Rei asks Rin about why he is participating in the relay, what changed him after he left for Australia and what he actually wants from Haruka, stating his desire to be a part of their team. Later, Haruka and the others come over to Rei's place, where they assure Rei he is an irreplaceable team member. After arriving at the location for the regional tournament and checking into their hotel, the group go to see the pool they'll be swimming in. Later that night, as everyone is too excited to sleep, Rin asks Rei to meet up with him, explaining that the reason he quit swimming was because he struggled to swim the way he used to and felt he couldn't reach Olympic level. It was his match with Haruka that reignited his desire to swim, and Iwatobi's prefectural performance that made him want to perform relay again. Before taking his leave, Rin tells Rei that he needs to make sure he doesn't embarrass Iwatobi's team when they compete against each other. Upon returning to his hotel, however, Rin is shocked to learn that he has been taken off Samezuka's relay team because he wasn't focusing on his own team.