Old Friends, New...Teacher?

(Part 3)

Chapter 11

^.^.^.^

"That'll be four-hundred and twenty yen, please."

"Hm? Oh, right." Rin tore his gaze away from the convenient store's window to collect the amount of yen from his wallet before handing it over to the worker.

The middle aged man briefly glanced over the currency in his hand before sliding it into the cash register. Rin plucked the paid items off the counter, muttering a half-hearted farewell before exiting the shop.

Humid, sticky air flew over the boy in waves as he stepped out the doors and into the heat of Summer, leaving the coolness of the AC behind him.

"Oi," The maroon haired swimmer called to the person seated on one of the benches lining the footpath. Startled, the girl broke her stare with the pavement and flung her head in his direction, brunette tresses following the movement. "You shouldn't be sitting in the sun, you'll get a burn doing that."

The smaller teen let out a huff of a laugh, smiling softly as she reminisced over their childhood years while turning her gaze back down. "I don't burn as easily as I did when I was young."

"Is that so?" Rin mumbled sceptically, mostly to himself. He held out the two bottles clasped between his fingers, briskly poking his friend's shoulder with the ends of them to get her attention.

She quickly thanked the boy, taking hold of one. Rin sat himself beside the girl, cracking the cap open easily and taking a long, large gulp of the refreshing beverage. He lowered the bottle from his lips as he snuck a glance at the teen beside him.

She had the bottle grasped between her thighs, both hands covering the light blue lid. The little muscle she had in her arms were straining with the effort as she twisted her palms uselessly around the stubborn cap.

"Pass it here."

Hanako flicked a surprised gaze up to the swimmer, peaking through the gaps in her hair. She was currently leaning over the sealed drink, throwing all her effort into trying to get it to crack. Glancing down at her failed attempts of opening it, she soon admitted defeat by passing the clear container over to her friend.

A ghost of surprise flashed across Rin's face, but he quickly pushed it aside and took the bottle back from the weaker teen, successfully cracking it with little to no effort.

With an evident smirk upon his lips, Hanako playfully sneered at his silent jesting while reaching for her drink.

"What? Not even a thank you?"

Hanako huffed at the idea, sitting up a little bit straighter with her nose pointed towards the sky in mock snobbery. "Smug people don't deserve gratitude."

Rin clicked his tongue, exaggerating an annoyed expression as he turned his stare elsewhere. "I'll remember that the next time you need help, Hanako."

"Hanako?" The feminine teen shifted so she was entirely facing her friend this time, legs pulled up onto the bench with them. Her head tilted at the confusion crossing her features. "What happened to Shīru?"

The swimmer shot a sideways glance at his childhood friend, taking another swig of his drink before answering with, "Don't you think those nicknames are a bit childish now?"

Hanako's gaze was suddenly downcast, a small frown pulling at the corners of her lips. Rin's heart stuttered at the amazingly genuine sadness on the girl's face. He was almost about to take what he'd said back, until she finally came up with a reply.

"I guess...it could be seen as a bit childish now," She started slowly, wrapping her thin arms around her knees before flicking her eyes back up to him, green gaze glimmering in the light of the sun. "But it's still okay for you to call me Shīru, I don't mind. If..."

"If?" The boy prompted, sliding one eyebrow up to his hairline at the girl's sudden trail off.

She looked away again, as if thinking over what she wanted to say was right or not. Rin felt his entire being light up in a suffocating heat as his friend suddenly leaned forward, balancing on the tips of her toes and laying her cool, delicate hands on his very heated, burly arm to keep her balance.

He had to use every ounce of self-control not to jump away from the too-close-for-comfort girl, his eyes wavering under the intense gaze of sea foam orbs.

"If I can still call you Same-kun!"

Rin snapped. He had to tear his gaze away from the hopeful teens face just so his body temperature wouldn't go into over-drive. The swimmer was practically sizzling where he sat, though he blamed it more on the heat of the day rather than the closeness of his friend.

"S-sure..." It was a weak, mumbled response. So Rin wasn't surprised when Hanako didn't quite catch it.

Rin suddenly got up from the bench in a flustered heap, hand clenching around the half-empty bottle, the thin plastic caving under his vice grip. He needed to get out of the sun and cool off.

"I said it's-...fine. Do whatever you want."

Hanako's inquiring expression died away instantly, replaced by a smile so sweet Rin felt like he'd get cavities just looking at it.

