(A little earlier that same day)

Because Nagisa was in 2nd grade, he was a bit earlier off than the older students. This suited perfectly with his swim practice at the swimming club. He went home to drop his school bag and pick up the bag he used for swimming practice. Then he went to swimming practice with the kids his own age.

Nagisa was that type of person who could make friends wherever he went. Some would of course take a disliking to him because of his energetic personality, but most seemed to like him, so he always had someone to talk to, no matter where he went. He also got well along with those he had been swimming with since he started swimming.

Mikio, whom had teased Nagisa with his name on the first day, was still attending practice. He was the one whom Nagisa got the best along with, if he had to point someone out.

"Hey, Nagisa, you wanna race me in breaststroke?" Mikio asked.

"Sure, Miki-chan," Nagisa said. It wasn't like he cared for the race, but he competed with Mikio sometimes to see if they'd improved any. Especially Mikio had become eager to race Nagisa lately because he had lost the past few ones.

Both lined up by two of the lanes in the pool, the furthest ones from the entrance, and prepared to race one another.

"Shouldn't you use the front crawl instead?" a girl from their practice group asked.

"I prefer the breast stroke and Nagisa and I are both specializing in it," Mikio replied. "Mind keeping an eye on who makes it first?" he asked with only a short pause as he could breath.

"Uh… sure," the girl said as she prepared to watch them closely. She also gave them the signal and Nagisa and Mikio both jumped into the water.

Both boys did their utmost to win the race, but Mikio was still slow. He and Nagisa were even in speed until the turn, but then Mikio messed up and fell behind. After the turn, Nagisa's speed also increased, widening the gap between them even more.

Needless to say that Nagisa finished first and looked up at the girl who was supposed to watch them. He then noticed how her attention had gone elsewhere, to the opposite side of the pool where a coach was now instructing some older kids on how to do the butterfly stroke, or he was trying to at least.

"Nanase! Get back here!" he yelled angrily at someone in the pool.

"What's going on over there?" Mikio asked as he climbed out of the pool. Nagisa followed him quickly and both boys turned to stare at the other pool.

A group of third graders were standing by the poolside, both boys and girls. One boy was trying to hold back chuckles as the coach struggled to convince another boy, who was swimming the front crawl in the pool, that he had to get up and listen to the lesson.

"Nanase, get out of there!" he yelled.

The laughing boy stopped his fit to tell the coach something. "Haru's probably not gonna pay attention anyways. He only swims free," the boy said.

It was around this time when Nagisa noticed the maroon hair that was visible under the boy's white swimming cap. Maroon was an unusual hair color and therefore Nagisa quickly deducted that this could be none other than Rin, and the boy in the pool would have to be Haruka. He wondered what they were doing here. He hadn't noticed them here before.

"He has to learn the other strokes as well!" The coach yelled angrily. "Get out now, Nanase,"

Haruka finished a lab then and started climbing out of the pool, slowly. He then went back to the rest of the group with a reluctant expression on his face.

The coach continued the lesson and Nagisa's practice continued as well while the older kids were taught how to do the butterfly stroke right. Nagisa glanced over at them a couple of times. He noticed that Rin was doing well at the butterfly and then Haruka's turn came up. He made flaws like everyone else and was yelled at like everyone else, except Rin. Surprisingly enough, Rin did the butterfly really well in comparison to the others.

After a while, Nagisa's coach called them over as he could speak to them about their improvements before practice ended, but at this time, something happened at the other pool that made all heads turn.

"Nanase! You're supposed to swim butterfly, not free!" the coach yelled.

"I told you this earlier, coach," Rin said. "Haru has always said that he only swims free," he was standing on the starting block, waiting for Haruka to hit the wall at his end and make another turn. As he did, Rin too jumped in the water, and both started swimming front crawl as fast as they possibly could, leaving everyone who was watching, gaping.

"They're really fast!" Mikio exclaimed, excitedly.

Nagisa didn't comment. He was annoyed with the two and didn't want to feel anything other towards them, than hate. Therefore he tried to distinguish the slight admiration that was awakening inside him. He didn't want to feel it. He didn't want to think other of his new foster brothers than that they should get out of his life with Makoto and Rei.

Yet, other thoughts were coming into his mind as well. Thoughts about if he could get to swim like that someday. He was especially admiring Haruka for how easily he was moving through the water. He seemed to feel as much at home in the water as a dolphin.

Also Rin was talented. He seemed to be on a whole different level than what was normal for a place like this, same with Haruka actually.

No one took their gaze from the two boys until they had completed their race and touched the wall at almost the same time. Rin punched the surface of the water right after his feet had hit the ground.

"This sucks!" he yelled in slight frustration and irritation.

"You picked the fight," Haruka reminded him.

Rin smiled. "True," he answered before climbing out of the water. Haruka followed him shortly after. Both kept an aura around them like they'd done nothing wrong and technically they hadn't, aside from disobeying their coach, who was still slightly furious, but also he was taken aback by their swimming, and therefore he said nothing.

"That was amazing," Mikio said. He then turned to their own coach. "Is there a chance we could swim like those two one day?" he asked.

Their coach looked unsure. "That requires a lot of talent," he said. "But I suppose you can, if you work really hard on your training. Especially on your front crawl and backstroke," he added with a smile. "All of you seem more secure in the breast stroke, which is not bad, but I do want you to improve in all your strokes, especially improve them before you can begin learning the butterfly stroke," he smiled as he finished.

"Okay!" Everyone yelled and they were dismissed for the day.

Nagisa went home alone. He wondered if Makoto knew that Rin and Haruka were swimming. Had they told him? No matter. It was none of Nagisa's concern. He had to go home and study now. It would be a while before Rin and Haruka returned anyways. They seemed to be good with swimming, and since they were third graders, they had permission to stay until the swimming club closed up for children at six.

When Nagisa came home, he didn't tell Rei about him seeing Rin and Haruka at the swimming club. He wanted to know if Makoto had been told.

So when Makoto came home and had to ask where Nagisa had seen Rin and Haruka when running into them, Nagisa knew that they hadn't and this irritated him. He disliked them for being so disrespectful towards Makoto's kindness.

But when Rin and Haruka came home and Rin said that he had seen Nagisa at the swimming club and did inform Makoto, Nagisa could do nothing but pretend he had forgotten. He was very well aware that he should've been the one to say it, if he had wanted the best for everyone. But this wasn't what he had wanted, and therefore, Makoto couldn't know that he had lied earlier.