one.

Makoto Tachibana stood outside Haruka Nanase’s doorstep, knocking for a good 5 minutes,

before stepping into the home and leaving his shoes on the porch.

The tall male made his way to the bathroom where he found his best friend, wading in the tub full of water.

Makoto sighed and stuck his hand out for Haruka to grab onto, he sighed when he saw that Haruka was wearing his swim trunks,

 

“How many times are you going to do this?”

 

“I do it every day.” Haruka said, drying himself with a towel.

 

“We’re going to be late for school.” Makoto scolded.

 

“You can go ahead without me.” Haruka answered, making his way to the kitchen to make himself breakfast.

 

They had been friends since Makoto could remember and he was used to the distant almost cold personality of Haruka.

Makoto peered over his shoulder seeing that he was making grilled mackerel

and when he heard the ding of the toaster Makoto assumed it was with toast.

He walked around while his friend prepared his meal and get himself dressed when

he stumbled across a pink paper with red ink beautifully handwritten.

Out of curiosity Makoto picked up the letter and began reading.

 

Haruka! I hope this letter reaches you in time, and that you’re in good spirits,
Mom and Dad decided that I come back to Japan and join you since they feel like
you’ve been by yourself for too long! Anyways, I’m coming this Thursday, so I’d
like for you to meet me at the airport, if you’re not swimming. I can’t wait to see
you brother!
With much love,
Harumi

 

Makoto blinked, Harumi? He thought back and wondered if he ever saw her back in their childhood days,

he swore he could remember a girl with Haruka from time to time, but her face was an absolute blur.

He assumed that was Harumi and set the letter back down of the coffee table and just in time for Haruka to meet him.

 

“Haru, your sister…” Makoto’s voice trailing off.

 

“Hm?” he answered.

 

“Aren’t you going to pick her up?” Makoto asked.

 

“It’s too much work.” Haruka said, as they walked out of his house.

 

“You’re not even going to get her?!” Makoto said.

 

“She can find her way,” Haruka said, continuing on their path to school.

 

The whole walk to school was spent with Makoto trying to convince Haruka that he should go and pick up his sister but to no avail.

Nagisa Hazuki curious with Makoto’s constant nagging, quickly wedge himself into the conversation with ease,

 

“Mako-chan, Haru-chan, what’s going on?”

 

“I’m trying to get him to pick up sister from the airport.” Makoto said rubbing his temples.

 

“Harumi-chan is here?!” Nagisa said excitedly.

 

“How come you remember her?” Makoto asked, “I can’t even remember her face.”

 

“She used to go to our meets back when we were in elementary school.” Nagisa said, “How could you forget her?”

 

“Who are we forgetting?” Rei Ryugazaki asked, adjusting his glasses.

 

He was a new addition of theirs in the swim club and was usually following Nagisa 

or Nagisa dragging him along since they were both first years.

There was never a specification.

 

“Oh Haru-chan’s sister!”

 

Nagisa said,

 

“She’s used to come see us swim when we were in elementary.

 

But from what Mako-chan said she’s coming today, but Haru-cha doesn’t want to get from their airport!”

 

“I didn’t know Haruka-senpai had a sister,” Rei said.

 

Great, another blast from the past, like Rin.

Honestly he was starting to feel like the outsider of the group despite Makoto

and especially Nagisa’s attempts to make him feel like he was one of them.

But little things like these kind of irked him.

 

“He doesn’t mention her much! There’s something about her, but I can’t remember it.”

 

Nagisa shrugged,

 

“Tell you what Haru-chan! I’ll cook you some mackerel when we get back from picking up Harumi-chan from the airport.”

 

“Deal.” Haruka said.

 

Makoto chuckled, “You do have the art of persuasion.”

 

“Of course!”

 

Nagisa said, giving a thumbs up,

 

“Rei is living proof!”

 

“Nani?!!” Rei said.

 

“Nothing.”

 

Nagisa said, pulling on his arm,

 

“Now c’mon we have to get to class.”

--

After school the group joined together at Iwatobi High School’s gates, where they began walking their way to the airport,

it was about a 20 minute walk but Nagisa assured them that since they had each other time would pass by quickly,

it wasn’t until Makoto’s phone rang where the group stopped at the middle of a bridge,

 

“Haru, why are you calling me?”

 

Haruka looked at him, “I didn’t bring my phone.”

 

Makoto had a hunch on who it was so he decided to answer it immediately,

 

“TACHIBANA-SAN.”

 

“H-hai?” he said surprised at Harumi’s voice over the phone.

 

“WHERE THE HELL IS HARUKA?”

 

“With me,”

 

he said nervously,

 

“We were on our way to pick you up-,”

 

“GET HOME NOW.”

