Clouded Distance

Chapter Three

Unexpected Relay

When the doorbell rang the next morning, Hana instantly knew who it was. With a grin, she shrugged her jacket on and swung her bag over her shoulders, making a beeline for the door.

"Have fun!" her mother called as Hana sprinted down the corridor. She at least understood how excited Hana was to go to Samezuka and meet up with all of her friends.

Hana grinned. "Sure will!" she called back, looking over her shoulder. She looked back in front of her just in time to stop before she collided with the door. Chuckling a little at her own absent-mindedness, Hana opened the door to find Makoto standing outside. Like herself, Makoto also had pulled a jumper on. It was a bit of a chilly day.

"Hey, Makoto," Hana chirped as she stepped out of the door, closing it lightly behind her. A small shiver passed down her spine as she left the warmth of her home and stepped outside, where it was colder.

He smiled. "Hey, Hana." They walked a little way down the small path. "You didn't run today."

Hana chuckled, running a hand through her hair. "I slept through my alarm," she admitted. "I must've been tired or something - I stayed up most of last night due to excitement." She laughed. "It sounds childish, doesn't it?"

"Not at all."

Hana smiled at her friend. They continued to walk the familiar route togehter, chatting away and feeling content.

They soon arrived at the stairs that led to Haru's. Last year, the sight of the stairs they had to climb filled Hana with a sense of deep despair. Now, she was so used to it and her fitness had increased that the stairs didn't even bother her anymore.

Makoto rung the doorbell and stepped back, waiting for Haru to open the door. But, the door didn't open, and there wasn't any sound of movement from the inside.

Both their eyes instantly drifted to the, the same realisation dawning upon them. "Not again," Makoto sighed, exasperated.

Hana giggled. "What else did you expect?" she asked, with a small roll of her eyes.

Makoto just shrugged in response.

They wandered over to the door they knew would always be open. "Excuse us," Makoto called, as he pulled the door open, allowing Hana to enter before him. Hana quickly thanked him, smiling at how much of a gentleman Tachibana Makoto could be.

They wandered a little further into the house, looking across at the bathroom. Hana rolled her eyes as she saw the basket, filled with clothes. "I'll let you get him," she teased, and ambled her way into the kitchen.

Hana sat herself down in the kitchen, absently drumming her fingers on her leg as she waited. An amused smile crossed her face as she remembered this time last year, when she and Makoto came to collect Haru for school, and he had been in the bath. She laughed lightly to herself as she remembered how flustered she had been when Haru had walked around in nothing but his swimsuit, which made the already awkward situation that much more awkward.

Hana heard footsteps approach. She looked up and smiled as she heard Haru entered... and then mentally facepalmed as she saw him wandering around in his swimsuit.

Gosh, why am I getting a sense of déjà vû?

"Morning, Haru," she greeted, as naturally as she could.

He nodded at her. "Morning." He walked

Definitely gave a feeling of déjà vû, she thought, as Haru ambled over to grab an apron.

Oh, Haru.

"We don't have time to drag our feet, Haru," Makoto called from the other room.

"I'm done changing."

"Good." Makoto stepped into the kitchen. "We'd better run to the sta...tion."

Hana chuckled as Makoto deadpanned at Haru. "Why are you putting on an apron?" Makoto demanded/

"Because I'm going to grill mackerel and eat it, obviously."

Hana rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly to herself as Haru walked over to the stove, completely indifferent, while Makoto looked just about done.

"I just said we don't have the time!"

*          *          *

Due to Haru's instance that he make mackerel, the three of them almost arrived too late for their transport to Samezuka with Nagisa and Rei. Gou would be meeting up with them at Samezuka.

It had been a relief to make the transport. Hana had been almost sure that they'd miss it. But her worry had been laid to rest when they made it on their transport.

After a quick drive, they now found themselves standing outside Samezuka's gates. Hana thought they stood out from everyone else, dressed as they were in their Iwatobi uniforms in comparision to the white of Samezuka. 

Having been to the school's pool a few times - for times they'd both been invitied and that one other time they - well, the boys - had snuck into the pool after hours to meet Rin, they knew their way fairly well. They entered the building within hardly any time.

"Guys! Over here!" Gou called, waving as she spotted them. Hana instantly smiled at the sight of her friend, and quickened her face just that little bit more so she stood by her friend's side.

Her eyes then drifted out to the pool. Seijuro, captain of the swim club, looked as though he had just attained victory in a race. His competitor leaned by the edge, breathing deeply and heavily as he tried to recover.

"This is the third-year's send-off race?" she mused.

Gou nodded once. "Yep."

