Just before the pool floor, he let himself adrift, following the waves and the small currents of the pool. The water surrounding him were cool enough to make his skin cool biologically, but not enough to make him feel cool. He still feel the burning sensation just before he dived in. He couldn't help but wonder, why was he irritated by those three first years? As if they weren't annoyingly loud sometimes, yet he couldn't make out why now.
Makoto? What about him? He asked himself as his mind suddenly made a flash of his bestfriend.
Suddenly, he felt a grip on his arm, pulling him out of the water.
Irritated, he breathed in a first gasp of air and asked, "What?"
Everyone above the water gave a sigh and smiled to each other. It was Makoto who grabbed on to him, and pulled him out. He wasn't exactly relieved, his heart was still pounding in his chest.
"You were in for quite sometimes. I was worried," said Makoto.
"Well, you didn't have to. I was- I was thinking. And it was hot outside," Haru pulled his arm out of Makoto's grip. Suddenly, he vision blurred and made his legs wobble and was struggling to stand, which made him fall onto Makoto's chest. Maybe he was in for too long after all.
At that moment, he was close enough to hear Makoto's heartbeat. It was in steady beat, and not as weak as that time in the storm. He was used to Makoto having a very fast heartbeat, which happened numerous times on a movie night, where Nagisa picked a horror movie. But this was different; somehow, the steady rhythm is soothing. However, when he looked up and saw the jaw of the beholder, his own heartbeat got faster. He tried pulling away from Makoto, but didn't have the strength to do so. He felt his body warmed up again. It made him felt uncomfortable. His heartbeat, now was too fast, made him panicked. It shouldn't be so fast and loud. This is Makoto, not a horror movie.
Haru then remembered the sensation, he had felt it on his first encounter with the waterfall. The one he put it as his first love. Now, it's for Makoto.
No! It is Makoto, my bestfriend.
Haru pushed Makoto before he climbed up the pool and went to the locker room.
They all looked at Makoto in curiousity. Makoto just gave them his usual assuring smile.
"I guess he got mad at me for pulling him up." Makoto said that to not make his friends worry.
"But, Mako-chan, if you haven't pulled him up, he would drown. He was wobbly before." Nagisa tug back Makoto's statement as if to show that they knew something was wrong.
"There are some people whose lung capacity was large enough to contain air so that they can stay underwater for so long, but the case are very rare. And I don't think Haruka-senpai is one of them." Rei added. "Is he okay?"
"Alright! Let's do this!" Coach Sasabe came with his loud and wild spirit. The Iwatobi Swim Club could've sworn that they saw some hues from the side of his side fringe. "Makoto! Is that a goatee? My, my, you look good with that. Eh? Where's Haruka?"
"I'll go get him" Nagisa stood up with his hands raised before racing to the locker room.
"Haru-chan. Oh Haru-" Nagisa spotted Haru who was sitting in a corner of their locker room. Haru looked up before gazing back aimlessly as he did before "Are you okay, Haru-chan? What you did just now was very rude. Poor Mako-chan, he only wanted to help you. He thought you were drowning. He thought you were mad at him for pulling you out."
"I'm not."
"To be honest, I was jealous." Haru was shocked and turned to Nagisa who was trying to hide his face. "The two of you. Of how close you are."
"Whatever it is, it will always be, 'I wonder if Haru…' here, 'What will Haru…' there all the time with Mako-chan. It's not always about you." Nagisa continued.
Haru's concern on Nagisa grew. What is he trying to say?
"Nee, Haru-chan, what do you think of Makoto, besides him being wishy-washy? You've been with him for too long, you must've known a lot about him."
"Nagisa, Haru, Coach Sasabe's patience is running low, we should hurry!" called out Makoto