Water and Cherry Blossom

(CHAPTER I: The Red Water)

Makoto followed by Haru, Nagisa and Gou arrived at the school gate. Rei was seen conversing with a middle-aged lady, a red haired man stood beside them, his ocean blue eyes gleamed as they approached him.

'Blue eyes, just like Haruka-senpai's…' thought Gou

"Hey Haru!" exclaimed the man "Long time no see eh?"

Haru glared at the man, he seemed angry about something.

"What are you doing here?" he asked him. The man replaced his huge smile with a grin; he stared at Haru in the eyes once more. Strange enough he was shorter than Haru. Haru looked down, his eyes was still glaring.

"Haru, that's not how you are supposed to greet your father aren't you?" said the lady who was conversing with Rei "We both missed you so much!"

Haru remained quiet, his white knuckles turned red in colour, he was gritting his teeth. Makoto who realized the uneasiness in his friend's face decided to change the subject.

"Anyone hungry?" he said. The rest stared at him for a moment and it was broken by a clap from Haru's father.

"I do!" he said, a huge smile carved on his face "Ramen in my house, my treat!"

They all arrived at Haru's house, the house seemed brighter than it usually was. Luggage and different type of items were already loaded inside the house. Plastic wrappers were everywhere.

"You are all very lucky, I just bought some groceries not too long ago" said Haru's mother while putting her fancy blue handbag on the kotatsu "Yukichi special ramen would taste better with the market newest organic egg!"

Yukichi was Haru's father name, Yukichi Nanase. His mother name was Kaguya Nanase.

"Nanase-san, I could help chopping some vegetables" said Makoto, he had known Haru's mother for a long time but she had been gone for 5 years, so he felt awkward talking to her again.

"Mako-chan, of course you could!" said Kaguya "and please do call me Kagu-san again like you used too!"

Makoto face turned red from embarrassment and nodded before going to the kitchen to help Yukichi. Gou could not help but wonder 'Where was that intense atmosphere not too long ago?'

Haru was just sitting at the tonkatsu with Nagisa and Rei while Gou decided to help Kaguya preparing the ingredients for cooking. Haru glaring eyes had soften but he still refused to converse with his father.

"Don't worry about Haru" said Kaguya who had seemed to realize Gou worried eyes "He is just still getting used to having a new father around"

Gou eyes widened in surprise "A new father?" she knew she was being impolite but she was really curious.

"Well… Yukichi had been around for as long as I could remember, even Mako-chan knows him" said Kaguya "I just don't understand why that boy still won't accept him, he even went as far as moving out to my mother's house"

Gou decided that she should not ask for more. She had known too much and she did not want to be a busybody so she decided to remain quiet.

"Well, are you Haru's girlfriend?" asked Kaguya. The sudden question surprised Gou that she dropped the groceries she held in her hands. She quickly shook her head in denial.

"I'm not!" she exclaimed, Kaguya chuckled.

"Makoto's? Nagisa's? or that handsome glasses boy, Rei?" she asked. Gou face grew deep red, never in her whole history of being the Iwatobi Swimming Club manager did she ever thought of being in any relationship, especially with one of her club member.

"I- only like Rin-nii-san" said Gou, it was the truth though. Gou had never loved a man as much as how she loved her brother. She once thought of marrying her brother when she was small but she soon realized that her feelings towards her brother were not the romantic kind. It was just a sister to brother kind of love.

CRASH!

Gou jolted in surprise, the sound of a plate crashing had stopped her conversation with Kaguya. She looked at the direction of the crash and was shocked to find out Yukichi lying down on the floor.

"Yuki! Are you okay?" asked Kaguya as she rushed to her husband side. Yukichi smiled at his wife and stared at the person in front of him.

"Haru" he said, Haru clenched his fist and ran towards his room.

"What happened?" asked Gou while handing a first aid-kit box to Kaguya, apparently Yukichi had some scratches on his knee. He was probably scraped by the broken plates.

"It's no big deal" answered Yukichi "Maybe Haru is still uncomfortable by having me around… haha!"

Gou could not help but realize that behind the laughter of the man in front of her, there was a hint of sadness in his voice. 'This is confusing' she thought 'From Haruka-senpai's reaction, Yukichi-san was supposed to be a bad guy… the reason of Haru-senpai being uncomfortable with a new father does not seem to explain his hatred towards Yukichi-san… that is just not quite normal. After all, Haruka-senpai is not the type to hate people right?'

Gou looked at Yukichi again, his eyes were still sad even though he was smiling. Gou then tried to remember the cold expression Haru had towards Yukichi. He must have hated Yukichi so much, but come to think of it, Haru hating someone just does not seem right! Yukichi must have done something really, really wrong to make Haru hate him.

'There must be a reason…' Gou thought and she had a bad feeling about this.