A.N: Hey guys, sorry it took a while for me to update. I just finished my semester, so I'll be working on this story more. I have plenty of time now to complete it.

xxx

The next day, the swim club was dressed and in the stadium, prepared for their events.

"It's finally time!" Nagisa exclaimed.

"I'm getting nervous." Rei said.

Makoto looked over at Haru. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Haru responded, looking away.

"It's almost time!"

"Let's go, Haru-chan!"

"Go get 'em, guys!" Gou cheered.

"Right!" They said in unison.

Makoto, Rei, Nagisa, Haru and Hikaru formed a circle and placed their hands in the middle with Hikaru's hand on top. "Then, let's each do the best we can and stay focused!" Makoto told them.

"Yeah!"

Xxx

Makoto was up first. It was his 100m backstroke.

"Go, go, go, go, go Makoto!" Gou cheered.

"Go, go, go, go, go Makoto!" Rei, Nagisa and Hikaru cheered.

"Swim, swim, swim, swim, swim Makoto!" Gou cheered.

"Swim, swim, swim, swim, swim Makoto!" Rei, Nagisa and Hikaru cheered.

"Last leg, last leg, last leg, last leg!"

"Last leg, last leg, last leg, last leg!"

Makoto had gotten 4th place and hadn't qualified for regionals.

Next was Rin's 100m freestyle. He and Haru weren't swimming in the same heat.

"And, swim!"

"Swim!"

"Swim!"

"Swim!"

Samezuka cheered loudly for their captain.

"That's amazing; he's already taken the lead!" Makoto said in awe.

"They're heading into the turn!" Rei told them.

"GO RIN!" Hikaru cheered.

"He's increased his lead during the turn!"

"No one can even compete with Rin-chan's speed!"

"He's so fast!"

Hikaru stared in awe. They were right. He was really fast. She was so enchanted by his swimming that no words came out of her mouth.

Rin's hand hit the side of the pool and he got first place!

"Onii-chan!" Gou exclaimed.

Hikaru had a big smile on her face. "Yay, Rin!" She cheered.

Next it was Haru's 100m freestyle.

Haru had gotten to the middle before his feet touched the bottom of the pool and what Haru just did shocked everybody.

"Haru-chan…"

"What happened?" Hikaru's hands went to her mouth.

In the locker room, Haru was getting dressed when Rin barged in.

Rin grabbed Haru's arm. "What do you think you were doing? Why the hell did you do that?!"

"It has nothing to do with you." Haru replied, calmly.

"Like hell it doesn't!" Rin spat. "That was an important match with all the scouts watching!"

"What do I care about that?" Haru asked. "Because scouts were watching? So I can set records in front of a crowd? None of that is what I swim for." Haru matched his gaze.

"Then what do you swim for?"

At that moment, Hikaru, Rei, Nagisa and Makoto appeared at the doorway.

"I swim for myself and my friends." Haru replied.

"Then swim for your friends and your own sake!" Rin told him. "Do you not understand what you do out there is going to impact your future?" He grabbed Haru's other arm. "Don't you have a dream?! Take this more seriously! I know you could-"

Haru shook Rin's hand away, lifted his arm and slammed one of the lockers with his fist, cutting Rin off.

Rin stared in shock.

Haru rose his voice. "You're the one who doesn't understand!" He shot back. "What dream? What future? It's you who cares about all that! I'm not you! I don't have any of that!"

Haru walked away from Rin and went to exit the room but saw his teammates there.

"Haru…"

"Haruka-senpai…"

"You guys were in here?" Haru frowned. "It's okay, Nagisa, Rei, Makoto. I'll swim in the relay with you. That's what I've come this far for." Then he turned to Hikaru. "I know you're going to ask…and I'm okay."

Hikaru smiled softly. "Good to hear."

xxx

It was Rei's event and he had gotten 5th place. But that wasn't good enough to move on to the finals.

"That was a personal best for him too." Makoto commented.

Nagisa wasn't able to qualify either.

Nagisa and Rei were resting against the wall after their events. Hikaru was with them too.

"I didn't have a prayer…"

"Me, either." Rei agreed. "Regionals really are something."

"You guys did a very good job though." Hikaru praised. "Don't discourage yourself because you didn't qualify."

Nagisa looked at her and grinned. "Ya, thank you Hikaru-chan."

"Thank you for those kind words, Hikaru-senpai." Rei gave her a smile.

Hikaru smiled at them. "You're welcome."

"But it isn't over yet!" Nagisa told them.

"That's right!" Hikaru chirped.

"Indeed. We still have the relay."

"Hey, you two. Good job out there." Makoto told them.

"Makoto-senpai." Rei acknowledged and stood up to face him.

"Huh? Are you alone, Mako-chan?" Nagisa asked, standing up too. "Where's Haru-chan?"

"He went off somewhere after Rin's race." Makoto replied. "I looked around for him a little, but I didn't find him."

"Don't worry." Nagisa smiled. "I'm sure he'll be back in time for the relay."

"That's right. After all, Haruka-senpai told us that he would swim in the relay with us."

Hikaru stood up. "I'll go and look for him."

"Hikaru-senpai, you don't have too."

"Don't worry, Rei. I insist. If I can't find him, I'll come back here." Hikaru smiled. "I'm in no rush; my event is after your relay."

Rei nodded and smiled.

Makoto smiled. "Thank you, Hikaru."

Xxx

Hikaru looked everywhere she knew to look inside before going outside. Damnit, where is he? She checked her watch. She was walking around for at least 5 minutes. Okay, she was going to look a little longer before heading back inside.

But then she spotted him. He was sitting on a bench, looking up in the sky.

"Haru." She called out. When Haru didn't turn to her, she went over and sat on the bench next to him. "Haru." She tried again.

Haru turned over to her. "What?"

"Makoto, Rei and Nagisa were worried about you." Hikaru told him. "Even I was. You just walked off like that during Rin's race. Well, I mean…I didn't see you walk off because I was cheering for Rin. But I noticed you weren't there and I asked Makoto after and he-"

"Alright." Haru cut her off.

"Haru, let's get going."

"Do you have a dream?" Haru asked suddenly, looking down. "Do you know what you want to do in the future?"

Hikaru paused. Why was he asking this? Was it because of the conversation he and Rin were having before? It was really intense and Hikaru's couldn't help but picture herself in Haru's shoes. She has to tell Rin at some point that she doesn't want to be a professional swimmer. And she also has to tell her father that. "Yeah, I do."

Haru looked down and put his hand on his forehead. "Hikaru, why is it that can't find what I want to do in the future?"

"You'll find it." Hikaru replied.

"When?"

"It'll take time, Haru. But one day, you'll find it." Hikaru smiled at him.

Haru nodded and smiled a bit. "Thanks. Okay, let's get going."

"Hey Sousuke."

"That's Rin's voice." Hikaru whispered.

Haru glanced over at where Rin and Sousuke were talking.

"Haru, we should respect their privacy." Hikaru told him.

"Sousuke is probably telling Rin about his shoulder injury."

"You knew about that?"

"Yeah."

Hikaru fell silent.

"Hikaru, don't you think it's a good time for you to tell Rin about yours?"

At that moment, Rin clutched Sousuke's jacket and cried.

Hikaru tore her gaze away from Sousuke and Rin and stood up. "Come on…" She said softly. She turned around and began walking back to the stadium.

Haru closed his eyes and stood. He followed Hikaru and they went back to the stadium in silence.