Chapter 38: 100 meters, 100 times
Monday, August 15th, 2016
The beach framed through Haru's viewfinder was white sand with sparkling waves rolling on shore, ribbons of foam, and the golden sun dipping into the sea. The shot was perfect, absolutely pristine—
"Daddy! Take my picture!" The little girl popped into view, too close to his lens. Sand clung to her wet hair and her chin; her wide grin had two baby teeth absent.
Haru smiled as he sat back on his heels, adjusting the focus. "Don't I have enough pictures of you, my love?" He snapped the photo as she laughed.
"Never!" She tackled him, Haru getting one hand free to spare the camera as they went down in a heap.
Haru's unbuttoned shirt and boardshorts were instantly filled with sand. It was true— He kissed his daughter's brow. —There were never enough pictures. He could fill all of the albums in the world and never truly capture her glow, her smile, her twinkling eyes… Haru wrapped an arm around her, her frilled swimsuit still damp as she curled up on his chest. "Are you getting hungry?"
"Mm…" Her small face scrunched in concentration. "I want…cavalla!"
Haru quirked a brow. "Nihongo de?"
"Saba tabetai!"
He smiled. "Saba to…?"
"Saba y piña!"
"Gross." The little boy plopped down beside them in the sand, making a face. "You're mixing languages again."
"I am not!"
Haru sat up carefully, his daughter curling her short arms possessively around his waist as she stuck out her tongue at her brother.
The boy rolled his eyes, his hair spiky and askew, the bodyboard strap still attached to his wrist. The board itself was wedged into the sand.
Haru put his camera away. "What do you want for dinner?" he asked his son.
"Not pineapple. I want pancakes."
The girl snorted. "That's not dinner food."
"So? It's better than fish and fruit. Tell her, Dad."
Haru suppressed a chuckle. "Caballa y piña y panqueques?" He shrugged. "OK."
"Yay!"
"Ugh, Dadddd." The boy pouted dramatically, falling against Haru's side.
He smoothed his son's hair affectionately. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to."
"That's not what the Old Man says."
The cough came from behind them, accompanied by footsteps in the sand. "What was that?"
Their daughter jumped up from Haru's arms. "Otousan!" She ran to Rin, who scooped her up for a kiss, and twined her arms around his neck. The breeze ruffled Rin's warmup pants and T-shirt.
"Minha querida," Rin murmured, nuzzling the girl's cheek. "You're covered in sand."
"Just a little," she said, giggling with delight.
"Yo, Oyaji," their son said, giving Rin a wave but otherwise not moving from Haru's side.
"Oi." Rin sighed, giving Haru a look like, 'Are we sure he's not a teenager yet?'
Haru nudged the boy. "Sass or pancakes. Your choice."
"Nn." Their son's face reddened. He got up, pulling the bodyboard strap from his wrist and trotting over to Rin. "Hey Dad."
Rin crouched down, hugging the boy with one arm. "Any good waves today?"
"The best waves! They were huge! I was like—" Their son mimed the crashing waves and wiping out on his board.
Rin grinned. "I'm sorry I missed it."
"This weekend, Dad?"
"Yeah, it's a promise."
The boy broke into a wide grin.
Haru brushed the sand from his clothes as he stood up. "How was your day?"
"Ran me ragged as usual," Rin said, the weariness evident in his eyes as he set their daughter on her feet and straightened. He pushed a hand through his hair, the sunset glinting off the gold ring on his third finger. Across the bridge of his nose, there was still a faint line from his reading glasses. "But, with three on the verge of breathless fifties, I can't complain." Rin smiled. "You?"
Haru thought back over conference calls and hours in his studio. "It was good. Better now." Being here by the water with his family? This was paradise.
Rin lifted a brow. "Better, huh?" He came close, slipping his arms over Haru's shoulders.
"Much," Haru whispered, angling for Rin's lips.
"Awww, Dads… Do you have to do that in public?"
"Our Daddies are being mushy!"
Their kiss was chaste and unhurried, Haru and Rin both well practiced in the skill of selective hearing. They ignored their son's dramatic death throes of embarrassment, parting when they wanted to and not before.
Haru soaked up the warmth and love in his husband's eyes, resting their foreheads together. "Rin."
"Hm?"
"The kids want saba, pineapple, and pancakes for dinner."
Rin winced. "Haru, no—"
-x-
Haru blinked awake to a darkened room, disoriented at first. It took him a minute to trade sea-salt air for the scent of chlorine and the crash of the waves offshore for Rin's soft, regular breaths, stirring his hair. Just a dream… He closed his eyes, but the images were already fading away. The more he sought after them, the faster they vanished, like fleeting wisps of vapor. I need to…
Haru gingerly slipped out from beneath Rin's arm; Rin grumbled something incoherent in his sleep, a scowl on his face as he rolled over. The floor was cold beneath Haru's feet as he crossed the room quickly, grabbing a T-shirt and his sketchbook and silently opening the door.
Light from the Athletes' Village streamed into the main room from the balcony. Haru didn't bother with the lamp. He tugged on his T-shirt and sat on the floor, his pencils rolling in a scatter as he set them down. He flipped his sketchbook open to a blank page. The faces were gone by the time he set sharpened graphite to paper, but other details remained—like sand filling the creases in tiny hands and how overwhelmed with love Rin looked as he kissed their daughter's cheek.
When that page was full, Haru started another…and another… At some point, his dream merged with his memories. The beach became São Conrado, Rin with their son became Rin placing his swim cap on João's head, and the little girl missing a couple baby teeth became Gabriela's younger sister, Beta. When his pencil dulled, Haru grabbed the next closest one, not bothering to check its grade. Whenever his hand cramped up, he only paused long enough to shake it out and kept going.
It was the coldest hour just before the dawn when Haru ran out of paper. Frowning, he set down his pencil and tried to massage feeling back into his fingers. The picture on the last page was of Rin holding Gabriela's infant cousin. Rin's eyes were wide and comedically petrified; he cradled the baby as if she were made of glass. Haru smiled to himself. The dream itself may have faded, but the warmth and feelings hadn't. You'll be a great dad someday, Rin.
