Truly Beautiful (Free! Iwatobi Swim Club fanfiction)

44- Rin's sight

We all stop turning to face my twin. Haruka, then Makoto, then myself and then Nagisa, We all have our eyes trained on him. He gulps.

"What exactly happened between the four of you?" he asks. I cock a brow, glancing at the others. Nothing happened between us. Does he mean Rin?

"The four of us?" Nagisa asks, obviously thinking the same as me. "You mean with Rin-chan?"

"You were all so close in those pictures. You all looked so happy." Rei states.

"Rei." Haruka addresses. "I don't think talking about this will help much. But if you really want to know, i'll tell you what happened."

"Please tell me. I'm tired of being the only one excluded. Even Aoi-chan knows something." Rei replies.

"What do I know?" I think aloud.

"Rei-chan." Nagisa murmurs.

"Okay." Haruka nods. "Rin was obsessed with relays from the moment he joined our club but only told us why right before the finals. He told us that he wanted to be on a relay team because he wanted to connect to his deceased father and his dream." he pauses. "We won the medley relay and Rin went to Australia. Rin said he would show me a sight that I had never seen before and after we won the relay, it felt like I really did see it."

"I also felt like I saw something completely new." Nagisa admits.

"Yep, same here." Makoto nods.

"I've seen it too!" I gasp. Makoto cocks a brow at me. "Rin... he showed me how to swim butterfly again since I prioritised backstroke and forgot how to have ideal form."

"So if you swam together in the relay and won, why is your relationship so different now?" my brother asks. Haruka closes his eyes as if he's unsure what to say.

"During the first winter break of my first year of middle school, I ran into Rin when he was visiting. He wanted us to swim together; to see who was faster." he pauses. I meet his ocean blue eyes, he looks hurt and remorseful. He takes a deep breath.

"I won the race and he quit. I hurt him and I didn't feel right about that. So I quit." I gasp at Haruka's words.

"Rin! It was Rin!" I murmur to myself.

"What was Rin?" Makoto asks.

"The unknown friend that caused Nanase Haruka, the free boy to stop swimming." I mutter. "I'm going to punch him ASAP!" I make a mental note.

"I never knew that had happened." Nagisa murmurs.

"I couldn't tell anyone back then." Haruka stares at the ocean.

"So that's why you quit in middle school." Nagisa thinks aloud.

"Haru quit swimming competitively because he felt guilty about what happened with Rin." Makoto explains.

"But didn't that race the other day put an end to all of that? You're free now. You can swim however you want. So why are you upset about losing? And why is he entering the relay? I don't understand!" Rei gabbles.

"Rei-chan." Nagisa mutters. Haruka flinches.

"Haru?" Makoto asks.

The usually emotionless boy smiles. "I don't understand either but for some reason... I'm looking forward to swimming with Rin again."

"I do." I state.

"Eh?" Rei asks.

"I understand Rin's logic." I reply.

"You do?" Makoto asks. I nod.

"He's cutting off ties. He wants to succeed and he wants you guys to do so too." I explain my red haired friend's intentions.

"What about you?" Makoto asks. "What has he done to you?"

"He's being rather cold. But he knows that he can't cut his tie to Chouko the butterfly girl because she lies resting with Shizu'. The Aoi he knows now is completely different but he's not satisfied. He befriended me before he realised I was me and even if he wanted to avoid me, Rin wouldn't do too well at that, I'm on his team and my best friend is his roommate." I laugh.

"We really should go." Makoto says, glancing at his watch.

"Hai." Nagisa and I wave to the two older boys. I feel Rei's eyes on me. I duck my head.

"Aoi-chan." I slowly turn to face Rei.

"Yes?" I bat my lashes, trying to look innocent.

"I believe there's something you've neglected to tell me, sister." I gulp at his comment. My eyes meet Nagisa's burgundy ones. He looks fearful.

"Who told you?" I ask, feeling regretful.

"Akira." Rei replies. My eyes widen.

DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNNN

There's the end of the chapter! TO BE CONTINUED

Immediately :P

"You spoke to Aki'?" I ask.

"He called me a few days ago, drunk out of his skull. He told me about your after school activities." My face burns in embarrassment. I hiccup, feeling like my stomach is in my throat.

"Can we talk about this later?" I plea.

"No Aoi, you'll tell me exactly what your relationship is with Makoto on the way to the station." Crap. Crap. Crap. I shoot Nagisa a begging glance. He pulls out his phone and types something.

"Rei-chan! The next train will be at the station in an hour! Let's get some ice cream!" Nagisa enthuses. Rei smiles fondly at the hyperactive blonde.

"Ice cream sounds good, especially since it's so humid today." I nod.

"Fine." Rei's hands are balled into fists but Nagisa has him wrapped around his little finger. I'll have to thank him for this later. Nagisa drags Rei into a newsagents. My phone begins to buzz.

"Aoi?" Makoto asks.

"I'm here. Rei hasn't killed me yet." I assure.

"I'm going to meet you? Are you at the station?" he says.

"The newsagents by the station. Nagisa's distracting Rei." I reply.

"Dad's giving me a ride. I'll be there in a few minutes." he assures.

"You don't have to..." I protest, speaking to the dial tone. He hung up.

My family; I can't believe them!

Akira told Rei about Makoto and I. And to think, things were just starting to go my way.