Author's Note: I am not going to be popular after this chapter. But first, a few confessions.

This story is winding up, about thirty chapters after I thought it would. My projections indicate I'll get to chapter 32. Thank you for sticking with me!

For those of you don't know (read: nobody), Free! is coming back for a second season, Eternal Summer, beginning the 2nd of July. This season introduces a new(-ish; he was in the original High Speed! light novels) character, Yamazaki Sosuke. He is described "Rin's childhood friend and the on who understands him best". I'm just getting a step ahead of myself.

"I'm home." I walk through the door and check the clock. Onii-chan should be back from his date with Rei anytime now. I think he might be feeling bad about it, because I know they had it break it off. Really quickly, actually. So I want to be ready to support him if he needs it. That said… I smile sheepishly to myself. There are some details of my day he doesn't know yet.

I sit myself down at the table, because the dining room is the first room you come to when you come into our house. Realising I could be here I while, I grab a glass and fill it with water from the fridge. It's been a while since I've had a drink. For some godforsaken reason, there weren't any vending machines around in the park. It must be the only vending-machine-free square kilometre in Japan, I swear. I didn't have much money anyway.

"I'm home." Onii-chan's low and dejected voice barely reaches past the door.

"Welcome back." I poke my head around the corner. "How was your da-y?" Oh, God. I very nearly said date.

"I've seen better."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not really."

"Well, too bad. You're not getting a choice." It's obvious something's bugging him.

"I'm not going to win this, am I?"

"Not a chance."

"Okay, then." That was easier than I was expecting.

"Don't hold back. I want all the details."

"I'll start at the start. It won't make any sense otherwise. Remember last Sunday I went out?"

"Yeah."

"I was helping Rei with his stroke at the school pool."

"And you and he ended up in some sort of relationship?"

"How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess." And a friend that knows how to eavesdrop like a pro.

"But, there's a little more to it than that." I perk up, interested. "He was having a bit of a problem. He had a crush on two people, and he couldn't decide between them."

"Am I allowed to know who?"

"Take a guess." He smiles, with a sort of improper pleasure.

"Well, Nagisa would be one, I guess."

"Correct."

"The other… who might it be? Not you, obviously."

"Thanks for reminding me."

"Sorry." I clasp my hands in a gesture of apology. "Who else? Not Haruka-senpai, surely."

"No."

"Not Makoto-senpai, either. So someone outside the swim club?"

"Nope."

I'm confused for a minute. Nagisa was the right answer. And the other person was in the swim club. But it's not Onii-chan, Makoto-senpai or Haruka-senpai. Then who? Wait a minute. "Don't tell me…"

"Yep."

"Me? Seriously? Why?"

"I didn't exactly drill him for details, but he definitely thinks you're pretty. He really liked you in that dress, he said."

"Well, that's a complement, I guess." I blush. "But how exactly did that wind up with you two together?"

"I kind of got lost in myself and said something stupid, like "I'm half-Gou, half-Nagisa", and that he should date me to help make up his mind."

"And he agreed?"

"Neither of us was really thinking at the time. It only took us until Tuesday to figure out that it was never going to work."

"And then what?" I pretend I don't already know.

"We talked, after club, and decided to break it off. But, I lost sight of myself again. I asked if we could, just once, go on a date together. And he agreed, out of courtesy. So here we are."

"So? What was it like?"

"It was a lot of fun. We went to this water park. It just really suited, you know? Like, we met because of water, we pretended to be lovers because of water, we'll stay friends because of water. This place is like one gigantic monument to water, so it was just kind of perfect."

"So we've tied this one up and you're ready to move on and stuff, right?"

"I'm working on it. It's only been a train ride home. Give me a chance."

"Will do. Good to know you're taking it well."

"I wasn't at first. But then, I thought about that talk we had last Saturday. If nothing else, we can be alone together, can't we?" He smiles at me and I can't quite manage to look back level at him.

"Actually…"

Earlier today…

"Hana-chan! You're late!"

"Sorry, Gou! I just lost track of time."

"I need you here for moral support. You can't just up and be late on me!"

"I said sorry!"

I smile at her. "It's okay. Let's just hope he's not here quite yet." Looking around the corner, I can see that it is rather the case. So I walk out, in the blue-themed outfit Nagisa picked out. There's a nice seat under a big oak tree, so I sit in the shade under that. Hana-chan stays hidden around the corner, just in case. We can't have a confession being public, so I might need her to clean up any problems.

