Time for chapter ten. I hope you all enjoy it. Disclaimer: I own nothing. P.S. Only to more chapter left for the story.
Chapter Ten: Irritated Heart Rate!
Four years ago, at Iwatobi Elementary School
"Hello, everyone. My name is Matsuoka Rin. I previously went to Sano Elementary School. I have a girly name, but I'm a boy. Looking forward to being in class with you!"
Everyone in the class stared at the redheaded young boy after he introduced himself. Looks of surprise appeared on a certain raven haired girl and olive green haired boy.
"Wow, this tree is huge!" Rin exclaimed as he looked up at the large tree outside the school. "Is it a cherry blossom tree?" he asked.
"It is." Makoto replied, Haru standing beside him.
"So come spring, there'll be a whole bunch of blossoms falling down into the pool." the redheaded boy remarked as he turned his attention to the pool that was behind of the gate. "I wanna try swimming in a pool of cherry blossoms."
"The water will be too cold." the olive green haired boy told him. "You should wait until summer to go swimming."
"I was just joking around." Rin said. "You don't have to be so serious."
"I have a question for you." Haru finally spoke up, her face expressionless.
"Oh? What's up? Looking to ask out the transfer the student on his first day?" the redheaded boy questioned teasingly.
"Don't be so full of yourself." the raven haired girl retorted in monotone.
"I believe we've been in the same tournaments before." Makoto said.
"Oh, you remembered me?" Rin asked, a slight look of relief on his face.
Haru didn't say anything as she just stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed slightly into a small scowl.
"What's with that scary look?" the redheaded student questioned. "I just happened to end up at this school when I moved. Coincidences are weird, huh?" he said as he rubbed the back of his head.
The raven haired girl just continued to stare at him.
At Iwatobi Swim Club building
"My name is Matsuoka Rin." Rin introduced himself. I previously belonged to the Sano Swimming Club. I have a girly name, but I'm a boy."
Makoto had a look of slight look of surprise and shock on his face while Haru just stared at him blankly.
"Coincidence after coincidence, huh?" the redheaded boy said. "I transferred to you school and even ended up in the same swimming club."
"Yeah, this is a surprise." Makoto agreed. "Right, Haru?" he asked as he looked at the girl on the starting block.
Haru ignored him and jumped into the water. Rin stood where he was and watched the raven haired girl swim through the water with the speed and grace of a dolphin.
'She's really something!' he thought, grinning in excitement.
He got onto the starting block and pulled the swimming goggles he had over his eyes. After snapping the back of them, he got into position. Then he jumped into the water, wanting to catch up with the female swimmer.
After practice
"Man, that was a good swim!" Rin, arms behind his back, remarked.
"Matsuoka-kun." Makoto called. "The bicycle racks are this way." he told the other boy.
"Oh, I'm running him." the redheaded boy informed.
"Running?" the olive green haired boy repeated. "How many kilometers is it to your home?" he asked.
"Around three kilometers, I think." Rin replied. Then he grinned and waved his hand. "See ya!" he said before he began running home.
Haru watched him leave with a small scowl on her face.
A couple of days later
"Each team must decide the kind of garden you will make and the kinds of flowers you will plant, and draw an illustration." the teacher instructed.
"Okay!" the students replied.
"Hey, Nanase. Did you reconsider?" Rin, who was in a group with Haru and Makoto, asked the female swimmer.
"Reconsider what?" Haru questioned in monotone, not turning her head up from her notebook to look at him.
"Swimming in the medley relay." the redheaded young said. "You interested in teaming up for the not tournament?" he asked.
"I told you that I only swim free." Haru told him, still not looking at him.
"You sure are stubborn, Nanase." Rin remarked. "Fine, you can swim free. That means Tachibana has to swim breast or back. So we'll need one more person for..."
"I said that I only swim free, so don't include me in your relay." the raven haired girl said firmly.
"I said you can do free!" the young male swimmer shouted.
Everyone in the class looked over at them.
"Uh..." was all Rin could say when he noticed everyone's stares. "Free... I mean..." he tried to think of an excuse for his outburst. "I'm saying we should all write our own messages on the bricks around the garden. We should do our way. Be free!"
