Forever (Rin Matsuoka X Reader)

Chapter Two: Never Should Have Left

I toss a pair of black leggings in my backpack, along with the warm-up jacket and yellow Iwatobi Swim Club shirt before grabbing my toast and heading to school. During practice, yesterday Gou and I tried to find a pair of warm-up pants that would fit me, but they were all too big or the legs were too short. We placed an order, but they won't be arriving for another week. I could just go to the joint practice wearing my uniform, but I want to be comfortable.
Haru and Mako are waiting down on the sidewalk, even though it's only a ten-minute walk to school they insisted on escorting me to and from Iwatobi High every day.
"Good morning Y/N," Mako says, his eyes crinkling as he smiles.
"Morning guys," I smile back. I take up the empty space between them. Standing between them I feel so small, like walking between office buildings with arms.
Haru's eating mackerel on toast. All these years and that's still a staple food in all of his meals. I smile knowing that some things will never change.
"What are you smiling about?" He asks, looking at me through the corner of his eyes.
"Is it a crime for me to smile?" I playfully knock shoulders with him. He does it back and I stumble into Makoto.
"No," Haru looks away, finishing the last bite of his breakfast.
The boys drop me off at my class and we make plans to have lunch on the roof.
I do my best to focus on the lessons, but the excitement of what waits for me after school is too much. I manage to write down what Mr. Yoshida puts on the board and answer correctly when he calls on me, but most everything else goes in one ear and out the other. I'm finally going to see Rin again.
"Rin's mad that I went over his head and set up the joint practice through the captain," Gou updates us at lunch. "I think he'll change his tune when he sees Y/N though." She winks and the boys give her a small chuckle.
My face turns red. Sure, Rin and I were close back in elementary school. We lived near each other so we would frequently walk to school and home from swim practice together. Our moms were close, so any time they went out they would leave Rin and me in charge of Gou. Some nights we would fall asleep on the couch together and my mom would just leave me with the Matsuoka's overnight. That being said it was about four years ago and from what the boys have said Rin's changed. I'm trying not to think negatively, but the pessimistic part of my brain keeps sticking its two cents into every positive hope I have.
"What are you thinking about Y/N?" Nagisa asks, tilting his head to the side.
"Huh?" My eyes widen and I find all of them looking at me.
"When you get lost in thought you stare into the distance and clutch your necklace," he replies matter-of-factly. "You did the same back in the old days, minus the necklace."
I drop the oval back in my cardigan. "Oh. I guess I'm just hoping that today goes well."
"Are you worried?" Rei asks, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose.
I shrug my shoulders. The way the boys have talked about Rin certainly worries me a bit. The constant butterflies in my stomach don't help ease the anxiety either. "I'm probably just overthinking." I smile. I look into my bag to make sure that the orange pill bottle is there. I might need to take one later to help with my nerves, but I don't want to take one right now. I don't want to answer the questions they'll ask if they see it. It's hard to explain my anxiety without being asked what caused it. Thankfully over the last two years, it's calmed to the point I only need to take a pill on an as needed basis.
The bell indicating the end of lunch sounds and I make a quick stop in the ladies room before returning to my desk. In the stall, I pop one of the small white pills into my mouth and chase it down with barley tea. I haven't felt this nervous in a long time. I hate the way my stomach flips and my chest tightens. My heart feels like it might just explode out of my chest.
Sitting at my desk, my leg won't stop bouncing. I'm tempted to click my pen, but refrain as to not draw unnecessary attention to myself. I make a conscious effort to distract myself by listening to each word that comes from Mr. Yoshida's mouth.
Before I know it, the final bell rings and I'm walking towards the guys and Gou waiting by the entrance. Gou walks between Nagisa and Rei, talking about training schedules and bouncing ideas around for what the team should do for summer training.
"You good?" Makoto looks down at me, a look of concern apparent in his features.
I nod my head but reach for his hand for comfort. He squeezes it and doesn't push for the truth.
I make it a point to sit next to Mako on the train, resting my head on his shoulder and listening to the sound of the wheels on the track. Nagisa's lively demeanor makes it hard to fall asleep, but I keep my eyes closed nonetheless.
