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Chapter 2

"Haru wait up!" Makoto ran down the stairs two at a time and skidded to a stop, nearly toppling over two first years. He whipped his head around and spotting Haruka, made after him.

"Haru!" The school bell signaling the end of lunch and a wave of students making their way back to class caused Makoto to lose sight of Haruka. He groaned in frustration as he made his way through the throng of first and second years, desperately trying to spot the blue mane of hair. Several minutes later Makoto stood panting in front of a set of stairs that led to the back of the school. Deciding that if he was nowhere else, there was only one place he could be at, Makoto ran towards

the swimming pool.

"Found you Haru!" Makoto yelled triumphantly to an empty poolside.

"Eh?"

"Mako chan! I found Haru chan!" Makoto looked back and saw Nagisa pop his head out from behind the door.

"Someone saw him head home!" Makoto groaned and ran after Nagisa, as the two boys made their way towards Haruka's house.

When the sound of footsteps faded, Haruka's head popped out from inside a bush by the pool. He stepped out and plucked a leaf from his head. Walking upto the swimming pool, he crouched at the edge and looked at the water. The crystal clear liquid reflected the sky and the stray Sakura (Cherry Blossom) petals that floated on its surface made it look as though the petals were floating among the clouds. A sudden gust of wind caused the petals to move around, forming ripples in the still water and breaking the dream like illusion. The blue of the water reflected in the blue of Haruka's eyes as he reached a hand tentatively and placed a long finger in the water. The coolness of the liquid made him shiver and he suddenly stood, determined to leave before he stripped and plunged into the pool. Haruka picked up his book bag and walked towards the exit, turning around to look at the pool one more time. It was as though the water was beckoning him to come and let himself be engulfed by its cool embrace. Haruka shook himself and shut the door behind him.

"He's not here!" Makoto kept a hand on his hip and leaned against the wall surrounding Haruka's house, as he tried to catch his breath. Nagisa had gone to the public pool half way through, deciding to check there just in case. So Makoto had come to Haruka's house - only to find it empty. Makoto leaned his head against the wall and slid down to sit by the side of the road. He watched the clouds slowly float by and wondered where in the world Haruka had disappeared to. And right after he decided to come to school, he said something outrageous and disappeared! Makoto groaned and shut his eyes.

And the sole cause for all this is-

"Makoto?" The meadow haired teen's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. He squinted upwards but could only make out flaming red hair and a row of shark-like teeth.

"Rin…?" Matsuoka Rin bent and stretched his arm out to Makoto.

"What are you doing?" Makoto took the outstretched hand and stood up.

"I could ask you the same thing." He turned to look at the redhead, who had an exasperated expression on his face.

"Well isn't it obvious?" Rin gestured towards his tracksuit and running shoes.

"Running? Here?" Makoto asked, tilting his head. Rin turned around and untied his hair from its ponytail.

"Yeah. I just somehow ended up here." Makoto chose not to comment.

"So what about you?" Rin turned to look at his former teammate and watched him sigh.

"Yeah well Haru just announced that he quit and ran off somewhere." Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Quit what?" Makoto shrugged.

"Not sure. He left right after and I haven't found him yet." Rin raised both eyebrows.

"Riiiiight and that's why you're sitting outside his house?" Makoto gave him a look.

"He isn't here." Rin returned his look with an 'oh really' look.

"So are you going home then?" Makoto frowned at Rin.

"It's been so long since we last spoke to each other and when we finally meet you ignore me, so when you actually decide to talk to me why are you asking me such pointless questions?!" Makoto stopped and took a deep breath.

"Woah dude atleast breathe in between sentences!" Makoto shook his head and picked his bag up.

"Well this is perfect for me. Since you're here, mind telling me what you said to Haru?" Rin averted his eyes and shrugged, sticking his pinky into his ear.

"Nothin' really." Makoto nodded.

"Yeah that's exactly what Haru said." Rin sighed and started walking. When he noticed Makoto wasn't following, he motioned with his head and asked,

"You coming?" Makoto made a surprised noise and followed Rin. While the two walked in silence, Makoto took the opportunity to eye Rin's profile from the back. When they were kids Haruka had always been the shortest of the three (Not including Nagisa since he's a year younger.) and Makoto had always been the tallest. Now though, Rin was nearly the same height as him and he had the same build as him too. Makoto snapped out of his thoughts as Rin suddenly stopped, his hands fisted and his body slightly trembling. The redhead whipped around and stuck an accusing finger in front of Makoto's face.

"Will you stop ogling me from behind?!" Rin's nose had turned red, just like how it would when he was embarrassed as a kid, causing Makoto's cheeks to slightly colour over too.

"I-I was not!"

"Were to!"

"I was not!"

"A-Anyway, stop walking behind me already! I'm not your superior or something." Makoto chuckled to himself as he watched Rin 'hmph' and continue walking.

"So about Haru." Rin started, expecting Makoto to continue his story from before.

"Even though you pretend like you don't, you still worry about Haru huh Rin chan?"

"I do not! And don't add chan after my name!" Makoto chuckled again and restrained himself from ruffling Rin's hair.

"You sounded just like Haru."

