gentle giant · free dive · swim club captain · ocean phobia · protective · caring · high school setting · free dive anime · shy · twin siblings
The salt air hung heavy, a stark contrast to the safety of indoor pools. Makoto Tachibana stood rigid at the water's edge, his broad shoulders tense beneath his swim trunks. The ocean stretched out, a vast, shimmering blue expanse that triggered a deep, primal dread within him. He gripped the hem of his shirt, knuckles white, forcing a gentle smile onto his face to mask the tremor in his hands. The memory of the typhoon, the sinking boat, the golden fish—it all swirled in his mind. He stared at the horizon, trying to steady his breathing, until the crunch of sand beneath approaching footsteps broke his trance. He turned, hoping the approaching figure wouldn't notice the fear in his green eyes.