Free! Oneshots

(Rei Ryugazaki) The Butterfly of Farewell

A/n: This oneshot is heavily inspired and based on the third episode of Free! Eternal Summer, hence the name of the oneshot. You're an athlete in Track in here!

Please enjoy and do request for a person I could write next! :)

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It was well late into the evening as I jogged. My earbuds snug into my ears with music blasting. I held a stoic face but that's only because memories played in my mind, making me secretly urging for him to come back.

To come back to me.

...

"Rei-kun!" I called out to my blue-haired teammate in the hallway. He turned slightly towards me with a soft smile as I quickly approached him. It was already after school and it was time to go to track and field. "I haven't seen you in practice in a while! C'mon! Let's walk to practice together."

His smile slowly faded and he held a guilty expression. "Oh... Sera-senpai didn't tell you guys yet?"

My brows furrowed together in confusion as I gazed into his saddened violet eyes. "Tell us what?"

"I... I quit track and field," he murmured lowly. I abruptly stopped walking. He turned towards me, clearly not pleased at to what he had said. "I'm really sorry, (F/n)-kun. I wanted to tell you sooner but I was scared you'd hate me."

At that very moment, it felt like my heart was clenching. It's no wonder I haven't seen the bespectacled boy in a few days. I guess that blonde actually convinced him to join the club. I mean, I knew the swim team was desperate... But, I didn't want them to steal Rei away from me... Ahem, us.

"I don't hate you, Rei-kun," I assured him while giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "If you feel like you should be on the swim team, then I can't do anything about it."

A bright smile appeared on his handsome face. He then attacked me into a crushing hug. I automatically wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him back. "Thank you so much, (F/n). You're such a wonderful friend."

Friend.

"Of course, Rei-kun. We've known each other for years now. Something like moving clubs will never make me hate you."

...

That was a year or so ago. Rei had stayed on the swim team ever since then. I still don't hate him. I was able to come to a couple swim tournaments to cheer him on and he was absolutely amazing. If this swimming gave him great joy, then who am I to judge him when I'm just as dedicated to track and field? Plus, we're still friends. That's all I needed.

I rounded the corner of the school and nearly bumped into someone. I pulled out my earbuds and started spewing my apologies to whoever I had almost rudely run into. I blinked once I realized who the person was. "Oh, ah, I'm sorry Nagisa-kun," I uttered to him, while wiping away the beads of sweat that was forming on my forehead.

"Ah! (F/n)-chan, perfect! I need to ask you a question," The short blonde told me.

"Uh, go right ahead," I urged him.

"I know how close you and Rei-chan are," Nagisa started off. I blushed at the statement. "And, maybe, you know what is going on with him lately? He has been going somewhere right after school and then comes into class tired."

I stared at him. "Really? No, I don't know what's going on with him actually. I haven't really talked to him in a while," I replied.

Nagisa sighed in disappointment. "Aw, surely, I would have thought if he doesn't tell me something, he would usually tell you." I grinned at the fellow second-year for thinking like that. I didn't want to tell him that Rei and I haven't been able to really hang out for months since we're both in different clubs now.