"Matsuoka-san!" A silver-haired boy calls out to me from across the park.

"Nitori-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I come here sometimes when I'm feeling upset." I frown, concerned.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Well… I was missing Rin-senpai a little."

"That's sweet. I'll make sure to tell him."

"No! Please, don't let him worry about me. It's just been a while since I've seen him."

"Well, he's busy right now, but if you want, I can try and sort out a meeting time for you."

"Don't go to the trouble."

Hana-chan runs out from her hiding place. "Sorry I'm late, Gou!"

I try to pick it up and run with it, but I've never been a particularly good liar. "There you are, Hana-chan!"

"Oh, Matsuoka-san, you were waiting for somebody? Sorry to disturb you. I'll be going now."

"At least let me introduce you. Nitori-kun, this is Chigusa Hanamura, a classmate of mine. Hana-chan, this is Nitori Aiichiro-kun, my brother's former roommate." He seems to jump a little when I say "former", like I've struck an open wound.

"Ah, Gou-chan! There you are!" I sigh in some sort of relief. There he is. And he's stopped calling me Gou-kun. "Oh? Nitori? What are you doing here?"

"Captain Mikoshiba! It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Ah, it's hot! Nitori-san, aren't you thirsty?" Hana-chan is good at this improvisation stuff. "We have to go and find some drinks!" She grabs him by the wrist and takes off like a hare. He's kind of caught up in her pace, like most people.

Thanks, Hana-chan. I think it to myself. "Seijuro-san. Hi there." I look away awkwardly.

"I was really happy you texted me, Gou-chan. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Well, about that…"

"Oh, right. You said you wanted to talk about something?"

"Yeah. I just needed to talk to someone outside the swim club about it."

"Why's that?"

"It's just been recently, but they've all started getting into relationships and stuff. Like, romantic, physical relationships."

"With each other?"

"How'd you guess?"

"Anyone could."

"I guess you're right." The conversation falls flat for a minute.

"So why did you text me?"

"I started feeling really lonely. Out of the six of us, I'm the only one with no real way in. So I just suddenly felt like I'd always be alone. I'm sorry to just dump it on you like this, but I needed to tell someone, and I didn't want to make them all feel bad."

"But why did you text me? As in me, specifically? What about the friend of yours that just ran off with Nitori?" We both blush and start looking away from one another.

"Hana-chan's too much an optimist. She'd just keep saying "It'll be fine", and I wouldn't get anything out of the conversation."

"Well, if you can come to me looking for comfort, I guess I can tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"I'd kind of had a huge crush on you for a really long time."

"I know. That's why I texted you, specifically."

"What!? How?"

"I saw your room that one time by accident, and there were pictures of me everywhere. And a draft of a love letter, if I recall."

"You weren't supposed to see that then. You were supposed to see it now." He pulls an envelope out of his pocket, crumpled like he forgot it was there and sat on it or something. He tries to hand it me, but I don't let him.

"If you can write it, you can say it."

"I'm not very good at this sort of thing, that's all."

"Then, you don't have to say it yet. Let's catch up some other time."

"As in, like, a date?" He blushes furiously.

"You could call it that, sure. How's Tuesday at four sound? I hear there are some good movies on." Hana-chan and Nitori-kun come back, unsuccessful in their 'search for a drink.' "Look, they're back."

"This is must be the only park ever not to have a vending machine in it!" Hana-chan looks exasperated.

"That's okay. We're done here anyway." I turn around and wink at Seijuro-san. He's still red as a tomato. "See you soon, Seijuro." He realises I've left out honorifics and rushes to say a formal goodbye.

"Keep in contact, Gou-chan!" It comes out kind of clumsy and awkward. I wave to him, and he waves back. "Tuesday at four is perfect. I'll text throughout the week, 'kay?"

"See you then." Hana-chan and I run back towards the station. At the last possible moment, she turns around and screams back at them.

"I'll text you too, Nitori-kun!" I look at her sideways, a little bit suspicious. "What? He's nice, so we exchanged numbers. It's nothing more. Yet." She winks at me.

"You sure know how to pick 'em."

"What? You think I couldn't tell?"

"He reeks of it, doesn't he?"

"Not completely. I think he might be… open to persuasion."

