Breathless (Free! Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Haru wasn't talking to me. It had been going around for almost a week. There was only two weeks left before summer break, which is my first, last, and only summer with Haru before he goes off to college and our relationship would be left to the ambiguous. The thought of that was beginning to bug me, and I was starting to feel really twitchy and on edge.

My breathless fits were beginning to emerge again out of my worry and paranoia, so I doubled my training in the swim club, which greatly worried Kou. Since there was competitions right after summer break, I wasn't supposed to push myself. I would rather push myself to my breaking point than have a mental breakdown again. This team meant so much to me, even more so than my old volleyball team.

"Kai? Kai!" Nagisa called repeatedly while waving his chopsticks over my face.

I snapped out of my thoughts and remembered that the club was in the middle of lunch on the rooftop. "Oh," I said, "I've been thinking of something."

"It isn't Haru, is it?" Kou whispered in my ear.

I pulled away defensively. "Why would you say that?" I asked. Luckily, Makoto and Haru weren't around since all graduating students were busy doing what graduating students would do.

"He's been avoiding you," Rei pointed out, clearly hearing Kou's words. "It's a bit mind-boggling. Ever since our training camp, both of you have been inseparable, until a week ago."

"Did you say anything, Kai-chan?" Nagisa asked. "Did you cut him off mackerel?"

"Very funny," I laughed sarcastically. "Wait..." I halted and suddenly had a flashback.

~

"Haru-kun," I mumbled in the middle of watching TV in his living room. Both of us were sat next to each other while we had bowls of mackerel soup for lunch. Watching noontime shows was very boring, so once in a while, we changed channel and looked for something interesting until we got bored and changed it again.

"Mm?" Haru took the remote and changed it to another channel. A documentary about sharks was on, and he seemed really fascinated how the people were talking about a shark mackerel, which isn't even a shark in the first place.

"Is the soup good?" I asked, trying to ease him into the main subject of the conversation.

"Yeah," was his short reply.

I put my bowl down on the coffee table and wriggled my hands, pondering about the right words to say. I watched the show going on and saw a bull shark making its way into the Amazon River.

"You know..." I paused. "There are quite a few sharks in Australia."

"Mhmm."

"I seriously cannot do this," I sighed and just turned off the television. Haru looked at me in question, and I returned the gaze straight-on. "Remember that trip the swim club will be having? The one where we're going to a hot spring next month as a farewell party for you and Makoto?"

Haru nodded, urging me to go on.

"I can't go," I said. Haru's face looked blanker than his natural blank face, if that was even possible. I continued, "My father has a business meeting around that time in Australia, and he wants me to stay with him for the entire summer. I can't say no because he'll be busy for the rest of the year."

"It's okay," Haru said.

"Really? You're not upset?" I asked, looking at him with doubt.

Haru just nodded and took a long sip of his soup before eating the fish. He took the remote and turned the t.v. back on. There was clearly a tension in the air, which I had no intention to engage in, so all I did was take back my soup and began digging in while watching people measure the force of shark bites.

~

Finishing my flashback, I dropped my bento box and instantly slapped myself on my forehead, crying out, "Idiot!"

Kou, Nagisa, and Rei looked at me like I had gone crazy.  I got on my feet and began off the rooftop, leaving the group and my bento behind. I needed to get to Haru.

"Kai! Your bento!" Nagisa called out.

"You can have it!" I yelled as I ran down the stairs and into the hallway. Since running was not allowed, I was speed-walking down the hall, and students who were loitering by the hall looked at me like some freak. I would laugh, but I was too busy trying to get to the other side of the building to see Haru.

By the time I got to Haru's classroom, he and Makoto were just finished with their extra lessons. I quickly ran for it and jumped on his back. He staggered in his steps, but he managed to regain balance as he held the back of my thighs to keep me on his back.

"Kai?!" Makoto cried in shock.

"Hey, Makoto," I laughed awkwardly as the embarrassment of my action sank in. "You mind if I talk with Haru for a moment?"

"Uh, no," Makoto looked absolutely confused. "I'm supposed to meet with Nagisa and Rei, so I'll go on right ahead. Okay, Haru?"

Haru nodded then began walking off, not letting me off his back.

~

"Okay, you're clearly upset," I said, crossing my arms. We were at an empty spot behind the storage building. I could hear students laughing as they ate near the bleachers in the baseball field.

"Why?"

"You're not talking to me obviously," I rolled my eyes. "It's gone off for a week. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"I'm graduating. I'm busy," Haru sighed and began to walk off.

I grabbed hold of his arm. I pushed him against the wall and leaned my head against his chest. "You're acting like a baby," I sighed, lightly thumping my fist on his shoulder. "I know it's about Australia."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Haru said in his usual monotone voice.

My hand curled into a fist in his shirt as my breathing started to speed up. It's fine, I thought. It's fine. It's just Haru. "It's just the summer," I said. "I'll still see you before you go off to university." By then, my knuckles had already turned while from my grip on Haru's shirt as I took all I had to grab hold of my bearings.

All of a sudden, I felt Haru's arms wrap around me, pulling me into a tight hug. Everything just seemed to melt away. I took a deep breath and relaxed in his arms. "You're an idiot," I said. "We'll still see each other."

"I know."

I looked up and rested my chin on his chest. He looked at me blankly, but I saw the tightness around his clear blue eyes. "Do you?" I asked.

"A bit," Haru mumbled. "I don't want you to go."

I brightened up. "There 'ya go," I smiled. "You finally admitted it."

Haru looked away, but there a slight blush tinting his cheeks. I couldn't help it, so I stood on the tip of my toes and kissed his cheek. To my glee, his cheeks reddened even further. Haru took hold of my chin and slowly pressed his lips to mine. When I smiled against his lips, he did the same.

"Didn't you say we shouldn't do this at school?" I whispered against his lips.

"You started it," Haru pulled away but left his forehead resting against mine.

"You were being cute."

"I'm not cute."

"Haru-chan? Kai-chan?" I heard Nagisa's voice right around the corner.

When I turned my head, Nagisa was there with Rei and Makoto. Nagisa looked surprised, while Makoto just looked downright shocked with his mouth hung open. Rei was the one who looked composed. Kou, who just appeared last, caught sight of us and looked surprised but had a look that showed that she already expected this.

"I KNEW IT!" Rei and Kou chorused.

~

Eyyy. So we have about four more chapters left.  First kiss, done. First quarrel, done. First time? Ahem. I mean, the next chapter will probably in two weeks. Hope you like this one.

Leave a comment and vote and add this story to your library. Love 'ya!