Yep...definitely a relative of the Tachibana's. They all have that sickly sweet smile to them. Though, Rin thought it kind of suited the petite girl still squatting on the bench.

He'd hadn't known Hanako was Makoto's cousin until the boy's had talked about it at the hospital. But now, looking over his childhood friend, he's not quite sure how he didn't see it before.

They were eerily similar in both features and personalities. Hanako may have been a little rougher around the edges than Makoto as a child and more playful, but they definitely shared the same overwhelming caring and kindness they held towards every living thing.

Though comparing the Hanako now, to the Hanako of his past, he could see many differences upon just one glance. She'd gotten older, yes, that much was obvious. But it was more the way she held herself now.

Rin remembered the girl always carrying a subtle air of playful curiosity. While she wasn't big on the scarier side of things and spooked just as easily as her cousin, she still held a sense of adventure to her.

The swimmer couldn't see any of that remaining. Instead, it seemed to be replaced by an underlying fear. Rin hadn't noticed at first, but as the two walked through town he began to notice the littlest differences in Hanako's behaviour.

They'd passed over a bridge with a stream of running water beneath it. He'd expected her to run towards the edge and ogle at the 'marvellous beauty' of it like she had done many times as a child. He'd even been prepared to grab a hold of her collar in case she felt like going for a dip. Something that her and Haru seemed to have in common.

But no, his childhood friend hadn't run to the edge, hadn't exclaimed loudly about the beauty of the endless flow, hadn't made to dive in like she normally would've so many years ago.

Instead, Hanako shied away from the edge, reaching out almost instinctively and wrapping her small frame around one of his arms.

Rin was quite surprised by the girl's actions, but he didn't dare say anything. He didn't want to pry into her personal life.

Besides, he had a feeling he already knew the cause for her drastic change...

The afternoon wore on lazily, the two long-time friends wandering aimlessly through the town, stopping a couple times to cool off in the shade of an overhanging shop roof, or to gaze at something that caught the girl's eye.

Conversation came easily between the two, as easily as it did when they were younger. Rin was at least glad that hadn't changed.

Hanako would ask him things every now and then, interrupting whatever topic they'd been conversing over to point out something she found particularly interesting.

Rin found himself unconsciously smiling at the girl's antics, watching with a bemused expression plastered to his face as she skipped from one thing to another, always excited about anything new or piquing her interest.

The swimmer was glad his friend's mood had lifted considerably, compared to back at the mall. He wasn't quite sure why she'd reacted that way...he knew about what was spoken between his two friends before Hanako left for England, so he could kind of understand it.

But they were nothing but silly little words thrown around in the heat of an argument. Looking back on it now, Rin thought it was almost laughable that the two had even fought over something so...ridiculous. At least, it was to him.

And had Haru and Hanako really forgotten each other? That was what surprised Rin the most. His two childhood friends – who were practically joined at the hip whenever they hung out – not remembering each other in the least, eventhough they were on the same trip to Samezuka together?

It boggled Rin's mind...

"Same-kun, come here, come here! You have to look at this!" The maroon boy was plucked from his thoughts at the feeling of a gentle hand laying against his biceps. He glanced down at the girl beside him bouncing in excitement, letting out a playful 'tsk' before following after her pointed finger.

"I guess it can't be helped."

"What can't be helped?" Hanako paused in her pursuit to eyeball the tall male, blinking up at his face, blissfully unaware of the turmoil Rin's head was going through with all these thoughts floating around inside.

"Never mind. What was it you wanted to show me?" Without missing a beat, the girl jumped right back into her heated explanation of the most fascinating thing she's ever found, Rin smirking all the way as he was dragged along for the ride.

. . .

Pulling the dorm key from his pocket, Rin made quick work of the lock, letting the door swing open and inviting his guest into the room.

He followed the small figure inside, briefly closing the door behind him.

Hanako mumbled under her breath at her intrusion, taking the opportunity to observe the room while Rin made his way over to the bottom bunk and flopped heavily onto the mattress.

She watched quietly from the corner of the room as he flipped his phone open and roughly skimmed over the messages left by other people.

"You can sit, you know."

Hanako jumped at the sudden break of the silence. "R-right." Heading over to the desk nearest her, she pulled the chair out and seated herself upon it, folding her hands in her lap. She wasn't sure why, but being in a boy's dorm room made her feel a little on edge.

