Chapter 1
"Good morning Kei!" I looked over my shoulder and saw the familiar brunette running up the stairs towards me.
"Good morning Makoto." I greeted as he towered above me.
"Did he not answer the door?" He questioned. I sighed as my shoulders slumped.
"Of course not. Should we go inside?" He let out a small laugh as his head slightly titled to the right.
"I don't think we have a choice." So the two of us walked around our childhood friends house until we reached the familiar back door. The brunette opened up the door and took a step inside as he said, "Excuse me."
"Do you think he's in the tub again?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he was." As we walked towards the familiar bathroom and opened the door Makoto warned Haru of our presence. Haru pushed himself out of the water and shook his head. His black hair moved form side to side – spraying water around him. Makoto walked towards him and leaned forward, lending his hand, as he said, "Good morning, Haru-chan." Haru sighed and reluctantly took his hand.
"I told you to lay off the –chan." As Haru stood up out of the bathtub we saw that he was wearing his familiar black and purple bathing suit.
"You were in the bath with your swimsuit on again?" Makoto asked.
"Usually people are naked in the bath, Haru, not wearing their swimsuit." I commented as I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the door.
"Buzz off you two. You're going to be late." Haru commented as he stepped out of the bath. Makoto sighed.
"That's my line."
"Can you just get changed quickly, so we can leave?" I asked Haru as he walked past me.
"I need to do something first." He said as he walked towards the kitchen. We followed him and I raised my hand and slapped it onto my forehead when I saw Haru put on his apron.
"I can't believe he's going to do it." I groaned as Haru placed the piece of fish on his pan.
"Wait, why are you grilling fish?" Makoto asked as he stood beside Haru.
"I haven't had breakfast." He answered.
"And you're wearing an apron over a swimsuit. Aren't you cold?"
"I don't want to get oil on my swimsuit." Haru stated. A bing came form the toaster and a golden piece of toast was peeking out of the top of the toaster.
"I didn't even see him put that in." I whispered to myself.
"Toast and fish?" Makoto questioned Haru's choice of breakfast.
"That's an odd combination." I commented.
"You should try it. It's a good choice." Haru said. I sighed at his words.
"Toast and fish definitely do not go together." Makoto said. Haru didn't comment on his statement and continued to grill his fish.
"So why did you two come and get me?" Haru asked Makoto and myself. I walked in-between the two boys as the three of us made our way to school.
"You didn't show up for the opening assembly yesterday." Makoto answered.
"And we wanted to make sure you didn't not go to school today." I added.
"I called in sick yesterday." Haru said.
"Do you know what class you're in then?" The brunette questioned. Haru didn't answer the question, so I decided to answer it for him,
"We're in the same class again, Class 1."
"It's like the three musketeers, right?" Makoto smiled at the two of us. I smiled back at him as Haru continued to look forward.
"Most definitely."
"We've got a new lady as our homeroom teacher. They already gave her a nickname." Makoto said.
"She teaches classical literature, right?" I questioned.
"Yup, but she's also a little on the odd side, isn't she?" He asked me.
"Just a little bit. I found it kind of funny when she realized that I'm a girl with a boy's name." I laughed.
"Or when she realized I'm a guy with a girl's name." Makoto laughed. The brunette moved his head in Haru's direction. I looked over and saw the black haired boy staring at the sea longingly. "I hope it gets warmer soon, so you can swim."
"We can all go swimming together when it warms up, huh?" I suggested to the two boys. Haru looked at his two closest friends with a bored look before turning his head and staring off into the blueness that the sea held. I looked up at Makoto and shrugged my shoulders as the three of us continued to walk.
"Come on Haru." I pleaded with him. He only sighed and avoided my gaze as he looked out of the window. I moved myself and stood behind him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder. "Come to the roof with us, Haru."
"Can you let go of me?" Haru asked me. I shook my head.
"Not unless you come to the roof with us." Haru let out a sigh of defeat as he began to stand up out of his chair. I let go of him and smiled at Makoto. "All we needed was some of my magic touch." I commented as the three of us left the classroom. As we walked down the stairs Haru finally spoke.
"I didn't bring any lunch." He admitted.
"Then go buy some? Or you can have some of this?" Makoto suggested as he showed Haru his lunch.
