The day of the competition is approaching. Kousei is now able to play his selected piece by heart. But he's not sure if he's made it his own or not. The troubled Kousei collapses during class, and gets carted off to the infirmary. "You're you, no matter what," says Kaori, who comes to see him. After struggling, losing his way, and suffering, the answer he arrives at is laughably simple... And now it's the day of the competition. Kousei fears that he'll end up not being able to play again. But in his heart, Kaori encourages him. Meanwhile, at the venue, a boy and a girl await Kousei's arrival. It's Takeshi Aiza and Emi Igawa. Several years ago, when Kousei was winning every prize in sight, these were two pianists in the same age group looked up to him, were jealous of him, and viewed him as a rival.