"What do you mean Rei and Y/N aren't here?!" Coach Sasabe practically shouted as he stared at the three males.

"Oh! Uh...I think I gave Rei a spoiled ice cream, and N/N went to check on him!" Nagisa smiled innocently.

"Huh? Why would you give someone spoiled ice cream?" Gou asked.

"And I don't think ice cream can spoil." Sasabe narrowed his eyes.

"Then maybe mackrel?" Gou questioned, glancing at Haru.

"Don't look at me, I didn't give him anything." Haru declined. "Plus, I didn't know Y/N knew where he lived." He added.

"Well, we'll just have to carry on practice without them. Geez, and so close to regionals." Sasabe sighed.

I hope they're not doing what I think they're doing... Nagisa frowned as they group walked to their own swimming lanes.

-10 hours ago-

"Tako...kun?" Tiredly rubbing at her eyes, the (H/C) tiredly glanced at the person who stood on the other side of the door that she had opened, thinking that it were Makoto getting her up early so that herself and Haru could get to class on time.

"Will you help me?" The glasses wearing male asked, staring down at the female seriously.

As if figuring out the serious atmosphere, even in her sleepy state, Y/N blinked a couple of times, before staring at him curiously.

"Of course. What do you need?" She asked.

"Will you come with me to Samezuka to confront Rin? You're done with feeling like an outsider too, right?"

-3 hours ago-

After taking their regular classes, the two had snuck out of the school before Nagisa could notice, and they made their way to the train station to get to Samezuka.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Y/N questioned in a soft barely-audible tone, since there were some people on the platform.

"If you're having second thoughts, I would not blame you, nor get angry at you if you want to return to the others." Rei told her, pushing the lens up the ridge of his nose.

"I'm fine." Y/N shook her head, before grabbing his hand. "I want to be here for you." She insisted, smiling at him.

Rei's cheeks heated up, as they did when she did such cute and innocent things around him, and he glanced away from her out of embarrassment. "Thank you, Y/-"

"Just please don't make a fool of yourself. As I do have to compete as well, and I will never forgive you if you make me look like an idiot." The female stated, causing the male's eye to twitch.

"Exactly who do you think I am? I would never make a fool of myself." He stated, a bit frazzled at her comment.

Nagisa, he could see, but himself? Was she serious?!

"Uh-huh." The secret mermaid deadpanned as she stared at the male.

"Don't give me that sort of expression!" Blushing more, more so out of embarrassment than being simply flustered, Rei attempted to pull his hand out of the female's grip, before freezing up completely as he heard an elderly woman laugh and comment to her granddaughter about how the two looked like a cute couple. Now, he was flustered.

Y/N, oblivious to the elder's comment, pouted as Rin took his hand out of her own and stuffed them into his pocket. She wasn't able to make a comment, though, as their train finally came.

Thankfully, it seemed that not a lot of people were going to go to Samezuka, it was a long trip from Iwatobi after all, and so the two were able to find decent seating.

Y/N looked out the window with an expression of awe at how fast they were going, while Rei seemed to be lost in thought, as he mentally prepared himself a speech as to what he was going to say to the red head.

"Tako-kun, there's a lot more buildings the farther we get from Iwatobii." Y/N excitedly whispered, placing one of her hands onto his shoulder as she kept staring out the window, her (E/C) eyes seeming to sparkle in interest.

Rei glanced, a bit startled, before he relaxed at the feel of the female's touch.

Somehow, the female had that effect on all of the males. To make their hearts race with just a gentle smile, or for their nerves to ease with a simple gesture. It would be like magic, if Rei believed in that sort of thing. And, because of this, it was the first reason as to why he wanted to bring her with him.

Though, Rei felt that the feelings she gave him was because the two had a strange connection, being the two newbies who were pretty much tossed into the swim club. That was the other reason that he wanted to bring her along, because they were similar and deserved to know what was going on with their teammates.

Y/N glanced at the megane, startled when she felt him put a hand onto the one she had placed onto his shoulder. Seeing him smile at her in an assuring manner, she couldn't help but to smile back.

-Present-

The two waited patiently outside of the swim-center of Samezuka Academy, after Rei had asked at the desk if Rin could come out to meet them.

Y/N immediately tensed up as soon as she saw the red head walk out the doors and glance around, obviously looking for him. Noticing the female's unease, Rei patted her head, before he walked towards the shark toothed male.

"Mind if I call you Rin, or does that bother you?" Rei questioned, tone sounding close to one of those bad-ass guys Y/N had seen in one of the shows she watched with Nagisa.

Rin looked startled when he saw the two, before he scowled. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I need to speak with you." Rei stated.

Rin sighed, seeming to let down his guard for the second. "So what is it that you want?" He asked, a bit annoyed.

"I have two questions to ask you." Rei told him, causing Rin to raise an eyebrow and glance at Y/N, who simply shrugged her shoulders in reply.

"Out with it, then." Rin stated.

"Alright, the first question; the relay. What's the main reason that you decided to participate?" Rei asked, seeming to surprise Rin.

"What? A man can't change his mind? How is it any of your business anyway?" The red head responded with his own questions.

"Deflecting the question isn't an answer. You've been fixated on racing Haru since before the two of us even met. I deduced you couldn't move forward until you'd beaten him. I just wanted to see if you would own up to it." Rei pointed out, pushing his glasses up as he spoke. "You achieved that goal in the last tournament, so what's the matter? Don't you have a new challenge to work toward?"

"Tako-kun..." Y/N whispered in a warning tone, seeing Rin grit his teeth.

"My goal has never been to beat Haru, it hasn't been about winning tournaments either. I'm aiming higher for the world." Rin stated.

"The entire world, huh? I guess that makes sense." Seeming to be satisfied with the answer, Rei closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "In that case, here's my next question." He continued, opening his eyes and staring at Rin seriously. "I wanted to know what your feelings are towards Haru." This seemed to have surprised both Rin and Y/N. "I know that in grade school you and he were close rivals, when we visited Coach Sasabe I saw several old photographs of you and the others; Haru, Makoto, Nagisa, you were always with them. And, there wasn't a single picture which you weren't smiling. It's obvious that you got a lot out of the camaraderie, so you can imagine my confusion when I see that things are so different now. What exactly happened while you were studying abroad and why you didn't try to contact Haru or any of the others after you returned to Japan. They deserve answers, Rin, they were your friends and teammates and you flatout ignored them. What happened to the camaraderie?! How do you think it makes them feel when their old friend acts like they're no better than a bad memory? You're the one that turned them on to the relays in the first place! You have a responsibility." He stated.

"Shut up!" Rin shouted, and Y/N grasped onto the back of Rei's shirt. "I let you talk, that doesn't mean you get to blast me with all this sentimental crap! You don't know me, I don't owe you anything!" He continued to shout at Rei.

"Yes, you do." Rei stated, messing with his glasses once more. "Because I'm a victim here too. I was originally on the track team, but I ended up joining the swim team. Watching Haru inspired me, I wanted to swim like him. Practicing was challenging at first, but it started to grow on me. Before I realized it, I was having a blast just swimming. At district, I swam a medley as part of a team. That was the first time I truly understood the appeal. It stopped being about theories and numbers, and became something I enjoyed." Rei placed a hand over his chest, before clenching it into a fist. "It's not a feeling I'll soon forget. We were united as one. We were a real team. But, all they could talk about was how great you were! Rin this, Rin that! Constant-"

"Sounds like your problem!" Rin cut Rei off with an angry shout.

Y/N squeaked and released Rei's shirt as the male ran towards the red head. "Like hell it's my problem!" He shouted, pressing Rin against the wall.

"Get off of me!" Rin ordered.

Y/N clasped her hand over her mouth, gawking at the sight. She had never expected Rei to get physical, with anyone. She attempted to speak up to calm the two down, but the stupid 'curse' put onto her vocal chords refused to budge. She clenched her teeth, as she didn't know what would happen if she attempted to butt into the fight between the two humans.

"Get over yourself and take responsibility for once! Haru stopped competing because of you!" Rei shouted.

"What are you talking about?!" Rin snapped at the megane.

"Oh come on, do I have to spell it out for you?! Haru felt guilty about beating you back in middle school!" Rei exclaimed, causing Rin's eyes to widen. "I just don't understand your logic, why can't you just leave Haru alone?! You already beat him when the two of your raced at district! Is that not enough for you? Are you swimming in this relay just to rub it in?! Why can't you leave it alone?! What do you want from him?! What is it gonna take to satisfy you?!"

"Rei, that's enough!" Y/N's shout seemed to cause both males, as well as herself, off guard. As none of them had heard her speak over a hushed tone, and Rin hadn't heard her speak at all.

"What about you?" Getting over his shock first, Rin glared at Rei. "What the hell is your deal?! You weren't involved in any of this until now, so why are you throwing all this grief my way, tough guy?! Answer me!" The red head pushed Rei away forcefully, before grabbing onto his collar. "What the hell do you want out of this?!" He shouted.

"Me? I want my friends and I to become the best damn team we could be, and I want to do my part as a member of that team. No more, no less. That's it." Rei told him, not seeming phased at all as he was practically tossed around like a ragdoll.

Seeming stunned by his answer, Rin hesitantly let him go.

Satisfied with the response, Rei grabbed Y/N's hand and walked to grab their backpacks. "This means the world to me, Rin, don't get in the way. If you do, I will never forgive you." He stated, turning his head slightly to glare at the red head, before pulling a slightly reluctant Y/N away from the building.

___Quick Time Skip___

"Are you sure that I'm not intruding? I can always go to the train and go back home by myself." Y/N told Rei as he marked down notes from a book, and she happily nibbled on some peanut butter crackers he had given her.

"You're fine. We just need to wait until practice is over. Then I'll ride with you back." Rei told her.

"Still, I don't want to deal with Iruka's serious stare. He'll find out what we've done eventually!" Y/N exclaimed with a soft groan.

"Don't be redic-" Before Rei could finish his sentence, the two looked startled as they heard the doorbell ring.

"Hey, Rei!" Nagisa cheerfully greeted as the megane opened the door. "Oh, N/N, you are here!" The blond cheered as he noticed the female peek her head out from behind Rei. "I'm gonna make myself comfy!" Nagisa cheered as he rushed in and towards Rei's room, collapsing onto the bed.

"Why are you all here? Is something wrong?" Rei questioned as the others followed behind the energetic blond.

"Coach Sasabe sent us to check up on you, we even brought a get-well gift." Makoto explained, holding up a grocery bag.

"But, I wasn't-"

"Hey! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're in excellent shape! Gou and Miss Amy were starting to get pretty worried about you too." Nagisa cut Rei off. "Sasabe said 'tell him he should be taking better car of himself before tournaments'." The blond impersonated the coach.

"Everyone was...worried about me?" Rei questioned, surprised.

"Of course we were worried." Haru said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"It was the first time you've missed practice. It's hard not to worry." Makoto told him. "Now, if it was Nagisa," He grinned jokingly.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!" Said male questioned with a pout.

"I'm kidding!" Makoto laughed. "Even Y/N was worried about you, that's why she came here to take care of you, right, Y/N?" The green eyed swimmer smiled warmly at Y/N.

"Of course!" Y/N nodded her head eagerly and wrapped both of her arms around one of Rei's. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to you, and that's why I came!" She admitted to him with a cheeky smile, as they both knew she meant why she had come with him to meet with Rin.

"Oh, that's a nice collection. Are they from middle school?" Makoto suddenly changed the topic as they glanced at a shelf full of trophies and awards.

"Yes, but that's all in the past." Rei told them.

"Yeah! Now he's drowning in every swim book ever written!" Nagisa pointed out to a bookshelf covered in books based on swimming.

"It's true!" Makoto laughed in pure glee.

"Have you read every one of these?" Haru curiously asked Rei as he looked at the collection.

"Well, yes, I had to be thorough if I was going to construct a proper plan." Rei stated.

"Come on, Rei! You gotta stop researching everything! That's how you jinx yourself!" Nagisa exclaimed.

"I'm not following you." Rei replied with a confused expression, causing Y/N to giggle in amusement.

"So, Rei. Is it true that you talked to Rin?" Haru's sudden question caused the trio to pause and glance at the blue eyed swimmer.

"I didn't say anything." Y/N held up her hands and shifted away from the megane, as if he would blame her.

"I might have told them everything. Sorry Rei, I feel bad." Nagisa apologized with a kicked puppy expression.

Rei looked surprised, before he smiled softly. "Don't." he assured Nagisa, before glancing at the others. "Yes, it's quite the meeting." He said.

"Was it because I told you about our past?" Haru asked.

"No, not really. I have my own reasons for wanting to talk to him. I needed some answers." Rei informed them. "But, it's okay now. I'm done worrying, especially for him! It's not my problem anymore." He stated, crossing his arms and looking quite satisfied.

The others looked surprised, before they smiled at each other.

"Okay then. Guess that means the five of us can focus on the team, right Rei?" Haru questioned.

"You mean I'm a part of it?" Rei looked surprised.

"Of course. Where would we be without the contribution of your style and brainpower?" Makoto asked with his heart-warming smile.

"He's right! Every single member of this team is irreplaceable!" Nagisa happily agreed. "Think you're ready?" He asked Rei.

"Yes!" The blue-purple haired male eagerly agreed.

"Now that that's settled, let's take a food break!" Nagisa cheered, and Y/N joined in agreement.

"I didn't realize that melon bread was gift material." Rei pointed out as the group pulled out the snack from the bag that the three had brought.

"We didn't have enough money to get a real melon, but don't worry, these spongy sweet buns are just as tasty!" Nagisa exclaimed, opening the wrapper. "Here!" He exclaimed, pushing one of the buns into Haru's mouth, much to the others shock. "See, Haru likes it!" He pointed out gleefully.

"Losing...moisture." Haru muttered, turning a dark shade of blue.

"I think he's going to pass out! Rei, quick, get him some water!" Makoto called out frantically.

"Oh, right!" Rei quickly got up and went to the kitchen.

"He's turning purple." Nagisa observed, Y/N clutching onto his sleeve as she also curiously watched what was going on.

"I have something much better than water." Rei announced as he returned to the room. "Behold! Far-Lee Tea. This refreshing beverage and melon bread have been my family's go-to combo for generations!" He exclaimed.

"Who cares?! Just give him so!" Makoto cried out, as Haru began to look ready to throw up.

"I think he's dying." Nagisa pointed out.

"Then why are you being so calm about it?!" Makoto questioned. "Ah! He's slipping! Stop standing there, Rei!" He exclaimed.

"Ah, right! Don't worry, Haru, help is on the way!" Rei said, ignoring Y/N's laughter as she witnessed the whole scene between the humans.

"Don't you die on us!" Makoto dramatically called out.