The door opening in the hall was almost soundless, but Haru heard it along with the rhythm of footsteps—bare feet against the tile floor. He tilted his head up as Rin—clad in a tank top and sleep pants—sat down behind him. Rin had the blue knit blanket Haru brought from home, draping it around both of their shoulders.
Haru leaned back into Rin's embrace. "You're up."
Rin's arms circled his waist, their lips brushing together. "It's just not the same—waking up without you."
Haru's heart did a sweet flip. "Mn. Sorry."
Rin smiled, shaking his head. He rested his chin on Haru's shoulder, his gaze falling to the sketchbook. Rin's nose crinkled. "Haru, you drew that?"
"It was cute. You looked terrified."
"She was really tiny!" Rin's breath came out in a huff. "I didn't want to do it wrong."
"You weren't doing it wrong."
"Nn. You think there's like…a manual or something?"
It was an amusing thought—Rin pouring over parenting books, trying to study up. "I'm sure there's millions of books out there." Should I get you one for Christmas? "We've got time, Rin."
Rin's arms tightened around him. "Yeah, I know."
A moment passed in silence, the sky slowly lightening beyond the balcony from indigo to cobalt to pale blue.
"Na, Haru…"
"Hm?"
"Do you think…?" Rin drew a breath, the words coming out with effort. "Do you think when we're ready…Japan will be, too?"
Haru covered Rin's arms with his own, catching the edge of the blanket in his fingers. "I hope so."
Rin shifted, his cheek pressed to Haru's hair, his breath wafting across Haru's neck as he exhaled. "The things Natsumaya-san mentioned about Shibuya… It's wonderful—it's something—but it's not remotely everything. Right now, complicated doesn't even begin to describe this dream of ours."
"Mm." Haru nodded. "Complicated isn't the same as impossible."
Rin's inhale was slow, measured. "I don't want to wait decades."
Me either. Haru laced his fingers into Rin's. "Let's start asking now."
"Haru, this isn't like changing a training venue—"
"I know. But…we can still try." We're not the only ones with this dream. Shibuya happened because someone asked…and kept asking…Haru turned in his lover's embrace, lifting his gaze.
Rin's eyes were guarded in the soft, pre-dawn glow.
You're afraid to hope. I get it. Haru wrapped his arms around Rin beneath the blanket. "I dreamt about them—our kids."
Rin's lips parted around a hitch of breath.
"We had one boy and one girl." His voice fell to a whisper. "They were…beautiful."
Rin trembled against him, scarlet eyes starting to gleam.
"I can't remember their faces; I don't know their names. But they called us, 'Dad,' and they spoke multiple languages—"
"Haru…" Rin exhaled roughly, his eyes shining with moisture.
You're the one who taught me not to give up dreams even when they're difficult. Haru leaned their foreheads together, pulling Rin close. And this dream's the most important of all. "Rin, I'm OK with complicated. I want to meet them someday. I'm OK with whatever it takes to get there."
"Damnit." Hope lit in Rin's eyes, then he was crushing their bodies together, hugging Haru so tight it was difficult to breathe. "I love you so much."
"I love you." Haru lifted his hands to Rin's hair, burying his fingers in sunset-colored strands. The kiss that followed brought with it a tiny remnant of the dream, of sea-salt spray, matching rings, and the damp sand beneath their bare feet—
When they finally parted, Haru reached for his sketchbook. "Can I show you? I tried, before I couldn't remember it anymore."
Rin sniffed hard, scrubbing his face with one hand. "Yeah. Show me."
Haru started from the last page, showing Rin his sketches and describing each one as best he could as Rin looked over his shoulder.
They got all the way to the beginning; afterwards, Rin turned one page back. "Haru, what's…?" He pointed to a drawing on the side of the page. "Is that…saba? With…?"
"Pineapple and pancakes. It's what the kids wanted for dinner."
Rin turned a delicate shade of green.
Haru frowned. "I added a salad."
Rin laughed, burying his face in Haru's throat. "Come back to bed, OK? I guarantee the Mikoshiba brothers will be up soon."
"And you'd be embarrassed if they found us cuddling out here?" Haru gathered his pencils.
Rin plucked the hem of Haru's boxer briefs. "You're not wearing any pants."
"So?" I'm wearing more than Mikoshiba usually does. "You brought a blanket."
"Because it's cold, not for—"
Haru reached up, pulling the blanket over their heads. "Not for what, Rin?" he murmured against Rin's lips.
As their mouths melted together, their conversation ceased for long moments…
The end of the kiss was languid and slow, lingering in their moist breaths in the shadow of the blanket.
"You made your point," Rin muttered. "Bed."
Haru smiled. "OK."
Back in their room, they undressed and slid between the sheets.
"I set the alarm for seven," Rin said, stifling a yawn.
"Nn." Haru molded his body to Rin's, tucking his arm snugly around his lover's torso. "Seven-thirty."
"Tch, Haru." The smile was evident in Rin's voice as he reached for his phone on the nightstand.
-x-
"Beach day!" Momo sprinted towards the waves in his yellow practice speedo, getting as far as the wet sand before his brother caught up with him.
Mikoshiba hooked an arm around the kid's waist, hauling Momo off his feet and away from the water. "Exactly right, Momotarou! Beach day! You're staying on the sand."
"Awww." Momo went ragdoll limp, pouting as his brother dragged him back to the rest of the team.
"Well, we'll be doing that for the next two hours," Rin muttered, adjusting his sunglasses. His hair was gathered into a ponytail though a few strands had escaped and played against his cheeks.
"Maybe not," Haru said, glancing to their left where Sada and Otani were spreading out their towels and stripping down to bikinis.
Momo's eyes went huge. He squirmed free from Mikoshiba's grasp and jogged up the beach. "Sada-san, can I help you with your sunscreen?"
Sada flipped a bit of black hair away from her aviator sunglasses and sat down on her towel, cross-legged. "Sure, Squeaker. You can do my back."
