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“Please, come with me, I’m begging you.”
They are staring at each other, one with smugness on his face and Rin using most of his energy to try and make Haru feel sorry for him.
“Do you realize you’re an adult?”
“Shut up, of course I know that. I just want to have someone there with me. I don’t know these people and they’re going to be taking pictures of me in a different way than I've been photographed with you or other teammates.”
“Well, you said yes to the photoshoot. Maybe you should’ve thought twice before saying yes.”
“I did think about it, and I want to do it. I’m asking you to be a good friend and support me. You never do anything on our days off, why can’t you come with me?”
Haru sighs and Rin knows that’s a good sign. Still, he tries to help Haru decide faster.
“You’ll probably like the sets they’ll prepare for the photos. Don’t act like you don’t care about artistic shit. I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”
The other rolls his eyes, but ultimately nods. Rin laughs and finally tastes his drink after he abandoned it to focus on talking to Haru. They are at a restaurant eating their well-deserved meal after a brutal practice which has left his muscles a bit sore. Now that they’ve participated in the Olympics, Rin has noticed that their outings aren’t as private as they used to be. For instance, he spotted three young women casually lifting their phones in their direction, probably snapping a picture or two. He could easily go and talk to them, ask if they could keep the photos for themselves and not post them online, or even if they would like something less stalkery, but he decides not to do it. Haru seems unaware of the situation and Rin doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable.
“I’ll leave if I get bored, okay?”
Rin looks at him and ends up laughing.
“Okay. I’ll make sure to make it entertaining, then.”
“Why do you say I’ll like the sets?”
“Apparently they’ll be blueish, and I’ll be in water at some point. I’m nervous, and I also feel stupid for being nervous. Aren’t I supposed to be confident while being shirtless? I’m a swimmer.”
He doesn’t get an answer right away. That gives him time to eat a bite of his burger, but then he feels worried, so his eyes search for Haru’s. His friend is chewing too, he looks calm, but Rin knows he isn’t. Haru’s shoulders are tense. Feeling awkward, he grabs a napkin and cleans some ketchup that dripped on his finger.
“Why are you going to be shirtless?”
“I told you it’s something I’ve never done before. It’s supposed to be a sensual photoshoot. I don’t know if that’s the correct word. Seductive?”
“That’s definitely different for you, yes,” Haru doesn’t sound like he is judging him, which is great.
“I think it’s going to be fun,” with newfound excitement, Rin leans forward to be closer to Haru.
His friend smiles a little but doesn’t add anything else. No one knows this, but Rin always had the idea of asking Haru to go with him in mind. Rin thinks he’ll need some motivation to feel sexy and having Haru’s eyes on him will definitely help. Is that too fucked up? Still, he knows it wouldn’t be helpful to ask any other of his friends to be there. Yes, the rest would be great moral support, but Rin needs more than that.
• • •
Six days later, Rin is sitting on a high chair getting his makeup done. The makeup artist said she wasn’t going to do something wild, and he can verify that. He is looking at himself in the mirror and there’s only a peach pink base and gold glitter on his eyelids. Rin thinks Gou would love it, but he already told her he doesn’t want her, or their mom, to see this photoshoot. He would die if they did.
The makeup artist also made sure his eyebrows were okay and did something to his eyelashes that he didn’t understand, but they look really pretty and natural. Haru, who is sitting near him with a bottle of water in his hands, has been interested in the process, but he never approached to look more closely. He’s been nodding from time to time when the lady looks back to talk to him. Rin wonders if he is already regretting being here.
“We’re done with your makeup, but I wanted to ask you if I could paint your nails. . . We would like them to be black. What do you think?”
Rin doesn’t realize it, but his surprise makes him open his mouth and his eyes widen.
“Uh. . .”
“It would be just for two of the looks, then I will take the nail polish off.”
The clarification is welcomed, but Rin immediately tries to amend his initial response. He doesn’t want to look like a close-minded person when he is the opposite of that. Yes, he’s never worn nail polish, but a man wearing it isn’t something that he considers shocking or weird. He didn’t expect the question, that’s all.
“I’m super okay with that. Go for it!”
Rin spends the next few minutes with his hands on hers, watching his nails be painted black. Haru doesn’t say a word and neither does he. Then, he is guided to a different room and Haru follows them in silence. Rin, after sharing a look with him, smiles and waits until he sees the same gesture on Haru’s face.
