Caught in the Act (A 'Free! Iwatboi Swim Club' Fanfic)

Chapter 7 - The Reason Why

            “Onii-san! I’m off to school now!” I ran down the stairs once I heard a knock on the door.

            “Hmm. Be careful, Mei!” He shouted back from the kitchen. Hurrying, I stuffed my feet into my shoes and opened the door to find Makoto on the other side. It has already been a week since I transferred to school, and I was beginning to enjoy it.

            “Ohayōgozaimasu!” Mako greeted me. I smiled, handing him a container.

            “Hmm?” He took it and opened the container to find two slices of toast with ham and egg inside. His face lit up like fireworks had gone off. “Thanks!” I opened my wrapped sandwich and ate it alongside Mako until we reached Haru’s house. Already used to Haru’s weirdness, I followed Mako into Haru’s house, stopping in the living room while Mako continued on to the bathroom.

            “Haru-chan, time to go. Mei-chan brought breakfast again today. It’s really good!” I heard Mako telling Haru. In a second, they both appeared. With Haru just wearing his bathing suit, I couldn’t help but notice how nicely toned his muscles were. My eyes wouldn’t obey me – they travelled a little further south. I should be used to this! I see hot, half-naked, high-school guys almost every day. So why was my heart going ‘doki’ ‘doki’?

            A warm heat flared into my cheeks as I quickly looked away before either one of them thought of me as a pervert, or something worse. I gruffly thrusted a similar container out towards Haru.

            “Here.” He accepted it, popping the lid open.

            “No mackerel? Che.” My jaw dropped, anime-style. Did I just hear him correctly? Did he just say what I think he said? The whole, ‘che’ part? Right when I was about to swipe it back, Haru decided to take a bite.

            “Ba-ka,” I muttered.

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            “ –cient time… gladiators were… mythology…” I zoned out of Ama-sensei’s literature lecture. I had already read all those books that the seconds-years were just starting. I turned my head so that I was facing the outdoors that was just out of my grasp. Just as my eyes passed by a tree, I noticed a black figure on a branch that jutted out of the tree. I squinted my eyes, just making out a shape: a common black-hawk. Excited, I dug out my sketch book from my bag and began sketching the hawk. I was finished by the time the bell rang for lunch. I grabbed my bento, my sketchbook and a pencil, waiting for Mako and Haru. By the time we headed up to the roof, Nagi and Rei were already waiting for us.

            I pried the lid to my bento open, taking a bite before I started on a new sketch. This time, I wanted to capture the beauty of a person. Who could it be? Who could it –? Ah, Makoto sure is handsome. But then, so is Haruka. But, but, Nagisa looks so cute! Then there’s Rei! I puffed my cheeks out, unconscious of my action. The four of them looked at me quizzically. It was then that I noticed their stare that I realized how stupid I probably looked.

         “Baka,” Haru commented. I rolled my eyes and picked Mako as my target. I lifted my sketchbook onto my lap and began to draw Mako, starting with his kind face. Glancing up and then focusing my attention of my strokes, the process repeated for quite a while. Mako noticed me staring at him before burying my face back into the sketchbook. A mischievous smiled played on my lips as I watched his slight discomfort. Just when the lunch bell rang, he started to get up to leave.

            “Mako-chan! Wait! Sit down again really quick, please.” Obeying me, he sat down, finally figuring out what I was doing. I snapped my book shut and grinned.