Makoto deadpanned a little as he watched the swimmers on the sidelines. Most of them were on the floor, towels and drink bottles in hand, looking dead to the world. "Looks like a vicious battle."

"What kind of harrowing race is that?" Rei muttered, equally shocked,

"A one-hundred metre race, one hundred times." Hana grinned as the voice sounded, and she turned to find Rin standing there, wearing his Samezuka jacket. "It's a Samezuka tradition to continue until someone beats the captain."

Haru looked up. "Rin," he said, as a way of greeting.

Rin smiled. "Hey. Thanks for coming."

"Have you raced him yet, Rin-chan?' Nagisa asked.

Rin shook his head. "No, not yet."

Rei frowned, deep in thought. "But, logically speaking, racing one hundred metres one hundred times isn't logical," he said lowly.

Rin sighed. "Captain Mikoshiba defies logic."

Speak of the devil. Hana smiled as Seijuro stepped out of the water and approached them. "Ah, you guys came to watch?" he asked, with his trademark wide grin. "How about a race to mark the occasion?"

Wait, what? Hana blinked. A race? They hadn't been prepared to be asked for a race. The suggestion took them all off guard, as their team shared uncertain, shocked looks.

"Who, us?" Makoto exclaimed.

"But we're not even on your team..."

"Hey, don't be shy!" Seijuro said, waving the comments off. "Let's go, Samezuka versus Iwatobi, 500 metre freestyle medley relay! "

"Five hundred?" Hana raised an eyebrow, surprised. Even her friends were taken aback a little by Seijuro's comment. Racing five hundred metres when you had four swimmers meant that one person would have to go twice.

Why would he make such a decision?

"You're a swimmer too, aren't you Etsumi? Can't leave you out!"

Hana blinked. Me, join in? She wasn't entirely sure how to respond. She was the only girl swimmer here, and she hadn't really been swimming for that long. Wouldn't that put her at a bit of a disadvantage?

Then again, she had been training hard back when it was still warm enough to swim, and during the winter she had been running with Haru and Makoto... would that meant that, she'd at least do a reasonable job out there?

"Sure..." she murmured. She wouldn't think of any other way to respond.

At least she had the foresight to bring her swimsuit, Hana thought with a light flush. She'd be pretty screwed now if she hadn't.

Seijuro turned to Rin. "Matsuoka, you're swimming in this one."

Rin was taken by surprise at the sudden request. "Yeah."

Seijuro turned to the rest of his team, all of them still bent over double or lying on the floor, breathing heavily after numerous races against Seijuro. "Right, who else wants to join?"

Hana thought that Seijuro would find no willing volunteers until a small, grey-haired boy dashed up, dodging and jumping over the others still desperately trying to recover, and raised his hand to volunteer. "M-me!" Nitori called out.

"All right! Come on over, Nitori!"

Seijuro continued to recruit people for the race, while the members of Iwatobi all desperately tried to stop him.

"Hang on, wait a second!"

"We already told you, we don't -"

They all when a certain sight sight caught their eye: Haru taking off his clothes, revealing the swimsuit he had been wearing all this time, inevitably sealing Iwatobi's place within the relay.

Hana shook her head, rolling her eyes at the same time. Haru, you are so predictable.

But, she loved him.

"When did he -" Makoto dead panned. Looking across at the others, Hana noticed everyone had the same sort of exasperated looks on their faces - except Gou, who looked like she was in seventh heaven.

"Oh, my! His triceps are staring at me!" she gushed. Hana chuckled, thoroughly amused by her friend.

"Remember, he's taken," she teased. Gou came out of her daze to roll her eyes, which earned a laugh from Hana.

"He was wearing his swimsuit again," Rei said blankly, looking at Haru with an equally blank expression on his face.

Makoto sighed and straightened up. "Guess there's no helping it."

Nagisa sighed as well. "You said it." The two turned and crouched down by their bags, unzipping them.

"Huh?" Rei looked to be the only one out of the loop. Hana felt a dash of sympathy for him. He was the only one here who wasn't prepared.

"Actually..." Makoto and Nagisa both produced their swimsuits with a smile.

"Why do you have those?" Rei demanded them, sounding to be rather heated.

Makoto chuckled. "I had a feeling Haru would want to swim, so..."

"Traitors!"

Seijuro clasped a hand on Rei's shoulder, who stiffened in response. "I told you, there's no need to be shy!" He looked over his shoulder. "Nitori."

Hana groaned inwardly as she realised what was going on. Oh my gosh, this is going to be a repeat of last year, isn't it?

Sure enough, Nitori walked forward, and nodded. "Yes. This way." He took Rei's arm and began to drag him off.

