Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-24.23.3.218-20130811062647/@comment-2.217.121.60-20131202231610

I'm sorry, but romantically or otherwise, you can't beat a relationship as powerful as Haruka's and Makoto's. They own loads of matching items, have a near telepathic connection, and have been together for so long that Haruka says in an interview that he can't remember a time before Makoto. Furthermore, I'd contest that Rin is the only force driving Haruka to swim, considering the existence of an article in which it's stated that Makoto is the spark, and Rin is the breeze that pushes Haruka along. Both of them exert influence over Haruka, but Makoto is clearly Haruka's soulmate, romantic or platonic according to interpretation. Don't even try to say that the look in Haruka's eyes when he realised Makoto wasn't breathing was anything less than pure heartbreak at the thought of a life without Makoto. Haruka endured after Rin left because of Makoto's support. Rin's been gone for years, and Haruka demonstrated that he can live without Rin over those years. He got used to Rin's absence, and when he decided to swim the relay, it was for the team. But life without Makoto? Even getting up in the morning would be painful without Makoto to coax him out of the bath. You see, Haruka's been abandoned his entire life; by his parents, his grandmother (through no fault of her own), and by Rin. He's awkward and asocial, yet Makoto has always been there. Makoto is the only one who hasn't left. You can all ship RinHaru if you want, but it'll never be as beautiful as Haruka's and Makoto's relationship, no matter how you interpret the nature of that relationship.