(J.I.C.) Disclaimer: I don't own Free! or it's characters. I only own my OCs. *Cover art by Pichochona on Tumblr!

Chapter One:

The ocean is mysterious. It is as inviting as a siren that sings an enchanting song and then pulls one down into the fathoms below. It almost took my childhood friend Kasumi, then claimed my mother, yet for some reason, I still visit the beach. I'd like to think it is because another old friend who loved swimming so much when we were kids and his aspirations for it. Maybe it was the way I once believed in everything like there was more than what meets the eye. And possibly because I happened to share that innocence with Kasumi before I almost sent her to her death.

But I am not a dreamer. I am not a believer or starry-eyed like I once was.

I am the drifting sailor entranced by a song.

I am a mere shadow of my mother's, following her footsteps toward studying the real mystery: the immense, vast ocean.

It was quiet while I walked down the shore. Not a peep could be heard from town, not even from the fishermen in the bay working the early morning. Seagulls flocked together up high, flying with the crisp, sea-salty air as sand crunched underneath my bare feet. They and I had no cares, no worries like the rest of the people here, yet I was without wings to feel real freedom.

The first day back to school wasn't a big deal. I'd been prepared for the new year and far from concerned about anything else. The only thing on my mind at that point was diving into the water before me. But I couldn't. It was too cold in the spring to search for fish. Though they were more interesting than sitting through a humdrum algebra class, I had to hold back. "Patience is a virtue"...as Mother used to say.

"What're you doing this early in the morning, Nana-onee?"

I looked to the side. My cousin, Gou, yawned as he stretched his arms high above his head.

"I should ask you the same thing, Kou-chan,"I teased. With a name that could be read as both masculine and feminine, it was like a big sign hanging over his head saying to tease him. Deep down I did feel sorry for him, though.

"It's Gou-KUN to you, dangit!"

I smiled at his flushed face. Compared to the townspeople, Gou had too much energy, something that matched perfectly with his abnormally reddish hair. In his case, I wanted him to be like an average person. His addiction to women's bikinis and swimsuit models would easily label him a freak at school. Thank God he was smart enough to keep that under wraps.

"So, what're you doing? I thought you start class earlier than I do," he said, kicking some sand in my direction playfully.

"I do, but not until eight."

"It's six in the morning."

"Then I have more time to sit right here."

"No! You gotta go back, or a teacher will catch you breaking a rule."

"There's no school rule that says that I-"

"C'mon, sis."

I sighed. "Fine...But why are you out here so early? You didn't come to spy on me in a swimsuit, did you?"

"N-no! That's just gross! Mom told me to come out and check on you."

"She knows I'm out here too?"

"She can see you from the kitchen window."

I checked behind us and saw Aunt Hiroki mouthing to me, "Get to class," from the window.

I need a different spot to sit in the morning, I thought while getting up.

With Gou in tow, I retraced my steps to the corner before the campus entrance. I turned and tapped fists with him, wishing him luck on his first day at Iwatobi High. Secretly I'd hoped he would've taken the exams for Samezuka, but his options were swayed by his swimsuit addiction. Saying he wanted to be free and find girls for models and something or other, he didn't realize that Samezuka had begun a trial year for co-ed education. It was a matter of time before he would add two and two together.

When I jogged back to the dorms, there weren't any teachers to catch me. I snuck into my room thinking that I had gotten away with it, and I almost believed I did. The room wasn't too big for sound to echo off the walls and the bronze, rusted doorknob didn't produce a squeak of betrayal. My shared bunk bed sat on the opposite side of the door, next to the window, and the tiny, roughly built desks were on both sides of that. Nothing should've given me away. But out of my careful planning, I didn't anticipate the worst scenario possible.

"Why do you keep sneaking out so early in the morning, senpai?"

It was my roommate, the small, fragile first year with silvery-black hair pulled back into a bun, and big orange-brown eyes. And I'd forgotten that she was a light sleeper.

"I went to the bathroom, Kiyoko," I lied.

"In a tracksuit?"

"Well, I had to 'jog' around to find one." I wasn't one for puns, but that didn't come out as clever as I would've liked it to be.

"This isn't funny, senpai. I don't want you being punished for sneaking out."

