Haru stared at the warm, gentle expression that Makoto wore on his face before he turned to the girl he was looking at. She looked at Haru and smiled kindly at him, eyes crinkling amicably at the corners.
He hated to admit it to himself, but she really was beautiful.
Haru looked at the dark waves of hair that surrounded her face, reminiscent of the ocean. Her eyes were a shimmery, silvery grey, and Haru distinctly thought of the colour of a rainy day as it washes the earth.
"Hakune! It's been so long," Makoto said as he pulled her into a hug, laughter bubbling up with his surprise at seeing her. Haru watched, feeling an ache in his chest at how well they fit together, how easily their bodies came closer to hug each other. Makoto pressed his lips to the top of Hakune's head, and Haru turned away with a swallow.
"It has been, I'm sorry I've been out of contact for a bit. I had a good reason, though," Hakune's reply was muffled in Makoto's chest, before she pulled away to pat him lightly on the arm.
"Yeah? And what reason would that be," Makoto asked as he let her go.
"My company has a new branch in the town next to Iwatobi, and I got transferred back about a month ago," she said with a smile. Haru could feel his stomach drop and heart plummet, he just wanted to be swallowed by the pavement and melt away.
Makoto's eyes widened with surprise. "You're kidding! Why didn't you tell me?" he shook her gently with his hand on her shoulder.
"It happened rather suddenly, so I didn't have time to warn anyone. I'm doing some shopping for my apartment right now," she replied, indicating the bags in both her hands. "Is that what you're here for, too?"
Haru was surprised when Makoto moved next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He blinked and looked up at Hakune, who was still smiling gently at him. "Sort of," Makoto replied, giving Haru's shoulder a squeeze. "We were supposed to meet friends here today, but they couldn't make it, so it's just us."
"Oh, you mean the friends you introduced me to?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah, those friends. Ah, that reminds me," Makoto moved himself and Haru closer, and he hoped that Hakune couldn't see him sweating nervously, "Hakune, this is Haru."
Haru bowed his head in acknowledgement as Hakune looked at him. He felt himself swallow nervously as she watched him, eyes gazing into him like she could read everything. "So this is Haru! It's nice to meet you. Makoto's told me so much about you," she said with a bow.
Haru blinked at her words. Makoto talked about him to her while they were apart? How much did he say to her? What exactly did he say? Were they good things? Were they bad things?
"Well, I should let you guys go do your thing," she said as she adjusted her hold on her bags. Makoto stopped her by grabbing one handful from her.
"No, no. It's been so long since I last saw you. You should come with us," Haru's head snapped up at Makoto's words. Hakune? Going with them? Haru didn't want that. He couldn't handle it. He wasn't ready to watch them reconnect, to watch them catch up, to watch them fall in love all over again-
"Well, I wouldn't want to impose, you looked like you guys were having fun," she said, glancing at Haru briefly before turning her attention back to Makoto.
"Oh, no, you wouldn't be imposing, right, Haru?" Haru flinched when Makoto turned to him with wide, hopeful eyes.
Haru wanted to say no. He wanted to say that Makoto should probably just reschedule. Haru wanted to be selfish, to refuse, to kick and scream and through a tantrum, to put his foot down.
But how could he when Makoto was looking at him that way? When he was looking at him with such wide, hopeful eyes. Eyes that said he missed Hakune and wanted to talk with her, eyes that said that it would be fun if all of them were together.
"It's fine," he mumbled, trying to ignore the concern on Hakune's face when Makoto's expression lit up. He felt emotional when he was pulled into a quick hug, hearing a muffled 'Thank you' by his ear. He scratched the back of his neck as he walked with them.
It hurt watching Makoto interact with Hakune with such enthusiasm. It was the type of enthusiasm that one reserved for a close friend, for someone they loved and trusted. Haru couldn't remember a time anymore when Makoto directed that enthusiasm to him. Hare watched Makoto's face light up with animated joy as he spoke with Hakune, who smiled gently at him and answered with equal enthusiasm.
Haru knew that it was worth it for Makoto. He just hoped that there would come a time when it didn't hurt this much.
"You've got a lot of stuff, Hakune. Are you going to be alright getting all of this home?" Makoto asked as they made their way to a bench.
Hakune clicked her tongue at Makoto in a teasing manner, eyebrow arched. "I'll be fine, Makoto. I can lift all of this. Besides, I planned to go home with a lot of stuff, so I have a car," she replied.
Haru sat in silence next to them as he watched Makoto put down some of the bags he carried for Hakune. Haru didn't want to admit it to himself, but he had enjoyed her being there. She was easy to be around, had a gentle voice, and there was something about her that was calming.
He wasn't going to deny that it still hurt to watch the easy, familiar way that Makoto interacted with her.
"Oh, I see something over there. I'm going to look," Makoto said as he squinted at a booth a little further away from the booth. "Will both of you be okay here?"
Haru could feel panic settling into him. He didn't want to be left alone with Hakune, he didn't think he could handle being left with Hakune. "Sure, go ahead," Hakune replied, not looking up from her bags as she counted everything she had.
"I'll be back," Makoto said as he began to walk away.
