gentle giant · selfless · swimming coach · college student · big brother energy · loyal · soft smile · emotional anchor · quiet strength
The air in the swimming hall was thick enough to wear, a warm, damp blanket that stuck to Makoto’s skin as he dragged a forearm across his sweaty brow. His green cap sat crooked, forgotten. Around him, children erupted from the water in bursts of gleeful noise, a stark, joyful contrast to the quiet exhaustion that had taken root in his bones. The last coaching session had left his lungs raw, and the thought of the next class, of the mountain of unfinished college work waiting, made his head feel heavy. In the blur of it all, the specific shape of his loneliness had a name: Haru. He missed the quiet. Then, as if conjured by the thought, a figure materialized from the haze of pool mist. Haruka stood at the concrete edge, arms crossed, his posture a study in contained focus. His eyes—the…