"It's fine. I only go out to get fresh air and then I come back."

"Well, you and I know that, but the teachers don't. They assume the worst if they catch others breaking rules or-or..."

I understood the concern, but I didn't like that I had to be separated from the beach. It was my comfort zone, my only happiness left of bad experiences. Without it I...

"I get the message, Kiyoko. Now let me go back to sleep."

"Senpai!"

I laid on top of my soft, blue sheets and tried to sleep as she kept insisting, "Senpai! This isn't the time to sleep! Nanami-senpai!"

"Nanami-senpai! It's already 7:30! Please get up!"

The next thing I knew I woke up with Kiyoko yelling in my ear. When she said '7:30', I immediately looked at the clock. She was right.

"Senpai!"

"I'm up! I'm up!"

I dashed to my dresser at the foot of the bed as I tried ripping off my clothes quickly. Kiyoko spun the other way.

"Nanami-senpai, I told you not to fall asleep!"

"I get it. Next time I'll just-"

"Senpai!"

"Ugh..what?!"

"Your hair!"

"What about m-agh!"

When I looked into the dresser's mirror, I saw a hairy beast of tangled curls snarling at me on top of my head. I jumped back from the reflection, immediately running my fingers through my hair to tame it. Kiyoko walked up to me and started running a hair pick through it.

"Nanami-senpai, you should take better care of your hair. If you leave it curled like that, it'll knot and tangle together."

"Oh, it's always been unruly. I don't care much now."

"Then how about cutting it?"

"No...I want it to stay long."

"So that means you do care?"

"Ugh, Kiyoko-"

Fifteen minutes had gone by after getting on my uniform. I'm seriously going to be late! I thought, adrenaline pounding in my ears along with it.

I hurried out the door as Kiyoko shouted my name. Nine more minutes passed after I left the dorm bathrooms. There wasn't any time to lose for me, so I kept going, trying to remember which hallway and which building I was supposed to be in for first class.

As I made it to the courtyard with less than ten minutes to go, I headed for the left door to the first building I saw. Kiyoko was still calling my name from one end of the yard. Without thinking, I stopped to ask her, "What?!", and bumped right into someone else, causing us both to fall back. A cascade of bags and papers rained down on us, my bag landing on the others' lap. My hand reached out to grab the bag while I tried to apologize. But then I froze when I saw the person's pointed teeth bared in a frown.

"You're-," I breathed, leaning in slightly closer to get a better look at him.

His very aura was off. Something else about him was far from the rest of boys I'd encountered before...He was as intriguing as the fish, to be bluntly and weirdly honest.

Could it be...? But that's impossible. He's just...I know! He's someone I knew from before...Wait! I pondered.

"What are you...Nanami?" he said breathlessly.

"You remember me,...Rin-kun?"

"Well, I'm gonna remember your bag."

It really is him! He and I played together as children. Matsuoka Rin. I knew his striking features were familiar. His sharp teeth should've been a dead giveaway.

I smiled, finding his retort somewhat amusing, and said, "Sorry about that."

Rin stuck his arm out and dropped the bag into my hands. The tone of his voice and his demeanor made it sound like our reuniting didn't seem to faze him; like it wasn't worth his time. That's not how he was back then when we were kids. Is it my imagination or does he seem more irritable? I wondered.

"Nanami-senpai!"

Kiyoko arrived just in time to find Rin and I sorting through our papers on the ground. She came up to me and asked, "Senpai, did you bump into someone?"

"Yeah..what were you calling out to me for?"

"You forgot your reading glasses, Senpai."

She held out my glasses' case to me as I stood up. I reached out for it, seeing Kiyoko taking a peek at Rin. Whatever look he gave to her, it wasn't nice. My roommate shook in fright, nearly crawling behind me to hide from him. Before I could say anything, Kiyoko squeaked to me in a flash, "Senpai,-please-remember-to-meet-me-at-the-pool-this-afternoon. Have-a-nice-day!"

Then she darted off like a cartoon character in the other direction. I turned to Rin and replied, "Was it necessary to scare off my roommate?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. I gotta go."

"Hold on. Where're you going?"

"To Chemistry with Hirashi-sensei."

"Then follow me."

"W-wait, what?"