This next room is full of clothes on racks and boxes and a huge mirror that goes from the ceiling to the floor. The makeup artist introduces them to a man who he quickly learns is the stylist. He lets Rin know not all of the clothes are going to be worn by him. Actually, only three sets of clothes have a tag with his name on it. It makes sense, as they said he was going to be shirtless in some of the pictures. Once the first outfit is set aside, the stylist says he’s going to leave for a moment so Rin can change comfortably.
“Haru’s going to stay here,” Rin says right when Haru is about to stand up from where he is sitting.
The man’s laugh is warm and makes Rin feel comfortable.
“Sure, see you in five minutes.”
Five minutes? He should hurry. His finger lands on the first button of his shirt and he starts unbuttoning it right away.
“I wonder if you’ll find these clothes ridiculous.”
Haru furrows his brows while looking straight at him.
“I don’t think I will. I’m interested.”
Rin folds his shirt, but he is probably doing it incorrectly as his eyes are on Haru.
“Really?”
“Yeah, all of this seems to go really well with you.”
He needs a moment to savor the way Haru is looking at him. It isn’t the first time those blue eyes have make him act stupid. He starts taking his jeans off without thinking about it. Instead of being careful with them as he was with his shirt, Rin throws them at Haru.
“Thanks, Olympian.”
That word always makes Haru laugh, and today isn’t the exception. Rin, in a super good mood, inspects the clothes he is supposed to wear first. It’s good to find a pair of casual looking pants. They’re black and that makes them cool in his eyes. He doesn’t think twice before he starts changing.
“I have a feeling that’s not a shirt,” Haru says.
Rin takes the rest of the outfit and finds a long-sleeved shirt that’s shorter than normal.
Haru is right.
“Huh, let’s see.”
After putting it on, Rin looks in the mirror and admires how the thin, light brown fabric ends right above his belly button. His abs can be seen even if he doesn’t move his arms. He looks at Haru and his friend has his eyes everywhere except on him. The reluctance of his longtime crush to check him out makes Rin smile in a devilish way. Haru is so fucking hard to impress. Or maybe he is extremely good at acting like shit is fine.
Either way, Rin likes what he sees. He is confident and energized to finally start this new experience. The stylist comes back as fast as he said he would, and helps Rin put on a silver necklace that’s weightless and brushes against his neck without being overly tight. It’s like the jewelry was made for him—of course it wasn’t, but it’s okay to pretend.
“They’re ready for you. Shall we?”
Both Rin and Haru follow the stylist to a room that’s five times larger than the previous one they’ve been in. It’s an open room with different sets in the same space. Rin can see the variety of sets they’ll use during the day, and he likes what he sees. There’s a luxurious car, a wall with roses on it, a bathtub, and a fake bedroom. They’re now walking in direction to the car, so he assumes this will be his first environment to work with.
“Nice to meet you, I’ll be photographing you today,” Rin greets back and smiles at the photographer. He isn’t Japanese, but he speaks the language and seems nice. “I didn’t expect to see you here, but I’m glad you could join us,” he says to Haru.
“Thank you. I’m sure Rin will be in good hands.”
Rin, for some reason, blushes. Then, he tries to laugh it off.
“This place is huge! I can’t lie, I was nervous before coming here, but now I’m more excited than anything. I’ll do my best.”
“Yes, let’s work hard,” the photographer shares another smile. Then, while looking at Haru, he points to two chairs that are close to a monitor. “You can sit if you’d like. You can also find snacks there, on that table. Make yourself comfortable.”
Haru thanks him again and Rin waves him goodbye before following the man, who is already sharing directions with him about the first set. Cars aren’t one of his main loves in life. Yeah, he can say luxurious cars are impressive, but he generally doesn’t lose his mind over them. He prefers clothes over other types of expensive things.
“Let’s take some headshots to warm up.”
Rin nods and tries his best to ignore the multiple people who are around, either checking the lights, preparing to monitor the shoot, or working on the last details in the next sets. In his mind there is only Haru as a spectator. He looks at the camera, his body slightly to the right, and he receives the instruction to smirk, so he does.
Click.
Everything is easier after the first picture. Rin stays in the same pose, he just tilts his head back for the next one, and he goes with the flow for the rest, altering the way his body is positioned to create new angles.