"It's weird how my mom knows everything." I sighed. The two gave me a quizzical look as I lifted up a lunch box for Haru. "She had a feeling you'd forget your lunch, so she made you one." Haru took the box and opened the lid to find grilled mackerel and rice.
"Haru-chan! Mako-chan! Kei-chan! It's been forever!" The three of us looked down the stairs and saw a blonde waving at the three of us with a smile. "I'll be joining you here at Iwatobi High School." The three of us exchanged glances.
"Mako-chan?"
"Haru-chan?"
"Kei-chan?" It was then that all three of us clued in on who it was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Nagisa?" He only gave us his all to familiar smile.
"The one and only! Where are you guys going? Can I tag along?" He asked.
"We-We were just going to the roof to eat." I said lightly.
"Alright then! What're we waiting for?"
"How many years has it been?" Makoto questioned. "I don't think I saw you after the swimming club got shut down."
"Yup, because I went to a different school. There are cherry blossoms near the pool! Weren't there cherry blossom trees next to the pool at your grade school, Haru-chan?" Nagisa asked.
"Can you stop calling me that?" Haru asked Nagisa.
"I don't know why you're asking, you know he's not going to stop." I commented.
"But that's your name, Haru-chan." Nagisa completely ignored my comment.
"But that pool is old and not in use. There's no swim club, either." Makoto changed the direction of the conversation back to the pool in front of us. As the four of us leaned up against the railing we stared off at the pool.
"Where do you swim then?" Nagisa asked.
"I quit swimming competitively." Haru answered.
"What? Why'd you quit?" Nagisa inquired. "I was getting all excited to swim with you again in high school!"
"We're not little kids anymore. Things aren't the way they used to be." Haru stated.
"Haru-chan…"
"Well he stopped swimming competitively, but he still loves the water. Haru can't live without being in the water. During the summer he swims in the ocean, and he was soaking in the bathtub this morning."
"Well in the winter he only soaks in the bathtub, isn't that right, Haru?" I smiled over to him, but he just gave me his blank expression before looking away again.
"But what does that have to do with swimming? That just means he likes baths. I know! How about a hot springs club? Let's start a hot springs club!" Nagisa grabbed onto Haru's blazer.
"I don't like the heat." Haru answered.
"Don't be like that!"
"No."
"Okay, then…"
"I refuse."
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to for me to refuse."
"Ah! Kei-chan! Can you convince him?" Nagisa looked over at me.
"Haru's stubborn, I thought you would've known that by now." I sighed.
"Ah! Not fair! Please, Haru-chan!"
"No." I just laughed at the pair as Nagisa continued to pester Haru with questions and Haru continued to brush him off.
"Things really haven't changed." I muttered to myself. "Well come on you three! Lunch is almost over, so we should start heading back." I pointed out to the three boys in front of me.
"Do we have to?" Nagisa complained.
"Yes we do, now come on." I began to push the three in front of me towards the stairs. On our way down Nagisa stopped and looked at the three of us.
"Did you guys hear? The swimming club we went to in grade school is going to be torn down. I felt Haru's back straighten a little extra beside me as he heard the news. I glanced in his direction and saw the slightest difference in his expression. "So before that happens, why don't we pay a visit?"
"To dig that up?" Makoto questioned. Haru began to walk down the stairs.
"Exactly!" Nagisa exclaimed. "We can sneak in at night…"
"You can go by yourself." Haru said. Nagisa turned to face his friend.
"Don't say that! Come with us, Haru-chan!"
"I'm not going." Haru turned away from Nagisa.
"Don't you think it'll be fun?" Nagisa questioned.
"I don't."
"Why don't you just humour him?" Makoto asked.
"No, it's too much effort."
"I think you should go." The three looked up at me with surprised faces. "That place means a lot to all of you for different reasons, so you should all go. Also, you should go dig that up, right, Haru?" His eyes softened for only a moment before he sighed.
"Fine, I'll go."
"Ah, thank you Kei-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed.
"I didn't do anything." I laughed as I held my hands up.
"You could always convince Haru-chan to do anything! Thank you! Now we can all go!" Nagisa yelled as he bolted down the stairs in excitement.
"I can't convince him to do anything though." I muttered to myself as I followed the other boys down the stairs.
So what do we think? We like the first chapter? Ya? Ya? Well leave me a review or a PM and tell me what you think!
-xoxo JaminJazzi