Rin headed for the archway ahead without stopping to answer me. I hesitantly followed after him, calling his name, but gave up after a while of getting no response out of him. I kept my patience, hoping he had some kind of explanation. Rin wouldn't sabotage my schedule on the first day, that I was sure of. He couldn't be that kind of person...

He finally stopped at a classroom at the end of the science hallway, the same one I was assigned to. As we entered, our teacher, Mr. Hirashi took it upon himself to punish us for showing up close to the late bell.

"What's this?! I have two late stu-DENTS!"

On instinct, I ducked down to save myself from the chalk hurtling toward us, Rin ending up taking the shot with a surprised grunt. I headed for my desk before Mr. Hirashi could throw his next piece, unlike Rin who walked quietly into the classroom, hands in his pockets like he had no care in the world.

"Get to your-DESK!" the teacher exclaimed.

Rin was struck in the head by a piece of chalk as I scuttled into an empty seat. The others teased, "Bad luck, Rin," and, "wait to mess around with your girlfriend until after class, Matsuoka." He merely laughed with them, though sarcastically, then sat down.

"Alright, "Hirashi-sensei began, "Now that everyone's here, I can finally teach you snots!

"Everybody! Look up at the board!"

I took out my notebook and opened to a fresh page. The teacher rambled on about compound mixtures, nothing a trip to the local library couldn't have prepared me for, then to something else about chemicals. Naturally, I dozed off after he drifted from the main topic. I looked out the window toward the ocean too far from here, barely visible with the buildings as tall as they were. Once summer comes, I won't have to wait anymore. I can finally dive into the secret cavern I found years ago, where all of the colorful fish meet...

"Oi, Mio."

"Yes!"

For a moment it sounded like Hirashi-sensei, the same deep voice that made everyone quiver in fear, but I looked up to find Rin holding a book behind his head, tired eyes poised at me.

"Oh, it's just you..."

"Wha-ugh,..just get up. We're partners in the lab today."

"Really?"

"If you were paying attention, you would've heard that."

"Well, excuse me, princess..." I mumbled.

He clicked his tongue at me then walked off to the lab station in the corner. I kept pace with him and his directions while helping set up a lab on one side of a table separated by two sets of flasks and chemicals. But my attention zipped back to his movements and tone. The way he kept a certain distance and his arms closer to his body was like fitting pieces of a puzzle for me. I realized he was more closed off to me for a reason, not just a figment of my imagination, but something I had no answer for. In the past, he was nearly the complete opposite. He had always been hanging around his friends and smiling, that atmosphere he gave off that seemed to pull people in was what I admired the most about him. This attitude change and brutal-like seriousness made him out to be an entirely different person, but somewhere deep down I could sense the same caring person in him calling out to me.

I wondered if it were possible to make him open up to me.

While we were waiting for some of the chemicals to react, I turned to him and asked, "So how come you never said anything to me at the entrance ceremony?"

"Didn't go.."

"I thought I saw a familiar red-head two rows ahead of me."

He frowned and clicked his tongue, proof enough that he found himself caught in a lie.

"Are any of your friends here?"

"Huh?"

"Those boys you used to play with. What were their names...uh, S-Sou...something and Haku?"

"Sousuke...and Haru."

He turned his head the other way and looked out the window. I tried looking in the same direction, but he noticed me and demanded, "What?"

"You're trying to divert the subject."

Rin grumbled. It seemed that he must have had a bad experience with his friends the way he avoided the topic. I should've stopped talking then, but I was too stubborn.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I answered.

"You. Have you seen your friend Misuzu?"

That was below the belt...

"I haven't heard from her, no..."

"Then I wouldn't ask about Haru if I were you."

I took my eyes off of the test tube and glared right back at him. His distasteful, frown-upon-thee-look made me feel as though I were scum. That was why I didn't like to talk to others. There were some that were bland, colorless people...and then there was the rare kind like Rin who have too much of a hostile spirit and turn out to repel me like same sides of two magnets.

"All I wanted to know was if you kept in touch with them."

"Yeah, well, not really."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Like what?"

"Did you have a fight with your friends?"

"Why would you want to know?"