“Look away for a couple of these.”
The first place his eyes find are the chairs where Haru’s supposed to be sitting, but he isn’t there. Rin looks to the left now and sees him standing near the monitor, next to the stylist, the makeup artist, and another woman, completely focused on the screen. With a new purpose, Rin looks to the camera again and imagines he’s looking directly at Haru’s eyes. He can feel a rush of adrenaline travel through his veins, so he smiles the way he does when he’s feeling competitive, and then he bites his lower lip, suggestively, with intention. There are some exclamations of approval as a result—he doesn’t know who gasped, but it was probably the ladies who are also in front of the monitor.
“Gorgeous. Let’s move to the car,” the photographer seems pleased with the first pictures. He is moving quickly, as if they were in a hurry. Rin knows they’re not, so he implies the man is excited. “Can you lean against it?”
Rin chooses to stand on the driver’s side, where the front tire is, with his elbows on the car. This pose arches his back just a little and emphasizes the center of his body. It lifts up his shirt too, but not much. He likes it. Rin’s sure the headshots made his makeup look beautiful and now it’s time for his outfit to shine.
“Stay there, let me take three more in this pose. You can move your head if you want.”
It’s great to have the photographer continuously talking to him while changing poses. Hearing his comments, tips, or approval, allows Rin to remember the results of this shoot are a team effort. He’s also comfortable with the man touching his arm or leg if it’s necessary, especially when Rin doesn’t understand the pose the photographer is asking for. Rin’s sure this shoot will teach him a lot.
“We’re almost done. Do you want to try something else before we move?”
“Uh. . . I want this to lift more,” Rin is talking about the shirt. It would be a shame to not show his abs when that’s the purpose of the outfit.
“You can lie on the car. Leave your feet there, don’t move your legs and lean your back on it, even your head.”
He follows the instructions, and his head ends up next to the side mirror.
“Lift your arms, maybe play with your hair or something like that.”
Rin leaves his left arm hanging but lifts the right one until it’s also on the car, above his head. Perfect, that’s what he wanted. The shirt instantly feels shorter. After a while, he lifts the other arm to place his wrists one above the other. This pose makes him feel exposed even though he is wearing clothes. It’s a weird feeling, but it’s also exhilarating. He feels sexy.
“Great, we got it.”
That was easier than he expected, but he still thinks he wouldn’t have been able to do it that confidently if Haru weren’t around. The stylist comes closer with two pieces of clothing while the photographer walks again in direction to the screen. Rin is curious and would like to see the pictures too, but the stylist asks him to take the shirt off and change into a button-up. This new fabric is silky and light pink. The man helps him with the last two buttons but leaves the rest unbuttoned.
“Can you tuck it in?”
Rin fixes the shirt. He can hear Haru’s voice, so he blocks the stylist’s voice for a moment to pay attention to the external conversation.
“I knew he was going to be great,” the photographer says to Haru. “It’s obvious how handsome he is, but he’s also attractive. Those two aren’t the same.”
“I understand what you mean. Foreigners that comment on his social media always say that I’m handsome, but he is sexy.”
“Oh, you are sexy too.”
The photographer laughs and Haru smiles. Rin could faint. He is so fucking happy to see Haru be okay with everything that’s going on.
“Are you trying to compete with my sexiness, Haru? Want to steal the shoot from me?”
Rin jokes, exposing that he was paying attention. The stylist is busy putting a jacket on him and then checking the whole outfit. Rin didn’t even notice when he was asked to put the jacket on, but now that he is looking at it, he loves it. It’s black on the outside and red with pink embroidered roses on the inside.
“You can join him for a couple of pics if you want. I wouldn’t say no to that,” the photographer winks at Haru as if they were partners in crime, and then comes closer again.
He invites Rin to the next set, which is the wall with flowers and leaves all over it. Rin takes a moment to look at Haru and smile at him. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make Haru pose with him, but he isn’t sure the other would accept. Rin forgets about that to focus on the directions, and both the stylist and the photographer ask him to make sure his nails can be seen in some of the poses.
In order to achieve that in an easy way, Rin grabs the jacket with both hands and holds it away from his body. The inner design is now on display just like his chest, his abs, and his hands. After doing some variations of the pose, he leaves the jacket alone, tilts his head to the left and moves his right hand to his hair.