The kid puddled to the sand, making nonsensical noises until Sada put the spray can in his hand. With a huge grin on his face, Momo rolled onto his knees and knelt behind her.
"If Sada's not careful, she's gonna get a bunch of drool with her sunscreen," Rin said.
Haru smiled. "Here's good?" he asked, pointing to a vacant spot nearby.
"Sure."
They laid out their towels side-by-side—Rin's shark towel and Haru's polka dot one—and shucked off their T-shirts and shorts. Copacabana Beach was hot and sunny—perfect square leg weather. Haru sat down and stretched out his legs.
Rin dug in their backpack. "Lotion or spray, Haru?"
Haru glanced at his lover over his shades. "Depends. Are you doing it?"
Rin's grin was sly as he came up with a silver tube of sunscreen.
Haru leaned forward as Rin moved behind him. The lotion was cool to the touch, Rin working across his shoulders in firm strokes. It felt heavenly and Haru's sigh was a bit louder than he intended.
Rin chuckled. He gave Haru a peck on the cheek and lingered near Haru's ear, his voice a teasing whisper. "Don't enjoy it too much. We're not in the Village."
"I'll try," Haru said, pressing back into his lover's touch.
It was almost 9am. The twenty-six competitors in the women's 10k marathon swim were already in the water, clustered together near the starter's boat, a couple hundred meters offshore. Takara, in a blue swim cap, was out there somewhere. It was hard to tell from this distance. The course was marked by bright red, orange, and yellow buoys bobbing in the water, with several attending boats for Rio officials and photographers. Referees in white kayaks hovered nearby.
On the beach to Haru and Rin's left, there was a large video screen on scaffolding, angled towards tents and covered seating areas that were situated on the sidewalk, across the street from the Copacabana high rises. They could've picked seats up there, but Team Japan had opted for the sand, staking out a spot between the Canadians and the Australians.
Further north were the stands for ticketed spectators, seating for the sports commentators, and the crowds. The athletes' area where Haru and Rin sat was cordoned off with plenty of room to stretch out. The whole team was present—even Sugiyama was sunning himself in red and black square legs alongside Coach Akagi, Coach Maekawa, and Captain Ikehara. Ozawa, Konishi, and Nakagawa were on the edge of the group, mingling with the Australians, while Koda—sitting with the relay-only guys—looked on, clearly annoyed. On the way in, they'd waved to Captain McInnes and Rin's friend Ty; Haru had no doubt they'd all be hanging out together as the day went on.
A surge of cheering accompanied the start of the race, Haru glancing over at the screen at the white water and churning foam surrounding the pack of swimmers.
"Come on, Takara!" Mikoshiba was standing at the edge of the wet sand in his navy-blue speedo, his hands cupped around his mouth as he yelled.
Other members of the team joined in. "Let's go, Sakamoto!" "You got this, Taka-chan!" There was no way the swimmers could hear them, but Haru thought it was a nice gesture regardless.
The course started to the north for a few hundred meters before heading out to sea.
"A hundred meters, a hundred times," Haru murmured. He'd racked up long distances during practice before and there was no doubt he could spend hours in the water, but at race speeds? "You've done it twice." He tipped his head back, looking at Rin.
Rin nudged him forward, starting to work sunscreen down his arms. "Samezuka tradition. I didn't beat Mikoshiba and he still made me captain. Nitori, though." Rin chuckled fondly. "He started apologizing the moment he realized he'd won."
Sounds like him. Haru smiled to himself.
A few minutes later, they switched places, Haru settling with his knees to either side of Rin's hips. He warmed the sunscreen between his palms before applying it to Rin's skin.
Rin dipped his head, muffling a groan as Haru worked the pressure points to either side of Rin's spine. "Haru, you're just supposed to put it on me."
"What do you think I'm doing?"
Rin glanced back over his shoulder, the glare mild and knowing through his shades.
Haru dug his thumbs in, feeling his lover melt beneath his touch.
Rin grunted and returned his attention forward, arching his back into Haru's fingertips.
Love you, Rin. Haru smiled.
-x-
While the women fought through their two-hour race, Haru baked one side and then the other, alternating his gaze between the screen, the waves, and Rin stretched out beside him. It was nice to just do nothing. He couldn't remember the last time they'd had a true day off without team or sponsorship obligations (today had both) and he knew that, soon enough, Rin would start complaining about their lack of conditioning and want to get back to it. Their daily routine from now until Christmas was sure to be filled with multiple dryland sessions and demanding swim sets, not to mention their studies. For now, though, as long as Rin was relaxed, Haru wasn't about to say anything. He was looking forward to their Sydney trip more and more—swimming, lazing around on the beach, sex… Rin would probably schedule other activities, too, but as long as those were prioritized Haru was good with it.
On the view screen, the swimmers entered their fourth and final lap. It was pandemonium passing by the feeding platform as usual. Haru caught a glimpse of Takara in her blue cap as she snagged the bottle from the end of the feeding pole with the Japanese flag on it. She rolled onto her back, drinking quickly, and continued the race.
"Why doesn't anyone feed me in the pool?" Haru murmured, watching with envy.
"Mm, what was that?"
Haru pursed his lips, glancing at Rin. "I could stay in longer."
Rin rolled his eyes behind his shades.
Footsteps approached. "Hey guys! Beauty of a day, aye?" Ty asked.
"You're not kidding." Rin sat up as Ty dropped down into the sand.
"Remember that time when we were fifteen, down on the beach, and my mum and dad had all the snags and barra on the barbie—"
"Ty, that was like…every time I came over."
"No, that time the surf was really going off, and you said—"
As the two friends chatted away in English, Haru gazed up at the unbroken expanse of blue above them. He had at least one unanswered text from Makoto. It was nothing new—by now Makoto had to be used to Haru taking forever to reply, though the distance made things different. Usually, they saw each other every day. Haru didn't have to say anything because Makoto would read it all on his face. I'd make tea and Makoto would do enough talking for both of us. Things would change when he went back home to Tokyo, when he and Rin got an apartment. In some ways, this 'distance' was here to stay. I took for granted that we'd be together forever, that our friendship would always be the same as it was when we were little kids.
