Testing The Waters
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Chapter 28
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'Im boredd :('
'ur grounded. ur supposed to be bored.'
'Well, I dont like it.'
'its ur own fault idiot.'
':('
'-.-'
'Youre no fun :I What are you doing now?'
'stuff.'
'Yes, thank you for elaborating all knowing one.'
'ur so funny i forgot to laugh.'
'You love it.'
'-_-'
':)'
'...no.'
'aw why not.'
'bcuz.'
'because*'
'oh my bad i didnt know i was in class.'
'Look it up. 101-get-a-dictonary-dot-com'
'dictionary*'
'The student.. has now became.. the teacher.. A moment of silence plz'
'omfg ur stupid.'
'Intelligent*'
'wtf is the point of this convo'
'I told you im bored'
'text haru then.'
'He barely answers :/'
'-_-'
'lalalaa..'
'shdfssdkaljd'
'Are you speaking Australian?'
'-_-'
'LOL jkjk'
'ur on a whole different level of dumb'
'Youre just jelly u cant get on my level.'
'why would i want to?'
'Cuz we have cookies and strippers. Get w/ the program Rinny'
'wtf & do NOT call me Rinny.'
'Rinny-poo?'
'NO'
'Rin-poop?'
'NO'
'Youre right that sounds gross.'
'-_-'
'tho's faces arent attractive.'
'there not supposed to be.'
'Rinny-poo u should sing me a song.'
'No & stop calling me that!'
'Sheesh. What r u going to do when u get a wife?o.o'
'huh'
'I mean shes going to call u cute nicknames rite? Shes so gonna be disappointed when she cant call u Rinny-poo!'
'She won't call me Rinny-poo, and im not planning on getting married so thats a no either way!'
'Boring'
'stfu'
'I bet ur gonna get married w/ like 40 kids when ur older'
'yeaaah sure'
'You dont want 40 kids?!:o'
'Tell me WHO YOU KNOW wants 40 kids..'
'People w/ sharkteeth.'
'r u really starting with me rite now.'
'Ok ok, sorry hehe'
'-_-'
':)'
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"Tachibana-senpai!" I blinked in surprise when I saw Atsuko run towards me, stopping when she had caught up to me, doubling over and panting heavily.
"Oh, Takashi." I smiled. "What's up?"
She did a double take, blinking wildly. "I must of got the wrong person.. My bad." She muttered, turning around and walking the other direction.
My eyebrow twitched. "Hey, Takashi! Where are you going?!"
She stopped, glancing back at me. "I'm looking for my senpai!"
"I am your senpai you dunce." I said in a flat voice.
"No way!" She shook her head. "You smiled."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"Tachibana-senpai is always grumpy. And distant. And antisocial. And annoyed at everything. And she always gives this dark aura of—"
"Okay. I get it." I grumbled. I sighed, glancing back at her. She was still staring at me. "I'm sorry, okay? I was..—well, I don't know what I was. I guess you can say confused. I'm sorry if I ever hurt your feelings." I bowed my head, remembering Makoto's words.
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"You.. hurt a lot of people, Mamoru."
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"S-senpai..?" Atsuko breathed in astonishment. "I.. don't know what to say. I came looking for you, so I could apologize." What? Seeing my look of bewilderment, she continued, brushing away a few strands of hair away from her face. "I thought I did something to upset you."
"You didn't." I straightened. With a hearty laughed, I scratched my cheek. "I was just being a bitch. Sorry."
"Senpai.." She was staring at me with big brown eyes that only slightly bordered creepy. "I never thought you were a bitch! I just thought that.." Now she looked embarrassed. "I always thought you were cool. Like this unbreakable person that didn't need anyone."
