Wow, the scenery's great, Romi-chan!
It really is!
Look at that weird-shaped rock!
Where?
Over there!
Oh, I see it! That really is weird!
Right?
Isn't this fun, Romi-chan?
Yeah!
It's like the roller coasters in Florida!
Hey, Goro-chan, how much longer?
Another hour or so.
Hey, Amakata-sensei, I could take over driving now...
Oh, don't worry about me!
I don't get to drive big cars often, so it's a nice change!
Please Refuel Please replace fuel used during the rental period.
Are you doing okay, Ayumu-chan?
Yes, I'm fine, but...
Rei-kun, you're drenched in sweat!
Don't worry about me...
You okay, Rei-chan?
It's nothing.
Don't try to be tough.
Shizuru-kun, are you o—
Shizuru-kun!
Hey, Shizuru!
Shizu-chan!
He's unconscious.
Episode 5: An Ominous Workout!
Good morning, everyone.
Samezuka Academy
Soufuukan
Thanks for making the long trip out here.
The relationship we formed with Soufuukan over spring break
has paved the way for this training camp shared by our three schools.
I hope we can make this a fruitful training camp
where we all learn from each other.
Let's all work hard together!
Let's do it!
We also have the honor of being joined
by Samezuka Academy alumnus Yamazaki Sousuke-senpai...
Sou-chan!
...and Soufuukan alumnus Kirishima Natsuya-senpai.
We won't have much time together, but I'm glad to be here.
Kirishima...
Go ahead and take your things to your rooms,
then we'll meet by the pool at 1:00.
They're all such powerful schools...
with such glorious muscles!
I'm disappointed that there aren't any pudgy guys here.
Gou-san!
Check out my special backstroke!
I didn't realize you were also a backstroke swimmer...
Mikoshiba Momotarou!
Wha—
Come on! We played table tennis at the Anago hot spring!
Oh! Capybara!
That's right. I'm a Soufuukan High School second-year,
the Capybara of the Raging Rapids, Usami Aoba!
Uh, I'm not giving you the capybara plushie.
Hmph! How about a swimming contest this time, then?
Hah! You'll regret that!
That's big talk!
Fine by me.
Take me on as many times as you want. I'll always win!
Momo-kun! We're in the middle of practice!
Y-You've got it all wrong!
If you want a contest that bad,
compete against me, Aoba.
Natsuya-san?!
Sorry, you guys.
Oh, it's all right.
He's not as bad a guy as he looks.
I hope you guys can be friends.
We hope so, too.
I think Nagisa's going to go places this summer.
Yes.
Ryugazaki-kun appears to have matured since last year, too.
That just leaves the newbies...
Shizuru's backstroke is still rough,
but he does have talent.
I agree.
Next!
Ready!
He's obviously behind.
No real problems with his swimming, though...
I guess he's nervous.
Romi—
Nagisa-kun, about this afternoon's regimen...
Romio-kun?
Did something happen?
That'll be all for this practice.
You're welcome to practice on your own.
Just make sure you're in the cafeteria by 6:00 tonight.
Right!
Captain Rei!
I didn't swim enough, so I'll stay behind and practice!
Okay, then.
Just be careful you don't overdo it.
I will!
Hey, no fair, Romi-chan!
I'm gonna swim, too!
All right.
Um...
Shizuru-kun, why don't you and I go on a shopping run?
Uh... Sure.
Okay, I reserved one lane.
You can start off at your own pace,
then try to be conscious of your form as you swim.
R-Right.
Romi-chan?
Just start whenever you're ready.
R-Right...
Burn it up! Kishikubo
Souls of Water
Kishikubo Middle School Swim Team Win
In the last race...
Are you afraid of starting?
Sou-chan...
Is that true, Romi-chan?
No, I... Um...
You can't get the timing right, can you?
Romio-kun seemed a bit down.
Now that you mention it...
Shizuru-kun, do you have any idea why?
