Chapter 16

"It's nice that you guys are friends again." I said as I caught my breath after laughing so hard. Haru, Makoto, Nagisa, Rin, Rei, Gou and I were all out having dinner together. To celebrate the return of their friendship.

"I missed us being together." Nagisa said.

"And now we have Rei! Everything is perfect now!" Makoto rejoiced in the idea of Rei no longer feeling like an outsider.

"But I can't believe that you guys managed to stay close with Kei. I definitely thought that she was going to ditch you guys." Rin stated.

"What? What would make you think that?" I yelled. He just shrugged his shoulders as he looked at me with squinted eyes.

"Maybe because you can be pretty heartless sometimes." He smirked.

"What? I am not heartless!" I shrieked.

"You sure about, Kei?"

"Don't you start with me, Rin! I will gladly throw you out the nearest window." He crossed his arms over his chest as he smiled.

"Like you would even try."

"Why you little-"

"Now, now, Kei-chan! You know Rin-chan is just joking." Nagisa tried to calm me down. I sighed as I sat back down in my seat and sent Rin a glare.

"He knows how to push my buttons, that's for sure." I groaned.

"Oh Kei, you know you missed me!" He sang as he gave me another sly smile.

"I wish you never came back." I looked away from him and stuck my nose up in the air.

"What was it you said after the competition? Oh ya, 'Rin! I'm so glad you're back with us again! I missed you so much!'." He mocked me. I looked at him and sent daggers his way with my eyes.

"I lied."

"No you didn't!"

"How about we change the topic, huh? Before Kei actually flips this table!" Makoto jumped in-between Rin and me with an awkward laugh. Nagisa's boisterous laugh interrupted everything that was going on at the table.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"I just missed us all being together, that's all." I stared at him for a few seconds before a soft smile crossed my lips and I shook my head.

"Well I need to head to the little girls room." I excused myself from the table only to have Gou follow me. When we were out of earshot of the boys Gou spoke up.

"Kei-san?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry." I gave her a quizzical look as I stopped in front of the washroom door.

"What for?" I was thoroughly confused as to why she was apologizing to me.

"For jumping to conclusions about you and Haruka-senpai."

"You mean the whole dating thing?"

"Yes…" A laugh erupted from the pit of my stomach as I threw my head back.

"Why are you apologizing for that? That's no reason for a apology."

"But-"

"No buts. It's fine, Gou. Neither of us cared about it." I placed my hand on her shoulder and smiled. "So don't be sorry." She smiled at me as she nodded her head.

"Okay! But I will say, I do like the idea of you and Haruka-senpai together." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pushed the door open to the washroom.

"I think you've been spending a little too much time with Nagisa."

"I wanted to give you this." I handed the neatly wrapped present to Haru. As we sat in his living room he looked at the package with a curious gaze. His slender fingers peeled back the wrapping paper to reveal the picture Gou took of Haru and I at the mall eating ice cream. Where I had my famous laughing grin on my face and Haru had his once-in-a-blue-moon soft smile.

"Thanks." He stood up from his spot and set the mahogany frame on the bookshelf. I stood up as well and clasped my hands behind my back. As I awkwardly stood, in this familiar living room, I felt like this was a brand new home.

"Haru."

"Yes?" He looked at me with his famous bored face.

"I never got to properly congratulate you on your race."

"But we didn't win."

"You did." We stared at each other for a few seconds as I saw him wonder what I was thinking. "You won your friendship back." It almost seemed as though it didn't hit him until that moment. The slight gasp he made and the way his eyes went just a millimetre wider.

"Thank you."

"Well, I guess I should get going." I turned around and took a few steps away from Haru.

"When are you two going to go on your first date?"

I stopped in my tracks and clenched my hands into fists. I was going to do it because if I didn't nothing would ever happen. Haru was too quiet of a person to make any kind of move on any girl. I just needed to know if he felt the same way I did.

