The Iwatobi Swim Club needs one more member before it can participate in relays. Nagisa has set his sights on his classmate Rei, who is a member of the track team. Despite Rei's refusal to join, but Nagisa appears intent on recruiting Rei into the swim club.

Prefecturals are over and the Iwatobi Swim Club members are pleased by the progress they have made. A local summer festival gives them an opportunity to relax. When Nagisa finds out that Rin is also at the festival, he orders Rei to follow Rin and make sure that Haruka and Rin do not meet.

The crew ponders how to attract new members to the Swim Club. Haruka is called in by Amakata-sensei to discuss his intended career path, but as always, Haruka moves to the beat of his own drum. Meanwhile, Coach Sasabe brings an interesting opportunity to the boys…

Haruka has entered Hidaka University, where he's now training with the swim club to prepare for a newcomer tournament. One day, he runs into Asahi, a swim teammate from middle school. Haruka is later joined by Makoto, who also moved to Tokyo, at a coffee shop to catch up with Asahi... and the topic quickly turns to Ikuya, another teammate they swam with in middle school. On the day of the newcomer tournament, Haruka and Asahi are in the same race for the first time in years... and the spectacle is watched by Hiyori, who calls Haruka an "inferior copy of Ikuya." After the race, as Haruka is walking through the halls with Asahi, he catches sight of Ikuya passing by..

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

Makoto meets up with the members of the Iwatobi Swim Club who are in Tokyo for the nationals. Meanwhile, Haru continues his training.