Free!Swim Stories

Comissioned by  https://twitter.com/hybristophilica via Twitter. Chapter 1-€65

Matt has just left his mother’s restaurant after a three hour shift when his phone beeps with the message he’d been waiting for. Rin finally answered his proposal. He sent a video message. 

“Of course I’d like to have you here! Are you kidding me?! Oh my God, that would be amazing, Matt! I can’t believe you’d fly all the way here!”

Matt had been hoping for this. The idea of flying to Japan to visit Rin popped in his head a few days ago, but he wasn’t sure if his friend would actually be up for an abrupt visit like the one
Matt wanted to plan. Instead, Rin’s excitement in the video is palpable and contagious; it easily infects Matthew too. As the plane stumbles on the concrete of the landing strip, Matt grabs the armrests of his seat and mutters one last prayer. It’s done, he’s here. The crowd of passengers surrounding him begins unlocking the seatbelts, but it’s only when the lights above his head turn off that Matt does the same, finally reassured. Damn it, he thought he’d handle the flight a bit better, but he can’t complain overall. He’s proud of himself for making it through Japan for a more than
worthy cause, and being able to overcome his past trauma and fear of flying is not a small step, nor one to ignore. 

He collects his luggage quickly and looks around for a familiar face. The worthy reason. Rin’s eyes meet him over some stranger’s head and Matthew can’t help a wide, relieved smile.

“There he is!” 

Rin shouts as he runs towards Matt with open arms, making him almost stumble on the floor.

“Here I am,” 

Matt agrees, awkwardly hugging his penpal with as much strength as he canmuster. It’s good to be with him in the flesh. 

“Mh-mh?” 

Another voice behind Rin interrupts the hug, and a young woman that resembles Rinway too much for it to be a coincidence steps forward. Matt grins. 

“You must be Gou,”   

he guesses a bit stiffly. 

“I hear

She bows politely with a cheery grin. 

“I’m glad this dork talked to you about me!” 

She says,glaring briefly at Rin before turning her eyes to Matt again, 

“But yes, I’m Gou, his youngersister. It’s so nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard so much about you!”

Matt blushes and looks away, slightly overwhelmed with the attention, but he smiles as wellwhen Gou sticks a small ribbon on his chest. Welcome to Japan! it says. 

“Thank you, both of you,” 

Matt comments, wrapping his free arm around Rin’s shoulder as theymake their way out of the airport. 

“It feels nice to finally be here.”
“How long are you going to stay?” 

Rin wonders, slipping a black baseball cap on to shieldhimself from the sun.

“A bit less than two months. I know it’s quite a long time, but I needed a break fromeverything.”
“Why, don’t you like it there in Australia?” Gou asks.
“No, of course I like it. There’s the restaurant to look after and my training and my family andfriends, but...I don’t know, I guess a break from routine can’t hurt. Besides, I really wanted to
see this ugly face in three dimensions,” 

he teased, pointing at Rin before breaking into laughterwith him. Yes, definitely worth it.Rin leads him to the guesthouse Matt rented for the time being and helps him carry the heavy
luggage to the third floor of the building.

“So, got any plans for tomorrow?”

Matt knows what the question is gonna lead to, but he feigns ignorance. 

“Not really. I mightstay in all day and rest after the flight. You know, jet-lag and everything.”

Rin reaches for a pillow on the couch and throws it at him. 

“Very funny. I don’t want to break itto you, but it’s my birthday tomorrow and Gou organized a party at our place. Some of herfriends and all of mine will attend, so you can’t miss it. Jet-lag or not.”

Matt tips his baseball cap off and tilts his head. 

“I wouldn't dream of it. I’ll be there.”

Rin nods, convinced; he double-checks if Matt’s got everything he needs, then he finally headsout. The room suddenly feels a lot more empty without him, but Matt sighs heavily and tells
himself they’ve got a lot more time to spend together. Besides, he still needs to bake Rin thebest cake he’s ever eaten, so there’s no time to waste on anxiety and doubts.
He’d asked the house owner to prepare eggs, flour, sugar and baking powder before his arrival,and he’s pleased to find all the ingredients -and more- in the cabinet in the kitchen.
Not even two hours later, the house smells like salted caramel and sugar, there’s a two-layeredcake in the oven and Matt has flour all over his face and up to his elbows. Mission
accomplished, though, and that’s all that matters.Later in the evening, right before dinner, he receives a text from Rin. 