I snorted. "I'm not unbreakable." Her eyes met mine in curiosity. "I'm a crybaby, and I'm needy. I'm really clingy, and I'm afraid that one day everyone is going to leave me so I get scared and clamp up instead of reaching out. When I do that, sometimes my head makes up shit that really scares me. And I disregard everyone else's feelings because of it. I'm not unbreakable," I sucked in a breath. "I'm selfish. But I'm coming to terms with that, so that the people whom I care about don't have to deal with it anymore." The image of Makoto came to mind. I won't let him down anymore. I won't hurt him anymore. I won't push him away. I wanted to be different. For him. For Haru and Nagisa and Rei and even Rin. I didn't want Atsuko to look at me and think 'she's cool' because I was being distant and cold to everyone. I want to be someone who I would like, then I want her to look at me and think 'she's alright'. I wanted to be—I wanted to be like Makoto. Someone selfless, who didn't think of themselves first, and was aware of others needs. He had been there for me the entire time, and I let it completely go over my head. I had forgotten—and now I wanted to remember.
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"—But Mamo-chan is still my best cousin."
"Forever and ever?"
"Forever and ever and ever!"
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"T-Tachibana-senpai.."
I blinked. More had trampled out of my mouth than I originally intended. Though I was blushing, internally embarrassed that I had spoke of something that I've always kept in me for the longest time, I wasn't upset. I didn't care if Atsuko ever used that against me, because it was the truth. The raw, unspoken truth. I was a sensitive, scared little guppy yet had the exterior of a calm, collected bull. It was almost laughable, but I wouldn't pity myself any longer.
Awaiting an onslaught of judgement stares, what I received instead was unexpected. A smile of understanding. "That's alright, Tachibana-senpai. You're only human." She tugged at the hem of her shirt absently, the smile melting into something warmer. "Actually.. for you to admit that, is very admirable. It makes me want to be like you even more.."
"B-be like me?" I stuttered, my cheeks flushing. Be like me? I didn't even want to be like me. It made me chuckle, out of confusion and out of irony. Atsuko was weird. Maybe even a bit stupid. If I were her, I would have jumped out the train before it had even started. With how I treated her, like an annoyance, like a kid, I would've left a long time ago. I sighed. "Maa.. Takashi you're really strange."
She looked back up at me, expression unfaltering. "No. I'm human. Just like you. We're stupid, we're intelligent, we make mistakes, and we're selfish. We're human, Tachibana-senpai."
I stared, unable to retort to what she had said. Perhaps I hadn't gave her enough credit. Yes, I smiled bitterly, this was exactly what Makoto was talking about. I hadn't acknowledged other people. Atsuko was much more mature than I ever was, and I've never noticed it until now. "Hey, maybe I should start calling you senpai." I joked with a smile.
She flushed, waving her hands in front of her. "T-that's not necessary!"
I smirked, turning around with my hands behind my head. "Atsuko, then?"
When I glanced at her, she was as red as a tomato. Did I break her? "I-if only I call senpai Mamoru!"
I grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulders and ruffling her head. "Well, I guess I have no choice!" I laughed, messing up her hair.
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I couldn't believe this.
Were they serious?!
This was cruel.
"Another lap!"
"Ugh!"
"C'mon Mamo-chan! You're so slow!"
I felt like crying.
"You're worse than Rei-chan when he first started out!" The blonde kept badgering me.
That little shit.
I was near tears! Exercise and I do not mix well. It was bad enough that I was grounded, but now I must be punished by being forced to participate in their swim practices?!
"I'm not doing anymore!" I hollered back. Yes I was pouting. Sulking even.
"That's alright," Makoto smiled from above the surface, dry and beaming. "It's time to leave anyway." I take back what I had said about Makoto. He was in on this too. Behind that smile was a cruel man, I tell you. A cruel, cruel man!
He was punishing me. I know he is. Haru too. I know I've said it before, but those two really are worse than my parents!