 

Makoto sighed; she had hung up before he could say anything else,

he looked back at the group to see them with confused expressions.

He told them that they should head back since Haruka’s sister was already at home and when they did arrive back she was waiting

for them on the porch, sporting high waist shorts and a white crop top, that revealed the smooth plains of her abdomen,

her long creamy legs, and accentuated her chest.

She placed her hands on her hips,

 

“At first I thought it was okay that you didn’t show up because I thought you were swimming back at the club,”

 

she said,

 

“But it’s been torn down, so you had no excuse to not get me from the airport Onii-chan!”

 

“Walking there would be trouble.” Haruka answered.

 

Harumi gave him a look but turned her attention to his friends and bowed,

 

“Thank you so much for looking after my brother, he can be a handful.”

 

“Harumi-chan!” Nagisa exclaimed hugging her immediately.

 

“It’s nice to see you, now get off Nagisa.”

 

She said, prying the shota’s arms away from her,

 

“Before I beat you up.”

 

He pouted, “Now I remember! Harumi-chan was mean to me!”

 

“You’ll live.”

 

She said,

 

“Tachibana-san. You’ve grown! A lot!”

 

“It’s Makoto, Harumi-chan.”

 

He smiled,

 

“This is Rei, he’s our new friend.”

 

“Hello,”

 

Rei said, bowing immediately,

 

“You are a beauty Nananse-san.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Harumi blinked,

 

“Thanks, but call me Harumi.”

 

“So it’s Haruka and Harumi?” Rei asked.

 

She nodded, “Our parents we’re creative.”

 

Harumi crossed her arms and Makoto and Rei forced their eyes to look away from below the neckline,

their faces turning pink at the sight of Harumi’s chest,

 

“Onii-chan, all you have in your fridge is mackerel, how are you living?!”

 

Makoto rubbed the back of his neck, “Why don’t I call for pizza?”

 

“Great!”

 

Harumi said, prancing into the house,

 

“Well c’mon!”

 

“Shouldn’t you tell her to change her clothes Haru?” Makoto said.

 

“What’s wrong with them?” Haruka asked.

 

Rei smacked his own forehead, “I don’t think Haruka-senpai is the overprotective brother type.”

 

“I don’t see what’s wrong with it either,” Nagisa said, following them into the house.

 

Over pizza, Harumi explained that she came back to Iwatobi because her parents had felt like Haruka was by himself too much

and that it would be good if she experienced life a little more slow paced that the one in America.

Harumi talked about all her experiences in America and the boys were almost awed by her stories.

She would joining Iwatobi High School two days from now as Freshman like Rei and Nagisa.

 

“That sounds so exciting Harumi-chan!”

 

Nagisa exclaimed,

 

“You have to take me with you next time!”

 

“They’d kick you off the plane for being so loud.”Harumi teased.

 

“Eh?!” Nagisa said.

 

Makoto smiled, he was glad that a part of Haruka’s family came back, he didn’t talk about his parents or Harumi much since his

grandmother died, at least now he wouldn’t be lonely and the more time Makoto spent that evening with Harumi he was beginning

to recall bits and pieces of her in his childhood.

She was tough cookie back then, but it didn’t seem like it now.

She still had her miniscule annoyance with Nagisa though and it seemed like his kohai,

Rei, had developed a little crush on her. He stood up and looked at the time, it was getting late,

 

“It’s time for us to leave.”

 

“Why?!” Nagisa whined.

 

“Because you need to go home Nagisa,” Harumi said, with a look.

 

“C’mon,”

 

Makoto said, dragging Nagisa by his collar,

 

“Thanks for having us.”

 

Harumi nodded, “See you all next time!”

 

“Bye Haruka-senpai, Harumi-chan.” Rei waved and followed Makoto.

 

Harumi closed the door and sighed. She looked at Haruka,

 

“I’m mad at you; you probably didn’t even miss me.”

 

She made her way to her suitcase, grabbing a toothbrush, a change of clothes, and a towel.

Harumi made her way into the bath where she was delighted in stepping foot into a warm tub of water, she was wide awake due to

the different time zones, but she used this mull over on her thoughts.

Things were different her in Iwatobi, she missed New York’s bustling of cars and constant blinding light even at the latest of night,

she sighed and leaned her head against the tub.

Harumi heard the door slide open and close.

Haruka was making his way to Harumi, her back facing him, he kneeled down on the tile floor and embraced the top of her shoulders,

letting the warm water caress his hands.

The water was clouded with soap but he could still see his sister’s silhouette and it had change since the last time he saw her.

 

“Gomenasai,” he whispered into her ear, “I have missed you Harumi.”

---