Aqua
Summary: AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a mermaid to actually exist. RinHaru.
A/N: Well, I got a few reviews and story alerts on this story, so I thought 'Hey, why not? I'm in the writing mood anyway.' So here I am, posting yet another chapter.
Replies:
x Kiyoshi x - Updated :) Sorry for the suckiness lol~
Bunny-Fwuffy-Ears- Here it is! Haru as a merman always sounds nice~ Sorry for the suckiness of this chapter~
Chapter Two
The next day, Rin could hear everyone around him talking about the 'mermaid' that was found yesterday. He didn't care about their thought and opinions on it were. He was here to swim.
Since yesterday, he wondered what else could be in the ocean- the ocean he promised ever to go back into, ever. He walked in, already stripped down to his swimming shorts before finally deep enough to swim under.
He had forgotten how calming it was to be under water without having to race someone. Was This what Haru liked the most? The calmness the water brought him? Rin used to find it ridiculous, but now... Not so much.
He swam deeper, looking around himself before stopping.
'I like the water. It lets me think.' Rin knew Haru used to always say that, but why was he thinking about it now? He'd been trying to forget everything about the black haired boy he...
He suddenly swam up to the surface, taking a deep breath in before brushing his hair out of his face, looking around himself before shaking his head and swimming to the shore.
"... Idiot," he didn't know who he referring to- himself or Haru. "Stupid idiot."
He swam back to shore, rubbing his temple in irritation before his attention was caught onto what two girls were saying.
"You remember that they might have found a mermaid yesterday, right?" a girl with brown hair said excitedly, clapping her hands. "I heard it was taken to a research centre not too far away!"
"When do you think we'll get to see it? And wasn't it a merman?" said the other girl, also brown haired. "Besides, I doubt it is either of those- it can't speak apparently."
"Maybe it's scared?"
"Tsk. It's just some form of unknown sea creature."
Rin paused, before wracking his brain for a close research centre nearby. There was one a few miles past his old High School, but there was a chance it wasn't actually the research facility he was thinking of.
He shrugged, before heading back to his house.
"I'll figure out where it is once I get back."
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
Dressed in his tracksuit with his headphones placed upon his head, Rin put on a few upbeat tracks before glancing at his phone.
Iwatobi Research Facility. It was definitely there. How did he know? He didn't really, but his gut was telling him that. He would head in that direction while going on his evening jog.
Leaving his house, it wasn't long before he passed Iwatobi High School- and he couldn't help but stop to look at it, staring at the newly designed building before pushing sweat slicked hair away from his eyes.
"It doesn't feel like much time since I was last there," he murmured to himself, before changing the track on his phone and jogging off again. It felt like seconds had gone by before he was standing in front of the Iwatobi Research facility. "Looks pretty new. Don't remember passing it before."
He stood at the gate, before sighing.
"As much as my head is telling me to come here, there's no chance that I'll be allowed to see..." he closed his eyes before taking out his phone again. "Maybe I should just head back home-"
"Are you Rin Matsuoka? One of Japan's best swimmers?" Rin paused before looking behind himself, noticing an old man dressed in a long white coat. He focused on the mans face, raising a brow.
"I didn't realize someone would recognize me from behind." Rin went silent before opening his mouth to speak again, but was quickly cut off.
"Perfect! This is perfect!" the old man looked so happy- and Rin could only think the man had gone crazy. "You must have heard about the creature found at Iwatobi bay, right? I would like you to come see it!"
"...Eh?" the gate behind Rin suddenly opened, the old man grabbing his arm and pulling him along. "Hold on old man, why me?"
"You're a swimmer, right? And a talented one at that! You might be able to understand it better than us!" Rin rolled his eyes at that, but let himself get pulled along. What kind of logic was that? Never mind, someone how mucked up logic had gotten him into the place he wanted to be-
And maybe now he would find out why he wanted to come here in the first place.
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
It was a long process. A severely long, boring and irritating process.
Rin was annoyed. Pissed. Irked. A lot of words could describe what he was feeling right now.
First he had to go through paperwork saying he would not say anything to anyone about what he has seen her, then he had to go shower and change clothes for hygiene reasons- and then had to sign a contract saying he would be involved in the research of this project.
Honestly, why did they have to have so many damn things to fill in?
Not that it mattered now, he had already done everything they had asked (not to mention scared some of them into running away with his shark like teeth). He walked behind the old man, who seemed to be quite pleased with himself for getting Rin into the building; before they stopped outside a sealed, coded door.
"Behind this is the creature. We've given it a large tank and also filled it with natural ocean water, which we change hourly," the old man informed him. "I'll send you in alone, since the creature doesn't seem to like it went a large amount of us go in- but we'll be watching you through camera's already in the room."
Rin nodded in understanding, watching as the old man placed the code into the grid beside the door. A click was heard moments later and the door opened slightly.
"Good luck."
Rin didn't say a word, just chose to walk through the door before shutting it behind him. He raised his head and stared into the tank, before his eyes widened in surprise.
He almost thought the creature was a human- until he saw the sleek black tail located where a human legs would be. He looked somewhat mesmerized by the tail, before he vaguely wondered why it was black.
Weren't mermaids more known to have brightly coloured tails? His eyes then drifted up to stare at the mermaid's- well, even he could tell that it was a merman now- face, before he froze in place.
Sea blue eyes were staring straight at him, silky black hair floating about the water as the merman chose to move closer to the glass of the tank to stare at Rin.
But Rin couldn't bring himself to speak. He continued to stare at the merman before he closed his eyes and looked down.
Was it him, or did that merman look exactly like Haruka?