Sorry this is late! My internet crashed and I just got back online this morning!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Free! only Hayami and Aiya.

Chapter 4: Group of Friends and a Trophy

"Come on Aiya, we are going to be late!" Hayami calls from the living room.

I look in the mirror, I changed my skirt for shorts, and I am wearing a large sweater with a black undershirt. I know they will think I am weird, but I feel way better in these cloths than anything else. I sigh, knowing that Hayami is going to try to make sure that everything is okay, when right now we need to focus on our studies and prove we can be good adults without our parents looking over our shoulders even day.

"Since when are you concerned about being late?" I question walking into the living room.

I see Hayami in jeans and a sweater as well. I walk over to the fridge and grab an apple. Green, just like I like them. I close my eyes and take a bite, it is sour but so good all at the same time. I grab a water bottle from the fridge as well.

"Since we still barely know where to go," Hayami replies.

"Hayami," I start, "Haru's house is a five minute walk from here. I know because I have ran over there."

I hear Hayami snort as I drink some water. Man, this is already a pain.

"And here I thought you were going to stop following in the steps of your family," I watch as Hayami put a hand on her forehead and one on her heart as she pretends to faint.

I glare at her, "It's called being healthy smart one. And I do still enjoy running," I pause, "Well, it looks like you won't be shown a fun time tonight come bedtime."

This causes both of us to burst out laugh about my comment. Knowing both of us, it is always a good way to relieve the tension that happened between us. I make a joke and Hayami laughs at how crazy the joke is. Which in turn makes me laugh as well.

"Come on, we are going to be late!" Hayami turns and starts walking out the door.

We walk and get to Haru's house. I am surprised by how big it is. I was expecting a small little house. Nagisa had mentioned that Haru lives alone, I thought that meant in an apartment or something like that.

I knock on the door, "Haru?"

The door opens to show Mako behind it with Haru a little further down the hall.

"Come on in Hayami and," Mako pauses, "Aiya right?"

"That is correct. It was Mako?" I reply.

Mako nods and allows us to come into the house. We sit down around the table and it is silent for a bit before the doorbell rings again. We watch as Nagisa walks into the room.

"That's right! I remember you two now!" Nagisa points to Hayami and I.

I groan, knowing this is going to end badly for both of us.

"You both were on the swim team in middle school and in your first year of high school," Nagisa shouts.

There is a pause in the room. I feel the dread wash over me, the one thing Hayami and I did not want anyone to know about us, that is why we choose this school, to maybe get away from swimming. I look at Mako, who looks shocked by the two of us being swimmers. Haru looks like he could care less, but something in his eyes tells me this is the last thing he expected to hear about us.

"Wait, you two are swimmer?" Mako asks after a minute of silence.

Hayami and look at each other. No point in hiding that we are swimmers, so long as they don't know my last name everything should be fine. Even small time swimmers would know about my last name.

"Yes, we both stopped this year though," Hayami explains.

"Well, what did you two swim? It isn't often that we know girl swimmers," Mako says.

I watch as he gives a look to Hayami. I watch the struggle play across Hayami's face about if she should tell him what she swam or not. I don't think Nagisa would remember what we both swam in school. Hayami looks at me and I give a raised eyebrow. I mean the biggest secret is out that we use to swim. I know I won't tell them what I swam but Hayami is more of an open book than I am. Besides, Mako is asking her what she swam, there is no way she won't well him.

Hayami takes in a deep breath, "I swam Free. Aiya there I know won't tell you."

"And why not?" Haru asks.

"What is the point of telling you if I stopped swimming?" I retort, maybe a little too harshly.

"Nagisa, do you happen to remember?" Mako question.

We all look to Nagisa. I give him daggers with my eyes, but he isn't even paying attention to me. He is trying to remember. Something that I hope he forgets or we will have a problem.

"Sorry I don't remember," Nagisa finally says.

I breathe a sigh of relief. I would hate for anyone to find out about what I swim.

I look outside, "Well, are you going to show us where you guys use to swim or not?"

We stand up and head out. All the attention is on Hayami and her times. Even Haru seems interested in knowing about another freestyle swimmer. I am just glad they are not asking about me. I can walk and not have to worry since Hayami started swimming much later than the rest of us.