Haru could feel heavy silence cover him as Hakune rustled through her bags, packing and repacking to save space. After a while, she stood up and sat next to Haru. He could feel his palms begin to sweat when he noticed that she was looking at him with an expression that he couldn't read.
"One second, Haru," she said quietly after a moment before getting up. Haru let out the breath he had been holding and leaned on his knees. There were so many things that he wanted to say, wanted to ask-
"Here," Haru heard and a short moment later he felt something cool press against his cheek. He looked up at Hakune, who smiled at him gently. He looked down to find that there was a bottle of pineapple juice in her hand, and she gestured for him to take it. "It's for you. You looked like you needed a drink."
"T-thanks," he mumbled, taking the juice. She sat next to him again and moved her bags. He took a sip before realizing something a moment later. "How did you know I like pineapple juice?"
"Makoto told me," she said easily, looking up at him through thick lashes as she leaned back on her hands. "When we met for the first time, I asked him all about his friends back at Iwatobi. He told me all about you guys, how important all of you were, everything you all went through..." Haru blinked at her when she continued, "how much he missed you."
Haru could feel his ears go a bit red when he met her eyes, quickly turning away as he heard gentle laughter. "He especially told me all about you," she continued, smirking as she leaned down to look at his face. He took a sip of the juice. "His best friend since childhood, Haru, the Freestyle swimmer, with a strange affinity for water," Haru swallowed nervously as he turned to look at her, "and love of mackerel and pineapples."
Haru blinked at her when she finished, noting the way she was smiling, as if she was amused by what Haru was doing. "You still remember everything he told you about me?"
Hakune shrugged with one shoulder. "Probably. I try to make it a point to remember things my friends say to me, especially if those things seem to be really important to them," she glanced at Haru, and he looked away. He couldn't help the small bubble of happiness when it hit him that she had called him Makoto's 'best friend from childhood'.
"Is that all he said about me?" he mumbled, feeling himself heat up again when Hakune giggled.
"He did tell me he thought you were very pretty," she teased, and Haru certainly was boiling now, "and I'd say I have to agree, especially after finally meeting you." Haru covered his ears and contemplated jumping into the fountain to cool down. Hakune had to be making fun of him, there was no way Makoto thought of him as pretty.
He tried to compose himself when Makoto returned, a box in his hand. "Sorry it took so long," he replied a little breathlessly. "But I saw this and it made me think of you, so I had to get it," he handed the box to Hakune, who looked surprised.
"Me? Makoto, you didn't have to," she said as she took the box carefully. She looked up at Makoto, who encouraged her to open it. Haru glanced over as she unwrapped the object of its newspaper and bubble wrap, revealing a pretty white teapot with flowery motifs. "Makoto..." Hakune muttered quietly as she held the teapot, looking up at Makoto.
"I remember how disappointed you were when the movers had broken your teapot back when we moved in together," he said, kneeling down to be at eye level with Hakune, and Haru could feel his chest tighten at how intimate and gently they were. "It bothered me for a long time that you wouldn't let me replace it, so I got this one for you, as a housewarming gift."
Hakune opened her mouth as if to say something, before closing it again to look down at the teapot. "It's been nearly three years since that happened, Makoto," she said softly, and Haru suddenly found himself unable to be there anymore. "I can't believe you still remember."
"Of course I do," Makoto replied as he tapped her nose. "Wasn't it you that said good friends make it a point to remember things that are important?"
Haru watched Hakune's expression melt into one of fondness and adoration as she brushed Makoto's bangs off his forehead. "Thank you, that's very sweet," she said softly.
"Just trying to catch up to you," Makoto said with a gentle smile, and Haru couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up, startling Makoto to look at him. "Haru? Are you okay?"
"I have to go," he said quickly, hoping his voice wouldn't crack, hoping he wouldn't break where he was.
"Did you want to get something to eat first?" he heard Hakune say as she began to wrap up the teapot again. "I can pay, it'll be my treat."
"No," Haru said quickly, knowing that he couldn't face Hakune right now. Knowing that he couldn't face her kindness right now. "I should go. You two catch up."
Haru left briskly, leaving behind the two of them to look on after him. He quickly walked to the train station and sat down in an empty seat, staring at his empty hands.
Makoto had remembered something so small like Hakune's broken teapot for nearly three years. Makoto and Hakune had moved in together three years ago. Makoto still regarded Hakune with high amounts of respect and affection.
They still loved each other.
Haru couldn't even hate Hakune for it, either. Not when she was so good to Makoto. She was good to him as a friend, and she still cared for him. She remembered things about him that Haru was sure he'd taken for granted in the past. Makoto deserved the best, and Haru couldn't see himself filling that spot.
He wished he could hate Hakune, but he couldn't. He could feel the juice she'd bought him still in his bag, remembering that she knew what he liked without even having to ask.
Haru stared at his empty hands, imagining the mug he had bought with Makoto in them, thinking of how coffee would have tasted better in that mug, with Makoto drinking his coffee from his matching one. Haru clenched his hands together and pressed them to his forehead as he leaned on his knees, willing himself not to cry on the train.
Haru wished that Makoto's happiness would be enough reason for him to let them be together.