Sensei arrives at the school's pool, wanting to check in on Makoto after her recently obtained lease on life. He thinks to himself how admirable her current mindset is but also feels it's foolish, noting that he might be biased since his way of living is entirely antithetical. He greets Makoto and Miku, the latter congratulating him on the two's recent development on the roof. He's a bit worried about how open Makoto is about their relationship, but she assures him that it's only information she shares with Miku. This prompts Miku to ask if she's allowed to get advice from other people, getting a negative reaction from both Sensei and Makoto. It's as Makoto starts to deliver a lecture that Miku suddenly remembers something. She goes to leave, claiming that she has a study date with Kirin. Makoto tries to come along but Miku repeatedly turns her down, rushing to leave. As she does, Sensei tells her to say hi to Io, having picked up on the real reason she's leaving.
Sensei scoots closer to Makoto, and she asks why he mentioned Io and he ambiguously responds that Io might be doing something for Miku no one else can. She asks if something is going on as this isn't the first time he's mentioned Io being friends with Miku — This isn't helped by Miku's subtle change in behavior lately. He tells her to ask Miku herself if she's so curious, saying he doesn't have the right to divulge someone else's secrets. As Makoto steps out of the water, Sensei finds himself overcome with a rare onset of worry, pondering if he should get involved in this situation despite his usual indifference. It's this indifference he falls back on in the end, deciding the situation is small in the grand scheme.
The two take a seat on a nearby bench, with Makoto pondering if the reason for Miku's change in behavior is stress. While Sensei thinks that's unlikely due to how relaxing her life with, Makoto retorts with a list of potential stressors, ending them off with a reminder some people are just naturally stressed. He asks if there's anything he can do to help her in that regard and, while she appreciates the sentiment, tells him there's little that can be done to help her. The "state" she exists in was already the result of huge personal steps, and those only came about due to huge bursts of emotion. She asks how he manages to keep strong instead, having been curious after Ami spoke to her about the state he was left in following the death of Ami's parents. He cuts her off and says he copes in the exact opposite way as her, preemptively telling her he's not looking to change his method. Instead, she offers him the chance to talk about things whenever he wants. While he doesn't accept the idea, she tells him to keep it in mind should he ever feel like it.
Makoto leaves soon after, having another "therapy session" with Ami scheduled. Sensei leaves at the same time, unsure of what to make of his and Makoto's current relationship, but hoping that it gives her more fulfillment in life.