His friendship with Makoto was evolving—it started with Sydney and continued through his whole first year of training at Koutei. From now on, the changes, like the seasons, would happen faster. He'd only committed to Paris so far, but Haru knew there was more traveling in his future. I need to be more intentional. I can't rely on you to do all the work in our friendship anymore. Makoto would never think of it like that, but… You've always been the one to accommodate all of my eccentricities and you never complained about it.
Haru flipped onto his stomach, reaching into their backpack for his phone. He propped his shades on his forehead so he could read the screen and logged onto Team Japan wifi from the hotspot their coaches carried around.
[We're all still gushing about the relay,] Makoto had texted earlier. [Silver! Though I can't say I'm surprised. When the two of you swim together, something incredible always happens. I hope you had a good day off on Sunday. Were you there when Natsumaya-san proposed? The whole Koutei-Todai crowd has been celebrating. Coach Maekawa looked so happy. The Koutei swim team is secretly hoping she'll cut them some slack from now on, but you and I both know that's not going to happen.] He could almost hear Makoto chuckling.
[We were there,] Haru wrote back. [It was a nice proposal.]
The phone buzzed in Haru's hand a second later. [Haru! Are you watching Sakamoto-senpai's race? There was a shot of the beach earlier, but I only saw the Canadian team.]
[We're here. You're back in Tokyo?]
[Yeah, at the usual place. It feels weird that it's not the middle of the night. I can actually go to bed at a semi-reasonable time tonight. Which is good—it was great spending time with the twins, but I still feel jetlagged, so I'm pretty worn out. Did you get some rest yesterday?]
Not exactly. [We visited Rocinha, one of Rio's favelas.]
[We heard about Rocinha on the news and watched some videos. How was it?]
At this point, Makoto was expecting him to reply with a typical 'it was (blank).' …Not that Haru could possibly sum up all of his emotions and experiences about yesterday into a single word. Even if he could, that wasn't the point of this conversation. [When I get home, maybe we could go to that higashi chuka ryori place you like and I'll show you the pictures? I took a lot of pictures.]
There was a lengthy pause before the phone buzzed again.
[Haru, you don't like higashi chuka. That one time we tried, they said they wouldn't make it with saba. We went somewhere else instead, remember?]
Haru tapped out his reply. [You always rave about how that place reminds you of your mom's cooking. It's OK, Makoto. I don't have to eat saba all the time. I want to try it. If I don't like the ham, I can give it to you, right?]
The second pause was even longer than the first. The animated ellipses appeared and disappeared multiple times before the message popped up.
[I'd really like that, Haru.]
A trill came from their backpack, Rin breaking off his conversation with Ty long enough to fish out his phone. "Haru, what did you do?" Rin asked, looking at him over his sunglasses. "Sousuke says you made Makoto all emotional."
Haru frowned. "I just invited him to higashi chuka so I could tell him about Rocinha."
"But they don't make that with… At least, I've never heard of that with—"
Nn. "I know that." Haru's cheeks grew warm.
Rin read his face and smiled. Pushing his shades into place, he nudged Haru fondly before starting up again with Ty.
Haru blushed harder, going back to his phone. [Are they open on Sunday?]
-x-
The swimmer from the Netherlands took gold at the end of the women's marathon. In the pack trailing the winner, there was enough elbow throwing to remind Haru why he didn't swim open water or play water polo. (His idea of a water contact sport involved him and Rin and an otherwise deserted pool…) It was a photo-finish between France and Italy for second, with Brazil slapping the timing gate right afterwards. Takara took twelfth at an hour, fifty-seven minutes and change.
Once the race was over, she came out to the beach from the tents, still in her full-length black suit with the number 3 and the Olympic rings marked on her arms, just as the crowd was buzzing about the French swimmer being disqualified at the finish line.
"It was crazy out there," Takara said, accepting hugs from Mikoshiba and Haru in turn. "I'm gonna have bruises."
"Good race, Takara," Haru said.
"Thanks!" She grinned.
"Taka-chan!" Ozawa and Konishi waved as they came over in their two-piece swimsuits. Konishi's suit was blue and gold while Ozawa's had a multi-colored, geometric pattern.
"Yumi-chan! Shiori-chan!"
Haru backed away as the women collided in a hug.
Rin chuckled. "You don't wanna get caught in the middle?"
"And make you jealous?" Haru cocked a brow.
"Nn…" Rin folded his arms.
You're not denying it. He eyed skin glowing faintly from their hours in the sun, with a sheen of sunscreen, sweat, and sand clinging to muscle. Rin looked even better than in Málaga. Haru stepped close, though he kept his hands to himself, mindful that they weren't in the Village. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You don't need to be jealous, Rin. You and the water are the ones I love."
"Tch, Haru." Rin tugged on a bit of crimson hair before slinging an arm around Haru's shoulders and giving him a brief squeeze.
After the medal ceremony, Coach Maekawa gathered the members of Team Japan on the beach. She'd put on a coverup dress over her swimsuit (though it wasn't stopping Momo from staring at her) and her engagement ring was blinding every time it caught the sunlight.
"Village curfew is still 1am, Olympians. Last night a couple of you had trouble with that—you know who you are." She didn't glance at anyone in particular, but some of the relay-only swimmers had guilty looks on their faces.
"So let me reiterate: Unless you have Coach Fujino's permission in writing to spend the night away, you must be back on Village grounds and checked in with one of us by then, no exceptions." Maekawa scanned the team members with a stern expression and propped a hand on her hip. "Nothing else has changed. Make sure you're following the buddy system, only using Village-provided transportation, looking out for each other, and if you don't want to read about it in the news tomorrow, don't do it." Her face softened the slightest bit. "That said, if you get in trouble, call us." Maekawa gestured to Coach Akagi and Captain Ikehara. "We'll sort things out, alright? …Questions?"
