The Winning Kiss

Chapter 8

 Harus heart was still pounding as he watch Makoto walk away. He had never seen that side of him before, not even with others. He was always the mediator and calms people down. I guess you never truly know someone..

He continues to walk home and thinks to himself, "What if i'm like Makoto, falling in love with someone who can't reciprocate the feeling?". Thinking that made his heart ache. Once he got home he ran a bath and sat there for while thinking. "What should I do?"

The next morning Haru exits his house to head to school and to his surprise Makoto is waiting for him.

Makoto turns to and smiles at him.

'What? Didn't expect to see me?" He laughs.

"Not really.." Haru replies.

They begin walking but they don't say much. Then Makoto finally says " Let's forget yesterday happened. I was in the wrong.. Okay?" he says in low tone.

Haru nods and they continue walking.

"I truly didn't know Makoto.. I'm sorry if i lead you on.." Haru says while keeping his gaze on the road.

"I told you to forget about it. okay?" He says with his usual smile but underneath his tone his true feelings were prominent.

Once they made it to school they continued on as if it never happened. Haru could hardly pay attention in class. All he could think about was how he could possibly bring his feelings up to Rin.. He was scared that maybe , Rin would cast him out after, or maybe he has someone else he likes.. Maybe sousuke? He clenches his pen at the thought of that.

He rests his head on his arm and gazes out of the window at the pool that had been drained. Depressing..

Rin was running on the beach skipping class. He kept thinking about the time he spent with Haru that day and how his eyes shined as the sun set around them. His heart was pounding not only from his running. He stops and looks at his watch, it was already 2 o'clock. He turns around to head back to the school to change and get ready for more practice. As he runs back he takes a different route to pass by Iwatobi,they were still in session. He gazed in through the gates and up towards the rows of windows. He turns to start running then a voice calls out to him.

"Hey! Wait."

Rin turns and see Makoto standing on the other side of the fence.

"What do you want?" Rin scowls at him.

"Did you do it?" Makoto asks him.

"Do what?" he replies stepping closer to Makoto.

"Did you kiss him? Did you win?" He says with an unsettling straight face.

Rin looks away, "No... i haven't.. Yet."

Makoto laughs a bit then begins to turn away.

Rin jumps toward the fence, reaches through and grabs his shirt.

"This is ridiculous, this whole game we are playing is stupid. Pitting Haru as some sort of prize? It's as if his feelings are meaningless in this. I'm done! I lose, Forfeit , call it what you want, I'm done with this game!" Rin yells at Makoto.

Makoto smiles and brushes his hand off. " Fine... I don't care about the game either.." After that he turns away and begins to walk back to the school but stops when he sees that Haru is standing there.

"Mako? Rin? What's going on? And what do you mean 'Game'?" He says looking at both of them.

Makoto peers back at Rin then looks back at Haru,

"You see, Rin thought it would be a great idea to see who could make you fall for them the fastest. Isn't that right?" He says with a grin back at Rin.

"NO! THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL!" Rin yells through the fence.

"What?" Haru steps back..

"So that time.. You were just... messing with me.. " Haru says staring at Rin.

" No, he's lying.. Haru listen to me.." Rin says trying to see him.

"I don't know who to believe right now.." Haru says as he runs away.

" YOU BASTARD!" Rin says as he slams his fist into the fence.

Makoto turns back to Rin.

" If I can't have him, why would I ever let you have him?" He says with a smile.

Rin turns and runs toward the area where the pool is. The fence went from chain link to a straight up concrete structure.

"Shit.. how do I get in.." Rin paces back and forth trying to plot a way in..

"There you are..." A booming voice startles Rin.

He looks over to see Sousuke with his arms crossed.

"S-sousuke... you caught me haha." He says nervously.

"Why are you skipping? And why here?" He says with a angry face.

Rins composure changes and he meets Sousuke half way. They both stop and Rin puts the top of his head on Sousuke's chest.

"I messed up.. I don't know how to fix things with Haru.." He says in a bit of a whimper.

Sousuke looks down at Rin and sighs.

" Every break can be fixed Rin... You just need to figure out what's the best method of fixing it.." He says as he pats Rin's head.

" I feel like the odds are against me." Rin says shrugging a bit.

"Don't give up so easily... That's not the Rin Matsuoka I know.. " Sousuke says with a chuckle.

Rin looks up at sousuke and lets out a stressed laugh.

"I guess you're right SOMETIMES." Rin jokes and lightly punches Sousuke's chest.

Rin walks back to the wall and looks around to see if it lowers any.. Then an idea hits him..

"Oi, Sousuke... How much can you lift again?" Rin says with a little smirk.

"Hmm about 90kg on a good day." He says as he grips his shoulder.

"Mind giving me a lift?" he says as he points at the wall.

Rin positions himself in front of the wall and Sousuke comes up behind him to lift him. He grabs Rin by the waist but hesitates.

Rin peers back, "Ready?"

Sousuke nods then lifts him above his head. Rin latches onto the top of the wall and climbs over.

"Be careful jumping down! Don't lock your knees!" Sousuke yells to him.

"Sure thing mom!" Rin says with a wink.

Once Rin lands he gets up immediately to go find Haru, but he couldn't deny the pain he felt in his ankle. Even so he kept running. As he was searching, the bell rang. Students were walking out of classrooms and all around the courtyards heading home. He ran past Rei and Nagisa.

"Matsuoka?" Rei turns around confused (Shook).

"The pool!" He says to himself. He runs in that direction.

"Please be there. Please be there!"

He runs through the gate to the pool and looks around. He spots Haru sitting on the edge of the drained pool.

"Haru!" Rin yells to him.

Haru looks at him then back at the bottom of the pool.

"So, it was all a game?"

__

To be continued...