#<- which again sets them apart from the mkhr dynamic imo. because in haruka's case i think it's only rin who csn pull him out of that funk

[xincountry]

soumako is so important to me because yeah (reluctantly) sure you can call them rebounds with makoharu/sourin but i'm always so impressed with how vulnerable/comfortable they are with each other even as i was watching all the content with them for the first time. how much they share about themselves with each other.

uhm. spoilers for basically everything past s2 under the cut

there's their iconic first meeting (!!!) where they're on a first-name basis so quickly, where sousuke is pleasantly surprised by this competitive side of makoto he didn't initially expect from him, where makoto is being this gently sinister looming figure aiming at sousuke with a (water) gun. even as the audience i think it's the first time we too see makoto like this and it's just. i won't say sousuke brings out this side of him but i'm saying their banter is so delightful to watch in that scene because of how comfortable they are with each other on the first meeting. because of that natural chemistry they have with each other in that sense.

and of course with tym/df/rw/fs1/fs2 we're able to see more and more of them interacting and perhaps to some it's an unlikely friendship but i think with how much makoto is so genuine and sincere in everything he chooses to give to other people and just. how much he cares. it's only natural that this extends to sousuke as well. "i was just reminded how amazing of a person you are" these are words he gives freely and sincerely. and i seriously often think that makoto is exactly the person that sousuke needs/needed, even in the past when he was overworking himself, even now as he takes his next steps to recovery. i feel like sousuke has a hard time generally when it comes to expressing his emotions (see: him talking to rin about the relay, him hesitating while trying to write a letter to rin) that sometimes it's important for there to be someone like makoto who is such a good and genuine listener, someone who will hear him out. the way sousuke and makoto are shown as their child selves for a moment on that screen as sousuke shares his dream when he was a child re: swimming, is an example of that. the pure hope and passion that sousuke is able to express in that scene (again, because he's talking to someone like makoto, who genuinely holds no judgement and no grudges)

his expression when he heard from rin that sousuke's surgery was a success. the list of moments i vividly remember frame by trame from the shows i watch are rather limited. but this moment is so impactful and so touching to me, because everything. about it just conveys a palpable and real joy

his emotions about it is so prevalent on his face and in his voice. he's genuinely so, so, sosososo happy for sousuke, happy that he's able to swim again, and i think makoto in this sense embodies a lot of what free is: to continually enable people to swim in a way that they care about, to grant them "freedom" through his assistance as a trainer and as a teacher. this expression is one of pride, too, that sousuke was able to successfully take his next step towards swimming again to chase his dreams—it holds so much weight and i think knowing that after this makoto starts to be sousuke's trainer/help him with rehab just makes it hit so much harder looking back.

in that same way, sousuke reassures makoto who is always so caring for other people. i think of them as water and tree in a way, this kind of symbiotic relationship—water helping the tree to grow, the tree seeping up water from the ground such that it is controlled. which may be a weird metaphor but i think as prone to getting lost as he is, sousuke is makoto's compass when things get dark and murky and makoto loses himself in how much he wants to help other people and worries. i think they're both just really good listeners for each other in that sense god they're literally perfect im crying. the way they call (!!!!) each other for example—it's not just texting, it's being able to hear each other's voice like that. Like. ohmygod are you serious!!!! sousuke tells haruka that makoto is worried about him—the fact that he even knows..... that makoto was able to voice his concerns about haruka to him... again. their bond and their relationship is so much stronger than just a rebound i think it's just trust. and there is so much trust in their relationship, sousuke trusting makoto to nurse him back to his original condition as his trainer, makoto trusting sousuke to know his limits and to let him know if anything feels uncomfortable, makoto entrusting sousuke with his backstroke turn. when i see sousuke at the national stage alongside haruka i wonder how much does makoto think sousuke in a way is representing him. ah. theyre just so good for each other. they mean sooooo much to me ;_____;