"That's a great idea." one of the students said.
"It is." another one agreed.
Everyone then clapped for the redhead's idea.
"Where are you going, Haru?" Makoto asked the raven haired girl as he walked out of the Iwatobi Swim Club building with her and a younger blonde boy.
"I'm running home." Haru replied in monotone.
"That's so cool, Nanase-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Hey, can I run with you?" he asked.
"If you can keep up." the female swimmer said coolly before she began running home, the young blonde following her.
"Wait, Haru. Your bicycle..." Makoto trailed off as his friend ran away.
The next day, at Iwatobi Swim Club
"Hey, Matsuoka-kun. Are you swimming in a relay with Nanase-chan and Tachibana-kun" Nagisa asked the older boy.
"That's the plan." Rin replied. "I'm still waiting for a response though."
"Let me join, then!" the blonde boy said.
"No way. We're serious about this." the redheaded swimmer told him.
"I'm serious, too. I'm really fast." Nagisa stated. "So please? Pretty please?" he pleaded, grabbing the older boy's arm.
Rin chuckled. "Fine then." he said. "You can join if you place first in the next breaststroke time trial."
"Really?! Did you hear that, Nanase-chan?" the young blonde swimmer asked excitedly as he looked over at the raven haired girl. "I'm going to work really hard!" he declared.
"Practice is about to start." Haru told him in monotone, her face expressionless.
"Okay! Wait for me!"
Evening time
"Hey, why is Nanase so obsessed with free?" Rin asked Makoto, sitting on the steps that lead up to the old shrine that was in the area. "She always says she'll only swim free."
"I don't think it's because Haru likes to swim free." the olive green haired boy told him.
"Why does she say that, then?" the redheaded boy questioned.
"I've never asked her, but I think that being in water feels the most natural to Haru." Makoto remarked. "So she wanted to swim free."
"I don't get it." Rin said as he stood up. "Is there a way to get Nanase to swim in the relay?" he asked, more to himself.
"And why are you so obsessed with swimming in a relay?" the other swimmer asked.
"Me?" the redheaded boy questioned. "I..." he started to say. "Well, I have my reasons." he replied.
A few days later, at Iwatobi Elementary School
"I won't be attending middle school here."
Haru and Makoto looked at Rin with confused looks.
"I'm going to Australia." the redheaded swimmer told them. "I'm going to a swimming school."
The raven haired girl's face turned back to being expressionless as she turned her gaze down to the words that were written on the bricks that surrounded the garden that was outside the school. Words like 'Free', which is what she wrote, and 'For the team', which was the redheaded swimmer's words, where written on there.
"What are you trying to do?" she asked in a low voice.
"I'm going to become an Olympic swimmer." Rin replied, grinning.
Haru's eyebrows furrowed into a frown.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Makoto asked. "What about the relay?"
"I'll swim in the relay." the redheaded young boy told him. "I'm leaving the day after the tournament." he informed as he began to walk away. "So this will be the last time the four of us swim together."
"I only swim freestyle." Haru stated.
"That's why you have to swim in the relay." Rin said as he stopped walking. "this is our last chance." he turned around to face her. "Let's swim together, Nanase."
The raven haired girl didn't look up from where she was staring.
"If you swim with me..."
Haru finally turned her head to look at the other swimmer.
Present Day, at nighttime
"I'll show you a sight you've never seen before." Rin said to himself as he sat on his bed in his dorm room.
At Iwatobi High School, in the afternoon
"Nagisa, you're bending your knees too much." Sasabe said when the blonde first year jumped into the water. "You don't need such a powerful jump for a relay dive. Makoto, your form is terrible! You're not using your shoulders!"
"I'm glad that Goro-chan agreed to coach us, but his training regimen is tough." Nagisa remarked as he climbed out of the pool.
"That's why everyone called him Goro the Demon." Makoto commented as he got out of the pool, too.
"Rei, if you can't coast into the wall, throw in one more kick! Not like that!" the old swim coach yelled at the blue haired first year. "Haruka, watch your time as you fall in! No! You have to watch Rei more closely!"
'I'm starting to be glad that Coach Sasabe didn't let me in on this training.' Kokoro thought to herself as she watched everyone.