Stirring from the bed caught the girl's attention and she glanced over at her friend. He was sitting up now, briskly finishing off a quick text before slamming his phone shut and throwing it carelessly onto the bed.

Rin stood, stretching out his arms before looking over at the petite girl seated at his desk. "I'm gonna head to practice now, it'll be starting soon."

Hanako gave him a silent nod, shifting awkwardly in the desk chair. The swimmer noticed this and quickly turned towards the narrow wardrobe holding his belongings, muttering a stiff, "You can hide out here till it's over, if you want. Just don't get caught."

He glanced back at the smaller teen after grabbing his swimsuit and goggles. Her face lit up, gratefulness evident in her eyes as she locked her gaze with his.

"Thank you, Same-kun."

Rin gave a curt nod in response, feeling a tinge of heat climbing up the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if leaving a girl all alone in the boy's dorm was the best idea...but he knew she wouldn't want to be anywhere near the pool – going off what he's seen so far today – so it's not like she really had anywhere else to stay.

"Won't be long." The swimmer mumbled under his breath, maroon locks swinging as he abruptly turned around and marched towards the door, roughly scooping up the towel hanging off to the side before exiting the room.

Hanako watched him leave, feeling her stomach twist just the slightest bit at the realisation of suddenly being alone. She jumped from the chair and headed to the door, reaching out and locking it securely.

The brunette felt a little safer now that she knew no one else could get in.

. . .

The smell of chlorine was over-powering as the four boys entered the building, warm air washing over them and carrying the smell of chemicals to their noses.

Haruka found himself inhaling deeply, relishing in the tantalising smell of water and chlorine combined.

He suddenly had the irresistible urge to swim. To rid himself of the uncomfortable fabric's covering him and dive into the blissful body before him. Haru made a move to strip from his shirt and throw it off to the side, but a jarring pain flaring up in his shoulder quickly ceased the swimmer's actions.

His best friend noticed the sudden halt and turned to face the shorter male, head tilted in that concerned way he always did.

"Haru..?"

The blue-eyed boy turned his head away from the other teen, lowering his hand from the hem of his shirt. He said nothing, which only caused Makoto's frown to deepen.

Small, firm hands suddenly clasped the boys shoulders and steered them over to the direction of the change rooms. Makoto watched as his friend's face silently contorted in pain, shrugging his shoulder up ever so slightly to try and shift the offending hand resting on it.

The two were pushed inside, Gou giving them a stern warning to stop dawdling and hurry and change.

"Shall we go in then, Haru-chan?"

The raven boy said nothing, merely side glancing at the backstroke swimmer before heading over to a vacant locker. Makoto followed him in, keeping a close eye on his friend. Something was very wrong, the freestyle swimmer hadn't even flinchedat the adding of '-chan' to his name.

They changed in silence, Makoto already slinging his goggles around his neck and placing his folded clothes into the open locker space. Haruka on the other hand was still struggling with his shirt.

Haru had managed to get his jeans off with little effort, kicking them away carelessly when they reached his ankles. But it was getting the other item of clothing over his head that served to be the real challenge.

He'd tried at first to do it in a discreet way as to not alert Makoto to his troubles, but after a minute of wrestling with the material Haru had had enough and was now pulling at it with clenched fists, but he couldn't for the life of him lift his arm high enough without jarring his shoulder.

"...Haru."

The swimmer stopped moving, arms paused where they were at the sound of a stern, yet gentle voice behind him. He refused to look back at his best friend, opting instead to fixate his stare on the scrubbed tiles.

Makoto moved to stand behind Haruka. He hated doing this, but he had to see for himself what the problem was. The teen moved his fingers to latch onto the hem of his friend's shirt, and despite the protests of the raven boy, Makoto lifted the cotton in one swift motion, pulling it up and over the surprised swimmer's head.

The shirt fell to the floor, but the green-eyed boy's attention was focused not on the material, but on the very large, very noticeable bruise spread across the entirety of his best friend's shoulder and upper back.

"H-Haru...what-"

"It's nothing." Makoto was cut off with a dismissive reply from the other, his face as stoic as ever despite the pain he must've been in.

The brunette stepped forward to the retreating form of his friend, hands pulling the towel clasped between his fingers taught as his concerned gaze trailed after the massive bruise.

"It's not nothing, Haru! Just how did this happen?"

"Buzz off, Makoto. You'll be late for practice."

There it was again, the famous wall that Haruka puts up when he wants to shut everyone out. Well not this time. For once in his life Makoto was going to push for an answer.

