Seems like no matter what he does, he can't get Haru out of his head. It's not really his fault, at least that's what Makoto tells himself. Best friends since elementary. Basically neighbors in the small town of Iwatobi. Champions of their youth's swim meet. They're like brothers. Brothers who have done everyhing together and will probably continue to do everything together no matter how much time passes and whatever distance separates them.

So every time Haru leaves, Makoto's mind wanders to where his other half is. But not in a romantic way. Definitely not a romantic way. Just, platonic, as platonic as can be, like wasabi and sushi, or chicken and chips. Perfectly meant for each other, but only ever as a complement and never as a package. 

So what if one day his best friend would find a girlfriend and hold her hand and kiss her on the lips and spread her legs to—

Where was Haru now? He had left the classroom a little while ago and still had not returned. Makoto frowned at his watch, a present from his father and a reminder of his responsibility as the eldest brother in the family. 

"This," Makoto's father had grunted. "is from my father, and his father before him and so on and so on. Do you know why I'm giving it to you, Makoto?" 

Eyes wide and hands shaking in the slightest, Makoto looked up at his father and shook his head, no he did not know.

"You're a man now. I can see that now," Makoto's father cracked a smile in the weathered lines of his leathery face. "You, my son, are a man. You'll marry a beautiful Japanese woman and give your mom and me strapping young lads. One day, soon enough, I'll be the grandfather to your children."

Makoto nodded wordlessly, unable to tell his father that kids are great and grandkids are even greater, but they were kind of overrated and maybe they could settle for a puppy until his siblings decidd to reproduce in twenty years.

But he didn't. He gingerly wrapped his new watch around his wrist and wound the clock to the correct time, five minutes ahead. "Now that you're a man, remember that time is one of the most precious things in this world. Once you lose it, it's gone forever and no amount of bargaining or regret will bring it back. Use it wisely. Spend it wisely on the right people. If you can do that, my son, you will go far in life." 

And his father bundled him in to the most awkward hug of his life and thumped on his back a few, solid times. 

"Be a good husband Makoto."

"I will, dad." The only true statement that Makoto could utter. The only thing he felt 100% comfortable slipping between his lips was that he will be a good husband. To whoever, was still to be seen. But be good and honest and kind, would be a given.

But just where the heck was Haru? 

His watch now read fifteen till one and that meant that Haru had been gone for over ten minutes now. Maybe he had the runs? Or felt dizzy? Or maybe, Makoto thought, looking out the window and into a fine spring afternoon, he was lazing around on the roof and enjoying the cool air and smell of cherry blossoms. Regardless of the reason, he was still gone. And that worried Makoto.

Makoto's pencil did a rythmic jig on his paper and his fingers drummed out an impatient tune as he awaited Haru's return. Worry was the first instinctive feeling Makoto felt when he realized how long his friend was gone. Then an echo of jealousy for him having left suddenly without so much as a note or a scribble on his notebook to say where he was going. Then slight irritation for being left out of the loop of Haru's life. He refused to admit it, but his daily clock and oftentimes his emotional clock was running on Haru time, and that barely existed and usually malfunctioned at the best of times.

A sudden rasping sound and Haru arrived back in the classroom. The sliding door closed with the same dry warning and Haru made his way back to his desk amidst snickers and giggles. He didn't notice them. Like most things in life, he didn't notice them.

It wasn't a defense mechanism to filter out hate comments and build his own self-esteem in his own, self prescribed world. It wasn't that his classmates were somehow beneath him and deserved nothing more than a cursory glance at times. It was mostly Haru's complete and utter preoccupation with water, its attributes, and all things related to it. If it didn't include water, Haru wasn't interested.

Which was ironic because humans are composed of at least 70% water...

But Makoto figured that it was because Haru couldn't dive into humans as easily as he could with a pool or the ocean. Unless it was his fabled girlfriend, yet again. Makoto had a sudden flash of heat below his belt as he thought of how skilled Haru would be and how his in bed would feel like.

Haru plopped down into his seat in front of Makoto and continued to not pay attention and gaze out the window instead. From this angle, Makoto could just see Haru's profile, his empty blue eyes staring at the spring of their yourths outside the window and his breath gently ruffling his hair every few seconds.

Makoto crossed his legs.

Jotted down a couple notes.

Looked out the window.

Half past one.

Resigned, Makoto raises his hand and stands. "May I go to the restroom?" His professor hardly looks up and waves him away. Makoto smiles his happy, lazy smile and shuffles out the back door in the classroom. Luckily, he had a seat in the back so no one could see him and his unwanted friend. He walks rigidly to the bathroom and comandeers the larger empty stall at the end. He fumbles at his belt buckle and lets his pants fall to his knees as he grabs the railing with one hand and steadies himself with the other, Haru firmly in his mind.