Thirty minutes later we disembark and begin walking toward the boarding school. The butterflies start up again and part of me feels sick to my stomach. I reach for my locket again.
"Y/N," Rin says, calling me away from the others. "I have something for you."
We step outside into the cool night air. Rin and the others surprised me with a going away party, seeing how I leave for Tokyo tomorrow.
The maroon haired boy stands only a few feet away from me, his red eyes glistening with tears that have yet to spill over. His hands are behind his back and his cheeks are slightly flushed.
"I'm really going to miss you, Y/N," he says, his voice as steady as he can make it. "Things won't be the same without you."
"You leave for Australia in two weeks," I say, my voice cracking as I begin to cry. "Even if I wasn't going to Tokyo, we would still end up apart." I stick my hand in my pocket and wrap my fingers around the shark tooth bracelet my mom and I picked up earlier today. My own present for Rin.
One of his hands reaches for my face as he brushes a tear away, just making the tears fall faster.
"I know," he says sadly. "I promise that I'll keep in touch." He brings a small black box from behind him. Opening it he reveals a silver oval-shaped locket attached to a silver chain. "I want you to have this." He removes the necklace from the box and opens the locket. On one side is a photo of Rin and the other is a photo of me. "This way, when you wear it I'll always be close to your heart."
I touch the photo of him and give him a smile. "I love it."
"My mom always says that I'm a romantic," he smiles at me through his own tears. He undoes the clasp and reaches around me, fixing my hair once the necklace is secure. He pulls me into a hug.
Once we separate, I pull the red leather bracelet out of my pocket and hold it out to him. "I guess great minds think alike. I wanted to make sure you had something to remember me by too."
He holds out his wrist, letting me put the bracelet on him.
"I could never forget you," he says, fingering the pointed tooth.
"I could never forget you either," I say, opening the locket, staring at his picture.
"Promise me that if we both find ourselves back in Iwatobi that we'll pick back up right here," he says, taking my hands in his.
"I promise."
"Earth to Y/N," Haru says, standing only inches away from me.
I blink and look around, looking at the brick buildings in front of us. There's a sign to my left indicating that we've arrived at Samezuka Academy. Students roam the campus in variations of their white uniforms.
I feel a warmth on my face and look down at Haru's hand wiping away a stray tear. Instinctively I use the sleeve of my jacket to rub my cheeks.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Haru asks in a whisper. "Do you need a moment?"
I shake my head. "I'm good. I just got lost in my head for a moment. I promise you have nothing to worry about."
He rolls his eyes. "If you say so. Come on, the others have already headed to the pool." His hand wraps around my wrist and he pulls me behind him.
We walk inside the building and Haru leaves me with Gou while he goes to the locker room to change. Together we head up the stairs to the balcony that overlooks the pool. Below us is an array of guys and girls in swimsuits stretching and chatting. I look around, but I don't see Rin among them.
"Don't worry," Gou says. "He'll be here. See the boy down there with grey hair?"
I look where she's pointing and see Nagisa talking with the boy she mentioned.
"That's Nitori, my brother's roommate. He said that Rin had to run back to the dorm to get something he forgot so he'll be running a few minutes late."
As she explains this, Nagisa points back to where we are sitting and Nitori gives the both of a wave and a smile. I smile back.
My legs are bouncing up and down again. Some of the female swimmers keep looking up at me and Gou, their faces anything but smiles.
Just then the locker room opens and a familiar maroon-haired boy walks out. He's wearing black jammers with red detailing. His body resembles a sculpture of a Greek god.
He's certainly grown up.
A busty girl with light pink hair bounds over to him and my heart drops when he wraps his arms around her. She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and he returns the gesture with a peck on her lips. They walk with their arms around each other to the starting blocks.
I look away, standing up and moving as fast as my legs will carry me. Gou calls after me and from below I can hear my name being shouted from Haru and Mako. I don't stop for any of them.
Racing down the stairs and out the door.
I never should have left Tokyo.....

A/N: I hated writing this chapters ending and even considered making it different, but just stick around because I promise that you will get what you came for when clicking on this book!! Just hang in there!! Please(: