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When Haru figured it out, he wasn’t angry or jealous, or anything like that. If anything, he was curious and just a bit confused. Makoto and Rin. Together.
Maybe he was a little more than just a bit confused.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed it, that Makoto and Rin had been getting closer. Of course he had. He’d go to Makoto’s and Rin would already be there, or Makoto would tell him about plans together, or something Rin had said in a text, or show him a funny picture. These were all things that hadn’t happened before. Ever.
So it wasn’t entirely unexpected when he caught them waiting outside the Samezuka gate, pinkies locked together (which he never would have expected to be Rin’s thing), or heard some suspicious noises coming from the locker room showers before immediately returning to the safe embrace of the pool.
It was just strange. So strange that Haru still wasn’t completely sure about it. But the evidence was...pretty overwhelming. He wanted to say something.
“I know you’re dating. That’s great.”
“Hey, you two. Together. Cool.” With maybe a thumbs up.
“I heard you two fucking in the shower the other day. That’s great and all, but other people--”
He couldn’t come up with a way to admit he knew without embarrassing himself or Makoto. Honestly, Haru didn’t really care about embarrassing Rin, but it had become rather difficult to get him alone.
He thought maybe he should have been mad that they didn’t tell him themselves, but he wasn’t. It wasn’t his business, and he probably would have been happier in blissful ignorance, anyway. That was practically one of his specialties. But since he figured it out, he felt like he should let them know.
Floating on his back in the pool, he watched them. They had a short joint practice that day, just a little reward for the hard work they had been doing, and the pool was mostly cleared out. Makoto and Rin were on the other side, chasing and splashing each other. No one seemed to find it out of the ordinary, because it wasn’t really. It was just their expressions, and the way they called to each other.
It would have been so easy to just swim over, and get it over with. But he didn’t.
On the walk back home, Haru considered that maybe they had just assumed that he already knew. That idea was quickly dismissed.
“Makoto,” he said, as they stood at their usual separation point. Rin stood just a bit too close to Makoto’s side.
“Ah, sorry, Haru. We’re studying,” Makoto replied. Nothing out of the ordinary. “Why don’t we go to the beach tomorrow? It’s supposed to be nice.”
Although it was tempting to just give in there… “I’ll come, too.”
“To the beach?” Makoto smiled. “Well, yeah, that’s the point.”
Haru blinked. “Studying. English, right? I need help, too.”
Both pairs of eyes opened wider, and Haru knew he’d hit it. “No, we’re doing literature,” Rin said, just a bit too fast. “You’ll just be bored, and then you’ll distract Makoto, and then we won’t get anything done.”
Makoto wasn’t in a literature class, and therefore didn’t need Rin’s help, nor could he help Rin, and the look on Makoto’s face told them all that Rin had told a blatant lie, but Haru just shrugged.
“Makoto. Text me when you’re ready to go tomorrow.”
“Um, yeah,” he replied immediately, with a weaker smile. “See you, Haru.”
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It wasn’t like it would have been anything big. Haru already knew Makoto was gay, anyway. That hadn’t been a big deal at all. Makoto had asked Haru if he liked anyone, Haru had, of course, said no, and then Makoto said he kind of maybe sorta liked a guy, and Haru had nodded, said “okay” for Makoto’s sake, and it had been all good. He knew what it meant, but he didn’t particularly care either way. Makoto was Makoto.
Thinking about it, that might have been a dream. Haru sometimes had dreams like those, with deep conversations. Though usually, they were with Nagisa and involved...no, it hadn’t been a dream. The more likely possibility was that Makoto had just forgotten.
Because unlike Haru, Makoto did that sometimes.
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“Did Rin stay over?” Haru asked first thing after they met up at the beach. Both of them looked like they had, uh, pulled an all nighter to study. “Must be some test.”
Rin nodded. “Yeah. I know a lot of people last year failed, so I Just want to be prepared...Hey, let’s race?”
Makoto had that look of utter failure on his face again, but Haru shrugged and started heading for the water. He didn’t care enough about this for it to affect the amount of swimming time he got.
Haru won the race. By a lot. “Are you okay?” He asked. Rin looked kind of uncomfortable, and--oh. Ew. He turned to go back to the ocean. “Don’t challenge me when you’re... tired.”
“I’m not tired! I just--” Rin started, but Haru could only imagine the look from Makoto that cut him off. “Well don’t be such a sore winner!”
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They both saw Rin off at the station later. Haru left for a moment to buy a drink from the vending machine. He didn’t really want a drink, of course--why buy something when water was free--but he watched from around the corner. After talking for a few seconds, they kissed once, very softly and quickly. It was Rin who had initiated it, but because Makoto turned red with the embarrassment of kissing in public, Rin did, too. It was almost funny how predictable the interaction was.
Haru decided that was a great time to return.
“Makoto, are you getting sick?”
He turned even redder. “N-no, I’m fine. It’s just hot out today. Where’s your drink?”
“They were out.”
“Of everything?”
Haru shrugged, and Rin scoffed and said something about there probably not being any water, which set off an argument about Haru’s drink preferences, and before long, the train was pulling in.
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The walk back was...quiet. Haru knew he was thinking, trying to bring up the topic, but Makoto must have been thinking, too. It wasn’t normal for him to be so silent.
“Makoto.”
“Huh?”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know? You’re the one who called me first,” he said, but he knew.
Haru looked at him.
“It’s nothing, Haru, really.
At this rate, Makoto and Rin would be married before Haru found out anything for sure. They made the rest of the walk in silence, but Haru had resolved to invite Makoto in for tea and question him there.
“Well, Haru, I guess-”
“Stay over,” Haru said, with more force than usual. There was no reason for Makoto to refuse, unless he had some plans with Rin that Haru didn’t know about. Since Rin had gone home without Makoto, though, he doubted it.
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Makoto looked visibly uncomfortable. “So why am I staying over?” He asked, sitting down on the couch and reaching for the TV remote. Things always seemed less serious when the TV was on.
“Why not? We haven’t had a sleepover lately. You’ve been...busy.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess i have. Well, I’m here now.” He smiled, suddenly looking more relaxed, and walked towards the kitchen. “Snack?”
“Water.”
“Haru.”
“Whatever you want.”
Makoto came back within a few minutes with the snacks, and Haru had just started the movie. It was normal, and comfortable, and Haru was ready to ruin all of that. He hadn’t really felt like watching a movie, anyway.
He watched, waited until Makoto’s mouth was clear of food or drink, and then struck. “So how long?”
“How long what?” Makoto asked, still consumed by the movie. “Is this movie? I don’t know, you put it on.”
“No. Not that.”
“Then what? Have these chips been opened? I think just since last-”
“No.”
“Well I’m not going to play a guessing game all night.”
He chose his next words carefully, saying them slowly and simply. “You,” Haru took a deep breath. “And Rin.”
Haru was glad the TV was on--the silence would have been deafening otherwise, he was sure. Though he could practically feel Makoto’s racing thoughts, especially with the look of almost sheer panic on his face. “I’m--”
“Stay,” Haru said, grabbing his friend’s sleeve as he went to stand up and flee.
Reluctantly, Makoto sat down again. He was shaking, huddling into himself. “How long have you known?”
“I asked you first,” Haru said, but with how Makoto was, he knew he had to answer whatever he was asked. “I’ve been suspicious for a few weeks, but last week I saw you two holding hands, and I saw you kiss at the station.” He didn’t mention the locker room incident; there was no need to make Makoto any more nervous.
Makoto took a deep, shaky breath. “We’ve been dating almost three months. I really like him, Haru.”
“Obviously.”
Makoto looked at him expectantly. Was it not clear that Haru didn’t care? He had just wanted to let Makoto know that he knew, not have some whole heartfelt discussion about it. That wasn’t really his strong suit.
“...It’s fine, you know. If you two are happy, then I’m glad. I don’t care about things like that. I just wanted to let you know that I found out,” Haru said, watching Makoto relax with every word. “But, if Rin hurts you, I’m going to rip his throat out,” he added as an afterthought.
Finally, he got Makoto to laugh. “I’ll let him know...unless you wanted to tell him yourself?”
“You can pass on the message.”
Makoto told Haru that they had been planning on telling him, but it proved extremely difficult, and they just couldn’t find the right way to do it. And if they couldn’t even tell Haru, well, they were out of luck for telling anyone else.
“So you’re probably going to be the only one who knows for a while,” Makoto said. “Eventually we do want to tell everyone, but… Well, you get it. It just has to stay like this for now.”
Haru looked at him. “It won’t stay secret if you keep acting like you have been.”
“It’s all Rin!” Makoto whined. “I mean I love him, but he’s so--” He blushed suddenly with the realization of what he had said, and Haru just sighed, turning back to the still-playing movie. This was a change--a big change--and he wasn’t that good with change.
But this one was okay. He could handle the annoying, sappy couple stuff that would come with their relationship, if it meant that they were happy. He was still curious...how had it happened? How had they gotten so close without Haru noticing? But they were questions he didn’t need answered. It still wasn’t his business.
Unless Makoto offered the information sometime. Haru could wait.