"You guys don't know what you're doing." Sasabe said to the swim club members. He sighed. "You leave me no other choice."
A little bit later
"Where did you get that camera?" Kokoro asked, staring that the video camera the old swim coach had brought to the pool.
When Haru jumped into the water, Gou rolled the camera alongside the pool and filmed the second year girl swimming.
After that
"I see." the redheaded manger said as everyone watched three TV screens, all showing different angels, that showed the ravenette swimming. "This lets them check their form from multiple angles."
Haru turned around and went back over to the started block.
"Haru-chan's being very proactive." Nagisa commented.
The ravenette jumped into the water and started to swim.
"Yes, that's it!" Sasabe shouted.
"What is it, Koko-chan?" the blonde first year asked the ten year old, who had a strange look on her face.
"Her form may be perfect now, but this isn't the way I like to see Onee-chan swim." Kokoro remarked.
"I agree." Rei said. "It was more beautiful before."
Some time later
"Yeah, this place brings back memories." Sasabe remarked as he looked inside the club's locker room. "The locker room hasn't changed one bit." he turned to one of the lockers and opened it. "Oh, my message is still here. Forever Iwatobi!"
"Coach Sasabe, you spelled it wrong." Kokoro told him.
"I'm not that picky!" the old swimmer coach retorted as he closed the locker.
"It doesn't affect his ability to coach." Haru commented in monotone.
"That's true." Nagisa agreed. "Goro-chan's helped us improve our exchanges."
"Let's keep up the hard work, so we can face Rin again at the relay." Makoto said.
"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Sasabe shouted. "Then it's time for me to get serious!"
"What?!" the blonde first year exclaimed.
"I'll work you hard! Very hard!" the old swimming coach stated.
"Onee-chan..." Kokoro spoke up quietly as she tugged on her cousin's arm, pointing towards the door.
Haru looked where the little girl was pointing and saw a certain blue haired first year leave the locker room.
Later that evening
"What's wrong, Rei-chan?" Nagisa asked the other swimmer as they rode the train home.
"I don't understand." Rei replied.
"Don't understand what?"
"Gou-san's brother. Why did he suddenly decide to swim the relay?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but racing Rin-chan again has gotten Haru-chan motivated, so it's a good thing, right?" Nagisa told him.
"What if she loses?" Rei questioned.
"Wining isn't everything." the blonde first year retorted.
"You and Kokoro-chan made me run around the summer festival to make sure they didn't meet up." the blue haired young man said.
"Detective Koko-chan and Assistant Rei-chan did a great job." Nagisa complimented.
"Again, why was I her assistant?" Rei asked. He then sighed. "Nevermind. Anyway, why does it matter who's swimming in the relay? Our goal is to make it to the nationals as the Iwatobi Swim Club."
"I know." the shortest of the two said.
"But everybody keeps talking about Rin-chan. I don't understand." the blue haired first year remarked, saying it more to himself.
The next day, at the Sasabe residence
"Why are we having a hot pot in the middle of summer?" Kokoro questioned, sweating along with the rest of the swim club and the student council president, who they had invited along, from the heat.
"Because that's what sports medicine recommends to swimmers." Sasabe explained. "This is my special Sasabe Hot Pot, with plenty of protein and minerals."
"Can you at least turn on the air conditioning?" Nagisa asked.
"No such thing." the old swim coach told him.
"This fan we're using is hardly doing anything!" the violet haired girl exclaimed.
"We should be thankful that there is even a fan." Toka remarked, fanning her with her hand.
"Can we not do this?" Rei asked.
"Why would you say that? I promise that it's good, so dig in." Sasabe stated as he handed a bowl of hot pot to the blue haired first year.
"Wow, it's really good!" Ms. Amakata said after taking a bite.
"See? We came up with this when I was in the swim club." the old swimsuit informed.
"That's right, you're a former Iwatobi Swim Club member, aren't you, Sasabe-san?" the student council president asked.
"Does that mean you're not young anymore?" Kokoro questioned.
"It's rude to ask someone their age." Sasabe scolded, leaning over the table to flick the ten year old on her forehead. "And I was the last club member." he said to Ms. Amakata. "We couldn't find any new members so it was abolished after I graduated."
