𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟓- 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒
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Steam filled the room, clinging to the frosted windows as the door to (Y/N)'s shower swings open. Her hair is wrapped tightly with a small red towel as she starts to make her way towards the bathroom door, her fingers itching for her blanket and to get some well deserved rest.

The young woman spends almost thirty minutes pampering herself and fluffing her hair up, before putting her pajamas on and making her way downstairs to fetch something to eat.

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As (Y/N) crosses the hallway leading to the kitchen, she suddenly screeches to a halt, her eyes wide. Peeking into the room, she feels her brow twitch at the sight before her.

"Why are you in my house?!" She shouts, her voice echoing throughout her home. Her friends all turn to her, each lounging back and enjoying the immense amount of sweet treats being offered by (Y/N)'s mother.

(M/N) smiles sweetly, her warmth radiating as she moves to offer Makoto another biscuit while Nagisa reaches over the table to snag one from an unbothered Haru.

"Sweetie!" Her mother's exclaims, and rises from her seat to approach her daughter. She places a reassuring hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder. "Your friends were just telling me about this little adventure they're going on, and they want you to come!" The excitement in her voice is contagious, but (Y/N) merely arches a brow at the trio.

"Isn't that sweet?" Her mother continued, causing (Y/N) to squint her eyes further to get a response.

Haru simply stared, unbothered as per usual. Makoto continues to take another sip of his tea, his expression warm and soft. Nagisa however, didn't seem to be paying attention, and instead resorted to munching on the last plate of chocolate cookies.

The silence seemed to stretch on, nobody daring to make a sound. (Y/N) rolls her eyes as nobody speaks, and begins to turn around to walk away.

"Whatever you guys are doing, I don't want to-"

Before she could finish, her mother's grip on her shoulder tightens, transforming from a comforting squeeze to a firm hold that sent shivers down (Y/N)'s spine. The sweet smile on (M/N)'s face had since been erased, and morphed into something akin to a warning.

"Your friends came all this way just to invite you." She reminded, the flames in her eyes growing with each second she stared at her terrified daughter.

"Your going out with them, (Y/N)" With that, her mother clapped her hands, leaving no room for arguing before turning and making her way upstairs, leaving her daughter bewildered as silence envelops the kitchen once more.

Nagisa was the first to break the silence, and clears his throat carefully. "We're going to see Rin at Samazeka..we met his younger sister and-"

He's cut off when (Y/N) raises a finger, and sighs through her nose. "Just let me get ready before you continue." With that, she makes her way upstairs to quickly change into more appropriate clothes.

A few minutes pass before she returns, her hair slightly tousled, and gestures for her friends to follow her out the door.
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It doesn't take long before the group all board a train to 'Samazeka Academy', a top swim school that (Y/N) had never even heard of until just now.

The young girl sits between Haru and Nagisa, the younger of the group's head resting comfortably against (Y/N)'s shoulder. Makoto had used the opportunity to catch their friend up on what exactly caused them to visit Rin's school.

Meeting his younger sister Gōu, whose name made the young girl chuckle at the irony of the boyish name. It wasn't the worst idea her friends had come up with, but considering the rather tense interaction they had with their old teammate yesterday, (Y/N) couldn't help but feel a bit nervous to face him again, and possibly have an actual conversation.

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When they arrive at the academy, they all move to the side of the building. Makoto, Nagisa and (Y/N) all peek to see inside of the swimming center, their eyes darting around to catch sight of their old friend. "Do you see Rin anywhere?" (Y/N) asks, and moves away from the glass when a pair of feet move infront of her.

"Not yet.." Makoto mumbles. "He might be out today." He turns to call Haru to come look, but shrieks when he sees the boy unbuttoning his clothes right out in the open. Both (Y/N) and Nagisa cackle when he goes to grab the water addict's hands. "Stop taking your cloths off!" He yells, which only causes his two shorter friends to laugh louder.

Haru shoves his hands away, frustrated. "Well you're the one that dragged me here to swim and I only came to swim!" He yells, and Nagisa quickly tries to get in between the two.

"Whoah! You're right, but we should probably wait till their practice is over so we can have the pool to ourselves." The younger boy's point causes Makoto to sigh loudly. "You do realize that we're gonna be trespassing right?" Nagisa waves his worry away with a wink.

"What did Miss Amakata say about holding an empty glass to the moon? We gotta live our lives! You only live once-" his small rant is cut off when they both turn to see Haru quietly stripping again, this time making it down to his swim shorts.

Makoto grits his teeth in embarrassment. "Stop that!" He turns to find (Y/N) still staring into the glass window, her foot kicked up and rocking from side to side. "And you! Stop staring at the guys swimming it's creepy!" His comment makes the only girl of the group whip her head around, her cheeks ablaze while she goes to smack her friend.