Well, I think...
He false-started?
Yeah, and...
that ended up being our last middle school tournament...
I think he just doesn't want to make the same mistake again in high school.
But it may be that having so many people around
reminds him of that race.
It was a really important race...
So ever since then, I've been afraid of starting.
Romi-chan...
Don't just look directly ahead of you.
Envision what happens after you dive in.
What's your reason for diving in?
Wow, it all looks so good!
Their manager made curry, too. I think it's over there.
Here you go.
Kunikida-san's curry is going over really well, huh?
Yeah! That's what secret spices will do for you!
Right, Ayumu-chan?
The extra batch of the Kunikida family's ultra-spicy curry is ready to go.
The curry Gou-san and her friend made is so good!
This heat level is like a challenge.
It burns! But it's so good!
Really, Mikoshiba?
That's enough to count as spicy in your mind?
You already finished yours?!
I'm on my way to get a heaping plate of seconds.
Gou-san! Seconds, please!
What's your deal?!
I won't let you have Gou-san's curry!
What?! Don't be stupid!
This curry's great!
Ayumu-chan did the seasoning.
It really is good!
It's been in the Kunikida family for generations.
Huh? Seaweed?! D-Dude...
Curry is best with seaweed.
Okay...
That sounds good!
Would you guys like some, too?
Did you bring that, Shizuru-kun?
Yes. My family runs a seafood shop.
Shizuru's family gathers seafood by skin-diving.
That's why he's so good at swimming.
So that's why.
By the way, Romi-chan, did you eat curry in New York?
Yeah!
Is it different, like they say?
There was one restaurant that was known for having the spiciest curry in world!
Wow!
Please tell me all about it!
The chef there prepares the curry with a gas mask on!
A gas mask?!
I went there with my family, just once!
Community Room
Samezuka Academy Soufuukan High School Iwatobi High School
So as for the last day of the camp,
why don't we have time trials for each of the four strokes?
Good idea.
But the last day should be special.
Isn't there anything more unique we can do?
What do you think, Iwatobi?
Sure.
Actually, we of Iwatobi have a plan we'd like to propose.
Last Day Plan (Ideas) Time trials in each stroke
All right, everyone, meet your new coach.
I'm Tachibana Makoto.
It's nice to meet you all.
Everyone who swims with you ends up suffering somehow, huh?
What about you?
You don't want to reach the global level?
Hey.
Good work today.
Haven't seen you since the Anago hot spring.
Yeah.
Um, sorry if I'm wrong,
but would you happen to be Kirishima Ikuya's...
What? You know Ikuya?
Well, no...
I only saw him in a race when I was in high school.
I see. Yeah, he's my little brother.
His swimming surprised me.
Right?
I'm proud of that kid.
What are you doing these days?
I swim when I want, where I want.
I enter races while traveling around the world.
I was in Australia not long ago.
I met a Japanese guy there who'd been aiming for the global stage since he was a kid.
He was a really solid, up-front guy.
Even I picked up on his passion.
What's up?
Nothing. Just remembering someone I know who's like that.
He remembered a friend of his while we were talking once, too.
Said he wanted to swim with him again.
Swim together again...
I heard you injured your shoulder.
How's it doing now?
My doctor says if I keep up my rehab, I'll be able to swim again.
I won't be strong enough to compete again, though.
But if I have surgery...
You'd be able to compete again,
but if the treatment doesn't work out, your life as a competitor is over for good?
Anyone would stress over that.
Yamazaki Sousuke...
I didn't realize it right away when I heard you graduated from Samezuka,
but you went to Tokitsu High School, right?
You were a pretty famous butterfly swimmer.
Yeah, until I injured my shoulder.
But if your shoulder recovered,
you'd be plenty good enough to compete at the global level.
In the words of Mikhail, a coach who was once called
the greatest treasure of Russia's swimming world,
"Victory only comes to those who believe in themselves."
When I heard that,
I interpreted it as "the results depend on you."
