Sousuke...
We need to hurry, before the bus leaves.
We still have day two of the tournament tomorrow.
We should get back so we can go over today's results.
Right, sorry.
What were you looking at?
Phantoms of the past.
Or something.
That should do it.
Gou-chan!
Coming!
The Crouching Start of Vindication!
You all swam at full strength today, so you must be hungry.
This is quite a selection of carb-heavy foods...
I made it!
Carbs are great when you have a competition the next day!
Protein powder again? Is it strawberry flavor?
Not today.
But if you want to add some on top...
Seriously, don't!
All of you are truly amazing!
To think, everyone qualified for regionals!
It's because of my great coaching!
Huh? But Goro-chan, you've been so busy with SC Returns,
you've hardly shown up at all this year.
It's the quality of my coaching, not the quantity, that counts!
Though, more than anything, it's your talent and hard work that got you here.
Yep, yep! We can do anything we set our minds to!
Nagisa-kun, you're letting our wins go to your head!
But Haruka-senpai, you really were outstanding today.
Impressive as always!
Not really.
No, it truly was impressive!
You don't often see a time like that!
So all that's left is tomorrow's medley relay?
If you keep up today's momentum, I bet you'll beat Samezuka again!
We're finally going to race Rin-san's team in an official match.
Rei, it'll be okay.
You don't swim a relay alone. It takes a team of four.
And with these four, we could go as far as we want.
Haruka-senpai!
Let's go all the way to nationals!
Nationals, huh?
We might really stand a chance of getting to the nationals!
Yeah!
According to the information I have, Samezuka's relay team members are...
In backstroke, second-year Uozumi Takuya.
In breaststroke, second-year Iwashimizu Toru.
So Ai-chan isn't doing breaststroke...
In butterfly, third-year Yamazaki Sousuke.
And of course, in freestyle, third-year Matsuoka Rin!
But the backstroke swimmer, Uozumi, didn't do very well in today's individual event.
So he may be replaced by their team's registered alternate.
Their alternate?
I think it's the first-year, Mikoshiba... Kintarou-kun?
The Kin-chan who raced in the backstroke with Mako-chan!
Uh, that's not his name.
That's right! It's Urashima-kun!
That's not it, either!
First Swimmer
Category
Competitor's Name
What's wrong? Everyone's waiting for you.
I know.
You can't decide?
Based on the individual events today,
it's clear that Mikoshiba's a better pick than Uozumi.
I know.
Uozumi...
Yes!
Momo...
Yes!
Both of you have equally strong feelings about the relay.
In that respect, neither of you surpasses the other.
But if we consider the results from today's individual events,
there's only one choice we can make for the good of the team.
Momo.
Do you want to try swimming the relay?
Momo...
Y-Yes?
I won't tolerate you losing.
You have to win, for me, too!
Right! Leave it to me, Uocchi-senpai!
Who are you calling Uocchi?
Ow, ow, ow, ow!
You're just a brat!
That hurts!
For tomorrow's medley relay,
Momo, Iwashimizu, Sousuke, and I will compete.
Yeah!
Right.
Okay, that's it for today's meeting.
Everyone get plenty of rest to be ready for tomorrow.
Dismissed.
Yes, sir!
Outta the way.
S-Sorry...
I've
been surpassed by a younger member.
Do you want to swim in the relay that badly?
That's obvious!
How so?
Well, because...
Rin-senpai is everything I aspire to be.
When I first started swimming,
I thought a relay was simply four swimmers swimming in a row.
But I've come to realize it's something else entirely.
For the past year, I've seen firsthand how much the relay means to Rin-senpai.
So I wanted to be a part of it, too.
And this summer is the last chance I'll have
to swim with him.
Who says this summer is the last chance you'll have to swim with him?
If you're serious about swimming, you'll swim with him again someday.
Don't crush your own potential before you even try.
That's probably what Rin would say.
Right.
Okay!
He's already asleep.
You went to bed too early, Momo-kun!
Here I go!
Momotarou! You absolutely have to win and make it to regionals!