He didn't care about being late for practice, in fact he'd miss it a thousand times over if it meant getting an answer out of his best friend.

With deliberate steps this time, the brunette laid a firm hand on the boy's shoulder which wasn't hurt, earning him a pointed stare.

No, he wouldn't back down, not this time. This was urgent, and he needed his friend to understand that.

"Haruka," He was serious. Makoto never used the boy's full name unless he was completelyserious about something. With a reluctant exhale, Haru turned to face the taller male, brushing off the warm hand in the process. "Tell me...how did this-" He gestured softly towards the eye-catching bruise, "-happen?"

Haru knew he wasn't getting anywhere by giving his friend the cold shoulder, so he eventually gave in and explained what Makoto desperately wanted to hear.

"...The bridge."

Ah...it all made sense now. Makoto was a little surprised at himself for not figuring that one out on his own, though he chalked it up to the fact that he hadn't been thinking irrationally because of the shock at seeing such an injury on one of his closest friends.

"Is that why you haven't been attending the practices all week?"

Makoto's voice was back to being as gentle as ever, an understanding expression replacing the firm crease in his brows from just a moment ago. Haruka gave a short nod, turning to pick up the shirt and jeans strewn across the tiles and place them in his locker.

"...You know I have to tell the others, right?"

The raven boy spun around so fast Makoto almost thought he was going to be assaulted for suggesting such a thing, but he was met with nothing but a harsh stare. "No-...!"

He knew the rest of Haruka's cut off sentence. Gentle green eyes connected with hard blue, only confirming his thoughts. "-You don't want the others to worry. I know, Haru..." He paused, placing a hand to his neck and rubbing it almost exhaustingly. "But what do you want me to do? It needs to be looked after."

Haru turned his head, stony eyes melting as he flicked his gaze elsewhere. "...She did."

"She..?" Makoto repeated, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, do you mean Hanako?" It can't possibly be Gou, she would've said something for sure to the rest of the team about Haruka's condition.

A silent nod confirmed the boy's guess.

So his cousin was in on the secret, huh? He wasn't sure how he felt about that...

At least it meant the two were sort of getting along...right?

Makoto was suddenly reminded of the incident at the mall earlier today. By the sounds of it, they used to know each other, and even got along extremely well when they were younger.

So why do they rub each other the wrong way now? Why don't they even remember one another?

Deciding to test his luck – something the boy would never usually do – Makoto asked another question, hoping Haru was still in the mood to answer him.

"Hey...did you two really know each other back then?" Makoto waited with bated breath for the other boy's response. They locked eyes again, staring silently until one finally caved. It was Haruka.

The raven swimmer huffed and turned on his heel, eyes closing as he reached for his small blue towel. Makoto let out a soft chuckle, bringing a hand to his mouth to hide his growing smile as he watched the silent male making his way towards the exit.

He guessed he'd pushed his luck a bit too far today. Calling out to his friend, he jogged to catch up to the teen, reaching for the blue towel and carefully draping it across the swimmers shoulders to cover the bruise.

"I'll come up with an excuse for you to sit out." The brunette flashed the shorter male a reassuring smile, as always, before continuing on with his jog to reach Rin and explain whatever excuse Makoto had conjured up in that head of his.

Haruka watched from the sidelines, seating himself on a bench while the rest of his team lined up at the diving block. He caught sight of Makoto sending him a quick thumbs up, indicating that his lie had worked.

Blue eyes fluttered down to his feet, watching his toes wriggle against the cool, wet surface beneath them. "...Thanks." He mumbled quietly, knowing his friend wouldn't hear him, but feeling he had to say it anyway.

. . .

The hallway was quiet, save for the background noise of the AC running. Ever so quietly, I snuck out through the crack of the door, brunette locks bouncing as I tip-toed across the wooden floor.

I'd heard several students returning to their respective dorms, and didn't want to disturb – or be caught – by any of them.

In fact, I'd actually been busted by the room mate that Rin shared with not too long ago.

That introduction was definitely an awkward one.

I'd been sprawled out over Rin's mattress, perched on my stomach and ankles crossed as I flipped through the various magazines I'd found under the bed while snooping.

Some of them were pretty fun to look at, while others were...not exactly safe for work. I'd quickly tossed those back where I'd found them, my face probably rivalling that of an active volcano.

When I heard the sound of a lock opening, I'd frozen on the spot, hand paused in turning a page as my head snapped up in the direction of the opening door.