"We brought the swim club back, so you should have been coaching us earlier." Nagisa remarked, taking a piece of hot pot from the other first year while he was busy rubbing the steam off of his glasses.
"I was too busy with my pizza delivery job." the old swim coach replied.
"Isn't that a job for young people?" Kokoro asked.
"You need to learn to think before you speak!" Sasabe yelled.
The violet haired girl jumped back from his yell, her back hitting a nearby table and causing the magazines that were on it to fall to the floor.
"Are you okay, Kokoro?" Haru asked.
"I'm fine." the ten year old replied. "I seemed to have made a mess." she said, looking down at the magazines that were laying on the floor.
"What are these?" Makoto questioned.
"Really old magazines?" the ravenette questioned in monotone.
"I'm sorry, Coach Sasabe." Kokoro apologized.
"It's okay. I'll clean it up." Sasabe told her as he came over and started to pick up the magazines, with the help of Ms. Amakata.
"Coach Sasabe, are you the type of person who doesn't like to throw this stuff away?" Makoto asked.
"I am not surprised by this at all." Kokoro remarked as she flipped through on of the magazines. "So many women in swimsuits..." she said more to herself.
"Kokoro-chan, you shouldn't be looking at stuff like that." Rei told her.
The violet haired girl ignored him as she continued to look at the pictures. Then she stopped when one photo caught her eyes. It was a picture of a very pretty young woman with short, brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a white, one-piece swimsuit. She looked over at the lady teacher.
"Ama-chan-sensei." Kokoro called.
"What it is, Kokoro-chan?" Ms. Amakata asked.
"This picture..." the ten year old started to say, showing the picture to the club's advisor. "The model in it called Marin-chan looks a lot li-"
"The crab's on fire!" the lady teacher cut off the young girl as she pointed at the hot pot, which wasn't burning. While everyone was distracted, she snatched the magazine out of Kokoro's hands.
Later into the evening
"I love Senko Hanabi Sparkles." the violet haired remarked, holding said firework in her hand as she watched it lit up.
"It's very pretty." Gou commented.
"It's lit! Look, Rei-chan!" Nagisa called.
"Don't point that at me!" Rei yelled.
"You shouldn't run with that, Nagisa-kun!" Toka scolded.
"I haven't done fireworks in long time." Haru said, sitting on the porch with her childhood friend.
"Me neither." Makoro agreed.
"I-I was told that your previous job involved swimsuits, but I never thought..." Sasabe trailed off, sitting inside with the lady teacher and eating slices of watermelons. "No wonder you looked so familiar. I-I was a big fan, Marin-cha-" he stopped when he saw the ex. swimsuit model break the watermelon slice she had in two.
"Not any word on the subject." Ms. Amakata ordered. "I'm sure you understand." she said, smiling a bit too sweetly at the old swim coach.
"Y-Yes..."
"Look what I found!" Kokoro suddenly shouted, holding a blue photo album in her hands.
"Oi, don't snoop around someone else's belongings!" Sasabe scolded.
"What did you find, Kokoro-chan?" Gou asked.
"It's a photo album of the swimming club." the violet haired girl informed.
"Oh!" everyone, except Haru, turned their heads with interested looks on their faces.
"This brings back memories!" Nagisa remarked as the swim club looked at the pictures in the album. "There's Gou-chan and Koko-chan!" he said as he pointed to a photo that showed the two girls when they were younger and clinging onto to the arms of their respective relatives. "This is when we had a barbecue behind the club." he informed as he pointed to another picture.
"What? Nobody told me about that." Gou said.
"This was before Rin-chan transferred and joined the club." the blonde first year told her.
"Nanase-san looks so mature even then." Ms. Amakata commented when she saw the the younger ravenette in the photo, a blank expression on her face.
"You're suppose to smile for pictures." Sasabe said.
"Onee-chan is always smiling on the inside." Kokoro remarked.
"Oh, this is from the summer tournament when we were in fifth grade." Makoto said when he saw another picture.
"Haru-chan won then, too, didn't she?" Toka questioned when she saw the raven haired girl holding a first place award in the photo.
