Nagisa Hazuki
I dry my hair while I walk back to the tribune where Rei is cheering on Makoto. He stops cheering him on when I arrive and say, "I swam horribly, I'm sorry."
I ended last place, because I wasn't focusing enough on swimming.
Rei shrugs and gestures at the swimming pool down below. Makoto is swimming the backstroke now. He's far behind.
"Well, you're not the only one," Rei admits.
He's right. While the others have already made the turn, Makoto is not even close to the wall.
I'm worried about him.
Not because he's going to lose this swim, but because he's been so quiet from the moment the hospital called about Haru. I think he's even ten times more worried than Rei and I are.
Rei gets up from his seat and readjusts his glasses. "I've gotta go."
I nod.
Rei is the next, and last one of us to swim. I don't think we're staying to watch the relay, because we're not swimming anyway.
Rei walks away and when he's gone, I look back at the swimming pool to see that Makoto's finally finished. He ended in last place; I don't think this has ever happened to him before.
He pushes himself out of the pool, almost slipping back in because of exhaustion.
It's Rei's turn to swim not long after Makoto's walked away from the swimming pool.
The start signal sounds, but Rei doesn't jump in on time. He's almost ten seconds later than the rest of the butterfly swimmers.
"Come on! Rei!" I yell as loud as I can. I have to cheer him on, even though I don't really feel like it. "Push it!"
He's slow, almost even slower than he before he learned to swim. I wonder if he's even going to make it to the first turn without sinking.
I turn around when I hear footsteps coming closer. It's Makoto. His hair is still wet and he hasn't even taken the time to dry off his body and put on his vest.
"You're going to catch a cold." This is something that usually would be said to me, but I don't want Makoto to get sick.
Makoto shrugs.
A drip of water falls from his hair onto his lap. He looks sad. And I get it, I'm sad too. This could be our last time swimming together in a tournament if we didn't make it to Nationals. Looking at how bad we're doing, I think this will be our last time swimming together.
Of course, there's swim training after school. We can still challenge Rin's team for a relay when Haru gets out of the hospital; but it's different.
I look at my lap and try to think of something more fun. Like Iwatobi Surprise bread, we should bring some to the hospital for Haru. As a "get well soon" present.
I shake my head. Mackerel would be a better choice... but there's no way he's going to be able to prepare that in the hospital.
I look down at the swimming pool and realize that, even though I try not to, I'm still thinking about Haru all the time.
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FanfictionSwimming with his friends... that's something Haruka cares about a lot. But will he ever be able to do what he loves when he suddenly ends up in the hospital after getting hit by a car? And will he and his friends be able to deal with this?