There he was, Rin's room mate, clad in nothing but his swimsuit and the Samezuka jacket. He was wiping half-heartedly at his damp hair, eyes closed as he moved around the room like clockwork.

I just continued to lay there, paralysed in fear and embarrassment at being caught hiding out in a boy's dorm room.

This is bad. Verybad. But he hasn't noticed me yet...so maybe I can just sneak my way ou-

A creak of springs alerted the stranger to my presence, the muscular male whipping around to face the intruder.

An inhuman squeak left the cage of my lips, my eyes saucer wide as I silently stared up at the bulky teenager in front of me.

I wanted to say something. To explain the situation. To beg that he didn't tell anyone else I was here, but I couldn't get my voice to respond. All I could do was hold this strange swimmers gaze.

It felt like minutes passed, neither one of us daring to budge an inch. My leg was starting to shake with the effort it took to hold me up. I'd managed to get halfway off the bed before my cover was blown. I'd been caught in a rather uncomfortable position and it was starting to take a toll on my undeveloped muscles.

Just then I heard calling from the other side of the door, followed by three short raps on wood. The dark haired boy snapped out of his daze and quickly scooped up whatever he'd came here for, throwing his towel haphazardly across the room to land on one of the desks before making his way back to the entrance of the room.

We spoke not a word to each other as he left, muttering something about 'talking to Rin later on' while pulling the door shut behind him.

I'd sank onto the bed with a very loud, very large sigh, exhaling all the held oxygen within my lungs.

I didn't want something like that to happen again, so here I was, sneaking down the hallway and praying to the heavens above that no one decided to suddenly come out of their rooms for a potty break.

Once reaching the stairs, I dashed down them like prey trying to escaping the predators and all but tore through the automatic sliding doors that lead outside, barely giving them a chance to open before I was shoving my way out.

I gulped down the cool evening air greedily, glad to be outside again. It wasn't as hot now that the sun was sinking behind the horizon, a pleasant breeze playfully tussling my hair.

Sorry, Rin, but I can't stay in your room anymore. Please don't be mad at me...

"...Where to now?" The sky was currently at it's brightest, hues of all the warm colours painted across it's surface. The clouds held a tender touch of peach within them, the sun's rays shining magnificently through their fluffy mass.

Without any idea of where I was going, my feet started carrying me forward. And I let them.

They led me down a cobbled path, passing by a well-kept garden flanking either side. I gingerly ran my fingers over the tall, beautiful flowers, the tips being coated in a light dusting of pollen.

I rubbed the microscopic grains between my thin digits thoughtfully. Summer may be hot and humid, but it definitely had it's good sides too, like the flowering of all these wonderful plants.

I've never really been one for greenery, but I can certainly appreciate the time and effort some people put into making a garden look as amazing as this one.

A tall, long shed like building came into sight, piquing my curiosity. Edging a little closer, I began to notice the waves of people exiting one side of it.

They all had towels around their necks, wet hair dripping onto their school jackets.

This must be Samezuka's swimming pool...

Just about to turn away, a thought suddenly struck me, stopping my retreating feet in their tracks. Rin might still be in there. I could find him and explain what happened.

But...there's thatin there...

No, Hanako. This isn't the time to be whimpering out over a little bit of water. If Rin's room mate alerts the school to my being stashed away in the boy's dorms he'll be punished for sure!

He even told me not to get caught, the least I can do is warn him now that the secret is out.

I waited by the bushes for the last of the swimmers to leave, trying to make myself as camouflaged as possible with the nature surrounding me.

It was extremely hard with a bright teal top and white shorts, but somehow I made it work.

Another few minutes passed, and when I deemed it safe to enter, I jumped out of my hiding spot and rushed inside to avoid being noticed.

My heart stopped at the sight before me.

...Definitely...more than just a littlebit of water...

The pool had to stretch at least hundred meters to the other side. And that was just a rough estimate.

My knees felt very wobbly all of a sudden, the bones turning to jelly. I reached out, my fingers brushing against the cool wall beside me.

Ever so carefully, I pressed my back against it and creeped along the edge, hands and feet moving slowly, slowly...until I couldn't stand anymore. I sank to the damp cement, not caring in the least that the chemical moisture was soaking into the bottom of my shorts.

My arms stayed firmly pressed against the surface behind me, my breathing eventually coming back down to a much more normal pace.