The violet haired girl looked closely at the picture. "Isn't that Onii-chan?" she asked as she pointed at the redheaded boy that was in the back of the picture.
"We didn't know Rin at that time." Haru told her in monotone.
"Wow! We met before we got to know each other!" the blonde first year exclaimed in amazement.
"Connected by the red string of fate." Ms. Amakata remarked.
"Oh, this is when Rin starts showing up." Sasabe said.
"This is when he transferred." Makoto stated when he looked at another picture.
"It snowed hard that day and we all made snowmen." Nagisa remarked.
"Even back then, Onii-chan was very competitive." Kokoro commented when she saw that redheaded boy had made a shark out of snow, wanting to beat the raven haired girl's snow dolphin.
"This was when you were training for the tournament." Sasabe said. "Rin was really fired up."
"That's so my Onii-chan." Gou stated, giggling.
The two cousins looked over at a certain blue haired first year and stared at him.
Later, at night
"That was fun!" Nagisa declared as he and the other four swimmers walked home, the club's manager and the student council president had ridden home with the advisor. "We should drop by again!"
"That hot pot was too hot, though." Kokoro remarked.
"But it was good." the blonde first year retorted.
"Hey, Rei..." Makoto started to say, but stopped when he saw that blue haired young man had stopped walking. "What's wrong, Rei?" he asked.
"Just what happened between the four of you?" Rei sudden asked.
"The four of us?" Nagisa questioned. "Are you talking about Rin-chan?"
"You were all so close in those pictures." the blue haired swimmer stated. "You all looked so happy."
"Well..." was all the swim captain could say.
"Rei." Haru spoke up. "I don't know if there's any point in talking about this now." she told him. "But if you're really interested, I can tell you what happened."
"Please tell me." Rei requested. "I'm tired of being the only one on the outside!"
"Rei-onii-chan..." was the only thing Kokoro said.
"I'm part of this team, too!" the blue haired young man stated.
"Rei-chan..."
The ravenette stared at the taller swimmer with her usual emotionless expression. "Okay." she finally said, a small smile appearing on her face. "Rin was obsessed with relays from the moment he joined our club." she explained to him."He didn't tell us why until right before the final."
Flashback, four years ago
"It's finally time for the final." Rin said, standing in the locker rooms with the other. "Thanks for doing this for me, guys."
"We're not doing it for you." Makoto told him. "We're here because we want to be here."
"Of course." the redheaded young boy replied. He quickly thought something over. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you guys this, but win or lose, the next race will be our last. So I'll talk. My dad was one of the first members of the Iwatobi swimming club. When he was in sixth grade, he part of a winning medley relay. His dream was to be an Olympic swimmer. But he ended up becoming a fisherman and died in an accident. I've decided to go to Australia. But I thought, if I could join my dad's swimming club first and win the relay, I might be able to share his dream. I don't know who was on his team, but I'm sure they were the best team around. I hope that we can also become the best! I know I'm being selfish, but I want us to be the best team around!"
End Flashback
Present Day
"We won the medley relay, and Rin went to Australia." Haru told everyone, now standing on the beach with them. "Rim said that he would show me a sight I'd never seen before. And after we had won the relay, it felt like I really did see it."
"I also felt like I saw something completely new." Nagisa remarked.
"Yep, same here." Makoto agreed.
"So if you swam together in the relay and won, why is your relationship so different now?" Rei asked.
For a while, no one said anything. Then the female swimmer broke the silence
"During the winter break of my first year of middle school, I ran into Rin while he was visiting home." she said.
Flashback, three years ago
Haru yawned as she waited for the oncoming train to pass. Then she noticed someone come up on the other side. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.
"Rin..." was all she was able to say.
"Haru..." the redheaded boy said when he saw her standing there.
Suddenly, the oncoming train flew past them. As soon as the train when by and the rails went up, the raven haired girl rushed over to the young swimmer.
"You're back?" she asked when she reached him.
"Yeah." Rin replied.
"You could have called." Haru said as she turned her gaze away from him.
"Well, I thought it would be a little embarrassing." the redheaded boy told her. "How are you doing?" he asked her. "Still swimming."