Because I'll definitely swim in that one!
Then, see you tomorrow!
Yep!
Be sure to get lots of sleep tonight!
Bye-bye, everyone!
You were amazing today, Haru.
I bet scouts from all over the country will start contacting you.
If you do get scouted, what will you do?
Nothing, probably.
So you'd decline?
It doesn't matter whether they contact me or not.
I swim because I want to.
What?
It's nothing.
Goodnight, Haru.
I haven't swum a relay with you in a tournament since back then.
Yeah...
This time, let's win.
Yeah.
Since we're doing this, let's win it.
Nitori-senpai!
What is it? Forgot something?
Um, I...
I'm gonna try really hard today!
Later!
The men's 400m medley relay will now begin.
But...
I was saved. By Haru and the guys. By my friends.
Even so, I won't acknowledge you.
Whoever wins, there'll be no hard feelings.
But whoever wins has to win at regionals, too.
I don't need you to tell me that.
I let you win yesterday's freestyle, but that's not gonna happen today.
I know our boys will be okay.
I'm sure they'll pull it off.
There's a famous saying that goes,
"It isn't the strong who win. It is the winners who are strong!"
Get set...
On your marks...
Get set...
Go!
His reaction time was off!
It's okay! Tachibana-kun can make up for it!
You're doing great, Momo!
He's in the lead and keeping the other schools at bay!
And swim!
Swim!
Makoto's catching up!
Go, Nagisa!
Nagisa always extends himself in the second half, but it's not working this time!
Samezuka's still in the lead at the exchange!
Rei-kun is swimming his hardest to catch up!
But Sousuke-kun is just too fast!
Yamazaki-senpai is gradually increasing his lead over the others!
Amazing!
Rin-senpai!
Go!
Haru!
Haru-chan!
Rin-san got to the turn first!
4 Samezuka Academy 5 Iwatobi High School
Yes!
Awesome! Awesome! Samezuka! Yeah!
We lost...
But at least we made it past the prelims.
We're through to regionals!
Great job.
We got first place, Senpai!
Yeah!
All right!
But why couldn't Nii-chan have come to watch us today?!
We did it, Sousuke.
Yeah...
Congrats on Making Regionals, Swim Club!
They made a real banner for us this year.
Yeah, last year, they just reused the judo club's banner.
But why do I still not feel right?
Obviously, it's because we lost to Samezuka!
Makoto-senpai, Nagisa-kun, don't you feel frustrated about it?
I'm immensely frustrated!
Even if we're moving on to regionals, we lost to Samezuka in the relay!
Let's go to practice.
Yeah!
Right.
Take a look at this!
Makoto-senpai, Rei-kun, and Nagisa-kun,
you all qualified for regionals in your individual events,
but your times just barely made the cut!
4 Samezuka Academy
The top ranks of every event are filled with Samezuka swimmers.
3 Samezuka Academy
1 Samezuka Academy
I guess in terms of times, we still fall short of Samezuka.
The only event that we beat them in was Haruka-senpai's freestyle.
This means that Iwatobi still isn't a real match for Samezuka.
Everyone, our results from this tournament are nothing to be proud of!
This means even more intense traini—
Big news! We've got big news!
What's the matter, Miss Ama-chan?
We just got a call from a scout, for Nanase-kun!
He said he saw your 100m freestyle the day before yesterday!
Oh, really?
Haru-chan, that's great!
This makes it easier to imagine what you'll do after graduation, doesn't it?
There's a famous saying that goes,
"Tomorrow's wind will blow tomorrow.
But whether one rides on that wind or not is up to..."
Haru...
What does Haruka-senpai want to do?
That reminds me.
All Haru-chan wrote on his career path survey was the word "free."
"Free?" What's that supposed to mean?
He doesn't mean a part-timer freeloading on society, does he?
I don't think so.
Then, a freelance swimmer?
I don't think that's it, either.
Then what is it?
I don't know exactly.
But to Haru-chan, "free" means "free."
I don't get it.
But it does seem very like Haruka-senpai.
I heard the news, Rin-senpai!