"If anyone can, it's you, Hana-chan. Persuasive is what you do best."

"It is, isn't it?" We laugh on our way down to the platform. "Oh, well. I'm catching the train from over there. See you at school! I'm glad it all went well."

I consider asking her how she knew, but it was fairly obvious, actually. "Thanks! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, too!"

"And so here we are." I laugh sheepishly.

"You can't do this kind of stuff behind my back, Gou."

"Why not? I'm seventeen. I can take care of myself. And it's not like I'm dating some random stranger from the street corner. We both know the guy!"

"I guess so. But, if he so much as lays one finger wrong, I will kill him."

"That's a bit harsh. I'm a big girl now, Onii-chan."

"You are, huh? Well then, does the big girl with no way in have a solution for her Onii-chan who's been locked out?"

"As it happens, I just might." I can tell he wasn't expecting that. "Come with me." I lead him up the stairs to my room, pushing my way in gracelessly and ripping my bottom drawer open. "It's supposed to be a surprise, but what the hell." I hold out a small rectangle of colourful paper out to him triumphantly.

"Am I supposed to know what this is?"

"Remember the letter for me last Sunday? Turns out it wasn't a Muscles Monthly subscription." I can see him readying a comeback, so I nip it in the bud. "Just read it."

I can only just manage to read it upside down, because I already know more or less what it says.

Gou-chan,

You mightn't remember me, but I'm Yamazaki Sosuke. I was a good friend of your brother's back when we were in Sato Elementary School together. You might remember my sister, Rue, better – you and her did ballet together for a little while. Be that as it may, can I ask you a little favour?

The cost of living's just taken a huge hike in Sato because of this new water park. I don't really get it, but our family can't afford both rent and food anymore, so we have to move. And we found this really nice place for cheap in Iwatobi.

I remember it like it was yesterday. You two had to move to Iwatobi. It broke my heart, thinking I'd never see Rin again. Even though we were only about ten. But, the world works in strange ways. In the long run, we wound up together again. So, can I trust you to organise a little accidentally-on-purpose meeting for Rin and I? He and I have a promise to keep.

Our address is in the phone book, under my father's name, Yamazaki Kenta.

I beg this favour of you,

Yamazaki Sosuke

"Sosuke…"

"Don't you even think about saying you forgot him."

"Exactly the opposite. I've been thinking about him a lot recently."

"Oh. Well, then. That saves me a lot of trouble."

"Why do you think he wants this accidentally-on-purpose meeting?"

"That depends on what the promise was."

"I can't tell you that."

"I'd figured as much. But, at its core, I'd say he just wants a perfect reunion and just doesn't trust the universe to make it happen by itself."

Onii-chan smiles, the same way he did when he was young. "This changes everything, doesn't it?"

"So this is the solution you were looking for?"

"I can't know for sure yet. But it just might be."

I hug his left arm and lay my head on his shoulder. "Glad I could help."

On my very first day at school, ever, I was so nervous. I didn't know anybody and I was afraid I would make a right idiot out of myself and wind up being that kid nobody liked. I didn't think five-year-olds were meant to think that way, but I did. My parents had to walk me to the classroom to make sure I didn't get lost. When I got there, there was already one other kid there. Just one, a boy. I tried not to notice him, instead making myself busy saying goodbye to my parents. Just in case he was going to be cruel or whatever like that. But me and my curious five-year-old self couldn't look away from him for too long after Mum and Dad left. He was playing with some toy blocks, with some random symbols on them I couldn't understand. I knew they were English letters, but I didn't know what they meant, I couldn't tell them apart. He looked up from his play and smiled at me, reaching out a hand. "Why don't you join in?"

At first, I tried to push further into the wall, to become invisible, but something felt weird. If I was so worried about making friends, why was I pushing him away? So I made my way over, still trying not to look at him. Eventually, I sat down in front of him. In a moment of courage, I looked up, straight into his eyes. Something just pushed words out of me like water out of a fountain. "I-I'm Matsuoka Rin." Even though it was only my name, I stumbled on the pronunciation with nerves. "Nice to meet you."

"Rin-chan, is it? Your name sounds like a girl's." He laughs, but not offensively. It's sort of welcoming.

"Don't laugh. It really isn't all that funny. There are plenty of boys called Rin."