[Hey bud. My friends arecoming to a nearby pub to celebrate my bday at midnight. I thought we could grab a bite firstand then join them? Let me know.]

Matt accepts the offer without hesitation, gets ready as quickly as he can and heads out.The ramen restaurant Rin brought him at is nothing fancy or super posh, and Matthew likes it.
There’s a cozy atmosphere around, with soft music playing in the background and kind waitersthat soon lead them to their reserved table.
After two glasses of wine have been served, Matt and Rin make a toast to their reunion.

“It’s good to have you here,”

 Rin says, a bit serious despite the sincere smile, 

“I mean it.”

Matthew can’t help but smile as well. What worry, what terror of flying again, of reliving thenightmare all over again had grasped his mind before coming here. And then what relief, what
sense of belonging, of coming home, when he finally hugged Rin! 

“It’s good to be here,” 

hereplies, touched. 

“I’m almost sorry for you, ‘cause you’re going to have to bear with me for along while.

Rin grins and thanks the waitress that brings their orders to the table. 

“If only we could meetmore often instead.”

Matt shrugs. 

“I like writing to you. It’s worked so far and it will keep working, you’ll see. ButI’d love to visit more often, if I get the chance, and I’d love to have you back in Australia too,once in a while.”
“I know I should come visit more,” 

Rin sighs, stuffing his mouth with noodles but -thankfully-swallowing before continuing, 

“I miss my parents, that much I know. But I’ve got a life here,now, a life that satisfies me. Swimming as I’m doing, my friends, Haru...everybody’s here.”

Matt doesn't ask who this Haru is, because Rin has written plenty about him, so he limitshimself to a sharp nod of understanding and wipes his mouth. 

“And there’s nothing wrong withthat. I just mean that I’ll be there, whenever you feel ready to come back. Even if for a shortamount of time.”

Rin nods and takes a sip of wine, then leans back against the chair, looking rather handsome. 

“Idon’t wanna worry about that, for now. I just want to have fun with you, take you places, andmake you enjoy life here as well.”

Matt grins a cheeky grin. 

“I can’t wait to do that.”

Not even one hour later, after paying the bill and leaving a tip that Rin couldn’t help but widenhis eyes at, Matt leaves the restaurant with a full tummy and a light spirit. 

“Should we meetyour friends right away?”

Rin checks his phone and nods. 

“Yeah, Sousuke said they’re all together already. Better notleave them waiting.”

They hop on a bus that drops them into a lively neighborhood with picturesque tight alleys andseveral pubs and bars with colorful neon lights. Matt feels lost just for a moment, but the
reassuring hand on the back of his shoulder helps him relax. Come on, dude. It’s so dark it’sbarely visible. And if these people are Rin’s friends, then you can trust them not to be jerks.
If only an interior motivating monologue would be enough to make him feel calmer, all ofMatt’s problems would be solved. He wouldn't have to fear rejection because his burnt skin
looks hideous to many, or because even the clear part of his face shows ugly scars of old cuts hecan’t manage to hide. It’s tiring to circle back to that worry, but he can’t help it.
Luckily, the bell that rings when Rin pushes the door of a pub open pulls him back to reality.The interior of the pub is stylish, with dark green wallpaper on the walls and soft lighting
coming from the ceiling.
There’s a small group of young men in the corner, and it’s exactly towards that group that Rinwaves his hands. 

“There!”

As soon as they recognize him, several people wave back, one stands up -Haru, Matthewrecognizes from the pictures- and half-hugs Rin. 

“Everybody, thanks for being here, first of all,” 

Rin says, taking place on the wooden benchbehind the table, 

“And second, this is Matthew, my old friend and penpal from Australia.”

Several faces and pairs of eyes turn to look at him, and Matthew freezes. 

“Nice to meet youall,” 

he greets nervously, until a friendly and just slightly intrusive hand pats his shoulder. 

“Nice to meet you too! I’m Nagisa, one of Rin’s swimming buddies!” 

A shorter, blonde guygrins at him.Three more faces stand aside Nagisa, respectively Rei, Makoto and Sousuke. It’s this last onethat definitely catches Matthew’s attention. His eyes are so blue, so clear even in the dim lightsof the pub, and when he politely nods at Matt, Matt doesn’t know why he’s blushing -or heknows, but he refuses to admit it.
Rin orders drinks for everyone as the group takes place around the table and it doesn't take longfor them to reach a second round, right before midnight. Matt can already feel lighter, both in
his heart and mind. More relaxed, he lets himself go to silly jokes as Sousuke and Haru describehow problematic Rin had been in the past years, how much he’d grown into a better man, a
better version of himself. 
The words strike something inside of Matt as he cheers his friend’s birthday when the clockticks midnight. He wants to be a better version of himself too, the best one possible.
The fun atmosphere leads to a third round of drinks and, at that point, Matt can’t control himselfanymore.

“Damn, I should have known,” 

Rin comments with a snicker while Matt begins to dance to thepop background songs. 

“He’s always been a lightweight.” 

Sousuke looks amused when Matt stands up to move more easily, gazing at him through liddedeyes. He’s so composed and collected despite having drunk more than Matt, though, and that
infuriates him.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” 

he teases, sticking his tongue out while his hips follow thebeat of the melody. He can’t help himself, it just feels so liberating to let go of his inhibitionsand finally enjoy a moment of light-hearted fun with his friend. And his friend’s friends. 

“He seems fun,” 

Matt hears Sousuke comment to Rin, and it makes him feel like he’s twelve allover again, rediscovering himself and letting others discover him without fear of being judged. 
Rin looks more in control than Matt, but he’s not. Matt knows him well enough to notice theblurry gaze in his eyes, the maniacal laughter that comes up at every stupid joke. 
He grabs Rin’shand and pulls him up with him, shamelessly carrying him to the center of the room as hebegins to dance alongside him. It’s dumb, but it’s spontaneous. Matthew knows he wouldn't actlike this, he couldn’t act like this, had he been sober. But to hell with that! It’s his friend’sbirthday and he wants to enjoy it to the fullest. Rin seems to agree. He laughs and laughs as
they hold hands, swaying right and left more out of sync than they realize.
Matt is having the best time when his foot suddenly slips on a few drops of spilled drinks. Ohno. He can feel himself lose balance, he can see it written on Rin’s face that he won’t be able to
stop himself from falling.
And he’s falling, and he’s gasping in surprise, but a pair of strong, warm arms catch him beforehis head can hit the table. 

“Woah,” 

Matt can only mutter, looking behind his shoulder to seeSousuke’s face way too close to his.

"Got you,” 

Sousuke comments as he helps Matt stand straight again. Too in awe to properly speak, Rin quickly comes to the rescue. Or maybe not.

“Wow, Sousuke, you really saved his ass! Have you guys seen that?” 

He laughs in the directionof the group, but in the end he’s the one that almost trips on his own feet because he can’t walkproperly.

“Why did I not see this coming?” 

Makoto comments with a roll of eyes, and Rei nods.

“We should have definitely expected this. What are we going to do with them?”

Nagisa hums. 

“We should take Rin home,” 

he slurs, and Makoto and Rei share a look.

“Rei and I can take Nagisa and Rin home,” 

he intervenes, glancing at Sousuke. 

“Can youhandle Matt?”

Sousuke waits for Matt’s eyes to meet his, as if he needs his approval to just walk him home.Matt frowns, slightly confused and still slightly buzzed, but shrugs in the end. 

“The sooner weget there, the better.”
“Let’s go, then.”
“Wait!” 

Matt staggers away from Sousuke’s arm and giggles when his head drops on Rin’s
shoulder. 

“Ha—happy birthday, friend.”

Rin hiccups a slurry 

“Thank you, Matt,” 

before Makoto and Haru help him on his feet.The street of the guesthouse is deserted that late into the night and Matthew shivers all down hisback. It’s not just because of the cold temperature and the chilly wind against his face. Heglances at Sousuke and frowns once again. 

“You didn't have to walk me home, you know. I cantake care of myself.”

Sousuke’s glacial eyes barely glance at him for a moment before turning back onto thesidewalk. 

“You’re clearly drunk. It would be irresponsible to let you go alone so late.”

“I’m not drunk, I was just tipsy!” 

And, while saying that, Matthew almost walks into astreetlamp.Sousuke turns to him, silent for several seconds. Then his expression breaks into a genuinelyamused smile, and Matt’s heart skips a beat. The rest of the walk to the guesthouse is silent, butMatt’s thoughts are loud as ever. 
The next morning, when the alarm he doesn't remember setting wakes him up, he can definitelyfeel the hangover from the night before. Tipsy my ass. He can barely remember anything that
happened after the third drink, but he does remember dancing with Rin and laughing withMakoto, and he remembers Sousuke’s features under the cold light of a streetlamp.

