If Forgetting was Easy

Chapter 2

Rin's POV

--3rd year high school after the competition--

The competition ended and I, along with my teammates, feel satisfied with the end result.

Here I am, walking towards our buses with Iwatobi swim club, my little sister, and my entire team when...

"Rin!" A loud feminine voice called out to me in the opposite direction.

Even though I was the one called, everyone turned to look for the owner of the voice.

There was a girl, a little shorter than me, running towards me while waving her hands. I just looked at her, shocked and confused.

"Oi, Rin. Who's the chic?" Sousuke asked while I replied with a shrug.

"Rin!" She ran towards me a hugged me tight.

"Uhmmm..." I started as I pushed her away softly.

"Who are you?" I asked slowly, trying not to offend the girl.

She glared at me, puffed her cheeks and pouted. I have to admit that she was pretty cute and familiar.

Obviously, my brain is still searching for memories of this girl, but my heart already knows who she is because there's a bitter sweet feeling that's rushing through me. There's an annoying feeling that keeps nagging though... 'An old memory'.

"How can you forget your own former girlfriend?" She said daringly, her hands on her hips, and defining her angry look.

'...girlfriend?' Then it hit me.

==Flashback==

"Hi! My name is Rin Matsuoka. Name sounds like girl, but I am boy. Nice to meet you." I introduced proudly. I looked at everyone, and they all seem confused and dumbfounded so I started laughing awkwardly.

I later hear someone giggling in front and saw a cute girl giggling and eventually laughing which I later joined in.

I was asked to sit beside some guy or some girl. I was nervous. I don't know anyone and if I would choose my seatmate, it'd be that girl earlier.

As if the gods heard my prayer, she stood up and pointing at the empty sit beside her while wearing a wide smile. That smile of hers, I don't know why, but it was able to clear my hesitations.

Time skip-- (15 year old Rin) at the beach

What I thought was a simple childish crush back then blossomed into love. I looked at her, who seem to be starring at nothing, and just the thought of her being with someone else kills me inside. I fell in love with this rich girl who couldn't care less about what people think of her. I fell in love with a woman who knows what she wants. I fell in love with the woman whom I call my best friend. I fell in love with her, the first time I heard and see her laugh.

I walked towards her and woke her up from her day dream with my sea water soaked hands.

"What the—Rin!" She squealed as I laughed at her reaction.

"You were spacing out." I replied as I grabbed a soda.

"That doesn't mean you're allowed to make me wet." She said as she wiped her cheeks dry while I nearly choked on my soda.

I know, but it's not my fault. I'm 15 years old and I don't deny that I have... umm.. boy needs, and that my brain is a lot greener than ever. When I said 'green', I'm not talking about the environment.

I kept my mouth shut as I try to erase the images forming in my head and the next thing I know was that she snapped a picture of me.

She tried to ask me what's wrong, but I just shrugged at the question, there was no way I'm letting her know I was thinking of inappropriate images of her. With my thoughts preoccupied, I lost one of our bets.

When I asked her what she wants, she grabbed a popsicle and started sucking on it. Like sucking on it.

I'll admit that my imagination is going wild but then a thought hit me, 'does she eat popsicles this way when she's outside?'

I tried hinting her that she should stop eating it that way, but let's face it. That woman is too dense to understand things that involve her. I swiped her popsicle and ate it quickly, nearly giving me a brain freeze.

I demanded her to not eat those things again without me which she, of course, retaliated.

I snapped. I yelled at her, got into an argument, but the best thing about it was the sunset kiss that seemed like it was purposely made for that moment.

The best day of my life. The day she was finally mine.

A year later, her parents wanted her to go back to her country. It was something that the two of us wasn't ready for. A separation.

"It'll be fine!" I said, trying to cheer her up.

We were already at the airport, waiting for her flight back home.

"I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you." She said as she start to tear up.

"Hey." I said as I caress her cheeks.

"Who says we can't handle long distance relationship? In case you didn't know, my love for you will reach you anywhere in the globe... even when you're taking a bath." I teased which she reciprocated with a slap on my arm. As she was about to say something, her flight was called for boarding.

"..."

"..."

We were both silent. Neither of us wanted to let go. I looked at her eyes, desperately trying to not cry, and her lip quivering.

I held her hands and made her look at me.

"I love you. I will always love you. I won't look at any other women. I won't be tempted. I won't do anything that would ruin us. I know it hurts, but we can manage, right? Our love isn't that weak." I said softly as she started crying and nodding.

I wiped her tears away before kissing her for one last time.

"I'll write you letters. You better reply!" She said in her tough voice as she playfully pounded my chest.

"I will." I looked at her. I let my eyes have their fill for one last time, for one last look of my first and possibly last love.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

With one last hug and kiss, she boarded her plane.

The letters were coming in everyday for the first 3 months, but after that, they stopped with her last letter bearing four words: I love you. Goodbye.

That's were things started to crumble for me. I couldn't swim the way I wanted to. My grades dropped. I was empty and eventually, I decided to stop swimming and go back to Japan with a vow of what happened in Australia, stays in Australia, even my memories.

End of Flashback

"_______" I said softly but loud enough for her to hear.

She smiled at me. That smile that started everything. A smile so familiar yet painfully different.

"I'm back, darling." She replied.