When there were none, Captain Ikehara stepped forward, the breeze rippling across his T-shirt and shorts. "Like yesterday, there are plenty of spectating opportunities to take advantage of today as well as tomorrow to cheer for Team Japan. Many are right at Riocentro for badminton, table tennis, etc., or at Barra Olympic Park—synchro and diving for example."
"Did they fix the green water?" Konishi asked, glancing at Haru aside. "Cover your ears, Nanase."
Nn. Haru pursed his lips as their teammates chuckled. I've seen the pictures.
"Yeah, they got that sorted out," Ikehara said. "Anyways, I encourage you to check out as much as possible and not just hang around beach volleyball all day."
We didn't get to spectate yesterday. Not that he would've traded a minute of their visit to Rocinha, but it would be nice to support the broader team. So many of them came and cheered us on in swimming.
Rin draped an arm around his shoulders. "Wanna catch some events at the park after our meetings?"
Haru nodded, pleased.
"After that, we should hit the gym at least a little." Rin frowned. "We're gonna lose all of our conditioning from so much stupid taper."
There it is. Haru smiled to himself.
-x-
The café was a block from the beach, down a tree-lined street of tall apartment buildings. An awning provided shade for a few outdoor tables, the small establishment tucked between a pizzeria and a shop that immediately had Haru's attention—there was a surfboard outside, rash guards and goggles on display inside the glass windows, and a shark on the logo. He moved closer, examining a long-sleeve black rash guard with the store name—acquatic—across the chest and a small shark in white on the hip.
Rin pulled on his arm. "We're not early."
"But you'd look good in that." Haru pointed at the garment.
The pulling stopped, Rin coming even with him. Their reflection in the glass was green and golden yellow, both of them in their Brasil T-shirts from Rocinha, plus shorts and flipflops, Haru carrying the backpack.
Rin lifted his sunglasses. "I would definitely rock that." Consideration flickered in scarlet eyes for half a second at most— "Alright, we're stopping in after." He turned away from the window, drawing Haru along by an elbow.
Bemused, Haru smiled, letting Rin lead him into the café. He took off his shades inside, tucking them into the neck of his green T-shirt and blinking to let his eyes adjust. The interior was honeyed wood with the counter on the right, with pastries on trays behind glass and mugs stacked on a shelf against the wall. On the left, there was a single row of circular tables, each tabletop a colorful mosaic of small shards of tile in different patterns. The place was packed—lively with chatter and the sounds of the espresso machine, the air filled with the aroma of fresh coffee.
Towards the back of the café, Director Kaya was waving at them from a table for four. She wore a black polo shirt, her strawberry-blond hair held back by a set of tortoise shell sunglasses. With her was a woman with chestnut brown hair gathered into a ponytail and a short-sleeve blouse with a floral pattern. There was a softness to the woman's facial features and a rosy warmth in her cheeks.
"Hey, you guys made it!" Kaya said, the two women getting to their feet as Haru and Rin approached the table. "Nanase-kun, Matsuoka-kun, I'd like you to meet Sumida Chihiro-san."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Sumida said, extending her hand across the table. "Congratulations on an amazing week! It's been so exciting to watch you swim."
"Please, the pleasure is ours," Rin said, offering one of his best smiles as they shook hands.
"Ah." Haru dipped his head, offering his hand in turn.
Sumida smiled as they shook. "I've been looking forward to this ever since Director Kaya contacted me. It's truly an honor." The heartfelt sincerity in her whole manner made Haru blush, as if he were someone rare and special.
I just like to swim a lot.
They all sat down, Haru tucking the backpack beside his wooden chair where it wouldn't be in the way. On the table was a basket of bread, plates of sliced meats and cheeses, jam, butter, and a carafe of orange juice. The mosaic beneath was green and blue with veins of deep red and a scatter of opalescent tile shards.
"Help yourselves!" Director Kaya gestured to the food. "As we eat, Sumida-san can tell you about her organization and the ideas we've discussed. I think you'll be pleased, Nanase-kun. I met with several groups when Tsuchiya-san gave me the go-ahead—all wonderful individuals and organizations doing incredible work. But I just knew, the moment I met Sumida-san, that this would be the perfect match for what we had in mind."
"I will endeavor to live up to the Director's expectations," Sumida said with a good-natured smile and a slight wince. "No pressure there at all…"
"None intended!" Kaya smiled brightly. "Juice?" she asked, reaching for the carafe.
"Please allow me," Rin said, gathering the glasses and pouring for all of them.
"Itadakimasu—"
Haru munched on a slice of toast with a thin layer of butter and jam while Rin stacked ham and cheese on part of a roll.
Sumida placed a colorful brochure on the table, the front picture a group of smiling, school-aged children beside a standpipe with water jugs in their arms. "Given that you signed up for our digital newsletter back in May, I assume you're somewhat familiar with our work, Nanase-kun. Please forgive me for reviewing information you already know."
Rin glanced at him askance, Haru wiping his mouth with his napkin and meeting his boyfriend's gaze, slightly sheepish.
That was before you found me in the shower.
He didn't have to say anything. Rin's eyes gentled as if he knew.
"We're an international non-profit organization with headquarters all over the world. Our goal, or mission, is to see every child have all the basic necessities of life—food, clean water, healthcare, education—so that they can thrive. In many places, so much of a child's life is simply a fight for survival—we want to end that, one child, one community at a time. It's no small task, obviously, and sometimes it seems entirely daunting and overwhelming…" Sumida paused, the weight in her smile and in her eyes offering a glimpse of the stories underneath, of things seen and experienced that Haru couldn't begin to fathom. "…But there's always been something we could do and for that one child or one community, even that much can change everything."
Hope—it was about hope. The word, even over the last twenty-four hours, had grown to mean so much to him.