“Get a grip, Matthew,” 

he mutters under his breath as he slips his glasses on his nose and getsup.Rin has sent him a message at 2am, thanking him for coming back to Japan and for visiting him
just in time for his birthday. He also attached the address for tonight’s party, the one Gou hadorganized for him and that Matt couldn’t miss.
He glances at the box on the kitchen counter containing the cake he baked yesterday and,unhappy with that, he decides to roll his sleeves up once again and get back to work. Some
cupcakes won’t hurt; Rin deserves this and more. Plus, everybody likes cupcakes, and Matt ismore than happy to deliver.
A text interrupts him before he can actually dig his hands in the dough, luckily. 

[How are youfeeling? You seemed pretty out of it last night.]

Matt stares at the screen for a second before replying:

 [Who is this?]

[Sousuke. Remember me? Rin’s friend.]

Oh. Right. He definitely remembers Sousuke. 

[I’m fine, thank you. How did you get mynumber?] 

After sending the text, he feels little butterflies starting to clump his stomach. Thiscan’t be good.

[Rin gave it to me. I hope you don’t mind.]

Matt smirks. 

[Not at all. Will I see you tonight at the party too? I need a chance to show youthere’s more to me than a lightweight.]

[I'll be there, yes. And if you don’t get wasted again, we might actually get a chance to talk.]

Matt puts the phone down and takes a deep breath. He feels like he’s flirting, but he isn’t. He’sjust trying to be friendly with Rin’s friends. It’s not like he’s acting differently with Sousuke
than he would with Makoto, Rei or Nagisa. It was very nice of Sousuke to check on him, butMatt knows it’s just a polite gesture and nothing more. He can’t deceive himself, so he decides
to cut the conversation short and go back to his muffins.In the afternoon, with a house that smells like burnt dough and vanilla, Matt gets ready for theparty in half an hour. 
It’s going to be informal, so he doesn't have to worry about dress code ormanners. What he’s mostly worried about is how he’ll manage to carry a cake and three trays ofmuffins on his own.

Ding dong!

“Finally! We were just waiting for you,” 

Nagisa opens the door of the Matsuoka apartment.

“The others have already arrived.” 

He grabs two of the trays from Matt’s unstable hands andlets him in.

“Sorry for being late,” 

Matt apologizes. He doesn't mention the fact that he needed to ask twomiddle schoolers to help him on the way and follows Nagisa inside.
The party is bigger than he thought. Informal, sure. Messy and chaotic as well. There’s peoplealready drinking beer in the kitchen, where he leaves all the baked goods to collect in a second
moment; some girls are checking their makeup in the mirror in the hallways and a couple ofguys are preparing cocktails on the counter. The air smells like fries and liquor; there’s music
blasting from the stereo and the majority of the guests are scattered all over the place, from thecouch to the carpet to the dining table.

“Looks...out of control already,” 

Matthew comments, just slightly nervous to be around somany people he doesn't know.
Nagisa nods. 

“Gou messed up the invites and forwarded them to more people than she wanted.Rin said he doesn't mind, though. The more the merrier.”

Sounds accurate, Matt thinks despite the crippling anxiety at the back of his head. Is it just hisimpression, or are those guys staring at his burns?
He can’t focus on it too long though, because as they turn the corner and arrive in the livingroom, the sight of Rin’s friends reassures him. 

“Look who’s walking on his feet again!” 

Makotolaughs, patting Matt’s back, 

“I’m glad you found your way out of bed this morning.”

Matt nods, slightly embarrassed that the first memory he’s left this guy is of him drunk-dancingand staggering.Sousuke doesn't say anything from the armchair he’s resting on, but he waves weakly at Matt,tipping his head just enough to acknowledge him. Matt reciprocates the gesture.All of a sudden the crowd surrounding them explodes in cheers: Rin is walking down the stairs,
dressed with black pants and a purple shirt, and he’s smiling from ear to ear. 

“Hello everyone!Thank you for being here!” 

He greets people here and there, exchanging small talk until hemakes his way to his inner circle.Matt doesn't miss the way Haru slips his arm around his shoulder without meeting anybody’s
eyes. Interesting.

Are you ready to play games and drink?” 

Rin challenges. Makoto and Rei shake their heads. 

“I don’t want to see it.”

“Games? Sure. Drinks? Not for another week,” 

Matt negotiates.