"I'm not laughing because it's funny. I think it's kind of cute. I'm Yamazaki Sosuke. I can tell we'll be great friends." He reached his hand out again, and I took it. A casual handshake, but it meant a lot more than that to us.

"What does that say?" It looks like he's made a word out of the blocks with English letters on them.

"I'm not sure. I just thought the order looked natural."

The teacher pokes her head over our shoulders, inspecting the blocks. "How do you know that word, you clever little boys?"

"It was just an accident! We're not geniuses or anything!" I shook my head and hands, trying to deflect the complement. That's just proper etiquette.

"Sensei? What does it say?" Sosuke was more curious.

"Do-ri-mu. 'Dream'. It's the English word for 'yume'".

"'Dorimu', huh?" Thinking about it now, I realise that his five-year-old voice box could not make that sound at all. "Do you have any dreams, Rin-chan?"

My face breaks out in a smile. "I'm going to swim in the Olympics! I'm going to set a world record, be the fastest swimmer the world's ever seen!" I was so excited about it back then.

"Really? Maybe we can go together." He smiles gently at me.

"You mean…"

"Yep! I want to go to the Olympics as a swimmer, too!" We start staring into each other's eyes, and our hands work together until we're holding hands, as kids do. "I'll see you at the swim club, then, right?"

"You sure will! I'm finally old enough to join!" We laugh together.

"I'm glad you two have become so close so quickly. Have fun, boys!" Sensei pats us on the back and walks off. I don't think we let go of each other's hands all day.

That afternoon, our parents came to pick us up and take us to swim club. Our mothers were ecstatic. "You've made a friend so quickly!" They chanted it in unison like this had been planned since the day we were born. They hit it off as quickly as we did.

"Rin, I have to get back to work really fast, okay? So Obasan here is going to take you to swim club. Is that okay by you?"

"Of course it is!" I beam at her so hard it feels like someone's shoved extra teeth in my mouth. "I'll be going with Sosuke-chan, so of course it's okay by me!" She smiles and ruffles my hair.

"Hold onto that boy. He'll be a good friend."

"Okay!" I wave at her as she runs to the car. "Thank you for looking after me, Yamazaki-obasan!"

"Aren't you a sweet child, Rin-chan? Oh, sorry – Rin-kun."

"Rin-chan is fine." I can't stop smiling as she ushers Sosuke and I to her car, doing up our seatbelts for us because our arms are too short. "Sosuke-chan, what stroke do you think you'll swim?"

He hums in thought. "I haven't decided yet, but you always start with freestyle, don't you?"

"Yeah, but I want to swim butterfly! It might take a few years before I can handle it, but it's my favourite stroke!"

"Have you even tried it yet?"

"No, but it's the stroke that Daddy did. I've seen videos of him doing it, and I want to do it, too!"

"Is it really okay to do it because your daddy did? Shouldn't you find out for yourself which one you like best?"

"Of course I will! I'm just sure it'll be butterfly, because that's Daddy's stroke."

Sosuke gives me that understanding smile. "Well, then, I'll swim butterfly with you."

My mouth falls open with excitement. I throw myself against the seatbelt, trying to get close enough to hug him. I can't quite reach, so I just grab his hand and look at him with stars dancing in my eyes. "Thanks, Sosuke-chan!"

We were always like that. For forever, we were completely inseparable. And even when we got older, we still held each other's hands when we needed comfort. One time when we were about seven, his older sister Rue-chan broke her arm at a ballet lesson. She had to go to hospital overnight to have it set properly. His parents dropped him at my place, because they wanted to stay with Rue-chan. Hospitals can be freaky for eight-year-olds. He was worried about her, so we sat by the windowsill in my room.

"Do you think she'll be okay, Rin?" We stopped calling each other chan when we were six. We were too close, even for an honorific like that.

"Of course she will. She's not the first person to break an arm." I cup my left hand gently over his.

"But what about her ballet? She'll have to be in a cast for a month, at least. And she always says…"

"…If you don't practice for a day, you'll know. If you don't practice for two days, others will know. And if you don't practice for a week, your audience will know." I've spent so much time at his place I can quote his sister as easily as he can.

He looks at me with tears starting to well up at the corner of his eyes. "Exactly! So if she can't practice for a month, she might never be a professional like she wants!" Keeping our left hands together, I swing into him, wrapping my right arm around his shoulders in a makeshift hug.