**
In the meantime, Haru is still in front of the screen observing the photographs appearing one by one in front of his eyes. The stylist shared some words with him but ultimately spent the whole time talking to the makeup artist about the details they were going to change for the upcoming photographs. The car and this set with the roses are next to each other, but the “bedroom” is opposite from where they are standing right now, and the last one, the bathtub, is at the other side of this huge open space.
Haru’s never modelled like this. He’s been part of a couple of swimming-related campaigns, of course, but that’s for work and he doesn’t think of it as modelling. He just stands there with his uniform or is recorded talking about a sponsor. He knows this project is completely related to Rin’s personal interests. Watching him enjoy himself makes his heart speed up.
“Do you want to join him? I’ve got some clothes I think will fit you perfectly,” the stylist surprised him by asking that.
Haru stares at him with a blank expression. This comment again. . .
“It would be cool to have you in the bathtub,” the man continues, apparently not intimidated by Haru’s silence. “Want to get in the water?”
“Yeah,” he answers so naturally that he scares himself.
The makeup artist claps, clearly excited, and starts planning the look for him with the stylist. Haru looks back to the screen and realizes he didn’t pay attention to a lot of the pictures that were taken in this set. It’s too late now, Rin is walking in their direction with a smile on his face.
“He told me to take a ten-minute break.”
The stylist takes the jacket off Rin’s shoulders before inviting them to the room that’s full of clothes so they can rest. Once there, the woman brings things with her and takes the nail polish off Rin’s nails while Rin drinks water. Rin is busy paying attention to what the professionals are explaining to him, but he can’t concentrate. Haru gets lost for the third time in the way the outfit is open enough for him to see Rin’s chest. If he could ask him to keep the shirt on forever, he would.
“You’re actually going to do it?”
Haru looks up and realizes Rin was now talking to him. Rin raises an eyebrow and looks down discreetly to his own chest. He probably figured out where Haru was looking. The other laughs a little, and lets it slide for now.
“What?”
“Are you joining the fun?”
“Oh,” Haru gulps, anticipating endless teasing from Rin, “just for a picture or two.”
“We have two more sets to go. The outfit is a pair of jeans, but we could make some adjustments and have you guys in white tees for the bathtub.”
The stylist looks at them alternately and waits for an answer. Haru thinks Rin should be the one to decide.
“I mean, it depends. If we are going to be together in the bathtub, then Haru may be more comfortable if we are wearing a t-shirt,” Rin shrugs. “If you’re photographing him alone, then make him be shirtless.”
Rin smirks and Haru wants to throw his empty bottle of water in his direction.
“Noted,” the stylist doesn’t share his decision, he stands up and starts moving clothes around. Haru doesn’t understand what he is doing, but around a minute later the man asks him to check some jeans and choose the sizes Haru thinks would work for him. Then, they repeat the process but with white t-shirts.
“We’ll leave you alone now. I’ll come back in five.”
“Don’t worry, we can go as soon as we are done here,” Rin adds with a smile before the professionals leave the room. They nod, and once the door closes, Haru gets close to his friend.
“Your makeup.”
“Yeah, she took most of it off,” Rin’s eyelids look more natural now, but he is still flawless. "Do you like this buttoned up I’m wearing?”
Haru smiles. He knew Rin would come back to this.
“Yes, on you.”
Rin’s laugh makes him blush, but Haru never moves his eyes from the other.
“I should buy one, then.”
• • •
“Time to be as sexy as you can be.”
Haru hears the photographer say that and he immediately tries to see what’s going on. At first he thought the man was joking, but he watches Rin nod and then say he’ll work hard. The two are in front of the bed, ready to start a new shoot while Haru is sitting down closer to the lights than to them. The makeup artist has him glued to his seat because she is busy applying a weird gel on his eyelids. She said it’s a type of makeup that will look glossy. This is a first for Haru, but he doesn’t mind doing it. He knows Rin will like it.
“It looks wonderful with your blue eyes,” she says after a while. Haru is okay with whatever as soon as she finishes quickly.
She continues working and Haru takes every opportunity he gets to move his vision to the left. He can see Rin perfectly unless the photographer decides to get in the way. Rin is lying down on his stomach on that bed that looks comfortable but also cold. There are blue lights creating an underwater effect on the fake walls and on the bed. The model looks sinful with his upper body naked against the white sheets. Haru wants to be there with him.