"You're mistaken!" Rei shouted as he was being dragged off, his friends powerless to help him. "I'm honestly not being shy..."

His protests died out soon enough. Hana "While he's being dragged off, I'll go and put my own swimsuit on."

Hana walked over to her own back and grabbed her swimsuit. Due to her small growth, she'd had to buy a new swimsuit. Her current one was a similar colour to her old one, but just a little bit darker. She quickly made her way over to the bathrooms, locking herself in a cubicle so she could quickly change.

When she walked out, all her friends were already ready. She came to a stop beside Haru, who must have noticed something was up when he looked down at her. "Hana, are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little nervous is all."

"You'll do fine. Just remain calm."

"Okay. Thanks, Haru."

The race was about to start. The starting two swimmers, Makoto and someone Hana didn't know from Samezuka, stood up on the blocks. A silence fell as everyone waited for the race to start.

"The Samezuka versus Iwatobi freestyle relay!" Gou called from the sidelines. "Ready, set!"

The whistle blew, and both swimmers dived into the waters. Cheers for both sides erupted instantly from the sidelines.

"Makoto's in the lead," Haru murmured, as both of the swimmers emerged from their dolphin kick phase,

"Yeah, he's pulling ahead!" Nagisa enthused, as Makoto started his stroke. Hana watched him, impressed. This was the first time she had seen Makoto swim freestyle, and was surprised by how powerful his stroke was. His arms helped to propel him quickly through the water, and he was soon gaining an early lead.

"Makoto-senpai's front crawl is fast, too!" Rei noted, impressed.

Both swimmers were approaching the turn, cheers and shouts from their teammates supporting them. Hana cupped her hands over her mouth. "Come on, Makoto!" she yelled, as loudly as she could from the bottom of her lungs.

Now they'd reached the halfway mark and were coming back, the next swimmers stood up to the edge: Nagisa and Nitori.

Nagisa grinned at Nitori. "I'm not losing to you, Ai-chan!"

"Please don't call me that," the grey-haired boy stammered in response.

Both swimmers were nearing the end, Makoto still in a notable lead. Nagisa put on his goggles. "I'll be going ahead then." Makoto touched the wall, and Nagisa dived into the churning water.

"Go, Nagisa!" Hana called. She grinned as she watched him go. Nitori jumped in soon after, after he'd received a word of encouragement from Rin.

"This is turning out to be a really good race," Hana said, looking at Haru. I bet I'll be the one to make everything fall apart.

Nagisa and Nitori were making their lap back, while Rei and Seijuro stood on the platform. The shouts from the spectators were still deafening. Haru looked down at her. "Are you still nervous?"

Hana bit her lip. "A bit." She turned back to look at Rei and Seijuro, waiting for their teammates to reach the end. Nagisa was in the lead.

Rei crouched down, Nagisa just a metre away. "I only swim butterfly!" the blue-haired boy declared, and when Nagisa touched the end he dove into the water.

"Interestng," Seijuro said, standing up in the blocks as well. "I'll just have to swim butterfly too, then!"

Nitori touched the end, and Seijuro jumped in, instantly making up for lost time with his powerful stroke.

"He's closing the gap!" Makoto noticed.

Nagisa peered a little closer at the race and gasped. "Rei-chan's goggles are slipping again!" he noticed with a little cry. Hana looked closer and gasped as she, too noticed that Rei's goggles were slipping off. She cringed to imagine what that must be like, to be swimming almost blindly with water constantly getting in the way of your vision.

Poor Rei. This isn't the first time this has happened.

"You can do can do it, Rei-chan!" Nagisa called.

As both Rei and Seijuro turned and started approaching the end once again, Hana knew it was time to get ready. "Right." she breathed in deeply, snapping her goggles into place. "My turn."

As she approached the starting block, she heard a call of, "Hana." Looking back, she noticed Haru was the one speaking. He smiled a little at her. "Stay calm. I know you can do this."

Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Hana nodded. "Okay." She stood on the starting block beside the other swimmer from Samezuka.

Seijuro and Rei were quickly approaching, Seijuro having pulled into a comfortable lead. Samezuka's captain touched the end, and other swimmer dove into the pool. Hana breathed in, readying herself on the starting block, watching Rei swim his final few metres. Her stomach wad a jumble of nerves, the shouts from the crowd overwhelming her.

Concentrate. You can do this. Imagine that this is training. Hana tightened her lip on the edge of the starting block and, when Rei touched the wall, propelled herself into the water.

Instantly, she was submerged in the water.

Hana let herself glide in the water for a moment, and then when she reached the surface she started her stroke.

She was tempted to go all-out and forget all of her technique, but knew that only hinder her. Her body fell back into the rhythm of her stroke once again as she pushed herself through the water.