“Woah, everybody’s here!” 

Gou appears from the hallway and stands by Rin’s side. 

“Again, I’mso sorry I messed up! Are you sure you don’t want me to send them away?”

Rin shakes his head. 

“I’m sure. We’re gonna have a blast. Besides, games are way more funwhen you have company.”

While they gather the majority of the guests in the living room, Matt approaches Rin. 

“Whatkind of games, anyway?”

Rin wiggles his eyebrows and licks his lips. 

“Spin the bottle, Truth or Dare, Seven minutes inheaven...that kind of thing.”

The enthusiasm quickly deflates in Matt’s chest. Those aren’t exactly activities he’s neitherfamiliar or comfortable with, but he’ll have to make the best of it, if only for Rin’s sake.
While the guests gather in the living room and sit in a circle, he disappears in the kitchen for amoment. He’s taking the chance to be alone while he can as he grabs one tray of his muffins to
bring to the others. Unluckily for him, while he clumsily turns the corner of the kitchen, the trayhits the doorframe and Matt stumbles forward.
His glasses fall off his nose and, in a moment of almost-blind panic, the only thing he caresabout is preventing the treats from sliding off the tray. What a pathetic little scene.

“Need some help?” 

A voice comes, and Matt bites his lips. Not him, please.He can recognize Sousuke from his stance and build alone, but when he finally steps closer toMatt it’s to offer him his glasses. 

“I think you need these.” 

He gently places them on top of hisnose again and adjusts Matt’s hair for good measure, then quickly retracts his hand and clears
his throat. 

“I hadn’t notice your eyes are green and blue.” 

Sousuke says as he rubs the back ofhis head, then points towards the other room.

“The game is about to start.”

“Yeah, they’re...of different colors.” 

Matt manages to mutter, following him with a tinglyfeeling in his chest..Sousuke grins and steals a glazed muffin from the tray, biting into it with gusto and humming.

“That’s surprisingly good.”

“Surprisingly?” 

Matt scoffs and walks with him where the rest of the group is waiting. Sousukesmirks, silent.Spin the bottle has already started, but Matthew manages to steal some glances for himself
when the smell of the muffins invades the room. They last a total of four minutes, after whichthe second and third tray arrive, acclaimed. Muffins were a success after all.
The questions roll easily, so do the dares, until it’s Sousuke’s turn to answer Rin’s question. 

“Is there someone in this room that caught your attention?”

Matt tenses up on the spot. Sousuke hesitates, letting his eye roam through the room until they land on Matt. They linger onhim, clear like the winter sky, and then travel back to Rin. 

“Possibly.”

“Then who?” 

Rin pushes. 

“That’s for another round,” 

Sousuke rejects. Matt can’t help but look down at his ankles while aviolent blush reddens his cheek bones. Gou sits beside him at some point and he can’t fail to notice that she’s being rather friendly withhim: she clings on his arms whenever he makes a good joke -which she laughs at like it’s themost hilarious thing she’s ever heard- and she keeps trying to have conversations with himdespite the game still on and distracting him. If he didn't know better, Matt would think she’slow-key flirting, but he’s grateful for her cordiality nonetheless.
At some point, when the attention of the crowd is starting to shift towards the food table again,Makoto claps his hands and turns to Rin. 

“Seven minutes in heaven? I feel like we could use achange of pace.”

Rin grins. 

“I agree.” 

He looks at Haru and Matt wonders if he’d like to spend those sevenminutes alone with him. Instead, Rin grabs the empty beer bottle at the center of the carpet andspins it. 
It points at Sousuke.
There’s something twisting inside of Matt, a sting of jealousy. If any of the gorgeous girls in theroom, Gou included, happened to end up in a closed space with Sousuke, Matt can’t deny he’d
9be displeased. At the same time, though, he doesn't understand why. It’s not like he likes  Sousuke. Or, better, he does like Sousuke, just not in that way. Probably.
Nagisa spins the bottle for the second victim and time freezes. The end of the bottle is pointingat Matt.
A loud cheer erupts and a couple of people pat his back. Gou looks very disappointed -sheprobably wanted to be locked in the closet with Sousuke herself- but smiles at Matt anyway
when he slowly stands up and brushes his pants. Is he really going through with this? 
Sousuke’s way more relaxed than he is. He shrugs and heads towards the closet in the hallway,followed by Rin and some of Gou’s friends.
Sousuke’s the first to step into the closet and Matt can already see it’s gonna be tight in there.The coats and jackets clamping up the already narrow space leave little to no room for two
grown ups, but they’ll have to make it work. It’s Gou who checks the watch on her wrist andnods after Matt joins the other inside. 

