe they could trace this guy."
Haruka shook his head. "He was using a voice mixer, I'm sure he's taken precautions," he sighed. "Maybe I should just give him the money."
"What? You can't do that." Makoto stopped undressing. "He will continue to blackmail you for more." He clutched his hand into a fist. "It makes me so angry people like that exist!"
With a sigh, Haruka walked back to the living room, followed by Makoto. His partner had the right of it. He couldn't give in to such threats, or it would keep coming back to haunt him. There was only one solution.
"I'll come out publicly and foil his plans. His 'evidence' would be worth shit without the scoop," Haruka said. "Don't worry, I won't out you."
Makoto exhaled and grabbed Haruka's arms. "No, wait, Haru. Please think it through; your career could be on the line."
"The country is way more accepting now than ten years ago," Haruka insisted. "There are even attempts to legalize same sex marriage, right?"
"Yes, but there are also a lot of old fashioned people who will not view this kindly, especially in the sports world—" He paused to breathe for a moment. "With only a year until the next Olympic games it's too risky, Haru. You could be ostracized. They would choose to elect younger swimmers over you."
Haruka glared at him. "Are you saying I'm old?"
"That's not my point…"
"I understand your point," Haruka sighed. "But there's got to be a way. I can't let this guy win."
"First let's see if it's not really someone we know," Makoto said. "It could be Nagisa."
Haruka threw a 'really?' glance at him and Makoto sighed. "Okay, probably not."
The time passed slowly as Haruka waited for the phone call. He placed his mobile phone on the table and stared at it in anxiety. Makoto had already taken a shower, a short one. He didn't want to leave Haruka's side for too long and Haruka was so dispirited he didn't even want to join him in the shower.
"Haru." Haruka raised his head when Makoto called him and accepted the hot mug of green tea.
"Thanks."
Makoto sat down next to him on the couch and reached out to rub his shoulder gently. Haruka leaned into the touch, catching Makoto's hand between his shoulder and ear.
"Come here," the taller man said and pulled Haruka closer, fluttering his lips over Haruka's forehead and nose, before planting a soft kiss on his mouth.
"Makoto…" Haruka said quietly and his voice quivered. For the first time since the ordeal started, he felt like crying. The tears stung his eyes.
"Whatever happens, I'll be by your side, Haruka," Makoto whispered softly and kissed Haruka's eyes, as though trying to make the tears disappear.
Their moment was cut short by the loud vibration of the mobile phone on the table. Haruka threw a glance at the screen. "That's him."
Makoto lowered his hand to Haruka's back, rubbing him gently and encouraging him to pick up.
"Yes," Haruka answered the phone, regaining his composure.
As he feared, the gritting computerized voice replied. "Have you decided?"
Haruka bit his lips. "You don't leave me much choice, do you?"
"No."
"Is it going to be just the 2 billion or are you going to bug me again later for more?" Haruka asked coldly.
"I'd settle for the 2 billion for now," the voice answered.
"Fine. How do I get the money to you?"
Makoto tensed and mouthed, 'Haru!' - Haruka just shrugged him off with a hand gesture.
The perpetrator gave him the details, to which Haruka agreed in a low, resigned voice and ended the call.
"What are you thinking?!" Makoto finally raised his voice. "You can't do that!"
"Don't worry about it," Haruka said quietly and clicked on his phone, putting it back on his ear.
"Hey, Sato-san, it's Nanase. I need a favor," he told the person who had picked up.
Sato Juunichi, 35, was Haruka's sports agent ever since he'd started pursuing a career in competitive swimming, upon graduating from high-school. Sato was a young agent back then, and Haruka was his first promising catch. They have become some sort of friends beyond their professional relationship.
It took Sato less than a day to set up the news conference Haruka had requested, even though he had tried to dissuade him, even attempting to enlist Makoto.
Haruka held his breath when he entered the room and was blinded by the flashes of the cameras. He started to wonder if he were really doing the right thing, but a look behind his shoulder – at Makoto, who had taken a sick leave to accompany him, but stayed out of sight at the sidelines – had given him all the reasons and strength he needed to go through with his plan.
When the room fell quiet and all eyes, cameras and microphones waited to hear what he had to say, there was no turning back. He cleared his throat.
"First I, I would like to thank Sato-san, and… and my coach, Nakamura-san, for putting this together so fast at my request…" he looked down. His hands, rested in his lap, were shaking. "Even though they advised me not to do it…" He took a breath. "But I, it's something I needed to do."
He fell silent and looked at his trembling hands. What was it? Even though he had practiced what he was going to say since yesterday. He wasn't supposed to care about this. And then, out of the blue, as though he was hit by a lightning bolt, the path had suddenly been shown to him, and he gasped. His hands stopped shaking and he leaned in, closer to the number of microphones that were set before him on the table.