"Mamoru," I jolted from my place in the pool, causing ripples to float from my silhouette. I glanced over my shoulder. Haru was doing that weird half-of-his-face-emerged-in-water thing. I looked away pointedly, and he blinked. I heard a light sigh, and scrunched up my nose when he hefted himself out of the water. I waited until I heard the slap of his wet feet against the pavement before peaking an eye. He was staring at me with his usual blankness, and without warning, he held out his hand, as if waiting for me to grab. I stared at his hand momentarily, mulling whether or not to take it. With a sigh, I reached for his hand, his palm cool and slick from being in the water for so long, mine mirroring its texture. He hoisted me up without a word, and before I myself could say anything, Makoto appeared with two towels. Haru took his with a small "thanks", drying his head and walking away to go change.
I was left alone with Makoto, the air filled with mildly awkward silence. I looked away, silently hoping that he forgave me—that way I could talk to him normally and also wouldn't be forced to do these dreaded laps anymore. It was strange. I had never been on the side where I was the one to beg for forgiveness. I didn't like feeling so sorry, and waiting until someone gave me the 'okay'—usually because I always felt that I was right. Call it conceited. In this case I had been wrong, and I had wronged Makoto. My reverie was shortened when I felt a towel being tossed over my head. "Hey!" Much larger hands were placed over the towel, rubbing gently to dry my hair. I peaked from under the towel to see Makoto let out a sigh. When he caught me staring, he sent me a smile.
"If you leave your hair wet like that, you'll catch a cold."
"M-Makoto..!" I bit out, sending him big, wide puppy eyes, my heart stuttering in my chest.
His smile softened. "You shouldn't frown so much."
"M-Makoto.." I looked down at my toes, twiddling my fingers subconsciously. "Do you.. uh.. f-forgive me?"
It was quiet. The ruffling of the towel stopped momentarily, and I found it hard to meet my older cousin's eyes—afraid of what expression may be forming. I heard a sigh. "Mamo-chan.. I'm not angry with you. I'm sorry if I made you think that." I glanced up at him. There was a soft look to his eyes, and he smiled. "I forgave you a long time ago. I guess I was still a little upset, we all are." He sighed. I was sending him my puppy eyes again, and he sweat-dropped. Eventually he chuckled warmly, and what had been stuffy air of awkwardness had suddenly vanished. "We were going to get something to eat with Rin after practice—do you want to come?"
"But.. Aunt—"
"I'll explain to her the situation." He countered without a falter in his expression.
"Are you sure it's okay..?" I drawled.
The massaging to my head continued as Makoto dried my hair. "Of course."
"Okay then.." I mumbled. I glanced back up at him. "I'll go change then."
"You're here too?" Rin blinked upon seeing the familiar figure of Mamoru. She nodded with a grin.
"Rinny-poo!"
His expression immediately darkened. "You.."
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She laughed with a wave of her hand.
"Rinny-poo?" Nagisa blinked. Rin scowled.
"I won't forgive you if you start calling me that." He snapped. Mamoru snickered.
The group sat at a large booth, ordering two pizzas. It wasn't usually that they would go out for fast food such as this, but considering the swimmers mostly had a long day, they were willing to squeeze in this one luxury. Even Rei, who wasn't a fan of greasy foods had relented. Nagisa was bouncing in his seat, along with Gou who shared a 3rd of his enthusiasm. Mamoru, who was burnt out of energy—considering the amount of exercise she had endured that she was ultimately not used to at all, was leaning against Haru, who—unfortunately for him—was the closest body that could be used as a pillow. He didn't seem to mind, in fact, while the food had arrived, he nudged her gently to alert her. She blinked and with a grin dug in. The group proceeded into lively conversation, Haru occasionally inputting his own commentary.
Rin kept glancing at Mamoru and Haru who—while the pair didn't speak much—seem pretty comfy with each other. The area around her mouth was messy, crumbs, sauce and oil coating her lips. Without a blink, Haru had retrieved a napkin, grabbing hold of her chin gently and wiping that area thoroughly. She only flinched slightly at the sudden contact, but didn't seem to mind. "Thanks." She said, to which Haru nodded. The familiarity was unnerving.
