Congratulations Swim Club on Advancing to Nationals
Congrats, swim club!
You're going to nationals?
Way to go, swim club!
You've really worked hard.
It's very impressive!
Nah...
You're awesome, swim club!
I can't believe you really made it to nationals!
We're aiming to be number one in all Japan!
Nice, Hazuki!
Go for it!
Congratulations, Ryugazaki.
Thank you!
We'll do our best!
Sounds like you were able to shine in the water, too.
Yeah!
Tachibana! Nanase!
Nice going, swim club!
Go win at nationals, too!
Thank you. We'll give it our all.
I'm not swimming just to win.
No way, Nanase. You should be swimming to win.
Swimming's a sport, after all.
Or maybe the secret to winning is indifference?
Maybe we should try it, too...
Huh? Nanase!
Hey!
Haru...
Principal's Office
The Open Turn of Destiny!
Iwatobi High hasn't advanced to a national tournament since
the judo club made it twelve years ago.
You really have done a fine job, Miss Amakata.
No, no, I really haven't done a thing.
But what happened with Nanase-kun's freestyle race?
What a terrible thing to happen after he'd been scouted.
Ah, well, you see... um...
You know, there's a famous saying that goes,
"Everyone makes mistakes," right?
Isn't that technically a proverb?
In any case, anxiety and conflict are just part of being a teenager.
I feel that we, as adults,
shouldn't be too critical of him right now.
Why don't we just watch over him patiently?
Ready...
Hard at work, I see.
Coach Sasabe!
I couldn't make it to regionals since I was so busy,
but I'll absolutely be there to cheer them on at nationals!
All right!
But I still can't believe we're going to nationals.
It's like a dream!
What's wrong, Rei-chan?
I can see some hesitation in Haruka-senpai's swimming.
As such an avid fan of Haru-chan's swimming, you would know, huh?
Aren't you just as fascinated with Haruka-senpai's swimming
as I am, Nagisa-kun?
Well, it looks like Haruka's dealing with a few things right now,
but you two worrying about it won't change a thing.
In the end, he'll have to figure it out himself.
That aside, I'm gonna give you a serious workout today!
Better be ready!
It's the return of Demon Coach Goro!
Those advancing to nationals from our team are:
Ryouno in the 800m freestyle,
Mizutani in the 200m breaststroke,
Matsuoka in the 100m freestyle,
and finally, the medley relay team.
A total of four events.
Be sure to stay focused from now until the nationals.
Yes, sir!
Matsuoka...
After your performance at regionals, even more universities have
put in scouting offers for you.
At this point, you could join any team you want.
You should start seriously thinking about where you want to go.
Yes, sir.
What's the matter, Nitori-senpai?
Oh, it's just...
I was thinking that Rin-senpai will be gone soon.
This really is our last summer, isn't it?
What are you talking about?
There's still next year, and the year after.
And the year after that, and the year after that, too!
As long as we live, we still have plenty more summers ahead!
There's no such thing as a "last summer"!
What're you going on about?
Keep it down, Momo.
Huh? Wha...?
Momo-kun...
At least, that's what my brother always says.
Guys...
Why are you standing around talking?
Let's get this practice started.
Yes, sir!
Demon Coach Goro really is tough...
He was even more spirited than usual today.
But it's good for us.
We should bring a gift over to SC Returns to thank him.
No protein powder, okay?
We should bring him an Iwatobi cream bread!
What?
Haru? What is it?
I'm going to swim a little longer.
Haruka-senpai. Um...
That's our Haru-chan! You sure are fired up!
Got it.
Then, we'll go on ahead.
Shall we?
Haru-chan stayed behind to practice on his own again today.
Haruka-senpai won't get to swim in the freestyle race at nationals.
Yeah.
Is that really okay?
What do you mean?
"I only swim freestyle." That was Haruka-senpai's style.
I was so enchanted by his swimming,
I wished I could swim that way, too.
But now, Haruka-senpai is only swimming the relay,
but not freestyle.
And what caused him to change like that may have been us.
Huh?!
Are you saying that's a bad thing, Rei-chan?
Don't you want to swim the relay with him?
Of course I do!