"I've been blackmailed," he said. "And the police is on the case, but I thought I would say this, just so it won't be repeated." He straightened up. "I'm gay—"
The room was still quiet, in perfect Japanese order, no one was going to let out a word before he would finish his statement - the only sound was the cameras flashing.
"—and I'm in a relationship with a man. He's a private person and I rather not expose his name…" Practiced words, practiced words. His chest felt lighter now. "I hope you would respect my privacy, and focus instead on my professional accomplishments thus far," he said and without looking at anywhere in particular, he added, "Also, I have decided to retire from competitive swimming."
"Wait, Nanase-kun…" his coach whispered at his side. "What are you doing, this is not what we talked about!"
"That is all," Haruka told the microphones, and finished his statement.
"I'm sorry, Nanase-senshuu won't be answering any questions right now," the host announced when the room went louder again with people talking all at once.
Haruka got up, bowed deeply to the audience and excused himself, leaving the room, and his team of PR to deal with the pressing questions in his stead.
"What have you done, Haruka?" Makoto asked him when he passed by him in the hallway. His voice was quiet, disappointed.
Haruka didn't look at him. "It just felt right."
He left Makoto behind and walked to the dressing room to have the make-up removed. This life in the spotlight, it was too tiresome for him. Thinking back, he should've never chosen this path. He should've chosen to stay in Iwatobi. It was Rin's fault, egging him on to strive for more and see how far he could go. It was Nagisa and Rei's fault, for looking up to him with admiration in their eyes. And it was also Makoto's fault, for loving him best when he was swimming competitively.
The car ride back home was silent, except for his mobile phone which didn't stop buzzing with incoming calls inside his pocket. He ignored it and only looked at it when they had arrived at their apartment.
He had no less than 316 missed calls and incoming mails.
"What the…" He had never seen such number before; he didn't even think it was possible. So the news had already hit the outside world. He wrinkled his eyebrows and checked the call log to see who had been trying to reach him.
On top of the list were his agent, his coaches, his mother, Makoto's mother, Makoto's sister, a few sports reporters he was friendly with, as well as a few other numbers he associated with the press.
He didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. There was only one person he could handle dealing with right now. He turned around.
Makoto was also looking at his own vibrating mobile, but it looked as though he wasn't going to answer. He put it back in his pocket and raised his eyes to Haruka, giving him a warm smile.
"Go take a bath, Haru," he said. "We can talk later."
Haruka nodded and walked to the bathroom. After soaping and washing himself in the shower, he soaked in the bath. Although it felt good and refreshing, he only stayed in the hot water for ten minutes. He needed to get his peace of mind from something else, or rather, someone.
"Ha… Haru…" Makoto mumbled in surprise when the shorter man hugged him from behind. He turned around and ruffled Haruka's damp hair, smiling.
"What is it?" Haruka could tell the difference between Makoto's smiles, and this smile was a smile that tried to hide something in order not to worry him.
"Ah, it's nothing."
"What is it?" Haruka repeated.
"Well, the internet is already buzzing with rumors about you," Makoto said, uncomfortably. "And, uh, your mystery boyfriend."
"Shit…" Haruka let go of him. "Did your name get leaked?"
"No… it's worse," Makoto said and showed Haruka his tablet.
Haruka took it from his hands and looked, his eyes widening. The caption read "Could this be the lover of Tokyo gold medalist Nanase?" Attached to some candid photos of him with Rin, in the coffee shop where they sat together the day before, as well as pictures of them hugging out in the street, even one photo from an angle that made it seem like they were kissing.
He blushed. "This is quite misleading…"
"But this is going to cause trouble for Rin now," Makoto said quietly.
"I'll give another statement," Haruka said quickly. "He doesn't even live in Japan."
"Haru."
"He could make his own statement too…"
"Haru." Makoto put his finger under Haruka's chin, lifting it gently to meet his eyes. "Stop please? You're overworked. Things are going to be a little busy in the coming days, but I'm sure it will eventually die down and you'll be able to live peacefully again."
"I have no idea what to do…" Haruka admitted, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. In a moment of weird, yet lucid epiphany, he had cast away his career and his future, only a year before the games he's been training so hard for in the past three years. The original plan was to retire after the games next year.
"Makoto," he said quietly and took Makoto's hands into his. "Listen, I…"
His partner smiled again, more genuinely this time. "Yeah, I think you should go back to Iwatobi, Haru."
"You're not going to go back with me." Haruka's words were both a question and a statement, he already knew the answer.
"I can't quit work before the year ends," Makoto said quietly. "You can stay with your parents until April."
Haruka nodded. It would've been easier if Makoto could drop everything and go back with him - go back to their quiet, boring, comfortable life in the small boring seaside town of Iwatobi.
He had always hated winter. He couldn't wait for spring.
tbc... maybe.