"Specific to your passion, Nanase-kun, I've brought information on several of our clean water projects. Director Kaya shared with me about your visit to Rocinha yesterday. While we do have filtration projects in a few of Rio's favelas, most of our work is in rural and developing areas where access is the main challenge." Sumida opened the brochure, showing them pictures of pipelines, wells, and storage tanks. "Our team of water engineers surveys the area and meets with the community. Once we locate a clean water supply—whether that's a river in the mountains or by drilling for a well—we work with the community to determine where the water needs to go and draw up plans to get it there. Then it's the hard work of digging trenches, installing pipelines, building water tanks… These are not quick projects—it takes an investment of time and money and resources. But in the end—" she tapped a photo of a celebration with dancing and musical instruments and more children proudly displaying their jugs of water "—it's all worth it when the families have clean water. We also teach the community how to maintain and repair the equipment, so it's a long-term solution, not a short-term fix that will fail them in a season or two."
Haru reached for Rin's hand beneath the table, interlacing their fingers tightly. I want to help. Captain Ikehara's suggestion in May had been the first inkling, but now, after every sight he'd seen with Rin, after all they'd accomplished together thus far—hope was no longer a fragile thread to cling to. It was a rope to hold onto, a ladder he could—they could—climb. He felt a fresh welling of it inside him as Rin squeezed back, the feeling as strong and ardent as any time they were in the pool racing—
"That said, we also do disaster relief, bringing in water sources when there's a specific shortage—"
"—How can we help?" Haru asked.
Both Director Kaya and Sumida looked startled by his question, or maybe it was the fervor in his voice.
The women exchanged a glance and Sumida smiled. "Well, Nanase-kun, talk of finances is always awkward, but that is what it takes. We hold fundraisers several times a year and we partner with individuals and groups to organize local events as well. It can be anything as small as a bake sale—"
Saba bake sale? Haru perked up.
Rin sighed.
"—to an event for the whole community, such as a fun run, walk-a-thon, or even a show."
The show idea wasn't a bad one, Haru pressing his lips as he indulged in memories of Rin rocking their makeshift catwalk at the Opening Ceremonies or owning Takara at English karaoke. I bet we'd make a ton of money.
Rin peered at him, a wary look on his face.
Amused, Haru relented. "What's a walk-a-thon?"
"It's where each individual gets donors to pledge an amount of money per kilometer, for example. Then, at the end, the donors give based on how far each person walked."
I'm not great on land, but I can swim pretty far. If he really tried, he was sure he could do a 10k like Takara and the marathon swimmers today. Not at race speeds, but… "We could do a swim-a-thon?"
"Exactly, Nanase-kun!" Director Kaya clapped her hands together. "Wouldn't that be great? You and a few of your friends and teammates could hold an event right in Tokyo—"
Haru's heart started to pound. I could really do this. He knew if he asked Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei...
"Haru." Rin squeezed his hand. "What about a relay?"
Haru's breath caught. "Relay?"
Rin smiled knowingly. "Like…you swim laps until you get tired, then I take over. When I get tired, you dive in and start again—"
His eyes widened. A…never-ending relay?
"If we talked Mikoshiba and Takara into it too, maybe even some of the others, I bet we could go all day and all night long—"
"Rin—" Haru gripped his lover's hand, emotion and excitement rising in his chest like a wave.
"It'd be an endless relay." Rin's smile turned sly. "Want to?"
I want to. He was quivering, he wanted it so badly. It took every bit of self-control he had to keep himself from tackling Rin with a hug in the middle of the café.
Rin chuckled, turning back to their hosts. "That's a yes. He just can't, uh, talk right now. Would that work? A twenty-four hour endless relay?"
"Would that work?" Director Kaya was almost squealing. "It's perfect! Even better than a swim-a-thon! The Rio relay-medalists… I can see the posters already— Though, I should let you answer, Sumida-san."
"That…would be incredible." Sumida's eyes were warm and gleaming. "Matsuoka-kun, thank you, I…"
"This whole thing is Haru's idea. I'm here to support him as much as I can."
Rin… Haru's heart was filled to bursting. I love you so much. There were no words and damn this not having a ring or proposing publicly or kissing Rin's lips until they reddened. Haru sat back in his chair, managing a grunt but nothing that could really be considered language.
Rin smiled like he knew it all, his eyes replete with affection. Beneath the table, Rin's thumb running over Haru's knuckles in a caress was a wordless, I love you too.
-x-
Haru partially recovered his faculties by the end of the meal, at least enough to say proper goodbyes as Director Kaya and Sumida headed off, leaving them in front of the café. But the sunlight was glinting off Rin's hair and sunglasses, Haru could still smell the ocean, and Rin hadn't let go of his hand. The emotion inside him hadn't lessened at all.
Haru exhaled hard and donned his shades. "If you tell me to save it for the Village, I think I can, but…" He glanced aside at Rin. "I really want to hug you right now."
"Hmm…" Rin's eyes glittered behind tinted lenses. "We're a block away from the beach and all of the press… Good thing I don't care—"
Haru crashed into his lover, knocking Rin back a step or two though they stayed on their feet. He hugged Rin around the waist, so in love he was shaking. "Rin—"
"I know," Rin whispered. There was emotion in his voice too. "Haru, thanks for letting me be a part of this with you."
Haru's lungs emptied in a rush. He pulled back—not because of the stares they were gathering, but because if he held Rin one second longer there was going to be a lot more than hugging and they'd definitely make the Internet. Thank God for the sunglasses hiding the moisture in his eyes.
Rin quirked a brow in question.
"Village," Haru muttered.
Rin smiled. "I thought we were going shopping first?"
Oh. Haru considered for a moment. They were standing right in front of the store; in the window was the black rash guard with the shark on the hip. Beside it was a matching blue one… "Shopping, then Village."
Rin chuckled, slipping an arm around his shoulders and guiding him towards the entrance.
-x-
Their apartment was quiet when they got back, mid-afternoon. Mikoshiba was likely training for tomorrow and who knew what Momo was up to.
All Haru cared about was the feel of Rin's mouth on his, their tongues gliding together as they undressed each other in the bathroom and stepped under warm shower spray to wash off sand, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
"We don't have a lot of time," Rin murmured between kisses. "We're getting picked up at three." Rin's fingertips, raking deliciously through Haru's hair, wrought sweet ripples of pleasure through his frame.