The blood in my veins was still pumping as fast as ever, but as I sat there, inhaling the clumps of thick, heavy chlorine that clung to the sticky air in here I felt a sense of...calm, seep over me.

I guess calm isn't really the right word for it, as I was still very aware of the pounding of my heart and the fear in my gut...but it was almost like those things had been drowned out, pushed aside to make room for the other string of emotions connected to water that I held.

They were ones I hadn't felt in so long, I'd almost forgotten them completely. Up until now my life had been nothing but a constant fear of what might happen, what willhappen, every time I lay my eyes on something large enough to drown in.

But sitting here, gazing at the large expanse of water only ten or so feet away, I felt nothing but...longing.

. . .

The world always looked so different from beneath the surface of the water. Everything was unfocused and constantly shifting, yet there was a strange sense of stability and clarity to it as well.

Haruka couldn't really explain it.

Gliding lazily through the embrace of the pool, the raven boy turned his back to the surface so he was facing the black lines on the bottom. He'd waited a full two hours for the session to be done with and everyone to leave just so he could get in.

Haru had been checking the clock around the minute, his impatience only growing when the little red hand seemed to tick by slower and slower with each glance.

Finally, he'd been able to swim in a pool after almost an entire week. A week. In Summer.That was a new record set for the freestyle swimmer that he never wanted to break.

His team had left with Rin to pick up some take-away dinner while Haru decided to stay and wait for them. The teasing call of the pool was just too much to ignore, so he'd quickly taken the opportunity to sneak in some swim time while the others were gone.

He was completely alone. Well, at least he had been.

The swimmer wasn't sure at first, but he thought he heard the sound of feet slapping across the floor in a hurried pace. It stopped all of a sudden though, as if the person the feet belonged to had come to a sudden halt.

Haruka dismissed it as one of the Samezuka swimmers coming back to collect whatever they'd left behind. He still didn't want to get caught for swimming after hours though.

Moving silently within the blue body, Haruka glided to the wall nearest him and pressed himself against it, waiting the person out.

The boy had already been under for a good minute or two and he could feel the pressure starting to build in his lungs. He needed more air, and soon.

A slight bang was heard from above. No other noises followed after that, but Haruka stayed where he was. Whoever it was might still be hanging around.

Another minute passed, and the swimmer was finding it increasingly harder to hang onto what little oxygen he had left. He could feel oncoming faint creeping it's way towards him, his head growing light and his vision darkening at the edges.

He had to surface, whether the person was there or not. Spinning around, Haruka placed both hands against the pale blue wall and pushed off and up, the rush of friction between him and water dissipating as his head broke the surface.

Haru's ears were suddenly assaulted by a shrill shriek, shocking the panting boy into flinging his eyelids open and staring accusingly at whoever made such a disgruntling sound.

His heart dropped and his stomach churned at who he saw curled into a defensive ball in front of him. Usually he'd just brush her off and continue on his way without a second thought.

...But that was before he knew who she really was.

Now knowing, Haruka had no idea on what to do. Does he dive back down and pretend he never saw her? Does he get out and leave?

No. That wasn't an option.

Does he ask herto leave?

Had he asked himself that before the mall, he would've said yes in a heartbeat, but now...he couldn't bring himself to shrug the girl off anymore.

Haru stayed silent, wading at the edge of the pool as the other teen slowly came to her senses, her eyes shining with relief when she realised she wasn't under attack. Though when they landed on the raven boy she might as well have shouted 'oh no, anyone but you' to his face.

She looked as reluctant and awkward as he felt, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her pale arms around them, hair swishing as she turned her head to break the stare.

Haruka felt an emotion stir within him that he hadn't felt for years, one he thought he'd never feel again for quite some time to come. It was guilt.

Guilt for what happened that day as the memories replayed in his head. He'd never really forgotten about them, more like pushed them away so he wouldn't have to deal with it.

He still couldn't believe that Hanako, Makoto's cousin, was the same adventurous, playful and caring child he knew all those years ago.

She was completely different now. She feared everything, she was timid and flighty. The smallest things made her jump. Even him coming up for air was enough to earn a scream.

Haruka just couldn't believe it. He refused to.

Hanako tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, cheeks heating up in embarrassment at the heavy glare pointed her way. What was he doing here? Isn't practice supposed to be over?

Everyone else looked like they'd left, so why was Haruka still swimming?

...Wait, he's swimming?!

