Sakura moved from her sunny beach house in Florida to her grandmother's large estate in Japan. With her family's vast wealth and huge standards, she is rarely able to do anything she wants, like to swim freely.
As a new third year student in Iwatobi High, her appearance, long black hair with sea green eyes and the perfect tan, and her feisty attitude raises her high in popularity. Even the kids in Samezuka Academy is noticing the "New Girl".
Although welcomed by every club, she chooses the Swim Club. Her reason? She wants to swim, duh. Joining Gou, Makoto, Haruka, Nagisa, and Rei, she is able to embrace her hobby.
But her family's looming standards is scaring her, and she needs to tell her family that instead of doing what they say, she just wants to swim. And the Swim club will help her do just that.
Since she was a young girl, Hana Etsumi has held a fear of the water. Enticed but afraid, Hana grew up keeping herself a safe distance from the water, never once being swayed to go near it.
After moving back to her hometown and being enrolled in Iwatobi High, Hana encounters her childhood friend, Makoto Tachibana. After falling back into their old friendship, Hana soon meets Makoto's other friends and becomes a part of their life as the newly formed Iwatobi Swim Club.
Immersed in this new lifestyle, Hana finds herself facing the fear she's held since she was a little girl. Though, surrounded by her friends who are all eager to offer support, Hana finds that maybe, she might be able to find a way to finally be free.