Translucent Waters (Nanase Haruka Love Story) (Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club)

Epilogue II: Part 2

Mizushima Kasumi's Point of View

Just to my luck, my cable wasn't working so I couldn't watch the Quantico marathon on TV, so I ended taking out my computer to watch a cheesy, cliché Korean drama-- Emergency Couple. Oh the feels . . . the drama was so heart-wrenching, full of angst, sad, cute, adorable . . . literally a mash of a thousand emotions per episode. Not to mention the cup of ice cream I was downing while drowning in happy laughs and sad tears . . . good times.

At least, it was enough for me to forget about dinner with Nanase earlier. Pausing the episode, I began reflecting my relationship with Nanase. Maybe he wasn't worth my time. Maybe it was usually just me who put effort into our relationship. I was always the one to text him 'good morning' and 'good night.' It was always me who initiated the conversations. At least back in high school, we both made an effort to spend time with one another, and at least it wasn't just me starting conversations all the time.

Even when I did text him, it would take him at least an entire day for him to reply, and sometimes even more. At first, I didn't mind because, at times, I didn't check my phone for a few days because of late-night work shifts, but then whenever I logged onto social media, he would always be posting pictures online of the good times at swim practice for the Olympics. That was what annoyed me. He could reply. At first, I thought that maybe he turned off his data, but later on, when I checked my texts, it showed that he had read my messages but just didn't reply. I tried not to be bothered with it because he was a star athlete and that he was a busy man.

But now that I look back, I was an idiot to just let him take me for granted like that. I deserved more.

I set my phone down, finished my ice cream, turned off my computer, and went to do the dishes.

Once I was done, I glanced outside, noticing that it had stopped drizzling from earlier. I looked at the clock to find it at exactly 8:14 P.M. The night lights outside looked so pretty that I decided to go out for a walk to freshen my mind. I was going to break up with Nanase soon, and I wasn't going to cry. It was bound to happen anyways. He was literally a celebrity in the swimming world and Japanese sports. Why would he have time for me anymore? For us.

The FaceTime calls we used to have now disappeared. At first, we FaceTimed fifteen minutes a day. Then it became ten. Then five. Then he didn't FaceTime me anymore. He reverted to a phone call . . . Then to text . . . and now to nothing.

As much as I wanted to just text Nanase and end our relationship like that, I had to admit that that wasn't the best way to end a relationship with closure. I got up and retrieved my charging phone from the outlet, put on a gray jumper, and went outside.

The city air was crisp and had an aroma of fresh rain. Refreshing.

Out on the streets, I passed by tens of couples-- hand in hand-- smiling, laughing, and having fun. I grimaced but held strong. I ended up passing by the restaurant Nanase and I were eating at earlier to find that the table we were sitting at then was now empty.

My heart unconsciously fell. What was I expecting? For him to still be there? Of course, he left. What was I thinking . . .

I stopped by a park and sat down at a wooden bench. I placed my hands in the pockets of my sweater and stared up at the night sky. The stars sketched millions of images, illuminations, and dreams. As I tilted my head side to side to search for Polaris at the center of Orion's belt, I failed to notice someone sit beside me.

"Kasumi." the person snapped my out of my trance.

I'd recognize that voice from anywhere, but I didn't look his way.

Nanase sighed, "I'm sorry. We haven't talked in so long, so I tried formulating worst scenarios in my head, what to say, and-"

I got up and left him at the bench. What a lie. He could've done that before hand. Besides, it was just me. What was he so afraid of? But what surprised me the most was how much he talked. It was by far more than what he said to me total in the past few months. That was the only shock.

I heard him run behind me, and he grabbed my arm.

"Kasumi."

I shivered under his touch.

"Don't ignore me." he but his lip. "Okay, I know I don't talk that much, and I know that you want to end things between us."

I looked back at him. He read my mind.

"But just know that the thing that compels me to wake up every morning are the texts you always send me, and I look forward to getting your 'good night' texts before I go sleep," he cracks in barely a whisper. "I know I don't reply. Trust me, I want to. I just forgot how. After a while of not seeing you, I don't know if you've changed or how to act around you again, but I'm trying again. Especially before the Olympics. I'm trying, believe me . . ."

I bit my lip. I didn't know how to respond.

"Nanase," I breathe. "I think we should end things."

He drew in a breath. Tears threatening to form in his eyes. "Kasumi . . . please."

"At least until after the Olympics. Work hard until then and maybe we can start over after that, but for now, for the both of us, I think it's best if you focus on swimming and for me to focus on my studies."

The words flowed out of my mouth, and it hurt a lot more than I had anticipated.

"Y-you don't mean that," his voice cracks.

I close my eyes, before replying, "No, I do. Maybe things will work out for us in the future, but, now, I don't think things are unraveling best for us."

With that being said, I left him out in the night, not even sparing him a second glance . . . because I knew . . . I knew . . . that once I did, I'd run back straight into his arms.

~~~

Hi everyone! Sorry for the really late update!

I've been studying up for college entrance exams so . . . that's fun :') (not really lol)

In any case, I'm not sure if I should just end it here or add a Part 3 to this Epilogue II.

Tell me if I should in the comments!

~FujiwaraYuko~