TV Animation Free! Novelize/Episode 12: Sorezore no Keshiki



Synopsis: Makoto Tachibana, Nagisa Hazuki, Rei Ryugazaki, Haruka Nanase, Rin Matsuoka and Sosuke Yamazaki share memories from their day at the regional tournament.

Makoto awakens at 5 a.m. feeling like he's had a long dream. He looks over at the still sleeping Haruka and wonders what he's dreaming about. Is he swimming? Is he there along with his teammates? Has everything that's happened since Rin's return in April been a dream, too? He hears Haruka call his name, so he says, "Good morning, Haru. Are you awake?" But Haruka's eyes are closed, still dreaming. Makoto is embarrassed, but happy to be in his dream, hoping that the others including a smiling Rin are there, too.

Nagisa speaks about the tournament venue and its atmosphere. It's large, exciting and quietly tense, too. There's a buzz in the air from the swimmers warming up, the spectators and the cheerleaders getting folks fired up. Nagisa is anxious, but acting under control better than usual. Rei is using logic to stay contained, but his cheeks are flushed. Mako-chan is behaving like the kind and reliable captain he is by appearing relaxed in order to keep everyone else calm. Even Haruka is a little nervous. Nagisa knows this because he ran into Haruka outside the hotel late the night before when he went out for a walk. Haru thanked Nagisa and then, that morning, Haruka scratched the words, "For the Team," into the ground outside the stadium. Those are the words Rin wrote on the poolside brick in elementary school at graduation and Nagisa wonders how Rin's team will fare. Then disaster strikes and Rin falls apart during his heat, being the last one to finish and unable to climb out of the pool. Haruka and the others worry about Rin. They later find him arguing with Nitori who is trying to calm him down. Rin says he's not good for anything, that's why he was taken off of the relay team. Then he adds that he's quitting swimming, kicking a trashcan before running off.

They are all dumbfounded by the revelations and Haruka is filled with memories of the day Rin quit swimming once before, worried that it's happening again. Makoto tries to settle his team before their relay, but Haruka can't concentrate. Rei then shares his conversation with Rin and reveals that it wasn't Haruka's fault that Rin quit swimming long ago, but Rin's lack of progress in Australia. He says that Rin decided to swim again after seeing the relay they swam at prefecturals, but that his deepest reason for swimming again is the hope that he can swim a relay with Haruka and the best teammates around. The others question this, but Rei says it's how he feels, too, and asks Haruka if it isn't the same for him? Haru finally understands that his own fondest wish is to swim with his old team united once more. That's when Rei suggests a solution.

Rin remembers meeting with Rei the evening before the tournament and how, afterwards, Captain Mikoshiba had taken him off the relay team because he's focusing on something else. Rin doesn't know what that it until he's standing in front of a sakura tree planted in front of the stadium. It looks like the sakura tree from elementary school, triggering old memories. Haruka shows up and Rin starts yelling about being a failure. Haruka says, "I know," and Rin replies, "What do you know?" Haruka reminds Rin that he was the person who taught him that what mattered most about swimming was sharing it with friends, but Rin is too angry to hear him. They wrestle and as Rin pins Haruka to the ground, he sees words scratched into the ground that morning: For the Team. Rin breaks down, admitting that all he's ever wanted from the first day he met Haruka was to swim with him and a team of friends, like they used to do.

Rei is troubled about the decision the team has made at his suggestion. In his mind, there is only one way that Rin can find his footing again -- with swimming, with his friends, with the world. Rei has trained hard to be able to compete alongside Nagisa, Haruka and Makoto as an equal, studying and researching swimming and relays where four different swimmers with different strokes unite to create a perfect single line, yet he acknowledges that without Haruka and Rin's history being what is has been, he would never be where he is, either, so he must do what he can to make things right. It's not logical, but emotional. Still, it's the right thing to do. Rin doesn't understand what the Iwatobi team is suggesting, but Haruka drags him along as Rei heads into the stands, certain he will see something beautiful.

Sousuke sees how badly Rin starts off in his personal heat and knows before it finishes how it will end. It's no surprise to an experienced competitor. So much depends on luck, after all. But Rin is scheduled to swim in the medley relay, too, so Sousuke heads into the hallway to see him and finds him ranting to Aiichiro Nitori. Deciding it best to leave him be, he returns to the stands and waits to see Rin swim the way Sousuke knows that he can. The problem is that Rin's name isn't listed in the program as part of the relay team. Then he notices the butterfly swimmers for the first relay heat, already underway, readying on the starting blocks. He sees Rin with the Iwatobi High School Swim Club swimmers. He doesn't understand but when Rin dives in, he's swimming at his best. And with Nanase anchoring, the team finishes in first place. Rin looks joyous as he hugs his comrades, so when the announcement is made that the Iwatobi team is disqualified, the crowd buzzes, but Sousuke just smiles. He also thinks that he wants to swim with Rin again, at least one more time – to be true friends with Rin.

Makoto rounds out things by saying he doesn't regret a thing his team did that day and he's certain the others agree. They were reprimanded for their actions, but there was no further penalty. Rin wrote a letter of resignation to Captain Seijuro Mikoshiba, who refused to take it. They all agree that next year they will see a sight they'd never seen with Rei. Makoto again recalls the day when Haruka and Rin raced during winter break. There are so many "what ifs" surrounding that event, but Makoto is certain that everything happens for a reason. That's why there's nothing to stop them from deciding for themselves what their futures will be and going forward one step at a time.