𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒. rin matsuoka

3 | azure

秋山 寛
HIRO AKIYAMA

              The first time I learned how to swim was in the sea, after I almost drowned trying to save a cat. Rin promised me that he wouldn't let go of my hand as he showed me a sight to behold, a sight he wanted me to see. As I swam in the ocean, I would always look at the sight beneath me. The corals, the fishes, the water. It was as if there was a kingdom beneath me, and he was the prince. Too bad I was never going to be a princess.

"Here" the young Rin Matsuoka says right after we swim, handing me a frosty azure-colored stone. "You can have it."

"What is it?" I look at him, confused as I bring it up to the sun to examine it. To others it was simply another pebble to throw away, but looking closely it looked like a gem. "It's pretty" I mutter, describing how it looked like, adoring the shade of blue.

"Sea glass" he says, with a grin, "I thought it suits your eyes. I picked it up by the shore."

I couldn't help but let a smile escape my lips at his thoughtfulness, "Thanks, Rin. I'll treasure it."

My grandfather turned it into a necklace so that I could bring it along anywhere I go. I always wore it around my neck, as if it was some goodluck charm. Funny how it never brought me luck. Then again, other than the letters, it was the only thing that connected me to Rin.

And here I was supposed to hate him.

▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬

              "—iro! Hiro!" Emiko, one of my friends snapped me out of my thoughts. A couple months had passed since I heard of Rin Matsuoka's arrival in Japan. I've been avoiding him like a plague but ever since Gou approached me, I couldn't help but remember all times we've spent together.

'Figures, you haven't moved on from him like you thought you did,' I mentally spat, and right then all I wanted to do was dig myself a grave.

"You're phone's been ringing non-stop. Shouldn't you pick that up?" Aina points toward my phone, feasting on a piece of takoyaki as we gathered today because of the summer festival for Hachiman-sama.

"You're so out of it the past days, Hiro. Are you sure you're alright?" Emiko adds, and I forget to pay attention to where I was heading.

              "Sorry," I excused myself as I bumped into a familiar figure wearing a yukata.

"Uwah! Hi-chan!" Gou greets me with a bright smile.

"Gou" I return the greeting, earning the attention of my two friends.

"Who's this? Who's this?" Gou's friends asks.

"My childhood friend, Hiro Akiyama. She's in the year above us" she tells her friend and turns to me, "Hi-chan, this is Hana-chan."

"Eh? I thought the 'Hiro' you always talked about was a guy." the so called Hana-chan gasps in surprise.

"Pfft. She gets that a lot" Emiko giggles and Aina adds, "On the first day of school, our homeroom teacher thought she was a boy."

"Alright alright" I pull the back of the collars of my two friends. "Stop it."

"Your yukatas suit you" I change the topic, smile at the two freshmen, ignoring the people I came with.

"You guys look pretty too, Hi-chan!" Gou compliments the three of us, before noticing the necklace that draped down my neck. "Ah! Is that the necklace Onii-chan got you?"

"Onii-chan? What's this, Hiro? You got a necklace from a guy?" Aina gasps, I hit her head thereafter.

"Stop acting like it's a big deal. He gave me the stone, my grandfather was the one who made it a necklace" I emphasized, hoping they got my message clearly. There was no where in hell that I was going to admit I liked Gou's brother even if it was the death of me.

▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬

              "Hiro..." Emiko speaks up as she notices. "I think you have a problem..."

"Huh?" I look at her. "What is it?".

"Your necklace, I think it dropped somewhere" she tells me, and Aina notices as well.

"She's right. It's gone" Aina says anxiously.

'Fuck' I think immediately.

'Fuck fuck fuck'

Of all the things I could've lost it had to be the one thing I've always taken care. Of all the things I could have lost it had to be something made by my grandfather. Of all the things I could've lost it had to be something Rin gave me.

I was internally panicking, having a mini heart attack, until the two assured me.

"Let's find it" Aina suggests. "It's important to you, right?"

"But—" I look at them and think, 'I can't waste your time.'

"You don't have to worry about us. It's fine" Emiko assures me as if she read my mind.

"Then, I'll check by the main road" I say after debating with myself for a couple of minutes thinking of whether or not I should let them to help me.

"I'll check near the washrooms" Aina says.

"I'll check by the stalls" Emiko adds.

"We'll call if we find it. Cheer up, alright?" Aina smiles at me, patting my back assuringly.

"Thank you" I tell them sincerely, and then we separate from each other. 

              I run past the stalls towards the main road. The road by the seashore. I look down and attempt to recall the path we walked, looking back and trying to double check if I searched enough.  Boy, was it going to be a long night.

'It could be anywhere,' I sigh and crouch down. Looking side to side for something shiny. The silve chain of the necklace could probably shine when light reflects on it. I turn on the flashlight of my phone in attempt to find it, only to be called out by a husky voice.

"Miss, are you searching for this?" He asks, it takes a second before I look at him.

He was holding my necklace in the palm of his hand, and as soon as I look up I realize who he was—

Rin Matsuoka. The person I've been avoiding like a plague. The person who cut me off. The person who I fell in love with.

"Hiro—"

'Shit' I mentally curse, debating if I should make a run for it or treat him like stranger would.

"Thanks," I say calmly, trying to put the past behind us for a moment. "I owe you one."

"Hiro—" he attempts to catch my attention once again but I turn my heel and leave.

And yet, once I thought I was far enough, I look back once, the next thing I knew he was close enough to grab me by my wrist.