“Done,” she doesn’t need to say it twice. He is about to stand up but she gives him a mirror so he can check the makeup. Haru looks at himself and finds his normal face only with the gloss she talked about. She probably also did something to his eyebrows. Haru smiles and thanks her before finally standing up.
The screen welcomes him with multiple photographs. Rin looks great in them, especially in the ones where the photographer decided to show him flexing his arms. The muscles look amazing. This last thought makes him wonder if he’s finally becoming a Matsuoka without the need of marrying Rin.
“Can you lie on your back?”
Haru observes Rin follow the instruction and he needs to take a breath now that he can see his chest and abdomen. He misses the moment the photographer gets on the bed as he is busy looking at the screen, so seeing Rin being photographed from above confuses him for a second. Haru checks the real scene and sees the man standing on the bed with Rin’s knees trapped between his feet. He hears a click and looks back to the screen to see the rest of the results.
Rin needs to keep his tongue in his mouth, or the world will explode. He looks playful, like a guy who will break your heart, but you go out with him because it’s obvious you’ll enjoy the heartbreak. The best thing about it is that Haru knows Rin. He knows the other enjoys rock music and also cries with romantic books. Rin is the one who will defend his friends from anything and anyone even if his fists bleed, and the next day he’ll visit dog shelters so he can play with the puppies.
He breathes in and out because he needs it. His eyes are fixated on Rin’s face. There’s something beautiful about the way his lips are parted. It’s an inviting and sensual sight. Haru can’t help but wonder how Rin sounds while being pleasured. He hopes no one knows the answer but Rin himself and that he becomes the second and last person who witnesses his most intimate moments.
There’s a change in angles. The photographer isn’t longer on the bed and asks Rin to move his head back. His neck is more exposed than before, and it hurts. Haru wants to kiss his skin and maybe bite it too. It’s annoying to know today isn’t the first time he has this thought.
“Excellent, that was beautiful!”
Rin goes back to his shier self now that they’re done. He sits on the bed and crosses his arm, probably trying to hide his body. Haru thinks that’s ridiculous but also adorable. He gets closer to the bed now that he can and admires the way Rin reacts to seeing his makeup.
“Fuck me. Your eyes look stunning.”
“I can’t do that here,” he dares to say because the photographer walked away.
It takes him a second, but Rin gets the joke and smirks before avoiding his stare.
“The bathtub is ready.”
They’re interrupted by the stylist’s friendly voice. Rin gets up and Haru follows him. The stylist gives Rin the white t-shirt he talked about earlier and also changes the silver necklace for a rose gold one. The photographer explains he’ll take some pictures of Rin alone and then with him, but that he would like for Haru to stay close and help him with something, so Haru stays right next to the bathtub.
Rin gets in and sits in the middle section. He is asked to wet his shirt as the fabric on his chest, shoulders and around his neck isn’t in contact with the water. Haru points out Rin’s hair and then he is in charge of wetting it carefully, so he doesn’t ruin the light makeup. He collects some water in his hands, places them above Rin’s head and lets it run free. After doing that twice, Haru sinks his fingers in the hair to make sure it’s completely wet. Rin moves his face up to look at him and his smile is so sweet it almost causes Haru to freeze his movements.
“Thank you,” Rin whispers, “for being here with me.”
It’s okay, I love you.
“I don’t think you needed me. You’ve done great.”
“Because I knew you were looking at me, genius.”
Haru rolls his eyes and moves back to let the photographer work. He acts like nothing happened, but Rin’s words resonate in his mind over and over again. Did his presence help Rin channel his sensual side? Did Rin look like that because of him?
He stays sitting down on the floor near the bathtub as Rin does his thing again. Seeing him this close is hypnotizing. The white shirt sticks to Rin’s body in a way that’s almost too sexy. It’s even more obvious when the photographer asks Rin to kneel and pose in that position. The water dripping is tempting. Haru’s sure it could calm down his thirst.
Time passes way too quickly. Maybe he actually got lost in Rin’s body, which is understandable.
“Haru,” he looks at Rin, “he asked you to come closer.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“No problem,” the photographer laughs and tells him to place his right arm in front of Rin’s chest and touch his cheek.