"You could've just told her she had something on her face." Rin blurted suddenly, unable to sit idly by and watch while the others made no comment or action that they had noticed the exchange. Mamoru was related to Makoto, so there was no argument that she became friends with Haru—but they seemed a bit close, whether they noticed it or not themselves. Had they even realized how that looked to bystanders? It looked as if they were some lovey-dovey couple that dotted over each other constantly. They weren't dating were they? No, Haru would have told them—or at least Rin thought he would. No, something had changed among them, and that night Mamoru had spent over Haru's when she was supposedly trying to run away had drew them closer. They themselves hadn't noticed the change or—had they always been this close with each other? Why was it bothering him so much? Yeah, they had sex—but that was a one time deal. No feelings were involved, because they didn't have feelings for each other beyond mild friendship. The most he would consider her was an annoying little sister. That's it. The possibility of him ever harboring affection beyond that was absurd—and even if he did, Haru seemed to have already call dibs by the way he was acting. This was ridiculous. Why would he even be considering the possibility of having feelings for Mamoru, of all the people in the world? He had no time for a girlfriend anyhow!
The two blinked. Nagisa intervened without missing a beat. "Oh! They do that all the time! Mamo-chan's a really messy eater, you know." That didn't make it any better. So was this a daily thing? Why hadn't he noticed this before? Was it because it didn't matter before? Not to say it matters now. Just because they did it, didn't mean he had some sort of claim on her. Jealousy wasn't his thing either.
Mamoru cut in. "I just don't feel it sometimes, 'kay?" A snappish intone directed to Nagisa, who snickered at her reaction. It seemed to be something he particularly liked to pick on.
"Still," Rin scowled. "You could've just told her." Why was he still stuck on this? He had just wiped her mouth. Then again, Rin was sure Haru wouldn't do that for any of his guy friends, or even Gou. This was different. He treated her different, and that's was what irked him. Not to say that Mamoru was a bad person.. but—ugh. I need to stop thinking about this, his scowl deepened.
"That would be bothersome." Said Haru flatly. "She'd probably miss it. It would be faster if I did it for her." Was it really that bothersome, in reality? Who even cares if her face was messy?
"That's true," Makoto chuckled. Not even Makoto was concerned over this. That proved it, this was a daily occurrence.
"Hey!" Mamoru flushed. "I'm not a kid, you know!"
Gou laughed lightly and Rin smirked, rather enjoying her flustered expression. The need to point her attention elsewhere was nagging, chewing at the back of his head. "You sure act like it."
Makoto chuckled when she sent him a nasty look. Rin's smirk widened. It was usually her that annoyed him with her teasing, yet the turn of tables wasn't unpleasant. No. It wasn't unpleasant when he was her earning her attention."Aw. Is baby Mamo-chan upset?"
"I don't know, Rinny-poo, am I?"
He glared. Alright. Maybe it was a bit unpleasant when he had her full attention."I told you to stop calling me that!"
"You started it." She shrugged with a playful smirk. He narrowed his eyes at her in a frightening glare. She laughed, pulling out her phone and making haste to film him. "Here we have the mighty aquatic beast! The shark! Now these things can smell blood from miles away, and are even said to sense fear! Don't provoke him! Their teeth are razor sharp and—Ow! Ow!" She whined when he drilled his knuckles at each side of her temples, her crappy Steven Irwin impersonation cut off by the abrupt pain. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I love you!"
He scowled, but let her go upon hearing her words. She pouted. "Makoto, Rinny-poo is being mean!"
"Please don't drag me into this.." Said male sweat-dropped with a nervous smile. A stress-mark appeared at Rin's forehead as he slammed his hands onto the table, fixating an angry glare at her smug grin.
"I told you to stop calling me that!"
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