"Here we are," Mako says.

The place looks really run down, they did mention that they were the last club before it got shut down for good. I don't know why is shut down and I don't feel like asking them.

"Wait what if this place is haunted?" Nagisa asks.

He pulls out what appears to be salt and throws it on us. I guess you can say it was assaulting.

I chuckle at my own joke.

"What are you laughing about?" Haru asks.

He turns his head but somehow his eyes has truly become the ocean. I feel my face beginning to go hot as I turn my face away from him. I still chuckle a little at my own joke but something about Haru makes me stop. And my face being hot could be from the laughter.

"Nothing just a joke I thought of," I reply looking up at the sky.

"You know its sugar right?" Haru points out.

I find a grain and taste it. Sure enough, it is sugar. There goes my joke, wasted on a stand in for salt. Man, this is embarrassing.

I look back at him, "Well, there goes my joke, wait another century maybe I will come up with another good one," I put my hand behind my head.

"Come on, the others already went inside," Haru turns away, walking to the building.

I follow him into the building. It looks like there is nothing here. We find the rest of the group around a wall. I stand back, groups against walls are not my strong point.

"Haru come and look at this!" Nagisa exclaims.

Haru and I look at the picture and it is the three boys with another team member. I notice they all look so excited, except Haru, who just looks annoyed. I crack a smile at the picture. They all look so cute and small. But yet, it doesn't look like any of them changed all that much. I glance over at Haru, he looks to be deep in thought. I look back at the picture, his eyes have soften since he was a kid. I just wonder if he actually ever smiles. Which maybe he doesn't.

"What's this from?" I finally ask.

Haru looks at me, "A long time ago. We swam in a rely, Rin, the one with his arm around me, left and none of us have seen him since. He went to a swimming school, so he stopped talking to us. He is probably a great swimmer now."

"Why is it so hard for me to see you swimming a rely?" I tease.

"I swim because I like to, there is no other reason for it," Haru replies.

"Was Rin a close friend?" I question.

"Haru, Aiya come on!" Hayami speaks up.

Haru looks back at the picture than back at me. We both stand up and I see that he is about 5 feet 9 inches compared to me who is 5 feet and 2 inches. We hold eye contact for a second before moving on. That makes me pause, Haru's eyes looked so sad I guess. The light in his eyes looks almost gone.

We continue walking through the building. I stop as I begin to hear footsteps coming toward us. I turn to a hallway and see a figure coming toward us. I get ready to run but his eyes make me stop. They are red, almost like a tigers eyes. I can't help but stare at them.

"Haru, you still hang out with these two losers. I see you guys got some pretty girls with you though," The figure comes out of the shadows. I see the hair and it looks familiar for some reason.

"Rin, what are you doing here?" Haru asks.

I look between the two of them. So this is the friend that left, the one who stopped talking to them. Rin. This guy is already acting like an asshole to me. So I don't really like him at all.

"I wanted to race you Haru," Rin replies.

Before we know it the four of us are standing there. We run to catch up with them. Already they are discussing a 100 meter free swim off. By the time Hayami and I get there Rin is starting to take off his cloths.

I look over right as Haru takes off his shirt.

I feel my heart skip a beat.

Haru is very well built, and now I can see he is built like a swimmer. I begin to feel my checks go red again. Haru beings to take off his pants when I feel hands go over my eyes. I hear Hayami yell out in surprise. Now it is dark and I am about to punch whoever covered my eyes.

"Man do you always wear your swimsuit?" I hear Mako ask.

The hands uncover my eyes. I turn around to see Nagisa grinning at me. I pull my arm back and Nagisa covers his face.

"Sorry, we didn't know if Haru was wearing anything under his clothes. But it looks like Haru and Rin both wore their swimsuits for this," Nagisa explains.

I glare at him but turn around. I look over and see them getting ready to jump into the pool.

"Wait!" I yell, "There isn't any water smart ones!"

There is a moment of stillness. Rin snickers and walks out of the builds.

"Oh," Rin Stops in the doorway, "I dug this up, I have no need for it."

I see that it is a trophy, and Rin just lets it drop to the ground. Mako and Nagisa seem to be upset about that.