In overthinking through flashbacks of high school, Kakeru remembers the isolation of being the high school coach's favorite. Pushed to his limit, Kakeru grabs ahold of Sakaki, but his friends come between them before anything can happen. Later they begin their grueling practice, but Kakeru can't stop recalling heavy memories from his high school days: a cruel past that pushed a group of elite runners to their breaking point. Recalling how he chose his own destruction, Kakeru agonizes over his past...