With the directions in mind, Haru leaves his thumb on Rin’s cheek and the rest of his fingers are on the side of his neck. He can feel Rin’s pulse without even trying. It’s fast, addicting, and he allows himself to be stupid and assume his touch is causing such reaction. Haru can also feel Rin’s breath hit his wrist. Despite all this, he avoids looking at Rin, so he doesn’t make him feel self-conscious. Haru keeps his eyes on the water until the photographer tells him it’s okay to move. Before doing it, Haru captures Rin’s cheeks with his thumb and index finger and squeezes them lightly to make him smile. Rin laughs and playfully pushes him away.
He hears it’s finally time for him to get in the bathtub. Rin moves to the front and Haru prepares to share the water with him. This isn’t as great as a pool, but he still loves it. After sitting down, he is told to rest his back on the bathtub and leave space in between his legs for Rin. Seeing the other move his body in his direction is wonderful. The water creates delicate waves, and the wet fabric of both t-shirts stick to each other perfectly. Rin rests his head on his chest. Haru doesn’t know what to do with his own arms, so he puts them around Rin’s abdomen.
The stylist gets close quickly to wet Haru’s hair. Once they’re ready, the photographer starts by focusing on their faces. Rin, clearly more comfortable than him, feels relaxed against him. Haru can feel the heaviness of his body.
“Both looking at the camera, please. Keep your expression neutral,” Haru does as told, which are easy instructions to follow because he probably already looked serious. “You two look amazing together. This is so cool.”
He stops taking pictures for a moment to look back at the stylist and makeup artist. She cheers them on and the other claps. Rin’s laugh vibrates on Haru’s chest. It relaxes him straight away. Knowing that Rin is having fun is enough for him to want to have a good time too. Also, he doesn’t know if they’ll ever have the opportunity to pose like this again, so he should make sure the photos are great.
“This man right here used to annoy me when we were kids,” Haru says out of nowhere and causes the photographer to laugh. “And now you say we look good together.”
“Shut up, we do.”
Rin places his hands on Haru’s and holds him tight. The photographer is still busy on their faces, so Haru doesn’t worry when he feels Rin move both of their right hands downwards. It does cause his breathing to change, though. Rin, discreetly, drags Haru’s touch to the button of his jeans and leaves it there. The photographer moves back and asks them to give him a second to check Haru’s makeup on the monitor. Apparently, he wants to make sure the photos do it justice.
They stay quiet while being alone. Rin sits up but makes sure to keep Haru’s hand in place. It’s incredible to have Rin’s back right in front of him, shirt detailing his muscles and the water helping to make the fabric see-through. Haru thinks it’s bizarre to feel this attracted to Rin wearing a shirt when he sees him half naked all the time. After checking they’re not being watched, Haru lowers his head to plant a kiss on the base of Rin’s neck.
“We should go to my place after this,” Rin whispers after a while and sounds like he is smiling.
Haru gulps and wants to say yes to that idea, but the photographer comes back. He asks them to change their pose for the last time. Rin decides to lie on his side. The bathtub is big enough for him to move his right arm behind Haru’s back and lie down again. Now Haru’s abdomen is more exposed than before, and he knows Rin’s muscles will look as great as they looked when he was on the bed.
“It would be so funny if they include a photo of you two as a complete surprise,” the man says behind the camera without getting distracted. Haru would be okay with that method. He wasn’t even supposed to be in the pictures. “Okay, we’re done!”
The following minutes are devoted to say thank you to everyone on set who worked with them, then to dry themselves, change back to their clothes (Haru received some expensive underwear as a gift because he wasn’t prepared to get wet), and to find out the magazine Rin is modelling for prepared private transportation for them. They’re already in the back seats leaving the building when the driver asks what their destination is. Rin shares a look with him.
“Your place,” Haru mouths with a smile on his face.
Rin laughs before giving the address to the driver. There’s a palpable feeling that surrounds them from then on. Haru internalizes it as excitement mixed with nervousness. He has no idea what’s going to happen, but he’ll be grateful no matter what.
Rin’s left hand finds his. They’ve fought together to defend their privacy ever since they won their first gold medal. People were curious about their friendship and Haru never cared about giving them details that could compromise their precious story. He has never talked about how his heart has longed for Rin’s love for years. Right now, though, he wants to scream how much he loves him so everyone can shut up for a moment and appreciate them for what they are. He’s sure this city has never witnessed a love as strong as theirs—and they haven’t even started yet.