The next morning, Hiroshi is waiting for him at the train station. Hiroshi tells him that he's feeling better and that he should be fine for tomorrow's prelims. He tells Hiroshi that they're going to be late, but that he can beat Arima's time this year. He's been watching Arima at practice, and Arima is even faster now. He says that he was relieved to hear that Arima isn't going to the meet, because it means that Hiroshi will be able to beat him. He also says that Akitsuki has been working hard, and he thinks that he will make it through the first day of the meet just like Arima always does. The two talk about how Hiroshi can always call them at the station, and how he'll always be fine, even though he wasn't the best runner in the morning. He asks Hiroshi why he doesn't cut back on his hours at the cafe, and Hiroshi says that it's because they were busy the day before. He then asks why he hasn't been training as hard as Arima, who has been doing the same thing for a long time. He adds that he has to work, too, because Arima has been training longer than Hiroshi has been. He hates when Hiroshi thinks he got the job by asking him to cut back.