About how you were scouted!
I heard you got a ton of calls!
Congratulations!
Yeah, thanks.
Anyone who'd seen that race would certainly contact you.
It was incredible!
If scouts are contacting me, they must be contacting Haru, too.
I can't lose to him again.
I'll definitely win next time!
That reminds me.
The university you're going to reached out to me, too.
It depends on their offer, of course, but who knows?
We may be swimming on the same team even after we graduate!
Yeah, that'd be nice.
Is something wrong?
Nothing's wrong.
Something's been off about you since yesterday.
During the race, I noticed you lost momentum for a second.
Are you not feeling well?
Why aren't you saying anything? Spit it out!
Rin-senpai! Please don't fight!
I know. This isn't a fight.
Sousuke...
Let's head somewhere else.
I told you, nothing's wrong.
Then let me ask you. Now that you've raced the relay, how do you feel?
Remember what you told me?
I get the sense that if I swam the relay with you, I'd understand something.
I don't know myself what that something is...
But I want to try to find it... That something...
Did you find it?
I don't know.
What?!
I said,
I don't know if I found it!
And I know I told you,
I wanted to swim a serious relay!
And I only wanted people who were really serious about it on my team!
And now you tell me you "don't know"?
Sousuke, are you saying you weren't taking it seriously?
You think swimming with you is something I'd ever not take seriously?
Then why?
It's because it's so serious to me
that I can't just pretend I understand now!
But there's one thing I do know.
I want to swim more.
This isn't enough.
Then swim.
Swim as much as it takes, until you find the answer.
Right.
Another scouting call came in today, but...
Nanase-kun wasn't interested, as usual.
Quite a few came in for my brother, too.
So I'm sure Haruka-senpai will be fine.
He'll find his drive soon enough.
I wonder if that's what Haru really wants, though.
Huh?
Oh, nothing!
That reminds me, have you decided what to do after graduation, Makoto-senpai?
I haven't decided completely, but I'll probably apply for the local university.
Oh, really?
Great Luck
Mako-chan, you got the Great Luck fortune!
"The person you wait for will come. You will win any competition."
"If you start a journey, all will go your way."
"Lucky directions are north and east."
What did you get, Haruka-senpai?
I got Great Luck, too.
I got Half Luck.
They say that there are generally fewer Half Luck fortunes
than Bad Luck ones at any given shrine.
So if you look at it in terms of probability,
you could say pulling one of these is even luckier than Great Luck!
I guess it's really true that, no matter what anyone says,
I really love the way you swim, Haruka-senpai.
It has nothing to do with theory or calculations.
It just makes me feel something very powerful.
It made me want to be able to swim that way, too.
Freely.
Rei...
That's why I think it's fine for you to always remain "free."
Being free can mean many different things.
But I think its truest meaning is having a free heart
that can't be bound by anything.
So no matter what choice you make,
as long as you remain who you are,
you will forever be free!
I'm sorry!
I didn't mean to sound patronizing...
Great Luck
You made this training regimen, Haru-chan?
I just modified Gou's regimen a little bit.
You added relay exchange training?
You're saying that perfecting
our exchange timing could help make up time we lose
due to differences in speed, correct?
Yes.
With the strong teamwork the four of us have,
we could even surpass Samezuka's current time!
I want to swim with you guys.
Right now, what I want to do is treasure that feeling.
Haruka-senpai!
Let's go, the four of us!
We'll beat Samezuka next time, and go to nationals!
Yeah.
Hey, where are you going?
Just stepping out.
What about practice?
Sorry, but will you let me take today off?
Higashinami Station
Sousuke-kun?
Nagisa-kun, can you translate "kiss me" into Japanese?
Isn't it just "kiss me"?
That's what I thought.
I overheard Makoto-senpai saying "kiss me" just now.
Huh?! Who did Mako-chan say "kiss me" to?
Both of you, your pronunciation is horrible! It's "kiss me."
Rin-san!
Next episode, "The Locomotive of a Twist!
The Locomotive of a Twist!
Kiss me.
Perfect body.