They reached Rei just as he was losing strength. Haru and Makoto grabbed him by the arms, keeping his head above water while Nagisa helped guide them back. By the time they collapsed onto the sand, they were exhausted and shivering, but alive.
Makoto, still catching his breath and trembling from the adrenaline and the lingering fear, placed a hand on Rei’s shoulder. "We're a team, Rei. You don't have to do this alone. And besides," he added with a small, weary smile, "we're not perfect either. We all have things we're afraid of." Free! (Dub) Episode 5
"I just need to find the rhythm," he muttered, adjusting his glasses before diving into the dark, choppy waves. But the ocean wasn't a controlled pool. The tide was stronger than he anticipated, and the salt water stung his eyes. His limbs grew heavy, and the "beauty" he sought was quickly replaced by panic as the current pulled him further from the shore. They reached Rei just as he was losing strength
The three boys rushed to the beach, calling Rei's name over the roar of the wind. Through the rain, Haru spotted a flicker of movement—Rei’s bright yellow kickboard bobbing far out in the surf. Without a second thought, Haru dived in, followed closely by Nagisa. Makoto hesitated, his feet frozen at the water's edge. The dark waves looked like reaching hands, dragging memories of the past to the surface. Makoto, still catching his breath and trembling from
The following story is based on the events of of the anime Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club (titled "Trial by Open Water" in the English dub), assuming the series' standard timeline around July 2013 .
Rei sat up, coughing and looking thoroughly defeated. "I'm sorry... I just wanted to be like you all."
Back at the camp, Makoto Tachibana noticed the empty bed. A chill ran through him—not from the night air, but from a deep-seated fear he usually kept buried. Makoto had a lifelong phobia of the ocean, stemming from a childhood tragedy where an old fisherman he knew had drowned in a storm.