"We don't have time for that, you mean." Haru ran slick hands across Rin's abdomen, continuing teasing caresses over Rin's hipbones and down the outsides of his thighs. "But we have time for something."
Rin grunted in reply, his scarlet eyes flashing with desire. As their lips met again, Haru cranked off the shower. They didn't bother to dry off, leaving a trail of wet footsteps from there to the bed.
-x-
They were on-time for transportation (barely), climbing into the back of the car in clean Team Japan T-shirts and shorts. Rin set their backpack on the seat between them and used it for an armrest, which was an invitation if Haru had ever seen one. As the car pulled away from the transportation mall, Haru looked out the window as he brushed his hand along Rin's arm—
Rin captured his hand. "Subtle, Haru," he murmured.
Haru tossed his lover a smirk and interwove their fingers.
Twenty minutes later, the car was pulling up to the curb at the Cidade das Artes, though at a distance to the crowds and the main entrance of Japan House. Tsuchiya was waiting for them, slipping her phone into the pocket of her ankle-length slacks as they got out of the car. Her short-sleeved jacket matched her pants—navy blue—and her blouse beneath was white and silvery-gray.
"Good afternoon, Nanase-kun, Matsuoka-kun," she said, holding up a hand to shade her eyes from the sun.
They both bowed politely. "Tsuchiya-san."
"My apologies for bringing you out of the way for this. The two of you have better ways to spend your days off than in back-to-back meetings."
"It's OK," Haru said as he straightened. "We prioritized."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Rin's brow twitch, a hint of color rising in his cheeks.
"All the same, we'll keep this crisp." Tsuchiya gestured for them to follow.
They bypassed the exhibition hall, heading to an upper floor and towards a set of glass doors bearing Tokyo 2020 posters.
A man with a JOC pin on his lapel opened the door for them. "Welcome, Nanase-kun, Matsuoka-kun."
Haru dipped his head. "Thank you."
The room inside was a large, open space converted into a temporary office. Long tables were arranged in rows with power strips, ethernet drops, and stacks of binders; several people were working on laptops, a few simultaneously making phone calls. Two freestanding screens at the front of the room were showing live Olympic feeds—gymnastics on the left and diving on the right. One whole wall was windows facing greenery and the mountains, with the towers of the Athletes' Village in the distance to the west.
Glass doors led out to a balcony, which seemed to be where Tsuchiya was headed. As they crossed the room, people waved and greeted them by name. Haru nodded in reply. It was becoming a normal thing—everyone knowing his name and Rin's without ever being formally introduced.
Beyond the glass, Haru saw two people sitting at a table with bottled iced tea, talking and jotting notes in notepads. He recognized the sports anchors from Maekawa's interview yesterday. The table was in the shade from the building; the balcony overlooking the lawns and reflecting pools down below. The anchors looked up as Tsuchiya opened the door, their chairs scraping lightly against the concrete floor as they got to their feet and came over.
"Nanase-kun, Matsuoka-kun." The woman wore a sunny blouse with cap sleeves and a bow at the neck, small drop earrings, and cropped slacks. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. My name is Nishida Riko." She gave them both business cards. "And this is my co-anchor, Tanabe Kenji."
"It's a pleasure." The man had a firm handshake. He wore a polo shirt and beige trousers.
"Thanks for taking the time to meet with us," Nishida said. "I promised Tsuchiya-san we'd make this quick for today. Would you like something to drink?" She gestured to the bottle of tea on the table. "Or water or pretty much anything else."
The bottle was chilled green tea from home—like he hadn't had in months. It wasn't decaffeinated, but that was rare enough in Japan that Haru wasn't about to complain. He dipped his head. "Thank you."
"Matsuoka-kun?"
"Please," Rin said.
They sat down as Tanabe poured tea over ice and set the glasses in front of them. The beverage was cold and pleasantly bitter. Haru savored each sip.
"I'll be right inside if you need anything," Tsuchiya said, pausing at the door before she headed back into the building.
Nishida and Tanabe waited until she'd gone. "She'll be back in exactly ten minutes," Nishida said.
"Sooner if the two of you appear even the least bit uncomfortable," Tanabe said, leaning back in his chair with an easy smile.
"Should we be worried?" Rin asked, one brow lifted as he set his glass down on the table. He settled into his chair with his elbows on the armrests, looking relaxed and every bit as charming as their hosts. It was so effortless for him; Haru could admit being jealous.
"I swear we're harmless." Nishida smiled. "The whole point of this meeting is to set you at ease. We want tomorrow's interview to be fun, for the conversation to flow. That won't happen if we stumble onto landmines."
"Or, worse, if it feels like we're trying to talk you into a corner," Tanabe said.
"Your fans are dying to get to know you." Nishida turned to a fresh page in her notebook. "We want to offer them a glimpse—as much or as little as you're willing to share."
"Fans?" Haru murmured.
"You've made quite the stir on social media, particularly after Barcelona and especially after your swimsuit campaign hit the press. But, all it takes is one Olympic medal for everything to explode, and to start with your gold medal tie with Damien Andrews, Nanase-kun…" Nishida shook her head. "The two of you became household names and worldwide sensations overnight. Now—one week later—that's somewhat overshadowed by Andrews' retirement, but at home in Japan, the buzz hasn't let up at all."
Meaning…going home was probably going to be annoying, not that there was anything he could do about it.
"The unofficial media that's out there is getting a lot of attention." Tanabe refilled Nishida's glass for her. "Like your karaoke video from Rome, Matsuoka-kun."
Rin winced.
"And all of your Mixed Zone PDA," Nishida said.
Haru's cheeks warmed.
Nishida smoothed the page in front of her. "As I said, we have no intention of forcing topics you're not interested in talking about. If you only want to answer questions about swimming and maybe throw in a couple of personal anecdotes, we can do that."