The female swimmer immediately perked up upon hearing his question, a smile appearing on her face. "Yeah, I joined the swim club at our middle school." she informed. "Makoto joined, too." she added. "The school has a pretty big pool."
"Hey, Haru."
"What is it?"
"Let's swim together again..." Rin said, a small smile on his face. "To see who's faster."
Haru's smile disappeared when she saw an unreadable look in the male swimmer's eyes.
Later, at Iwatobi Swim Club
"Oh, it's Rin." Sasabe said when he saw the redheaded boy and the raven haired girl. "You're back?"
"Yeah." Rin replied. "Hey, we wanna do some swimming." he told the swim coach.
"Sure, it's reserved to us right now anyway."
Later, inside the building
Rin stepped out of the locker rooms and saw that Haru was already outside, waiting for him. He stared at her, glancing down her body.
'Wow, Haru really grew out.' he thought, blushing as he stared at her still developing chest.
"Why are you staring at me?" Haru asked, noticing his staring.
"N-No reason." Rin replied, turning his head away.
'Is it because we haven't seen each other in a year?' the raven haired girl asked herself mentally, not knowing the real reason for his staring is because she was becoming a woman.
"Set. Go."
The two young swimmers shot into the water upon hearing the signal. Soon, the race was over before anyone knew it. Haru being the victor.
"Rin..." was all the raven haired girl could say as she stared down at the redheaded boy, who was on his knees and trying to keep the tears that had come into his eyes from falling, which ended up failing.
She made a move to help him up, but he quickly got up himself and walked passed her, not even sparing her a glance.
In the hallway
"Wait, Rin!" Haru called, grabbing the male swimmer's arm to stop him from leaving. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You've been acting pretty strange today." she remarked.
Rin said nothing as he clenched his fist tightly and pulled his arm back.
"I quit." he finally said.
"Huh?" the raven haired girl blinked in confusion.
"I'm done swimming." Rin told her. "If I can't beat you, a girl, then what's the point?"
Haru gasped as her eyes widened at his words. She just stayed where she was as she watched the redheaded boy run away.
End Flashback
Present Day
"I never knew that happened." Kokoro said after listening to the female swimmer's story.
"I couldn't tell anyone back then." Haru remarked.
"So that's why you quit the swim club in middle school." Nagisa stated.
"Haru stopped swimming competitively because she felt guilty about what happened with Rin." Makoto explained.
"But didn't your race the other day put an end to all of that?" Rei asked. "You're free now. You can swim the way you want now. So why are you upset about losing? And why is he returning the relay. I don't understand!"
"Rei-chan..." was the only thing the blonde first year told say.
"I don't understand either." Haru said. "But..." a small, sad smile came onto her face. "For some reason, I'm looking forward to racing Rin again." she confessed, looking up at the sky.
"You know..." Kokoro started to say. "Since you're all here, I think it's time to tell everyone something very important." she said.
"What do you mean, Kokoro-chan?" Makoto asked.
"Kokoro, you don't have to if you don't want to." Haru told her cousin.
"It's okay, Onee-chan." the violet haired girl reassured her cousin, a small smile on her face. "Both you and Onii-chan already know, so I think it would be fair to the others if I told them."
"Tell us what, Koko-chan?" Nagisa asked.
"The reason why I'm really here." Kokoro replied. "You see, my Papa died when I was five years old. After Papa's death, my Mama became very strict and bitter, she even started drinking. I spent most of my days inside my house, studying. The only time I went outside was to go to school and then back to home. I didn't get to play with the other children my age either. But what bothered me the most, was not being able to see Onee-chan and getting to swim with her a lot."
"Kokoro..." was all Haru said.
"Then, one day after I came home from school, Mama wasn't there." the ten year old continued. "She left a note, saying that she was going to be away for a while and that I should come live with Onee-chan."
"So your own mother left you to fend for yourself?" Makoto asked incredulously.
"I guess so." Kokoro said. "But, to be honest, I'm glad she did. If she didn't, I probably wouldn't have gotten to see Onee-chan and all of you again. And I wouldn't have met Onii-chan or Rei-onii-chan either." she told them, a small smile on her face.
No one said anything as they stared at the youngest member
"Kokoro..." Haru spoke up, breaking the silence. "You're crying." she said.