The girl's eyes flicked back to the dripping boy in the pool, panic crossing her face. His shoulder, it hasn't gotten any better, so why is he pushing himself?!

"N-..." The brunette had to clear her throat and swallow down the collected saliva before trying to continue, those piercing blue orbs making it incredibly hard to stay focused and not shy away. "Nanase...why...w-why are you swimming? You shouldn't b-"

"It called."

Hanako started, blinking dumbly at the boy's rushed response.

"W-what?"

Haruka shifted his gaze to the liquid embracing his form, jet black hair sticking to his forehead and framing his face as he elaborated. "The water. It called me."

The teen sat there, absorbing the silence around them as she thought his answer over. It vaguely reminded her of something she used to hear from him all the time when they were kids.

A quiet laugh caught the swimmers attention, catching him off guard. He turned to stare incredulously at the girl before him, wondering if she's finally lost it.

Hanako was hiding a smile behind her hand, eyes closed as she suppressed any further laughing. Brunette tresses thrown over her shoulders and knees pressed together as her feet slid slightly apart, taking on a much more relaxed position.

Haruka found himself a little awestruck. He'd only seen this type of laughter once before, by this exact person almost seven years ago now. The sight of it was almost...

Nostalgic.

She only ever laughed like that if she was laughing at someone. Which means...

"...Oi."

Hanako peeked a glance at the swimmer, foamy eyes sparkling as she reminisced about the old days. "Ah, s-sorry! It's just..." She trailed off, gazing out at the clam surface of the water, that earlier gleam in her eye overshadowed by a familiar loneliness he'd seen that night before she'd ran out onto the bridge. "...You reminded me of back then."

Haruka lowered himself a little further into the pool, the chlorinated water coming up to his nose. Hanako noticed this and gave a hesitant smile, her gaze quickly faltering when it moved back to him.

Another silence ensued, but this time Haruka was the one to break it. "Why?"

"Huh?" The girl wasn't sure what he was asking. She gave him a questioning look with a tilt of her head, much like Makoto would. It still surprised him how he'd never noticed a similarity between the two when they were younger.

"Why did you lie about not being able to swim?"

"Oh..." She turned away again, chin coming to rest upon her knees. That forlorn look was back. Haruka didn't like seeing it. It didn't look...right, didn't belong there.

She gave a gentle shake of her head, a thin brown curtain falling to mask her face. "It wasn't a lie...I really can't swim."

"You can." He argued, remembering back to when all three of them, himself, Rin and Hanako used to swim at the beach. "You were good."

Hanako's eyes narrowed, a shimmer of light reflecting off the coat of oncoming tears. Her voice became shaky, as did her hands. "That was before the accident."

The swimmer kept quiet. He knew what she was talking about. There family yacht had been caught in a freak storm out in the middle of the ocean. Only two of the three on that weekend holiday came back to Iwatobi.

"I hate it, you know..."

Haru's attention was caught once again by the girl's sombre voice, her vocal cords on the verge of cracking. He knew she hated it, the sight of water. It was the reason for the boy's cold shouldering her in the first place.

Hanako's lips pulled into a frail smile, knowing exactly the thoughts going through the stoic boy's head. "It's not the water I hate, Nanase."

His brows knit together at her words. The smaller teen knew he was confused.

"It's my fear of it that I hate," She inhaled shakily, blowing the held breath out through pursed lips to try and keep herself calm. Haruka said nothing, so the brunette took it as a sign to continue. "I can't swim anymore because whenever I get into water, even when I thinkof it, I freeze up. My body has a mind of it's own. I can't move, I can't breathe, I just-..."

Hanako had to stop herself from going off into a rant. The last thing she wanted to do was scare away the boy she was finally making some progress with by jumping into a tirade of her problems.

"I hate that I'm so weak now..."

"You're not weak."

Haru's words surprised the startled teen as much as they had himself. But he continued on, in a much more neutral tone this time with, "...Being afraid doesn't make you weak."

In all her life, Hanako never thought Haruka, someone obsessed with the very thing he was submerged in right now, would ever argue against her being weak for her fears of what he loved so much. In fact, she'd kind of expected the opposite.

A grateful smile creeped it's way over her pale features, lighting up her face the tiniest bit. Though Haru could still detect the underlying self-doubt.

The swimmer was quickly distracted by a silver sheet being held out in front of him. He flicked his blue gaze to it wordlessly, realising what it was.

