If someone had asked me years ago where I'd end up, I probably would've said right beside Haru. Back then, the future felt simple. We were just four kids standing on the edge of a swimming pool, dreaming about relay races and promises we'd never imagined could actually come true.

Life didn't stay that simple.

Rin left for Australia, and the distance between all of us grew wider than any lane I'd ever swum. Haru buried himself in the water like he always did, Nagisa refused to let any of us drift apart, and somehow I found myself trying to hold everything together. We revived the Iwatobi Swim Club from almost nothing, welcomed Rei despite him never having touched competitive swimming, fought through misunderstandings, victories, defeats, and more growing pains than I could count. Somewhere along the way, those awkward high school days became memories I'd never trade for anything.

Before I knew it, graduation arrived. Haru chased the future only he could reach, Rin continued carving his own path through the swimming world, Nagisa and Rei stayed at Iwatobi together, and I enrolled at Meijo Chuo University to study sports medicine. A younger version of me would've thought that meant giving up on swimming. Instead, I realized there are countless ways to stand beside the people you care about. Not everyone has to be the one touching the wall first. Sometimes, helping someone else reach it is enough.

Swimming has always been part of who I am. It introduced me to my closest friends before I was old enough to understand how rare friendships like ours really were. It gave me confidence when I had none, even if I'm still the first person to jump at ghost stories or avoid haunted houses whenever Nagisa gets any bright ideas. Some things never change.

These days, my mornings are split between lectures, training, and studying until my eyes blur. My apartment isn't far from campus, though I still find excuses to visit home whenever I can. My little brother and sister have gotten taller every time I see them, and Mom always insists on sending me back with more food than I could possibly finish. Dad just smiles like he knew I'd come by before I even called.

Even with everyone busy chasing their own futures, we still make time for each other whenever we can. Sometimes all five of us manage to get together, laughing over a meal like no time has passed at all. Other times it's just Haru and me meeting up to swim or sit in comfortable silence, Rin dropping by when he's back in Japan, or Nagisa and Rei visiting between their own schedules. No matter how much our lives change, being together always feels like coming home.

The campus was already bustling by the time I stepped through the front gates, students weaving past one another with sleepy expressions and coffee in hand. Adjusting the strap of my bag over my shoulder, I smiled to myself before making my way toward the medicine building.

Another ordinary day... or at least, that's what I thought.