"HARU?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Rin screeched at him. "GET OUT OF THE TANK RIGHT NOW!"
Whoa...Rin is certainty angry...
"I don't wanna" Haruka said, "Geez..."
Oh? He does speak English...
"Haruka, you better get out otherwise the shop manager will kick you out..." Kazuki said.
"Rin... Is this your little brother?" Haruka asked.
"Huh? Where did you get that from? He's my distant cousin"
"Oh"
"Anyways, get out of the tank! I'll kick you out if you don't!"
"Come on Haruka, why don't we go to the public pool instead?" Kazuki lends and hand and takes Haruka out. "There's a pool nearby...?" Haruka became instantly interested.
"Yeah. Not too far away from here, shall we go there after I purchase my goggles?" Kazuki suggested.
Haruka wondered for a while before making his decision. "Un"
Eh? Was that a yes?
"Alright, let's go since it's a weekend"
"Yay! Let's go Haruka! But first... We have to run otherwise the manager will catch us!"
"Kazuki, gimme your goggles. I'll purchase them while you guys sneak out"
Kazuki gives his goggles to Rin, "Thanks! I'll pay back!" Then he turned to Haruka, "Come on Haruka!" He takes his hand to take him out of the shop carefully.
"Bye bye fish tank. You were very nice and cold" Haruka waves back at the fish tank.
He's saying goodbye to it? What a weird guy...
They wait a while outside the shop until Rin comes out, "Hey you guys, did you get spotted?"
"Nope!"
"Good, let's go to the pool"
Haruka's eyes began to sparkle with excitement. "Come on Haruka, let's go" Kazuki smiled at him.
They all started to walk all the way to the public nearby pool, Haruka kept on asking "are we there yet?" And there were a lot of "no". Until they finally arrived there, they got in, and... No one was there, they had it all to themselves.
"Aren't you lucky Haruka? Let's get in right away!"
"Oy, Kazuki, don't you have any swim wear with you?" Rin asked him.
"No worries! I did!" Kazuki set his bag down and put his little ear machine away.
I forgot to ask what the heck that thing is...
And then Kazuki started taking off his clothes. "Oy! What are you-"
"I have my swim wear underneath!" Kazuki chuckled and then Haruka jumped straight in.
"Ack!" Rin and Kazuki blocked themselves from the splashing water.
"Come on Rin, are you coming in too?" Kazuki asked excitedly. "Err..."
"Come on, it's fun!" Kazuki swiftly pulled Rin's pants down but then Rin pulled them back up again in an instant. "I'm not wearing anything idiot!" He blushed.
"Whoa, sorry sorry!"
Rin grinds his teeth at Kazuki, "Well, I'll be jumping in now!" Kazuki jumps into the pool.
"Ack! Really..."
"Ah...this feels really nice, doesn't it Haruka?" Kazuki asked and Haruka nodded.
"Oy Haru, who taught you English?" Rin asked.
"My coach..."
"Ah, figures. When did you get here anyways? Actually, why are you here?"
"Because I wanted to see you Rin" Haruka responded. "Oh? Did you want to have a match with me?" Rin smirked.
"No. I just wanted to see how you were going"
Rin blushed a bit, "Huh? What's that for? I'm just fine! You didn't have to come all the way here for that!"
"Not just that, it's too cold in Japan, so I figured that I'll just come here cause it's summer"
Rin sweat dropped. "Geez Haru, go back"
"Don't wanna"
"Oy, the others must be wondering where you are! Go back!"
"No. Don't wanna. I like it here"
"Ha-ru!"
Kazuki just watched the two argue over each other puzzled, not even knowing what they're saying.
"You two...what are you talking about?" He asked.
"Huh? Hold on Haru, HARU AND I ARE JUST ARGUING" He spoke loudly for him but Kazuki was still puzzled, "Sorry, I couldn't hear that"
"Seriously?"
"Rin, can't Kazuki hear?" Haruka asked.
"No. He can't unfortunately, in the water, he's completely deaf"
"But he was able to hear me before"
"He wears some weird thing on his ear to be able to hear. He takes it off before he goes in the water, so I don't think it's waterproof"
"..." Haruka then looked at Kazuki, "He can't hear the water?"
"No, he can't I don't think"
Kazuki then decided to swim along, not minding.