"Please take some." Hanako insisted, bowing her head slightly as she gently pushed them further in his direction. Haruka hesitated, looking up to the girl with a questioning glance.

It took a bit, but she finally realised why he was giving her such an expectant look and quickly moved to pull the water bottle from her bag, heat flushing up her neck and spreading across her cheeks. "R-right! Here!"

The boy took both items, popping the right amount of pills out before washing them down with the provided beverage. He'd been surprised that the seal of it was broken, yet hadn't been drunken from until now.

Was she afraid of water in bottles as well? Haruka found the thought slightly ridiculous. But it got him thinking on what else she was possibly scared of. Probably anythingwater related.

He handed the bottle and sheet back, watching silently as the brunette tucked the items back into their respective spots before looking at him once more.

Her cheeks grew a shade darker as she cast her eyes at her feet, fingers twisting around each other nervously. Had he done something weird without realising? He didn't understand her sudden flustered state at all.

"You know..." She began quietly, still not looking up to meet his gaze. "I really miss it."

He waited patiently for Hanako to continue, deciding it'd be better if she went on at her own pace instead of him rushing her.

His tactic worked, because soon after she delved into an explanation. "I miss the way water feels. I miss the exciting rush I got every time I dove in, every time I connected with it. I miss swimming with-...with the people I know.

I thought I'd never need water after what happened, that I'd be content with living on land for the rest of my life and never once setting foot into it again. But I was wrong...you made me realise how much I actually miss it all."

A choked laugh left the balled up girl and flowed through the building, bouncing off the walls and coming back to Haruka's ears. It sounded so melancholy.

"You probably didn't even intend to, but every time I caught you staring at water – and even things in relation to it, you made me remember what it used to be like. How much I used to adore swimming."

She was crying, though it was silent. There were no sobs following the wet trail sliding down her pallid cheeks. Haruka watched as her petite frame trembled with the effort it took to hold back the hysterics.

The earlier guilt he'd felt before suddenly came crashing back over him like a flash flood: strong and completely unexpected.

It was a rare thing for him to feel bad over things, but this was one of those times. As his uneasy stare faltered on the girl's shaking form, he suddenly made up his mind.

"Swim with me."

She stopped, paused in her unstable state to stare bewilderedly back into the pools of various blue shades watching her intently. "W-...what?"

Haruka broke their gaze by instead looking at the water running down the length of his hand, trailing along his wrist and arm, before finally dropping off at the point of his elbow. The ripples were small, but they still distorted Haru's reflection on the surface.

"I'll teach you how to swim again, so-..." Hanako blinked at the sight of the uneasy swimmer, long, dark lashes brushing against her cheeks briefly before her eyelids flew back open in wonder at the boy. "...so don't be afraid anymore, and swim."

If Haruka could help to get someone over their fear of water, especially someone who used to love it almost as much as he does, then he was more than willing to help rid that person of their fear. All for the sake of water.

The toothy smile on Hanako's small face was so radiant compared to her sullen look that Haru thought he was going to go blind if he looked directly at her. The girl tilted her head down, still grinning from ear to ear as she ran her fingers through the length of the brown locks dangling over her shoulder, sea-green eyes glistening not with unshed tears, but with renewed hope sparked somewhere deep within her soul.

For the first time since seeing her this week, the raven swimmer could finally say she looked happy, looked alive.

The two bathed in the slightly awkward, yet somehow comforting atmosphere surrounding them, neither one feeling the need to break it this time.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I'm pretty sure this chapter has over 7,000 words...R.I.P 2,000-5,000 limit. There you go, the last part is finally up. Though I feel a little...iffy I guess, about the second half of this chapter. I think the first half turned out okay, and the second bit isn't bad, it just...doesn't flow as well?

I don't know. It might just be me. I can't really see any other way of writing it out though, so I probably won't be changing it.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed and that the wait for the third part was worth it. The second half of the title finally makes sense now, yes?

Also! I've decided to start posting little drabbles related to this FF. It's called The Watery Drabbles of Free! and will basically contain a mixture of short scenes I couldn't fit into the main story of A Test of Courage (ATOC for short) or random pieces I wanted to write for the fun of it.

So far there's only one up right now, but there will be more to come, just don't expect them to have set posting schedules. There's quite a few ideas floating around in my head, but they wouldn't appear until much later on in this story, so I can't post them over there for fear of any plot/relationship spoilers on ATOC.

In any case, please look out for them if you're interested at all in some random, drabbly goodness.