The breeze brushes against Gou's neck and the weak smell of chlorine is persistent, latching onto her skin - even though she is heading home. She does not care, if anything, Gou welcomes it, because onii-chan is finally smiling.
She smiles, silently, and looks at the sky - the sun is sinking behind the trees. The shadow of jagged branches and buildings spills on the ground, and her eyes follow the sakura petals falling, harmoniously, like the first droplets of rain.
Pieces of her hair flutter over her shoulders and Gou thinks back to earlier today, remembering Rin. When he had swam the medley relay with his childhood friends, his smile and laughter told Gou, that it is all okay.
(He is back.)
Gou has seen many sakura fall, but this time it is different. Similar to the delicate petals in the wind, Gou too, feels as if she is being swept away - her heart does not feel rock heavy with worries and uncertainty, instead it is so full, it might burst.
"Kou," someone calls out.
She blinks, broken from her thoughts, she stops walking and turns around.
It is Haru. Under the twilight sky. He is wearing his swim club tracksuit, long sleeves rolled to his elbows and the collar up, grazing his neck. He grips his sports bag, staring at her.
He steps towards her and closes the gap between them, Haru stands in front of Gou.
"Haruka-senpai?"
Gou wonders why he is here, when his home is in the opposite direction.
"Thank you," he tells her, softly.
She looks at him, perplexed. "What do you mean?"
"If it wasn't for you, I - we wouldn't have swam with Rin," Haru clutches his bag a little tighter, and the breeze faintly ruffles his hair.
Taken aback by his sentiment, goosebumps spring across her arms, and Haru is still staring at her. Her cheeks turn warm and red.
"Haruka-senpai, I think you're being too generous," she says, her voice quieter than she expected.
"It's the truth," Haru persists. "if you didn't sign us up for the relay -"
"- It's not me. It's because of you, Makoto-senpai, Nagisa-kun and Rei-kun!" Gou quickly says, right back. "When you all swam together, it reminded onii-chan on why he swims."
She smiles. All teeth, all gratitude.
And as Gou watches Haru stand with his head high, she knows Rin is not the only one truly swimming free.
(In the water, free from steel chains weighing down their every strokes. This is the past, it no longer matters.)
Haru pouts and says "But still, you..."
Gou exhales a breathy laugh, amused.
"You're really stubborn!"
He does not say anything, his gaze fixed ahead.
"Kou, I'll take you to the station."
They look at each other, once more. Red and blue eyes shimmer against the last rays of dusk, eyes sparkling like light reflecting off the ocean surface.
(It is quiet, it is just the two of them, now.)
Petals idle on the ground, the silver moon begins to appear from the horizon. And so, they walk.