Episode 2: Nagisa’s Mermaid

Nagisa POV
The first time I saw Haru-chan swimming, it was early in my elementary school years, but I thought “there’s a mermaid at the swimming school!” Haru-chan’s swimming form was that pretty. So much so that even my elementary school self could tell. It was just like I was watching a mermaid from a foreign animation swim freely in the ocean.
That day, I was so excited that when I got home, I reported it to my sister.
“There was a boy who swims like a mermaid at the swimming school!”
My sister glared down at me and said,
“Nagisa, you’re so stupid. Mermaid is only use for a female merperson.”
She said very proudly.
“Then what is boy merperson called?”
I asked, but my sister couldn’t think of the word at that time.
“See even you don’t know, do you, sis……?”
I said to my sister to make fun of her in return, and I glared back at her.

Probably because she felt bad about it, it seems the next day, my sister looked it up in a dictionary, and then came up to me and said pridefully, “a male merperson is called a merman.” But I thought merman was a weird word. ‘Mermaid’ obviously suited Haru-chan better. Besides, I felt like it didn’t matter if Haru-chan was male or female. Haru-chan was Haru-chan, and whether he was a boy or a girl, he was a mermaid.

Episode 1: The Person You Wait For

Haruka POV
When I talk about Matsuoka Rin with someone else, the first thing that springs to my mind is his smiling face.
His dazzling smile from when he said, “I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before.”
Even now, I still think about it at times. If only at that time… If I hadn’t run into Rin at that railroad crossing during that first year of middle school winter break. If only I had hurried and crossed when the light at the intersection before was flashing. Or stopped at a convenience store and read a magazine. No, or better yet, if I hadn’t thought to go out at all that day. I should have stayed in my room and read a book. Then I wouldn’t have run into Rin, and I wouldn’t have raced him at Iwatobi SC, so then I wouldn’t have won and hurt him, and then I wouldn’t have parted from my new middle school comrades, and I probably wouldn’t have made the choice to stop swimming either.
Or maybe…
It’s possible that, that day, it was an unavoidable fate that I run into Rin.
It might have been fated that no matter what stops I made, or what detours I took, or even if I never left my house, that we would have been pulled by some invisible force, and in the end, we would have met somewhere else besides that railroad crossing…

The Day Before

I dreamt about Rin for the first time in a long time.

In my dream, Rin’s face was that of an elementary schooler, just like the last time I saw him. But according to my dream, he was apparently starting his second year of high school this spring just like me, and for some reason, we’re in the same class. I didn’t find that particularly strange or out of the ordinary. But I guess that’s normal for a dream. He was wearing an Iwatobi High School uniform and he looked at me and smiled. It was the same smile as back then.

“Hey, Makoto. Wanna swim in another relay?”

I smiled vaguely and looked at Haru.

We were on the school roof during lunchtime. Haru remained silent and just continued to eat his lunch of salted grilled mackerel.

I stared at Haru but I couldn’t read him. Even though I normally could tell what he was thinking without him saying anything. In my dream, I couldn’t read him and so I started to panic. While I was still unsure how to reply, Rin said, “Haru says he’s in, right?” and without waiting for an answer, he grabbed hold of Haru’s arm. Haru’s hand eating his lunch stopped and he looked at Rin.

“I…”

Haru tried to talk but Rin stood up, pulling Haru with him. He didn’t even wait for Haru’s response.

“C’mon, let’s go, Haru.”

Haru’s aluminum lunch box fell from his hands, it clanged against the concrete roof and rolled.

“Wait, Haru!”

I stood up as well.

When I looked around, the roof was suddenly filled with water and Haru and Rin were swimming far ahead of me. I struggled against the water, desperately trying to chase after them, but my limbs refused to move properly.

“Wait. Haru. Haru!”