The swimmer from Samezuka was in front of her. Hana pushed herself with all her might, the only sounds she heard the water splashing around her ears and the shouts of support from the spectators as the two of them swam. Hana found that she and the other swimmer must have been evenly paced - she wasn't catching up to him, but wasn't falling behind.

The end was approaching. If I get a good kick-off, I might be able to gain some ground. Hana hoped that she wouldn't stuff this up.

She reached the turn. The usual sensation of tumbling through the water overcame her as she pushed herself off. It wasn't the best turn, but it was decent. When she started her stroke again, she and the other guy were still the same length apart.

The final length was generaly when Hana was able to pick up her speed the most, when she knew that the end was upcoming. The other swimmer seemed to know it, too, as they both picked up their paces.

She was close to the end, close to letting Haru in the water. Hana gasped for breath as she pushed herself those final metres.

Almost there... almost there...

Her hand slapped against the end of the pool, and with a large inhalation of breath she straightened herself up.

"Go, Haru!" she gasped, watching him begin his chase after Rin. Her chest heaved with every breath she took, unable to believe she had managed to keep up reasonably well with her team's pace. She didn't think that'd she'd lost or gained that much ground.

"Hana." Hana looked up and saw Makoto offering his hand out to her. "Nice swim."

Still breathing heavily, Hana smiled and took it. "Thanks." She allowed Makoto to help her out of the water, then turned around to see how Haru and Rin were faring. Rin was still in the lead, but Haru was slowly beginning to close the gap.

The two had reached the turn. It looked like a fierce battle, neither one willing to give any ground. Her friends were shouting support. Hana would be as well, but she was attempting to get her breath back.

In the end, Samezuka secured victory as Rin had a strong finish. But, it had been a close finish, and a good race.

"Man, so frustrating!" Nagisa and Rei exclaimed, as all the swimmers from Iwatobi gathered as Samezuka lined up for a word from Seijuro.

"We were so close!" Nagisa moaned.

Hana chuckled, and frowned as she made the attempt to dry her hair, or at least stop it dripping everywhere. That was the annoying thing about her long, somewhat thick hair - it took a long time to dry.

"But it sure was fun," Makoto said.

Haru nodded agreement. "It was."

"I'm glad I had the chance to participate now," Hana murmured.

That'll probably be my only ever relay experience, she reflected with a small sigh. Since they had no girl swimmers on their team at Iwatobi and Hana couldn't join in a team with the boys, all she could enter was her individual freestyle. She could swim other strokes, but freestyle was her fastest stroke by a long shot.

"I knew you'd be fine," Haru said. Hana smiled up at him.

"All of you have worked really hard." Hana looked back at the assembled Samezuka team as Seijuro began speaking. "Today marks the retirement of us third-years. All of us leave here with no regrets.

"However!" Hana blinked at Seijuro's sudden change of tone. "Your peaceful days won't last long! This April, a fearsome new member will be joining this team, so enjoy the rest of your lives while you can!"

Hana stared, a little dumbfounded. What is he talking about? Who is joining? Who is this terrifying swimmer?

"What kind of villain is he supposed to be?" Rei muttered. Hana shrugged, and then realised she had taken an instinctive step back.

"Matsuoka," Seijuro called, once everyone had calmed down at his sudden declaration.

Rin stepped forward. "Yes."

There was a small pause.

"Starting tomorrow, you are the new captain."

Hana's eyes widened, feeling as surprised as Rin looked. Captain? Hana hadn't been expecting that. Then again, looking at him, Hana guessed that Rin did possess qualities needed for a captain. She thought that he thoroughly deserved the title, even if he still looked a little unsure himself.

Rin still hadn't responded. Seijuro smiled at him. "Look after my team."

Rin's eyes widened at the comment. He took a breath in and nodded. "Yes."

The other members of Samezuka applauded him. Hana smiled and joined in the applause, even though most of her friends, exempting Gou, were staring at the scene, shocked.

"Rin-chan's the new captain?" Nagisa exclaimed.

Rei stared at the scene before "He doesn't really seem like there captain type to me..."

Gou rounded on him at once. "What are you talking about? Whatever way you look at it, my brother's muscles are totally captain-class!"

Hana burst out laughing at this, shaking her head in amusement. Oh, Gou.

Hana looked back up at Samezuka's team, and saw they were now all congratulating Rin on earning his position as captain. They were all surrounding him, and there was no way they'd be able to get close.

Oh well.

She'd have to give her congratulations to him later.

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i hope you all don't mind me adding hana to the relay!bi was torn between the two options, but decided to go that way in the end.