Black and White (Rin Matsuoka x fem!OC)

43.

Lowkey we all knew the relay was doomed to fail. Not because the guys lack ability or anything, but because they weren't really a team and didn't have that connection. Even though they had practiced a lot, they weren't able to understand what they were getting wrong in their synchronization. It wasn't because of Rin and I'm sure it would still have happened if Haru had participated with them. Something was off, and no one knew what it was.

Or maybe there were too many errors. Kou was timing them and she shook her head a lot, I didn't have to look at the time to know that Mako's reaction time was late, Nagisa wasn't as fast at the end like he usually is, Rei's goggles had slipped just as he entered the water and Rin's stroke wasn't as strong. So, there were a lot of factors for that outcome.

Still, as the great swimmers that they are, they got 3rd place.

I thought they were going to be angry with their performance, but as soon as Rin got out of the pool with the help of Rei, they all hugged each other and smiled. I was puzzled by that, they didn't look exactly sad or disappointed... I turned to look at the winning team and I recognised one of them, that guy with the beautiful eyes... Ikuya?

-What's he doing there?

-Who?- asked Sousuke.

-Ikuya, the green-haired guy from the team that won- I said signaling him.

-Don't know, but he... he looks like Haruka.

-No, they don't.

-I mean...- he sighed briefly- I don't know if my eyes were deceiving me, but he... he swims like Haruka, almost identical.

-Is that even possible? Did he copy Haru, or something?

-I don't know, but the resemblance is amazing.

-I... I didn't really see it...

-We should be more careful, I guess.

My eyebrows were furrowed as I watched Ikuya heading to the locker rooms with his team, then something caught my eye and I looked towards Haru. He was facing the floor and was fidgeting with his hands, I took one of them and squeezed it a bit. We were like that for maybe 2 minutes at most, before he got up and ran away from us, from me.

Once I was able to react, a strong hand took a hold of my wrist.

-Don't.- said Sousuke.

-What?

-Don't go, he probably needs to be alone.

What??? But... No. Haru has been alone with this for far too long, it's time for me to intervene.

I didn't say anything to Sou and sat down again, but once he had let go of my arm I quickly got up and ran (sort of) after the dolphin. I know Sousuke would have followed and caught up to me easily, since I couldn't run fast, but he didn't. Thankfully, he didn't.

I found myself lost inside the venue after 3 minutes of running and Haru wasn't anywhere around. I sat briefly on a bench, my physical condition wasn't the best and I was running with a freaking ankle brace. I tried to calm myself by breathing in and out slowly.

Once I was able to move again, I walked towards some huge clear window panels that were in front of me and saw the view they were hiding. Apparently, there was some kind of a small garden behind the venue, with quite a few trees and some benches, Haru might be there. I stood up and asked for directions to get there to one of the staff members I saw nearby.

I went downstairs carefully, but with anxiety building up inside of me. I needed to find him. I just wished he hadn't left yet. When I reached the garden, I realised it looked more like a small forest with all those tall trees, or maybe I was just too short... I kept walking, trying to control myself from calling his name, he might have left if he heard me. I kept walking until I saw a small water fountain. Water. He might be around here. I looked left and right and nothing, when I was about to give up I saw him sitting under a tree. I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding.