When you said Rin has to explain his relationship with Haru to Ikuya, that he doesn't do "be there by his side when he's recovering", did they show us or hint at what Rin was doing when Haru's recovering?

Also, and this is purely to satisfy my dying curiosity 😂😂 Given the nature of their relationship, say, in a romantic AU, do you think they could develop into sth more than rivals?

While Haru was recovering, Rin was swimming his own finals -- and then once that was done, he went to the Team Coach with Natsuya to convince him to put Haru in the medley relay. Rin isn't one for sitting around waiting either way, no matter how close he is to someone, so he put his feelings into action, which involved getting Haru back into the pool where he belongs.

During his conversation with Ikuya, Ikuya comments that 'now it's our turn to support Haru' (as they've all been realizing how much of a beacon Haru is to them), to which Rin replies with a hearty hell yeah--"That's what we're gonna be swimming for now."

(and as for what he's doing while Haru is in rehabilitation after the event, between then and Hungary, it sounds like Rin has been making his mark as a professional swimmer -- which is precisely what Haru would want him doing, keeping in top form and waiting for Haru to come back)

And well, I think it's entirely possible something deeper than friendship could form between them XD but that's always going to be biased by people who WANT something deeper than friendship to form between them lol. Still, they'll be on the road together a lot now--though they won't be alone. There will be Natsuya and Ikuya and Sousuke and the others as well who are all aiming to go pro. Makoto is probably the only one who won't be out there with everyone, since it's repeated several times in the movie that his dream is to teach little kids how to swim. He doesn't have to do that in Japan, obviously, but that's not exactly a job that requires you to jetset around the globe with the Japanese National Swim Team.

Haru's dream is to swim with Rin, full stop. Not anyone else--just Rin. That will probably evolve over time, but Rin will always be an irreplaceable existence that changed his life and a core part of his swimming. When Haru races Rin in their rematch in the night pool, he remarks afterward that it doesn't hurt when he swims with Rin--whereas training hard as he had been always left him feeling exhausted and weak. For me, they're already more than 'rivals' (which is why I like the comparison of Rin and Ikuya, who seem like much more classic rivals, similar to Rin and Sousuke).

Whether or not that could, in time, shift to something more romantic--if the romance isn't already there underneath all the layers, which if you ask me I feel like it is, just unacknowledged or unrecognized, because of the ways in which they affect each other, stirring one another up and calming one another down just by being near each other--is up to interpretation. But the simple situation they find themselves in now: long days on the road, training together beside each other, possibly sharing hotel rooms again, seeing the sites and bonding over victories and defeats, building each other up to keep their respective dreams alive...that's gonna lead to something. For sure.

Hey there! I know most of the other characters are sidelined for the RinHaru of it all (and I am thrilled with the RinHaru of it all), but could you talk a little about Ikuya’s trajectory in this? And thanks for your Q&As!

Ikuya, for better or worse, doesn't have too much drama going on! His arc is more about supporting Haru and making his mark in the professional circuit (with his bronze medal and all!), and he's the only one who swims in BOTH the semi-finals AND the finals for the medley relay. It's mentioned earlier in the movie as well that he's an absolute powerhouse, able to keep up a fast pace for long stretches, when even others like Hiyori and Sousuke are begging for a break. Ikuya is fucking badass.

I also love the brother moments he gets with Natsuya, which are especially prominent in their relay (since Ikuya swims breaststroke and Natsuya takes the handoff from him for butterfly).

One thing, though, that was pushed heavily in this movie is: Rin and Ikuya are rivals. They had their moments back in Part 1, and those are underscored in Part 2. They have a relationship that's kind of like a combination of Rin's relationship with Sousuke and Rin's relationship with Haru. It's very easy and bromancy (there are fistbumps!), and it's interesting how different it is from the "rivalry" Haru and Rin share.

Like, Rin and Ikuya's rivalry feels like your traditional sports anime rivalry. Very fun and easy and poking and prodding each other.

But Rin and Haru's is a different beast altogether. There's so much baggage, so much history, and Rin wasn't kidding when he told Ikuya that their relationship isn't the kind of easy, close, warm one that Haru and Makoto have. It's something deeper and darker and a little bit bad for each other but more than that so very very good for each other because of the difference they've made in each other's lives.

Seeing Rin and Ikuya, it's clear that is what rivals are.

Seeing Rin and Haru, it's clear that is what a destined pair is.