Peace and Friendship (Discontinued) (Free! Iwatobi Swim Club Fanfiction)

Realizing Mistakes that Can't Be Undone

Haruka's point of view

I get a call on my phone. It is from the person I hadn't expected. Rin. I don't answer. No reason to. After what he had done, why would he even have the nerve to call me? I sigh and open the phone to listen to the voicemail.

"Hey Haru... I know you don't want to hear this... but, I had a nightmare. Not of your typical ghost or scary story type of nightmare. I saw... Mei." I get shocked. I hear a sniff in the background. Is he crying? "At first, I see flames, a house collapse, and a drunken man yelling at someone. I hear the name Mei. So I assume it was the one from my class... she was a little girl at the time. She ran into the burning house and grabbed some little boy. Then, I was transferred to some dirty house. Beer bottles filled the floor, and Mei was sleeping on the floor in a futon. Someone yells her name, but as she got up... I noticed her arms were red. I followed her and her father slapped her... She had scars and bruises all over her body. Then... she revealed what she does for that man... Bathes him, feeds him... she doesn't even get to eat! She eats the scraps off his plate! Now how's that for you....! Everything I have done to that girl, wasn't deserved... I had no idea about her past. If I had known... maybe something would have changed that urge to hurt her..." The voicemail ends.

I drop my phone. Makoto jerks up from where he was. We are at his house. Mei had to get a few x-rays today. So we decided to leave. We are now working on homework we missed yesterday. We didn't go to school. Makoto waves his and in front of my face which snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Haru? Are you okay?" I shake my head. "Rin. He just called me and left a message." I bend down to pick up my phone. I open up the voicemail and put it on speaker. As the message plays, Makoto widens his eyes. When it ends, Makoto sits there silent. I wait a few minutes for him to say something. He must be in shock a little to hear what Rin had said. I was for sure.

"So, Rin found out everything by a nightmare he had...", Makoto says in a quiet voice. I nod. But I think, some of that stuff, I didn't hear about from Yamazaki. What Mei had done for her father. Feed him? Bathe him? It's like she is treating her like a slave! Maybe... Yamazaki didn't t even know that. Makoto sighs. " Honestly, I didn't know about the feeding and bathing. I thought I knew most things. But I guess she has things she would like to keep to her self. I respect that. Mei's father needs to pay for his crime. If he ever came here, I would make sure he entered jail for the rest of his life..."

I look at Makoto. He really hates Mei's father. As do I. I stand from where I'm sitting. As I do, the twins barge in the room. "Onii-chan!!" Ran climbs onto Makoto's shoulder. Ren jumps onto mine. Makoto's expression changes from a frown, to a smile. "What are you two up to?" Ren smiles. "Mom and dad said we are going out for a little while. They said we should all buy Mei-chan a gift!" Makoto's eyes slightly widen. "Ah! Really?" Ran nods. "We will give it to her as soon as she wakes up!"  I smile and nod my head. "That is a good idea. I'm sure you will make Sakamaki-chan happy." The twins smile. "Let's go!!" We smile and nod.

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We arrive at some local gift shop. The things that they have in here... are kind of tacky. Rubber bands, toy cars... its like a toy shop for children. I look around multiple areas and nothing I think Mei will like comes into my view. I know she likes mackerel but that's it... I spot a necklace. A fish? Really? The only one who would want that, would be a old man or women. Then I think again, Makoto...

The I pass by another necklace. But, what catches my eye, is the dolphin charm. I pick it up and inspect it. The silver chain and the blue dolphin hanging off of it. Then I notice the tag says, "Buy two and give to a special someone to have a forever connection." Then behind it is a pink dolphin necklace. I pick that one up too. I guess, I keep the blue one, and the pink one is Mei's. I clutch them in my hands and meet up with Makoto and his family after I purchase them.

Makoto looks at what I brought. I look at his. He has a phone strap with a orca on it. And he brought a identical one for himself. "Wow. Haru I like the gift you picked. I'm sure she will love it." He smiles as do I. Ren and Ran run over to me. "Haru! We got Mei a furin!" They hold up the glass ball with a piece of paper hanging on the end. They wrote on the paper, "We love Mei-nee-chan!" I smile and Makoto ruffles the twins hair. Before we start the way home, I spot someone that makes my heart jump. Rin... I stop walking. "Makoto... I will catch up with you guys later." Makoto gives me a confused gaze but he nods.

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I slowly follow Rin to where he is going. He enters Samezuka. The dorms are quiet and no one can be seen. I figure he must be going into his dorm, but he walks past it and goes to Mei's. He twists the knob and for some reason, the door is unlocked. He enters with me peeking in without him noticing. He looks around the empty dorm. I notice it is almost empty. Almost nothing fills the desk. No clothing is found, nothing. But, he notices a piece of paper on the ground. Judging by the way it is placed on the floor, it was already read.

He picks it up to read it out loud.

"Dear Sousuke,

I am really excited to start here! It has been a week since I have transfered here. I've became good friends with Mikoshiba who is right across the hall from me. I also met Nitori Aiichirou. He is also very kind and sweet. How have you been? I heard you will be transferring here soon, I can't wait! I hope we are in the same class so I can actually talk to someone. I am quiet... You already know why anyway. My father has left some bad mental scars on me.... But, I'm grateful to be in this place. I was thinking about making friends... with..." He stops mid sentence. His eyes fill up with tears, "Haru... I know you are there.... come out..."

I flinch and step out. He wipes his tears. "You must have heard what this letter had said... but, the thing that stabbed me, was the last few sentences... She wanted to make friends with me!! Me! Of all people!! She was thinking of greeting me the day after the incident! If I hadn't done that, then we could have been close! Sousuke hates me! Nitori, Mikoshiba, everyone! And... I just wish... I could have done something about it..."

I glare at Rin. "You can't undo that past. What's done is done. You have to live with the pain that she has to live with now..."