HS2C05: Forward

Synopsis: The Iwatobi Junior High Swimming Club begins to take shape.

Haruka Nanase and Satomi Nii fulfill their Library Committee duties during their lunch break. Nao Serizawa gives instructions about returing books to the appropriate shelves. Satomi asks Haruka what he read over the break and they discuss their choices for awhile despite Haruka's discomfort. Eventually, Satomi grows silent and Haruka is glad.

After shelving half the books, their work is stopped by Ikuya Kirishima who arrives and demands that Satomi tell him why she joined the school's swim club. A curious Nao joins them, as does Makoto Tachibana and Aki Yazaki who have just entered the library. Ikuya pushes Makoto aside and abruptly leaves.

Haruka is confused, so Makoto explains that he had only asked Ikuya if he was going to join a club. Ikuya had responded that he already belonged to an outside Swimming Club and Aki had told him that Ikuya's friend, Satomi, had joined the school's swimming club. That's when Ikuya got angry and ran off.

Haruka understands a little better now, but doesn't want to get involved, so he pushes the cart still holding books to be shelved. Makoto grabs his arm, preventing him from getting away and asks Satomi to explain. They learn that Ikuya and Satomi were friends in elementary school. Natsuya Kirishima, Ikuya's older brother; Ikuya and Satomi all joined the Bandou Swimming Club proclaiming that, one day, they would swim together at the Olympics. When Natsuya quit the club, he said it was to help Ikuya learn how to better get along with others and to make new friends, believing that if he stayed, he'd continue babying Ikuya. Ikuya, on the other hand, felt betrayed and, ever since, they haven't spoken to one another properly. Ikuya also has a bad attitude at Bandou, leading to his being overlooked for meets.

Satomi is now crying because Ikuya holds it against her for joining the school's swim club, but Nao tells her that she's innocent, that Natsuya should be braver and work things out with his brother. Haruka laments to himself that lunch break will soon be over with his task unfinished and his left arm going numb from Makoto's grip on it.

After school, Haruka and Makoto find Ikuya and Satomi arguing again, Satomi telling Ikuya that she wants to try the school swim club to do something new and different. Haruka suddenly adds that being babied just holds you back and Ikuya turns on him in anger. Haruka recognizes the stance, as well as the pain in his eyes. It's just like he felt when Rin Matsuoka told them he was going to study in Australia. Haruka had felt weak and self-loathing for depending on someone else. Ikuya was going through the same thing now.

Ikuya runs off full of resentment towards Satomi, but strangely at peace with Haruka's assessment. Was Haruka being babied, too? Was he trying to move forward in some way Ikuya couldn't know? It was irritating.

At dinner, later that evening, Ikuya calls his brother's name for the first time in months, surprising Natsuya. He tells him that he's going to join the school's swim club in order to move forward. Natsuya warns him that practice will be tough and that Ikuya is to call him "Captain" at school. His words are somber, but his eyes are shining.

At practice the following day, Haruka and Makoto are surprised to see Ikuya warming up. So are Satomi and Aki Yazaki. Asahi Shiina arrives and asks about him, so apparently he knows Ikuya, too. Haruka wonders what happened to change Ikuya's mind in so short a time, certain it will drag him into bothersome things.

Makoto approaches Ikuya and stretches out his hand in welcome. Ikuya's right hand hesitates, but Makoto takes it firmly into his own. "Let's do our best," he says. Ikuya says he only swims for himself and looks away. Asahi asks about Bandou Swim Club and Ikuya points out that Asahi hasn't been attending their community club either. They begin to argue, but are cut short by Nao's whistle.

Nao tells the four swimmers that they will form a relay team despite the fact that not one of them is prepared for that. He then has them practice wall kicks, finding their center of balance and learning how to propel themselves into a streamline posture while standing on land. All the boys are given precise instructions on how to improve. All but one: Haruka. Nao begins shouting orders and instructions. Finally, they're allowed to practice pushing off the wall in the pool while Haruka is drawn aside to practice biaxial swimming.

Haruka has only heard about biaxial swimming from magazines, but he's ready to try it for real. Somehow, his push off the wall feels better, stronger. Is it his imagination? He begins the crawl stroke without the roll, keeping his body in a straight line while his arms churn the water. It feels awkward. Nao tells him that he seems suited to it and to remember to use honorific language. Swimming biaxially doesn't quite feel like swimming to Haruka. It feels, instead, like digging into the water. But it feels easy and a vague sensation of moving forward flashes through him before he's even aware of it.