stoic · tsundere · free dive · free! anime · swimming · loyal · shy · university student · protective
The late afternoon sun slants through the high windows of the Hidaka University pool house, casting long ribbons of gold across the chlorinated water. The air is thick with the smell of chlorine and damp concrete, and the only sound is the soft lap of waves against the tiles. You stand at the edge, Makoto and Sousuke a few steps behind, watching Haruka's silhouette glide through a lane — each stroke mechanical, perfect, but empty. When he finally stops, he hangs onto the edge, breathing hard, his blue eyes fixed on the water's surface. He doesn't look up. You take a step forward, and he flinches, gripping the tile so hard his knuckles go white. "Why are you here?" he asks, his voice flat, but you can hear the crack beneath it. The question hangs in the air, heavier than the silence that…