"..." Haruka was silent as he watched Kazuki swim.
He's thinking...
"That's terrible" Haruka finally said. "I can't imagine not being able to hear the water. I have to help"
"Whoa Haru, I don't think that there is a possibility..."
Then Haru started to think, he can feel the water, as he felt it, the water gave him an idea. He knew the answer. Haru decided to splash the water once and waited for a response, Kazuki suddenly popped up from the water.
"Eh? What is it Haruka?" Kazuki asked.
"He can feel the water talking" Haruka said, "If I just splash...he can feel the vibrations, like a dolphin"
"Isn't that like echolocation?" Rin asked and Haruka nodded, "The water likes him"
Riiiight... Wait, so Kazuki is a dolphin like Haruka is also a dolphin? ...Nah, no way. Not with his poor skills.
Haruka signalled Kazuki to come over and he did, "Yes?" He spoke, then Haru grabbed his hand and took it close to his mouth, then Haruka spoke, "Can you hear me?"
"Oh! I can! The vibrations from my hand! I can hear you nice and clear!" Kazuki responded, "You're so smart Haruka!"
Haruka suddenly smiled at Kazuki which made Rin a bit surprised. "Wha-"
"Can you swim Free?" Haruka asked Kazuki. "Of course I can! It's my favourite stroke!"
"Can you show it to me?"
"Yup!" Kazuki nodded and he went to one side of the pool, then he started to freely swim at his own fast pace.
He's actually enjoying himself...I can see that huge smile on his face.
When he touched the other end, he switched differently than last time.
Ah, he changed it. Now he doesn't stuff up.
Then Kazuki started doing his butterfly stroke, this time, it was even stronger. It wasn't floppy, normally Rin would see beginners and they would fail to be able to do butterfly in Australia because it was so hard for them. But Kazuki was doing just fine. He looked focused on his form and was racing through the water with his strength.
Not bad for an amateur...
Kazuki stopped at his second lap and went back to Haruka in a puff. "So, how did I do?"
"You don't do backstroke or breastroke?" Haruka asked. "No, they're not my favourite"
"But you did really well" Haruka commented and Kazuki brightened up.
"Really?!"
"Do you swim?"
"I do an animation course, I just like to swim freely. I don't aim to be a pro. I just want to be in water and be happy and free, I reached the Nationals once, and that's enough for me" Kazuki smiled to himself.
"You don't?"
"No, I didn't like the competitions much after the Nationals cause they were tough and it didn't allow me to be free. Even after knowing you on the TV, I tried. But I haven't been able to be free like I swim right now. I don't mind, as long as I'm in the water, I still have it and I'm really happy! Besides, I love doing animation as well, so it's better for me to take that course than to struggle. I'm more of a swimmer, not a competitor"
"What did you get in the Nationals?"
"It was in Melbourne at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre three years ago. It was the biggest competition that I have ever been to. I wasn't able to attend regionals because I was sick, but they gave me a chance and I went to Nationals. I was in the disabled team and won gold in 100m Freestyle. I got to stand up on the stand up on the stand and it was like the Olympics. It was like a milestone of my life"
Whoa... Now I'm jealous.
"You're lucky Kazuki!" Rin said, "I'm aiming for the Olympics myself"
"Really Rin? Then I wish you good luck!" Kazuki smiled.
"Thanks!"
Then Haruka ruffled Kazuki's hair, he was smiling at him. "Kazuki, I was free too myself"
"Eh?"
"But Kazuki, I'm still free, because I am doing something that I truly love"
Kazuki smiled back, "I understand Haruka, we're all different"
Haruka nodded with agreement.
Then it started to get dark and the pool began to close. Haruka and Kazuki went to take a shower before they left.
"I hate having a shower after swimming" Kazuki complained.
"Why?" Haruka asked.
"Because you have just been in the water! Why do you have to go into more water to wash yourself?"
"Cause it's got chlorine in it dummy" Rin said. "I know... That's why I like to stay in there longer"
Rin chuckled. "Anyways, let's go grab dinner and go back to our dorms"
Then Haruka halted.
"Haruka?" Kazuki noticed. "What is it?"
Haruka was making a troubled face, "...I don't have anyplace to stay"
"EEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!"