“Okay, seven minutes from now. Good luck!” 

The closet door is shut and darkness fills the inside.Matt inhales sharply, listening to the noise coming from outside. Some snickers, some chattingthat slowly fades when the group leaves the closet’s surroundings.

“Are you okay?” 

Sousuke breaks the silence.Matt is having a hard time breathing properly. It’s very dark, if he doesn't consider the slimopening under the closet door, and being in such a small space without visible exits leaves himin a state of mind of panic. 

“I’ve had better moments, I’m not gonna lie. Not a fan of closedspaces.”

Sousuke hums. 

“Don’t you mean...closet?”

A beat of silence, then Matt breaks into nervous laughter. 

“That was so lame!”

“But it made you smile. And relax a little, I hope,” 

the other comments before placing his hand on the small of Matt’s back. 

“I didn't want this to feel like a chore to you. It’s just a game.”

Matt knows he’s right. 

“I just have problems with narrow spaces, that’s all. Besides, I didn't want to make Rin sad. He looked so excited to play and have us all around...”

Sousuke clicks his tongue and squeezes Matt’s hip tenderly. 

“He wouldn't enjoy torturing you like this. We can still get out of here, if you’re too uncomfortable.”

It’s very considerate of Sousuke to offer, but Matt has no intention to miss this chance. Their chests are pressed against each other for the lack of space, and he can feel the heat radiating off
Sousuke’s hand when he moves it on his arm.

“I can handle this,” 

Matt reassures, holding his breath because his heart is beating so fast he’s afraid Sousuke will hear it. 

“I got lucky with such good company.”

“I’m..?” 

Sousuke starts, realizing that yes, he’s the good company. Matt threw it out there, with nothing to lose but his face. 

“I’m glad you think so,” 

the other concludes with a smile Matt can hear in his voice. The hand on his arm slowly crawls up and accidentally brushes against the burnt skin on Matt’s neck, making him flinch. 

“I’m sorry,” 

Sousuke apologizes promptly, retreating his fingers. 

“I didn't mean to—“

“It’s okay,” 

Matt says; the darkness he’s feared until now comes to his aid, shielding him from shame. 

“I’ve had an accident,” 

he starts, then shakes his head, already regretting it, 

“But I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I understand,” 

Sousuke replies, letting his hand fall between their bodies. 

“I think it’s charming, in a way,” 

he mutters lowly. Matt is too stunned to speak. Does he think the burn, the same burn that he’s always been so self conscious about, the burn everybody turns to look at every time he steps into a room, is charming?”

“Oh, please,” 

Matt rolls his eyes, 

“You’re just saying it to make me feel better. You don’t really have to lie.”

“But I’m not,” 

Sousuke says firmly, and Matt can almost imagine the stern and determined expression on his face. 

“I think it makes you unique. More...you.”

Now Matt is really at a loss for words. His hand latches on Sousuke’s shirt because he’s overwhelmed with emotions he’s never felt. Nobody has ever made him feel more at ease, more
welcome to be as he just is the way Sousuke has.

“Thank you—“

The closet doors slam open and light floods their vision once again before Matt can voice his thoughts. He adjusts his glasses just not to have to look into Sousuke’s eyes, but Sousuke’s hand
is heavy on his back as he guides Matt out of the closet.

“You did it,” 

Rin sounds impressed.

“I’m so proud of you!” 

Gou cheers on him, instantly joining his side and holding on his arm. The group goes back to the living room and another couple is chosen for the same trail by the spinning bottle. Makoto and Haru, this time. Rin looks away and grabs a bowl of chips to chomp while the two make their way to the closet. Matt and Sousuke stay, instead, sitting in front of each other but safely apart.

“So, what happened there?” 

Rin scoots closer to him. Matt shrugs and fidgets with his shoelaces. 

“Nothing much. I was very tense and he helped me relax.”

“He’s a nice guy,” 

Rin comments.

“I can see you two getting close. I can see the way he looks at you.”

Matt pretends he doesn't know what Rin’s talking about. He can’t let himself believe it, but when he looks up and meets Sousuke’s eyes, he knows he’s in for a ride

Chapter 1- End