"This is Rue-chan we're talking about. She'll definitely be a pro. Just like we'll definitely make it to the Olympics." He looks at me and I know he's happier now. I point out the window to the moon, shining in a sea of stars. "The moon controls the tide. You know that?"

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"I don't really know. But if the moon controls water, maybe it controls us, right?"

"We might never know."

"As long as the moon exists, I think we can achieve our dreams."

"Dorimu, right?"

"Dorimu." We look at each other and he sees the clock over my shoulder.

"It's ten o'clock, Rin. We should get some sleep."

"You're right." Neither of us have to leave the room even once. We can change into our pyjamas in front of each other, and we've already brushed our teeth. So we change quickly and climb into the bed. Together, of course. We even have a system. We each lie with our backs to each other, pushed flat. We take whichever hand is on top and twist the fingers together, tying our hands together like they would never come apart.

And then Dad died. We were ten. He was with me when I found out. I wish he wasn't. Because when I found that out, Mum also told me we couldn't afford to live in Sato anymore without his pay and had to move a long way away. The bullet train didn't quite exist yet, not in this area. So a long way away meant about an hour's drive or an hour on a train. It doesn't sound like too much now. But back then, it felt like the entire planet was wedged between us.

The day after the funeral, Sosuke and I sat back to back on a little rock ledge. Our hands reach back behind us, each holding the other's opposite.

"Sosuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Should I be sorry?"

"Of course not. There's nothing you can do."

"But…" My head drops in an effort to hide the almost-tears. "We only just swum butterfly together." After five years at the swim club, our coach decided the two of us, his star pupils, could handle butterfly about three months ago. We'd already pretty much mastered the other three strokes, as much as you could expect for a pair of ten year olds. And now it was over. Just like that.

The air hangs heavy with silence while we both look for something to say. "Look up."

Sosuke's voice cuts through my sadness like a knife. We both look up, heads resting on each other's shoulders. Even though it's four in the afternoon, the moon's clearly visible. I feel his lungs take in air, getting ready to speak. "Dorimu."

"As long as the moon exists, huh?"

"Even if we're not together, we can still achieve our dreams, can't we?"

"I can't imagine it without you anymore." That horrible silence comes back as we both realise what that means, and exactly how it true it is.

"Let's make a promise." I can see his mouth move out of the corner of my eye. "Someday…"

"Somewhere…"

The rest of the sentence falls out of mouths in unison like we were reading a script. "We'll meet again and be closer to achieving our dreams." My hands tighten over his.

The day I have to leave comes too fast. Sosuke's entire family is there to see us off. I can't stop myself from crying. And even though he's smiling, Sosuke is crying, too. Rue-chan did a special dance for us. She said she packed it full of prayers. Prayers that we'll stay connected no matter how far apart, prayers we'll come back together one day, prayers that we'll all be happy. I don't know enough about ballet to see it for myself, but I felt them. As Mum starts the car, I lean recklessly out the window and wave madly at the half of me I'm leaving behind. I see his mouth moving. Dorimu. I smile at him, and whisper it back.

I can't believe I never thought to see him. Even today. That water park is in Sato. It would have been so easy to just drop in. I can't believe I just let everything we had die like that. That's not quite right, though. It's far from dead. It's still alive, just sleeping. Now that the chance is there, I can't wait to see him again, to see if he still feels the same way.

"Onii-chan?" I shake my head a couple of times to clear my thoughts.

"What is it, Gou?"

"It's okay if you don't think so, but enough secrets. It's time we share some of this with Mum."

You know, she's right. Now that Gou and I have gone exchanging secrets and whatnot, we kind of have to let Mum into the loop at some point. Besides, I couldn't spend the rest of my life in the closet. "Good point. Is she home yet?"

"Not just yet. But I think we should do something for her. As a sort of sorry-for-leaving-you-out-the-first-time thing."

"Do you reckon, between the two of us, we can cook dinner without detonating the kitchen?"

"Who are we, Makoto-senpai?" We laugh uproariously, and I remember what it feels like to have a person who understands you. I never thought anybody would the same way Sosuke did. Well, Gou doesn't understand me quite the same way. But, hell, it's close enough. Give the girl some credit.

Dorimu. Even though I can say it properly now, I whisper it to myself the same way we said it when we were kids, looking out the window to the spot the moon will be in when it rises.

"Come on, Gou, let's get cooking!"