But, I guess I really just want Haruka-senpai to remain free forever,
the way he's always been.
Remain free forever, huh...
Hey, good practice.
Thanks.
Oh, yeah. Some airmail came for you.
Is it good news?
Hey, Sousuke...
What are you going to do after graduation?
Not sure.
Maybe I'll go back home and help my dad run his business.
So you're really going to
quit swimming?
Yeah.
Don't make that face.
My dream already came true.
Iwatobi!
Fight!
Yeah!
I guess all the clubs get a little sad
after their summer tournaments end.
Once they lose, it's time for the third-years to retire from the club.
The swim club's like that too, right?
Yeah. How about the calligraphy club?
Our third-years retire after the Summer Calligraphy Exhibit, too.
Next year, I'll be a third-year, too.
If only I could stay a second-year forever...
Makoto-senpai?
He's alone?
That's kind of unusual, isn't it?
Guidance Counseling Office
The guidance counseling office?
Yo, Nanase.
Come with me for a bit.
What do you want?
At the tournament, you stopped in the middle of a race.
That's none of your concern.
Maybe not, but it concerns Rin.
If you stop, Rin could end up stopping, too.
You've come to hound me about that before.
I still don't acknowledge you.
But you are important to Rin.
You understand that, don't you?
So what?
Swimming with you brings out Rin's potential.
He needs you.
Why are you always so concerned about Rin?
I want him to stand on the international stage.
The international stage that I couldn't stand on.
You have incredible ability.
So you need to stop wasting time.
Take a step! Forward!
That's all I wanted to say.
See ya.
Huh?
Haru?
It's been a while since we've walked home together.
You've been staying after practice to keep swimming on your own lately.
What were you doing here?
I was...
just talking a little with Miss Ama-chan.
That's why...
Oh.
Y-Yeah.
It's almost time for the Obon Festival.
Yeah.
Are your parents coming home?
At the end of summer.
Fireworks Display
Spirit Boat Procession
They're always such free spirits.
Oh, yeah! We should all go watch the fireworks together.
We'll invite Nagisa and Rei and everyone, too.
Yeah, we should.
Later.
Haru!
I, um... I wanted to talk to you about post-graduation plans...
I'm done talking about that.
No, wait.
I didn't mean—
Onii-chan!
Welcome home!
Dinner's ready!
You come too, Haru-chan!
Let's all eat together!
I'll pass for today.
Aww...
Come eat with us next time, okay?
Sure.
Goodnight!
Momo-kun! What are you doing?
I was trying to decide which shirt to wear back home...
The meeting's starting!
Hurry up!
1 Week Off!
Wait for me!
S-Sorry!
You're late.
Is everyone here?
Yes, sir!
Starting today, our team will have a week off.
The next time we meet will be at the stadium for nationals.
Those of you competing at nationals
need to arrive two days early and start making final adjustments.
Until then, get plenty of rest and make sure to be in peak condition.
Yes, sir!
Closed for the Obon holiday
Sasabe-san, I'm sorry to have you spend your rare time off here.
Oh, it's no trouble.
There's no other time I can really come oversee their training.
But really...
Is something the matter?
Please take a look at this.
I've made a graph of your swim times.
Our relay times have gotten slower...
Precisely. Since regionals, all your individual times have been improving.
But for some reason, your times for the relay have not.
But our exchanges seem to be going well.
So we swim worse when we swim together?
That couldn't be!
This is a serious problem.
Coach Sasabe is planning to adjust your training regimens,
so until nationals, please do your utmost
to figure out how to pull yourselves out of this!
Later, then.
Yeah. Don't forget my souvenir!
Hey, Rin.
We should get going.
Right. Sorry.
Rin-senpai and Yamazaki-senpai, do you live near each other?
Are you going home together?!
Yeah.
What's with you?
I-I wanted to send a present for Gou-san with you...
Would you give it to her for me?
This is Pyunsuke!
P-Pyun...
I'll return him to the forest behind my place.
How could you do that?!
Not the Pyunsuke I worked so hard to raise myself!
I collected fresh sap for him, fed him high-protein jelly,
and maintained his temperature carefully!
Message Received
New Message From Tachibana Makoto
I really, really, raised him with love, so you can't—
Makoto?
