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Yamazaki Sousuke, a well-built guy taller than him that has black hair, teal eyes and, for as long as Makoto could remember, always had that serious expression (except around Rin, Gou-chan and his team, it seems). When they were younger Rin did mention of Yamazaki-kun being his best friend, so seeing them together in Samezuka made Makoto happy for Rin.
During the time they were at the Splash Fest event, Makoto noticed that Yamazaki-san was watching Haru closely. He couldn't help being worried, remembering the time from the past when Yamazaki-san almost had a fight with Haru. Unconsciously, his gazes drifts over to the taller man once in a while.
In one instant teal and green connected, the other's gaze intense, and Makoto found himself whipping his head to the clear pool water.
Yamazaki-san has been looking, no, staring at him for some time now. Even with their friends present around, Makoto's sure that the other's gaze was on him when they are together. Why? The thought made him conscious of his actions, wondering if he ever did anything wrong against the other. At the same time, Makoto kept on checking over Haru when everyone's together, silently worrying if he had another encounter with Yamazaki-san.
Over time, Makoto noticed that Yamazaki-san's gazes on him started to vary. At first, they were intense, watchful. Recently, his teal eyes only confused Makoto. It probably began from the time he almost slipped into the pool in one of their practices, but his eyes shone with.. interest, amusement, sometimes worry, hints of kindness? He doesn't know anymore, just that those looks were definitely the opposite from how it was in the beginning, from when they met again after so many years (not that they actually know each other besides their names). The softening gazes, they just makes his heart throb a little.
He started becoming wary of the raven-haired teen. Makoto noticed how his arms slice through the water with powerful flutters of his strokes, how he playfully smirked over Rin's knee nudges, how he kept stealing glances on his way. Being friends with Haru, Makoto had a springing confidence on how to read people with just their eyes. But this, he wanted to make sure of why, how, what those glances meant.
After a joint practice with Samezuka, Makoto excused himself from the group on their way home, claiming to have forgotten something over Samezuka's lockers. With hurried goodbyes, he contacted Rin to where he could find Yamazaki-san. He's steeled himself to get to the bottom of this situation, now that he can't escape as he pressed the SEND button.
"Um.."
It's been five minutes of silence, the two tall teens stood still on the academy's plaza. Yamazaki-san's hands were kept in his jacket's pockets, looking over the tall, yet shorter, teen in front of him. Makoto's right hand fidgeted with his jacket's left sleeve as his head kept hung down, unsure as to how open the topic. Does he go straight to the point? Maybe he should start off with how nice the weather is.
"The--"
"Tachibana-kun?"
He flinched at the deep voice, green eyes trailing up to the source. Makoto could only gulp in air before replying, "Y-yes?"
"Please, call me Sousuke." His heart skipped a beat seeing softened teal eyes and a small smile gracing over the usually serious features.
"Then," he unconsciously held his right hand open up between them, "calling me Makoto's fine too, Sousuke-san."
Sousuke looked quizzically on the hand in front of them, making Makoto fluster on his actions. "I-I'm sorry! It's just out of hab--" He made a move to pull his hand back, only to have Sousuke lean toward him and grab his right hand, stopping just before his hand was on his side.
Somehow, their faces were quite closer than how it should be, the summer heat strangely feeling heavier.
The taller teen let out a chuckle and Makoto could feel it. "Without the -san would make me feel better." Sousuke made a step back, keeping their hands together and gave a small shake. Strangely, Makoto felt the slight squeeze on his palm and he's getting nervous and embarrassed as to how his hand might start sweating.
"Well, Makoto," the separation of their hands felt a little sad, "I should get back to the dorms. Rin might get mad at me for bringing his iced coffee so late." He could only look on as Sousuke picked up a plastic bag with cans of drinks from the bench beside them. "Will you be okay getting out of the campus on your own?"
Makoto gave a small nod and a short wave of his hand. That sly smile of Sousuke was back on his face, teal eyes twinkling in slight mischief. "See you around then, Makoto," and he went off deeper in the academy as Makoto stood still on the same spot.
The olive-haired teen kept walking towards the gates of Samezuka, confused as to how he was dazed the whole time, remembering those teal eyes..
...
Wait, why did he come back to Samezuka to talk with Sousuke?