Coach Sasabe begins training the Iwatobi Swim Club for the upcoming tournament. Meanwhile, Rei is unhappy about the fact that he's the only one who doesn't know about what happened with Rin in the past. After Rin expresses his frustration, Haruka decides to tell him about what happened when they were in grade school.

Haruka and the boys have trained hard to prepare for this showdown against Samezuka. After Day 1 of the tournament, Gou and Amakata-sensei treat the boys to a fabulous, carb-rich feast and allow them to take a breather. Meanwhile, Rin is faced with a tough decision as captain of the Samezuka Swim Club. Who will he choose to swim the relay with him?

With the college championships approaching, all the swimmers are training hard on their own in addition to their official club practices. Haruka is also undergoing some extra training, with coaching from the mysterious man they've been seeing around campus. Makoto is concerned about the arrangement, but Haruka assures him that he asked for the help himself