Next thing I knew, I was flying out of Japan.
It's my favorite quote.
Okay, tomorrow is the last day of this training camp,
and we've decided to finish with a medley relay between all three schools.
A medley relay!
D-Does that include us?
Of course.
Huh?!
Shizu-chan, you'll do backstroke. Romi-chan, you'll do freestyle.
The first leg...
A relay so soon?
And I'm the anchor?
No need to look so worried.
We'll be with you.
Yeah, it's just practice.
Let's have fun with it!
But...
I don't think I can...
I've never done a relay before, and...
starting is...
Romio-kun...
Romio-kun, don't try to carry this on your own.
You're not alone.
We're a team.
We all swim toward the same goal.
So tomorrow, just trust us, your teammates,
and dive in with all you've got, okay, Romi-chan?
Teammates...
Don't get lazy, guys!
Right!
If we're gonna do this, we've gotta win!
Rei and Nagisa really put some thought into this.
Indeed.
A relay competition was a pretty smart idea.
It was Iwatobi's suggestion, to help them all grow as a team.
Makes sense.
This reminds me of the first relay we swam in with
Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai.
Good times!
We jumped in without any preparation then, too.
Yes, and that was the first relay I ever swam in.
It's possible that all I did was hold the others back...
But the burning emotion I felt when I swam with all of them
still lives on, right here.
And now, it's my confidence.
Yep! So let's enjoy today's relay in a way that only our team can!
Yeah!
Well, let's go!
If you want out, now's your chance.
I was gonna say the same to you!
Take your marks.
Go!
Go, Shizu-chan!
Momo's ahead!
That's the way, Momotarou!
Aoba! Don't lose this!
Go, Isurugi-kun!
Fight!
Kishikubo Middle School Swim Team Win
Hey, Iwatobi is beating them!
Go, Nagisa-kun!
That's the way, Nagisa!
Romio-kun.
No matter what happens,
I'll hand you a good position in the race.
So dive in with all you've got.
Rei-chan!
Nice hand-off.
Envision what happens after you dive in.
After I dive in...
We all swim toward the same goal.
All of us...
No matter what happens,
I'll hand you a good position in the race.
Just trust us, your teammates, and dive in with all you've got.
They're neck-and-neck!
What's your reason for diving in?
Right now...
It's my confidence.
...it can only be this!
No. Not yet.
Romio-kun!
Romi-chan!
Romio!
He did it!
Clean start!
All right!
Did you see the power of Samezuka?!
Hmph! We won't lose next time!
It was a good race.
Yeah, it really was.
Way to go, Romi-chan!
Nagisa-senpai?
You dove in well.
You did perfectly!
But we lost.
No, that hand-off was great!
It was!
Romio...
You did so well...
Shizuru?!
What are you crying for?
You're so sweet, Shizu-chan!
You did great yourself, Shizuru-kun!
See? You can do it.
I felt myself getting fired up, too...
But that just makes me all the more frustrated!
I want to win for sure next time!
Yeah! Let's all work a lot harder!
Yes, let's swim together.
The four of us!
Yeah!
Yamazaki.
Have you made up your mind?
No, I...
Hey.
Want to make a little bet?
A bet?
If you pick the hand with the coin in it,
you'll believe in your dream and move forward.
No more hesitating.
And if I pick the other one?
Then you have to take a break.
Taking the long way is necessary sometimes.
Loosen up a little.
Here goes.
Pick one.
The right.
This is your choice?
Actually, never mind. I'll make my own decision.
I see.
Okay, then.
Take care. I will, too.
Yeah.
Well, I'm sure he'll be fine.
Coach Tachibana!
What is it?
Look! That's the coach who moved away before!
Nao-senpai?
The past: a time and place that has passed us by.
The future: an illusion that gives us hope and expectation.
Episode 6: The Mermaid of the Abyss!
Next time: "The Mermaid of the Abyss!"