Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
Only From Afar
Chapter 2
Makoto wasn't sleepy at all. In fact, he felt more jumpy and excited than ever. After playing in the beach all day, his mother had made him his favorite dinner and bought him a new book he wanted for a very long time. Overall, he had had a very pleasant day and it was definitely one of the best days a small five year old could have. Turning and tossing in his bed, Makoto opened his eyes again and looked at his dark room. He didn't know what time it was, but he just wasn't tired. He still had energy to play.
Not wanting to make too much noise, Makoto got out of bed and walked toward the window. He looked outside and stared at the beautiful ocean in front of him. Even though something so big and mysterious scared him, he still loved playing on the beach. He loved feeling the sand in between his toes and fresh breeze hit his face. As Makoto looked outside, he leaned his head on his hands and let out a dreamy sigh. He couldn't wait until tomorrow because he knew he would go out to the beach again. Since it was already late summer, the weather started getting cooler and was much more enjoyable.
With a smile, Makoto stepped away from the window and went toward his bookshelf. He looked through his small collection of books. Then, he picked out his favorite one and went back to his bed. He snuggled under bedsheets after he had turned on his lamp. He opened his book and ignoring the long complicated words, Makoto looked at the beautiful pictures of the mystical creatures he hoped lived in the ocean. However, his favorite portion of the book showed beautiful drawings and paintings about mermaids. Leaning closer toward the book, Makoto slowly traced over one of the mermaid's tail fin with his finger. They looked very alluring and small little Makoto couldn't help but be wondered by them.
He rested his head on his pillow before he looked up at the ceiling. He didn't know if mermaids were real or not, but he had heard many stories about them from his grandfather. He told him amazing tales of how he had seen them when he was only a young fisherman. Of course, his mother would say he was lying right after and Makoto didn't know if he should trust his grandfather or not. Still, he wanted to believe. He wanted mermaids to be real because he wanted to meet one. He wanted ask them what it was like to live in the ocean. He wanted to ask if it was fun or scary. He wanted to touch their tail fins. Makoto kept flipping through the pages of his favorite book and when he finally reached the end, his bedroom door creaked open. Afraid, he quickly hid under his bedsheets.
"Makoto, dear, what are you still doing awake?" When Makoto heard his mother's voice, he came out from under the blankets with a bit of embarrassment. Then, he quickly showed her the book he had been looking through. His mother smiled sweetly him, making him feeling a bit less guilty for still being up. She walked toward him, turned off the lamp and gave a good night kiss in the head. "I know you like this book very much, but now isn't the time to read. Besides, don't we always read this book together?"
"Yes," Makoto stated, watching as his mother took the book away from his hands. "But I really like it. Mama, do you think they're real? The mermaids?"
"Hmm, well, I've never seen one so I can't really say." His mother placed her hand over her chin and pretended to be pondering about the issue. Meanwhile, Makoto watched her with fascination and waited for another response. After a couple of seconds, she smiled again and started tucking him back into bed. This time, though, small Makoto started to feel a bit more sleepy. "Your grandfather's stories did sound quite vivid, but I'm afraid they're just stories. We can't say for sure that they're real or not."
"I want to see one." Makoto told his mother, rubbing his eyes and grabbing his stuffed dolphin. He hugged it tightly before his mother gave him another good night's kiss on the forehead. Makoto smiled at her and he was glad that he hadn't gotten in trouble for staying up so late. Still, his eyes wandered back to his book on the shelf. "I want a mermaid as a friend."
His mother ruffled his hair, but she didn't say anything anymore. As Makoto began to slowly close his eyes, his mother walked out the room and quietly closed the door. The room once again fell silent and the only thing little Makoto could hear were the distant sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. He wanted to get up and see again, but his body suddenly felt tired and heavy. He yawned and slowly let his eyelids close.
In his mind. he began to visualize what it would be like to meet an actual mermaid.
...
(A/N: I know this one is shorter than the previous chapter, but it was suppose to be part of chapter 1 originally. Anyways, thanks for reading!)