Director Kaya's words from yesterday came to mind, Are you opposed to the world knowing you're in love?
"But we'd really like to ask you a few questions about Barcelona if you'd be open to it."
"Haru." Rin glanced over, reaching for his hand.
Haru took Rin's hand. His face was hot, but he instantly felt braver with their fingers laced together.
"As long as it's nothing too private, I think we're OK with it," Rin said.
Haru nodded.
"Nothing invasive or out of line. We're not looking to embarrass you, or risk Tsuchiya-san's wrath," Tanabe said. "Not to mention Saeki-san and the rest of the JOC."
Nishida made notes on her page. "We'll keep it light and flexible. That way you'll have the option of going into detail or not. How you managed to finagle your way to Barcelona in the first place, Matsuoka-kun, is definitely a story we and your fans are interested to hear."
Rin cleared his throat. "As long as I wouldn't get anyone in trouble. Our coaches made quite a few exceptions on our behalf."
Tanabe uncapped his pen. "Feel free to edit the logistics as much as you like. It's more the why—the emotional side of it—that we're looking for. To give the audience that feeling of connecting with the two of you."
Rin shrugged. "Alright."
"Speaking of logistics, since this interview is primarily for your Japanese fans, we'll interview you in Japanese. So you won't have to worry about going through an interpreter."
That makes it easier. He could've managed the English, but it was nice to have one less thing to worry about. Thinking of what to say would be enough of a challenge.
"And we will ask swimming questions," Nishida said. "As well as talking a bit about Tokyo 2020 and your rivalries with Damien Andrews, Ethan McInnes, and Sugiyama-kun. But this is also a good opportunity to talk about specific interests and passions you have."
"Like the water?" Haru asked.
Nishida nodded. "And your visit with the children in Rocinha yesterday. Director Kaya and Haseda-san said they'd share a few photos we can talk to."
Through their clasped hands, Haru felt the way Rin gathered himself with a breath.
"We'll have questions for both of you on that." Tanabe wrote on his notepad. "Anything specific on your mind that you'd like to bring up, Matsuoka-kun?"
"It's that obvious, huh?" Rin's smile was rueful.
"It's our job to read people," Nishida said.
Rin's fingers tightened around Haru's. "I'd…like to talk about my dad if that would be OK."
Tanabe nodded. "You've mentioned him before as one of your inspirations for swimming."
"Hai." Rin paused before continuing. "He passed away when I was just a kid."
"We are very sorry for your loss, Matsuoka-kun," Nishida said, her voice gentle. Neither of them seemed surprised.
"You knew already?" Rin asked.
The sports anchors nodded. "We've done our homework to prepare for this interview," Tanabe said.
Nishida's face was compassionate. "As we mentioned before, we want to avoid tripping into things—"
"I want to try talking about him a little," Rin said.
Rin. Haru squeezed his boyfriend's hand, knowing the effort it took for Rin to put that out there.
"Sure. If we build off your inspiration for swimming, would that be a comfortable segue for you?"
Rin swallowed, nodding. His eyes gleamed faintly. "Thanks."
The anchors steered the conversation smoothly to other topics after that. Rin seemed relaxed, but in a different way than before. Haru could almost see the clouds lifting from his shoulders, the way his smile was even more genuine, and the relief in his eyes.
At ten minutes to the second, Tsuchiya came to get them.
-x-
They got dropped off at the Olympic Park afterwards, cruising from one venue to the next with the other spectating athletes. The diving pool wasn't green anymore, but it was still slightly murky in Haru's opinion. It seemed like every ten minutes, someone else was asking for an autograph. Haru's hand cramped after a while from signing so many Olympic magazines and notebooks. At least he was doing better about smiling for fan pictures.
As the day wore on, they ended up in Riocentro, adjacent to the Athletes' Village, taking in women's singles badminton—which would've been better involving a pool, in Haru's opinion.
"—The physics wouldn't work, Haru."
They were leaning against the rail on the upper deck, overlooking the field of play. "I didn't say it had to be a deep pool. Just like…to the ankles." That would be enough.
Rin rolled his eyes.
Two Japanese women were competing; both won their matches.
Towards dinner time—normal dinner time—they headed back to the Village, strolling hand-in-hand once they were back within the gates.
"We should do an hour of dryland, minimum," Rin said as they approached their tower. "Weights, cardio…"
Nn. I haven't gotten to swim at all today.
They were nearing the entrance when the doors opened and a whole group of their teammates strode out in beach wear and party clothes.
"Haruka! Matsuoka!" Takara wore a sundress over her swimsuit, her long black hair loose around her shoulders. "Hurry up and get changed! We're going out for samba and drinks!"
Samba? Haru perked up immediately.
"That's sam-ba, Nanase-kun," Ozawa said, blowing him a kiss.
Haru pursed his lips. I heard it right this time.
Takara got behind them, pushing them towards the doors. "Come on, ditch the uniforms!"
"Oi." Rin scowled, twisting free.
Haru glanced at his lover askance. Samba counts as dryland. His mind was filled with memories from São Paulo, of music and dancing the night away until they got in trouble—
Rin sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "Not fair with the pool eyes, Haru."
They're not pool eyes, Rin. "I want to dance with you."
A startled blush darkened Rin's cheeks, his eyes flaring wide.
Their teammates awww'ed and whistled. "Look, he's speechless." "Get him, Nanase!"
Rin cleared his throat, his face still red as he composed himself. "Five minutes, Sakamoto." He grabbed Haru's hand.
Smirking, Takara gave them a thumbs-up.
Haru's heart thrilled within him as Rin pulled him through the doors and into their tower. They got to the elevator, waiting with a small crowd of other Japanese athletes. Rin leaned close, his voice lowered to a whisper—
"Eu te amo, Haru." In their reflection in the polished elevator doors, Rin was smiling, looking happy, content… Shining didn't cut it—Rin was dazzling, incandescent like fireworks—
Rin… His lips formed the name but no sound came out. Haru gripped Rin's hand, the warmth and joy effervescent inside him. He couldn't help but smile back.