"Because it-"

Suddenly a sharp burning sensation washed over my hand. I looked down, finding our compound chemical spilling out of the test tube over the table and seeping under my palm. Rin called out to Hirashi-sensei as he grabbed my arm and forced me out the door. While Rin was cursing under his breath down the hallway, I bit my lip just to keep from screaming. The pain was tolerable but moving my hand or twitching it would feel like a thousand needles piercing flesh. I didn't want to cry...I wasn't going to...Mom always said to be a big girl and smile or laugh at the pain...

"Mio, hurry up and wash it."

"M-hmm..."

The nurse was out when we stepped in, so Rin took over and moved to search for gauze. I went to the sink and turned the handle, near ready to cry out when the cold water hit the burn.

"I thought I told you to put gloves on before the lab...

"You done over there?"

"If you'd give me a second I'd actually be able to rinse it," I hissed.

After turning back the handle, I went back to Rin who held out ointment to me. He stood back and watched me tend to the burn like I needed to be supervised.

My palm is swollen, and he's just sitting there! I thought. Is he really that insensitive?!

I sat down on one of the beds and began coiling the bandage around my damp hand. The faint scent of rubbing alcohol and cotton aroused a headache in me, burning at my senses and awakening my nerves. Trying to turn my thoughts to something else barely worked. Hearing Rin sigh at me disappointingly only made me rage more at him inside. I didn't know puberty also brought out the jerk in some people...

Suddenly Rin sat down on the opposite cot and grabbed my arm.

"What're y-"

"You're not doing it right. Just hold still."

Everything became deadly quiet when he rolled the bandage wrappings around my hand. His fingers lingered on my wrist, warmth tingling on my skin from his touch that caught me speechless. I stared at them, remembering something. For no reason, I began quietly laughing to myself.

"What's so funny?"

"You wrapping my hand. The last time this happened you cut your finger and I put a band-aid on it."

"E-"

He remembered it. The way his pupils dilated and his slump in his posture made it all too clear.

"You..remember, right?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, yeah."

"Well, sorry if it's unfortunate for you, but I actually liked my childhood!"

"All of it?"

"Huh?"

"That day. You're saying that you're fine with it now?"

"You..."

That day never left my mind even when I wanted to forget it. My friend Kasumi swum out too far into the water, and when she started to drown I...

"Don't you dare mention that day again!" I snapped.

"Have it your way."

Rin walked out of the nurse's office without another word. I felt like exploding in anger at him, and I yet angry at myself. Why couldn't I say anything back? Why did he have the last word?

I wiped away the few tears that rolled onto my lips. Me..crying...

I guess I wasn't a big girl after all.

"Senpai! How did you injure your hand?"

Back at the dorms, that evening, I laid in bed, staring at my wrapped hand. Kiyoko found me, of course, and began running around the room asking me too many questions at the same time.

"It's nothing. It was just a lab accident."

"I knew something had happened when you didn't come to the pool. But-"

"Go to sleep, Aika," I groaned.

Using her first name was a step over the line, but Kiyoko knew that I was serious. I turned away from her, immediately realizing my mistake. Her seat squeaked under her, telling me she gave up and went back to her homework. Finding no way to make amends, I rolled onto my side and held my hand out. The bandage was tight but comfortable. Something about it brought back the memory of his cut and my giving him a Band-aid.

"It's okay, Rin," I said.

"Agh, it hurts though!"

"Here, take this."

I wrapped the band-aid around his finger with a Hello Kitty face on it. He grinned at me with his pearly white, baby shark teeth and told me, "Looks like I owe you a favor now."

"Really? A favor?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay! But I don't have one right now."

"That's okay. You can redeem it later!"

"Cool!"

Rin took my hand and walked me down the street. I gripped his hand while a smile formed on my lips.

I rolled my eyes. The only good thing about it was the comfort I still found in it, but Rin would eventually find a way to ruin that too...

The moon outside my window glowed brightly with the stars, almost calling out to me as I turned to it. It gave me a second's relaxation before I caught a figure in my peripheral; the one red-head I couldn't bear to look at in the lamplight jogging in a jersey with a little ponytail poking out behind him. Ugh...I stuck my tongue at him and switched the lights off.

"Looks like I got caught up with a shark in the water," I muttered to myself.

"What was that, Senpai?"

"Nothing. Goodnight, Aika."