"Did not!" Rin whipped around and glared at….

"Huh? Nitori?" Nitori Aiichiro stood in front of Rin, several plastic bags in his hands and a weird look on his face.

"Senpai? What are you doing here? And who are you talking to?"

"I was talking to this guy over here!" Rin said, spinning around, looking for Makoto.

"That cheeky bastard! I know you're here Makoto!" Rin noticed Nitori's look and folded his arms.

"What?!"

"S-Senpai….. Are you beginning to see thin-"

"I am not hallucinating!" Nitori squealed and inched backwards. Rin opened his mouth to lecture him again when another familiar voice sounded behind them.

"Huh? Matsuoka? Nitori? What are you guys doing?" The two turned around to look at the Samezuka Academy's Swimming Team Captain – Mikoshiba Seijuro.

"We could ask you the same thing Buchou. (Club captain)" Mikoshiba looked at Nitori and raised an eyebrow.

"You okay there man?" Nitori shook his head and began backing away again. Mikoshiba turned to Rin.

"Wha-"

"I did not do anything to him!"

"Gyaaaaaa!"

"Shut up Nitori!"

Meanwhile, Tachibana Makoto stood doubled over behind a tree, shaking silently with laughter.

Makoto continued to tremble silently as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"I said I was sorry!" He finally managed as he watched a sulking Rin stalk ahead of him. Taking a deep breath, Makoto cupped his hands around his mouth and said loudly.

"I am so sorry Rin chan! Please forgive me! Don't be mad at me anymore! I just can't stand it!" Several people turned to give them weird looks. Rin shook with rage and spewed a string of curse words from his mouth, fists tightly balled and face the same colour as his head. Makoto leaned against a pole as he guffawed.

"Makoto you bastard-"

"Alright alright I'm sorry! For real!" Rin glared at him and went back to sulking. Makoto sighed and scratched his head, a slow smile spreading on his face. Once again, noticing that Makoto wasn't following, Rin turned around to question him, only to see Makoto point his thumb towards a large house with a sign that read 'Tachibana'. Rin's mouth formed an 'o' as he walked back and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Here we are huh. That was quick." Makoto nodded and looked towards his house.

"Yep, here we are." Rin nodded and turning around, began tying up his hair.

"Rin chan."

"Do'caw meh 'in chah!" (Don't call me Rin chan!) Rin said from around the hair band in his mouth. Makoto chuckled softly and looked at Rin, his eyes suddenly growing serious.

"What did you tell Haru?" This time, Rin opened his mouth, but a sudden gust of wind blew his red mane all over the place, effectively covering the expression on his face.

"That… is a topic for another time."

Makoto watched as Rin began jogging away, a hand raised in farewell, as Makoto knew, if not for another coincidence, he would not be able to talk to Rin again as he had just done.

"Onii chan? Won't you come in?" Tachibana Ran asked, as she and her brother Tachibana Ren looked at Makoto. The latter simply smiled and made his way towards his two siblings.

"So what are we having for dinner?"

"Hot pot!" The two exclaimed excitedly and dragged Makoto into the house.

Another time huh?

The anticipation of another meeting kept the smile on Makoto's face from disappearing.

"Achoo!" Haruka sniffed and rubbed a hand against his nose. He slowly snuck into his house and made sure to lock the door shut, just in case Makoto decided to come looking for him again. He had had to wait around the corner for several minutes until Makoto – Haruka refused to admit he saw Rin – left. And apparently since he hadn't been out for so long, he had caught a cold. Haruka groaned as he opened the hot water tap and watched the water fill the tub.

Don't sit in the tub too long or your cold will get worse! Makoto's voice said in his head as he stripped down to his swim trunks and slid into the steaming water. Reaching over to the small bottles that lined the shelf next to the tub, he took one that was labeled 'Eucalyptus' and poured a few drops into the water. He took a deep breath and savoured the strong herbal scent that began to fill the small bathroom. He shut his eyes and submerged himself into the tub, causing water to spill out, as he let his mind wander.

"Never again!"

"Puwah!" Haruka gasped as he threw his head back and gulped down mouthfuls of air, his nose blocked from the cold.

"Rin….." He once again settled down in the tub and shut his eyes. His mind drifting to thoughts about Rin. About when they were kids, when they swam together, when they won the relay, when Rin forced him to take a picture with them, when Rin told Haruka he was moving to Australia, when he met Rin during New Year and was challenged to a race, when he watched Rin's small form crying after losing, when he stretched out his hand to pull him up but Rin pushed past him, when he saw Rin again few months ago at the abandoned pool, when Rin immediately challenged him to a match, when Rin won but didn't seem the least bit happy, when he met Rin by coincidence while trying on swimsuits, when Rin pushed him up against the fence and chastised him for not practicing hard enough, when they promised to meet again at the Prefectural Tournament, when he saw Rin swim by him - a huge grin showing all his shark-like teeth, when the buzzer rang and he could hear Rin's triumphant shouts, when Rin looked down at him and-

"Never again…."

A/n: End of Chapter 2!

Sorry if there was more of Makoto and Rin then Haruka and Rin xD

Wait for Chapter 3 nya~

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