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By the time night rolled around, the teens were all itching to get into the water for a late night swim. Opening the door they all pile in, the pool shining in all its glory.

Makoto looks around nervously. "I still think this will get us in trouble.." he stops and watches in disbelief as Haru tosses his cloths to the side before running and diving into the pool, the water rippling and consuming him.

"Seriously?" He sighs, and the trio watch as their friend takes a big gulp of air before diving back into the water, his face showing nothing but content. Nagisa smiles as he watches. "Just look at how at home he is, still moves like a dolphin."

(Y/N) shakes her head before moving to the edge of the pool and taking her shoes off. "Nah, he'll always be a fish." Makoto raises his hands when she removes her jacket. "(Y/N).." he starts, and takes a step to grab her. "Please don't-!" He's cut off when the girl jumps into the pool, clothes and all, and begins to chase after Haru.

"Oh come on!" He yells, and jerks back when he sees Nagisa begin to strip down, except he had no swimming costume on. "As long as we don't turn on the lights nobody will know!" The young boy yells before rushing to the pool, and jumps in, his birthday suit on full display.

"Makoto!" (Y/N) yells from the edge of the pool, soaking wet as she calls him over. The taller boy sighs. "I'm not getting in there." He's cut off when his foot gets caught, and (Y/N) quickly trips him and moves aside to watch as he tumbles into the pool just as she did, fully clothed.

(Y/N) lets out a loud 'whoo' when he emerges from the pool, Nagisa joining in as they both point and laugh at his soaked school shirt.

Makoto only stares at them before ripping his shirt off, leaving him in his pants as he advances towards the two laughing teens. "That's right, laugh it up!" He yells, and lunges to grab Nagisa by the arms. The honey haired boy dodges his attack, and both him and (Y/N) begin to splash their friend, all laughing and forgetting about what they were originally there to do.

Makoto quickly ducks under the water and swims towards an unsuspecting (Y/N) who was too busy laughing to notice. She yells when Makoto springs from the water, his hands around her waist before he leans back and dunks her.

Nagisa cheers when they resurface, and cackles when the young girl swats at her friend while she yells profanities at him.

Despite the happy scene, their moment is cut short when the door to the center bursts open, and the person they came to see stomps in, a scowl evident on his face.

"What the hell is this? What the hell are you bastards doing here?" Rin quickly questions them, and moves his gaze to (Y/N). "Why am I not surprised." He starts, disgust evident in his voice, "Of course you of all people were stupid enough to break into our pool." The insult makes the girls breathe hitch, confused and slightly hurt.

(Y/N) grits her teeth as she stares at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asks, the water from her hair creating small ripples in the water. Rin stares at her, refusing to say more as he watches her shake, from the cold or from anger he wasn't quite sure, but he didn't care, he shouldn't care.

Nagisa and Mokoto share a look of worry before clearing their throats. "Rin..uh, we were just looking for you!" They try to lesson the tension, but only receive a click of the tongue.

"Get out!"

"But Rin.." The harsh tone that their friend had hurt them, but they don't want to argue any further. (Y/N) was upset and Rin was pissed off, their mission to try and talk to him was officially a failure.

Just as they move to the edge of the pool, the sound of water splashing about causes them all to look forward, and watch as Haru gently raises himself out of the water, his head lowered in thought.

"Free.." the word he breaths out catches Rin off guard, and he watches as the person he despised more than anything, diverts the conversation to one they had so many years ago. "Did you forget? I told you, I only swim free style." His words cause Makoto and (Y/N) to frown, their eyes sunken in pity as they listen.

Haru moves and pushes himself completely out the pool, leaving his friends behind once more to antagonize Rin. "I've got three years left till I'm normal." He states, his eyes locked on the Maroon haired boy. "But I guess it couldn't hurt to wait a little longer." (Y/N) raises a brow as she watches him shake the water out of his hair, a small but noticeable smile present.

"What was it you showed me back then that I wasn't supposed to forget? I seem to be having a little trouble remembering." His trio are left slacked jawed at his bold statement, and they all watch with intense gazes as Rin's brows pull all the way down in anger.

"Oh, I see what this is." His pupils contract just enough that it brings back the memory of (Y/N) comparing him to a shark, a more angry, pissed off one than what he was when they were kids. "But just so you know, it'll be completely different this time!" He declares, and both teens are left staring eachother down at the notion that they were finally about to face off.

(Y/N) stares at Rin from her place in the pool, finally understanding that this person isn't the same boy who always asked her for lollipops when they were little. He isn't the sweet sharp toothed kid that would blush around her, or the kid who would bike to her house everyday just so they could go to practice together.

She knew that now, but what finally stopped her from viewing him as that little kid from way back when, was the fact that he most definitely wasn't their friend anymore.

'Give him hell, Haru.'

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𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝟏