I don't like the preperation for the bigger races. It's strain and stress and I hate feeling bad that I qualified when some didn't. This year, only Nito' didn't make the cut for regionals but he's not relenting on getting on the relay team. Sousuke's been coaching him and Kaito's been racing him. Nito's getting better. I hope he makes the cut.

To make the atmosphere even more dodgy; Sho, Hinata and Kenta are still a bit stiff with us; aggrivated that we, mainly Fubuki and Mei-chan, bugged Sho about his future and never let him speak his mind, apparently it wasn't all that great when Fubuki and Mei tried to apologise. They still spend time with us but we're not exactly totally gelled together again.

I'm grateful for free lessons on Friday. I've been going to Sasabe's pool to help him then. On Saturdays I'll help with Makoto. I'm grateful to get to spend time with him. Especially since he could be going away.

I've also been spending lots of time with Rei, anywhere but at home. Aki's still there. It's a nightmare. He never got to have that talk with me. My mum actually called, aware to how generous my friends are and begged me to stay at somebody's place because Akira was raging on with speculations that I had gained weight. I have gained weight but that's through Rin's regimen, not because of what he thinks. It's all muscle...not...

Jesus, Akira's so immature.

Today is Saturday and our penultimate Saturday at Sasabe's pool. He has been able to hire more stable teachers for the young swimmers. However we are still around for one last week. Mainly because Makoto promised Shigno Kisumi that he would teach Hayato-kun to swim.

Makoto's tried a lot already. He's even had me in the water with Hayato-kun, trying to help him swim. That idea was suggested by Fubuki and if anything, it scared Hayato-kun more that water already did. Fubuki got a couple of grazes from when I shoved him over as a consequence for his actions this morning.

"Aoi, do you have any ideas?" Makoto asks as we lounge around. It's almost sunset and that means I'll have to go home and face Akira. Good thing Rei's already text me telling me that Akira's passed out drunk in his room. That means I can avoid his rant again and in the morning Rei and I can go for a run and he'll avoid Akira until he comes home from work, drunk.

"I guess...but considering what happened with Hayato-kun after Fubuki's idea, I wouldn't reccomend you doing any of them."

"That wasn't your fault."

"Makoto! He cried! He thought I was being attacked by the water! It killed me!"

"Hey Makoto! Hey Aoi!" Kisumi grins, making his way over.

"Hi Kisumi." I wave.

"Hey Kisumi!" Makoto smiles.

"Kisumi, I'm really sorry about what happened with Hayato-kun yesterday. I didn't mean to scare him. Trust me, the guy who suggested it got to face the consequences." I gabble.

"It's not your fault but our parents do want Hayato-kun to stop swimming here if it isn't working."

"We still have a few ideas up our sleeves." Makoto assures. I nod, not sure what ideas Makoto's talking about. Maybe mine...I hope the ideas aren't mine.

"That's good to hear." Kisumi grins. "Isn't Haru here today?"

"Nah, he's with Rin." I shrug.

"Rin's back from Australia!" Kisumi enthuses.

"He came back last year." Makoto says, with a nod of his head and a soft sweet smile.

"LAST YEAR! AND HE NEVER CALLED!" Kisumi folds his arm and pouts.

"He's quite busy." I excuse. "He's the captain of a very unpredictable team of strong swimmers."

"Aoi, you're Mei's vice."

"She's got Ami-chan too! And there are like fourteen of us as a whole!" I protest weakly.

"Are you on Rin's team Aoi?" I nod in responce to Kisumi's question.

"Yeah! I'm on Rin's team, Sousuke's on our team too, and Kaito. Soku Kaito."

Makoto's phone begins to ring. He ducks his head awkwardly.

"I have to take that." Makoto goes around the corner.

"Does that mean that Sousuke's shoulder healed?"

"His shoulder?" I tilt my head.

"He hurt it a few years ago. It looked bad. I kind of flung myself on it." he ducks his head while he laughs awkwardly.

"He seems fine now." I smile sweetly.

"Awesome!...Is something wrong?"

"Hmm, I'm just realising that I'll miss helping out." I admit.

"Miss it?" Kisumi cocks a brow.

"Coach Sasabe says that he's got proper staff coming in next week, so a week from today will be our last day. Mine and Makoto's." I sigh, shoulders slumping.

"You and Makoto are so good with kids."

"He's had practise." I giggle. "His two younger siblings. I just try."

"You should consider doing something with kids." Kisumi suggests.

"Maybe..." I glance at the sky. "But before I think about a later future I need to go to the Olympics and keep a promise."

Kisumi's eyes widen, as if he forgot about the Olympics, overlooked it.

"Mind if I ask what you're planning to do?" I ask.

"I'm going to a college in the city to play basketball and study theory of sport so I can become a coach!" Kisumi declares.

"That's awesome Kisumi!" I enthuse.

"Makoto, are you alright?" Kisumi looks past me.

"Of course!" Makoto smiles with a head nod. "Aoi, I should be getting you home."

I nod, taking his hand.

"Kisumi onii-chan?"

"Hayato! See you two around then!" Kisumi waves, with little jumps toward the door. His sakura pink hair swishes around yet doesn't fall in his hybrid of cerulean and violet eyes.

"Bye!" we wave, we start to walk toward my place.

"What was that?" I ask.

"A letter came today."

"Oh?"

"It was adressed to me but my parents couldn't resist opening it..."

"Did you..." I trail off.

"I got accepted into that university in Tokyo." he says.

And with that I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. I blink several times.

"Kyahhh!" I hug him, burrying my face in his shirt. He's going.

Some tears escape my eyes.

"Aoi." he pulls me off of him. "Don't cry, I don't have to go."

"I'm so happy for you baka!" I enthuse falsely. "Please! Please! Go for it Makoto! You earned it!"

"Really!"

"Of course!" I beam.

I can't believe he'll be going away.