"Go on. That rice won't make itself, you know?" He turned around and went towards the cupboard, but I looked back at him because I almost thought that I heard a slight chuckle under his breath.

"Haru."

As I held the starfish in-between my index finger and thumb I smiled at the lovely memory. A small smile made its way onto my lips as a single tear escaped my eye and rolled down my cheek.

"I love it." I whispered to myself in my empty bedroom.

"Yes?"

"I told you, Haru-chan is an amazing swimmer." Nagisa smiled up at Rei.

"He's one of a kind." I added.

I turned around to look him in the eye. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Too many times had my heart beat so fast that it was going to break through my lung.

I felt something get pushed against my chest and I looked down to see that it was Haru's grey zip-up hoodie. "Haru…"

"Go put some clothes on." I looked up at him and waited for him to look at me, but he just held his gaze with Rin.

"There's something that I've been meaning to tell you, but I never knew how." I started.

"We are proud of you." He softly said.

"You have always made us proud." He always said such simple words, but they always held his whole heart in them.

"You're very special to me, Haru. You're one of my best friends and you've helped me through so much over the years."

Kei, believe in yourself. Be free. – Haru

"And I…God, I don't know how to say it. We're so opposite too, though. I'm loud and outgoing meanwhile you're calm and quiet."

"You do more than you know."

"Haru." He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me just as I walked up to him and went up on my tippy toes to place a chaste, but soft, peck on his cheek. "Goodnight."

"But it's almost like we balance each other out…well in my opinion anyways-"

"Where are you going with this, Kei?"

"For…the other night. I was completely out of line that night and I apologize for my actions."

"It's fine."

"Huh?"

"I don't know why you're apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong, so it's fine."

"I…I…"I was stuttering out my thoughts. Everything was coming out like a waterfall and I wasn't sure as to why it was coming out like that. I walked over to Haru and looked into his deep blue eyes. I could get lost in his eyes every time.

"And you, Kei."

"Me?"

I went up on my tippy toes and pressed my lips against his. He didn't make any kind of movement, so after the short and soft kiss I pulled back to look at his features. His eyes were larger than normal because he was surprised by my bold action.

"You've supported us too."

"But I haven't done anything."

"You've helped us more than you know, Kei."

My heart started to pound in my chest. I realized that I had made a mistake and that I just ruined my friendship with my best friend. I quickly turned around and took a step away from him until I felt his larger hand grasp my wrist. He twirled me around and pushed his lips against mine.

"I knew this would always happen. My theories from the first time I met you guys were right!"

I was surprised by his bold move, but when my brain registered what was happening I immediately pushed up on my toes and pressed my lips on his. The butterflies that I always felt in my stomach were swarming around in the pit of it. My head felt light and my thoughts seemed to mix together.

"Okay! But I will say, I do like the idea of you and Haruka-senpai together."

When we broke the kiss to catch our breaths we stayed silent. I stared into his eyes that resembled the ocean and I couldn't help, but to smile at him. I gently placed my hand on his cheek and rubbed it with my thumb. No words needed to be exchanged. No thoughts. We knew exactly what this meant to the both of us. I turned around on my heel and began to walk away from him.

"Kei, where're you going?" I looked over my shoulder to him and gave him a smile.

"To the pool. I've always wanted to go swimming at night." I took a few more steps before I was stopped in my tracks.

"Wait." I looked back to him and saw him reach for his jacket. "I'll swim with you." I just smiled at him as he followed me out of the house and we walked, together, to the swimming pool.

...And here is the end of this story...for now! Yes, I have decided to do a sequel, so you guys can review on how excited you are!

Also, I'm writing a Rin story and if you guys give me TEN REVIEWS...I repeat...TEN REVIEWS (so I have to reach 22 reviews) I will post up the first chapter for you guys to see what is in store for Rin and his lady friend!

And I'm working on the sequel to this story as you read this, so hold on tight!

REVIEW! GO! REVIEW!

Or PM...

-xoxo JaminJazzi