Free!Dom (Free! Fanfic/ONC Entry)

Best Not Talked

"...some secrets are best not talked about."

Rin's words worried Makoto. Nobody ever discussed that secret in the past as a certain young pop idol never entered any of the conversations. Nagisa never learned that secret, but Rin moved to Australia during middle school. Haru was known not for a love of conversation but a love of water, yet the lack of conversation from Haru didn't prevent Makoto from knowing what his friend was thinking.

That secret...

That secret was never in their faces screaming for attention, but the news broadcast changed things. Effectively the one person who Makoto could speak to regarding that secret shut him down, yet the vision of Haru hiding under the covers haunted him. In the back of his mind, he knew the rest of the swim club would have questions for him regarding Haru's reaction, yet that secret wasn't talked about.

It was Haru's secret after all and thus not his place to tell.

A quick glance at his phone revealed texts asking how Haru was doing from everyone, yet Makoto didn't have the heart to answer any of them. A voice mail from Gou revealed Rin returned home and acted in a rather standoffish manner regarding the whole matter. Makoto returned home in a mood far from his normal positive self, yet the atmosphere in the household wasn't much better.

"Makoto, what's the matter with Haru?"

"What?" Makoto's head darted up while locks of brown hair fell into his eyes. His mother looked over at him from where she busied herself in the kitchen. His brother watched him carefully, almost as if they knew he was upset.

"One of your classmates from the swim club called asking if you got him home okay, but what was going on."

Makoto closed his eyes. "Rin and I got Haru home okay." His parents knew that secret, which meant... "You've not seen the news?"

"You know I don't like having the television on when the twins still homework have to do."

"Could I possibly talk to you about it when dad gets home? I'm going to try and work on my homework." He walked towards his room without waiting for an answer yet found himself unable to concentrate. Eventually, his parents came into his room.

"We know." Makoto's father sat down on the bed.

"Your father overheard the news before getting home and asked me how Haru was doing. He told me what he heard."

"He's hiding in his room." Makoto found himself taking a homemade meal his mother made in hopes Haru might eat something. Upon entering the domicile, he found Haru under the blankets in his room hiding from the world. Haru didn't respond when Makoto announced his presence or the meal he brought over. "I'm putting this in the fridge so you can eat it later, okay Haru?"

Makoto wasn't surprised when he found the meal untouched in the fridge when he arrived the next morning with plans of taking Haru to school. He wasn't surprised when he found Haru still under the covers, nor was Makoto surprised Haru wouldn't budge from his spot. Walking to school without Haru was lonely, yet Makoto found himself not looking forward to the school day.

He headed straight towards his classroom, yet felt all too alone without Haru to bug. In the back of his head, he knew Haru wouldn't be much fun to bug today given the circumstances, yet the mental state Makoto knew Haru was in continued eating away at his thoughts. He took a deep breath and set his book bag down. He sat down rather ungracefully and found himself staring at the classroom ceiling.

"Did you hear?"

The sound of a female classmate at first didn't draw Makoto's attention.

"The pop idol Haru-chan's gone missing."