"Eh?" Kokoro questioned. Touching both sides of her face, she felt something wet falling down both of her cheeks. "Oh, it's looks like I am." she said. "I wonder when that happened." then her lips started to quiver. A few seconds later, she started full on sobbing, tears falling from her eyes even faster.
"Kokoro..." was the only thinking the young woman said as she went over to her cousin, kneeling down to her, and wrapping arms around her and pulled her close to her.
The male swimmers just stood where they were as they watched the violet haired girl cling onto the ravenette and cried her eyes out.
Later, at the train station
"Want some ice cream?" Nagisa asked Rei, holding out a popsicle to him.
"No, thanks." the blue haired young man refused.
"Well, there's no point in thinking about it." the blonde first year remarked. "It's all in the past. And we don't plan on getting you involved, so don't worry." he reassured the other swimmer.
"How can you say that when I'm already involved?!" Rei yelled, standing up from where he was sitting.
Nagisa said nothing as he stared at the other first year, taken aback by his sudden outburst.
The next day, at Iwatobi High School
"What?! Rei's not practicing?!" Sasabe exclaimed.
"That's unusual." Makoto remarked.
"I wonder where he could have gone." Kokoro thought aloud.
"Maybe the strawberry milk ice cream I gave him was spoiled." Nagisa said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Then why did you give it to him?!" Gou asked.
"I don't think ice cream can spoil." the old swim coach commented.
"But he is ate something spoiled..." the swim captain started to say.
"Mackerel?" the redheaded manger suggested.
"We didn't give him any." Haru and Kokoro said in unison.
"Anyway, there isn't much time left until regionals!" Sasabe shouted. "You need to work hard!" he ordered.
'Rei-chan couldn't have...' Nagisa thought.
Meanwhile, at Samezuka Academy
"Matsuoka, someone named Ryugazaki is here to see you."
"Eh?"
Walking out outside the pool building, Rin saw a certain blue haired first year standing a few feet away from him.
"Oh, it's you." was all he said.
"I need to talk to you." Rei told him.
To be continued...
Omake Eight
One day, at the Nanase residence
"Why are we here again?" Rin asked, sitting in the living room with the other four swimmers. "And why does your living room have a stage?" he questioned the ravenette, gesturing to the small stage that was set up.
"Kokoro wanted to show us this comedy act she thought of." Haru replied. "Now be quiet, it's about to start. I want to film as much as I can." she said, holding a video camera in her hand.
"You have some cousin complex, don't you?" the redheaded swimmer remarked.
Then the stage's curtain rode up. On the stage of was Kokoro, who was sitting on her knees and wearing a light blue kimono.
"Thank you all for coming." the violet haired girl said. "I hope you all find my act entertaining."
All five swimmers clapped their hands.
"I shall start now." Kokoro announced. "In one hand, we have Nagisa-onii-chan; in the other, tofu." she pulled out a closed fan and tapped it on her head. "One is bland, while the other is blonde."
"Oh, how clever." Nagisa remarked.
"In one hand, we have Mako-onii-chan; in the other, a tiger cub." the ten year old continued. She tapped her head with the closed fan again. "One will grow up to be a scary cat, while the other is already a grown scaredy-cat."
"That's hurtful." Makoto said.
"In one hand, we have Onee-chan; in the other, water." Kokoro said, tapping her head with the closed fan. "One is colorless, while the other is often emotionless."
"Mmhmm." Haru nodded her head, stilling filming her cousin's act.
"In one hand, we have Onii-chan; in the other, a block of ice." the violet haired girl tapped the fan on her hand again. "One is known for it's coldness, while the other is known for his tsundereness."
"Wait just a minute here." Rin said.
'The last joke must be about me.' Rei thought.
"In one hand, we have Rei-onii-chan..." Kokoro trailed off, her mouth hanging slightly open.
Suddenly, the stage's curtain closed.
"Eh?!" the blue haired first year exclaimed in shock.
Kokoro-chan couldn't think of anything to compare Rei-chan to, so she skipped him.
FIN
Finished! I hope you all enjoyed it. PLease tell me what you thought about it in your reviews. Only two more chapter to more chapters to go. Until next chapter, bye.