I'm exhausted...
Shall we stop for tonight?
No, let's keep going to the next page.
It looks like a good place to stop.
In the past, you would have been the one to suggest stopping first.
I promised to do well in both swimming and my studies, after all.
Okay, then.
But let's just take a short break.
Okay, but just a short one.
Isn't this...
One of the hand-carved Iwatobi-chan phone straps Haruka-senpai
made last year to recruit new club members.
You've been taking good care of it, I see.
Last year, Haru-chan made these just because he wanted to swim in the pool
and needed enough members to start a swim club.
Yes.
I wonder if we'll get any new members next year.
Of course we will!
After all, we're going to nationals.
There's no way new members wouldn't
flock to a club that's produced such results.
Although, once nationals are over,
our third-year members Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai
will have to retire, won't they?
I wonder what Haru-chan will do after that.
What would you
ideally want Haruka-senpai to do, Nagisa-kun?
Like you, I would want Haru-chan to continue living
in a way that's true to who he is.
So I guess I don't want to see him looking so lost.
Nagisa-kun...
This will be the last tournament the four of us get to swim together.
Can we really leave things like this?
You're right.
I think we really need to talk to Haru-chan seriously about all this.
We need to tell him honestly how we feel.
Free
Haru!
Haruka-senpai!
Haru-chan! We're here!
Now that we're all together, let's go see the fireworks.
Sure.
It's so beautiful...
Yeah!
Hey, Haru-chan?
What?
Before we swim at nationals, there's something we want to say.
Because I get the feeling we can't swim as a real team there unless we do.
Haruka-senpai...
Both Nagisa-kun and I have admired your swimming for a long time.
Watching the way you swim so free and unbound by anything,
I found myself wishing I could swim that way, as well.
But now that you're no longer able to swim freestyle, your swimming
just isn't like you anymore.
We want you to swim in front of the whole world,
so that more and more people can see your swimming.
And then, if more and more people
were able to see your swimming and be moved like us,
and wish they could swim like you, too...
I couldn't imagine anything more wonderful.
Rei...
Nagisa...
I don't understand you.
Haru-chan...
Haruka-senpai...
I thought you'd be here.
Haru, I...
don't think you can go on this way, either.
Until now, I thought that if this was what you wanted, it was fine.
Because whatever Rin said, I wanted to respect your wishes.
But what you said to Rin at regionals...
What dream?
What future?
It's you who cares about all that!
I'm not you!
I don't have any of that!
If you truly want to stay as you are,
I won't say anything.
But...
If it's just that you can't find a dream for yourself,
I...
would want you to find one.
You want me to find one?
Is that really something
you can find just by looking for it?
Well...
Forget it.
I'm done talking about this.
Wait.
Let go!
Listen to me!
However many times I listen, it's the same!
You can't find a dream just by looking for one!
I'm fine with the way things are!
You're lying!
The truth is, you want to find a dream, too!
You should find that dream,
and go flying into the outside world to follow it!
You have the ability to do that!
Even you're talking like this?
Where I swim and who I swim for...
I'm free to decide that for myself!
And I'm saying I'm fine with the way things are!
But you're not fine!
You're not fine! That's why we're all telling you this!
Nagisa and Rei and Rin...
And me...
It's because we all love you.
Because we care about you.
Why can't you understand that?!
We want you to find your dream... To look to the future...
All you ever do is meddle with everyone!
Stop sticking your nose in everyone else's business!
A dream? A future?
Well, what about yours?
Stop going on about other people's futures when you haven't even decided your own!
Well, say something.
I have decided.
I'm...
going to a university in Tokyo.
I meant to tell you sooner,
but I just couldn't find a way to say it.
I...
Do whatever you want!
Haru!
Who is it?
Rin...
Yo, Haru.
We're going out.
Hurry up and get ready.
Let's go.
Go? Where?
Isn't it obvious?
Australia!
From the moment we met, my world has kept expanding.
This great big world that goes on forever...
If you just look up, I know you'll see it too,
Haru.
Next episode: A Swim-Off in a Foreign Land!
A Swim-Off in a Foreign Land!
The sight I see on the backs of my eyelids is...