Clouded Distance | Free! Fan Fiction

27. Breaking Point

note: listen to the music once you reach the beach scene... it makes everything a lot more emotional!

Clouded Distance
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Breaking Point

Of course, her parents were ecstatic that she'd been accepted.

With hugs and kisses and many 'I'm so proud of you's,' Hana felt like she was being smothered. She didn't bring up her conflicting reactions to the letter, knowing that her parents wouldn't understand. Instead she kept her facade through dinner, smiling and accepting their praise as they'd expected her to.

As soon as dinner had finished, Hana told her parents she was going to visit Makoto. Her acceptance letter in hand, she dashed out of the door before they could respond. She needed to talk to him; he'd understand why she was in such turmoil.

His parents invited her right in, and she quickly made her way to his room.

"Makoto!" she cried, not even knocking before she entered.

Makoto was seated at his desk when she entered. He lurched upwards, swivelling his chair around to see her. Once his eyes rested upon her shaking, fearful frame, he was over by her side in an instant. His arm around her shoulder, he gently guided her to his bed and sat her down. "Hana? What's wrong?" he murmured, gently rubbing her shoulder.

Hana produced the acceptance letter she'd just received, placing it into Makoto's hands. "Read this."

Hana was silent while Makoto took the letter, reading it over. Shortly after reading it he looked at her with widened eyes. "You were accepted?" he exclaimed. "Hana, that's great! Out of everyone who applied - what's wrong?" he inquired, upon realising Hana was still as shaken and upset as she had been upon entering the room.

"But that's the problem, isn't it?" she whispered. She stared blankly at her hands. "I've been accepted... What am I going to tell Haru?"

A soft inhalation of breath came from Makoto, and she knew he realised the same thing she had. "Oh..." he murmured. Gently, he wrapped an arm around her, squeezing her gently. "Come here."

Hana bit her lip, momentarily trying to fight back the tears, but she gave up almost as soon as she started. She buried her face in Makoto's shoulder, letting her her frustration and worry out as she cried, her sobs filled the room.

"I'm so scared to tell him when he's already so unsure about his own future!" she cried, her body shaking with her sobs. "How will he react? I'll be in Tokyo while he still has no idea how to deal with his life!" She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped tightly to her best friend's shirt. "I don't know how to help him, Makoto, I just don't know! I'm his girlfriend but I still don't know how to help him!"

"It's okay, Hana," he murmured, gently rubbing her shoulder. "I understand."

Hana sniffed and wiped at her eyes. She lifted her head slightly off Makoto's shoulder. "How could you understand? You said you were going to the local university... You're not going all the way to Tokyo!"

He smiled at her sadly. "But I am."

"What?"

Hana blinked, stunned momentarily. I hadn't been expecting that... he'd told me it was likely he'd be headed for the local university. What happened to make him change his mind?

As though sensing her thoughts, he elaborated. "After helping out at the swim club... I realised that's what I want to do: the teaching side of swimming. I'm going to a university in Tokyo to be able to do such a job."

Hana gasped. "You're going to Tokyo too?"

"Yeah."

She sighed, her shoulders slouching forward. She braced her weight with her elbows on her knees. "We're both leaving this place, then," she murmured.