- Satoru and Sachiko try to secure Kayo's safety by exposing her mother's abuse to the consultants. However, she passes her breaking point and goes berserk.
- Kayo's mother Akemi Hinazuki has finally reached her breaking point, without Kayo there to abuse she takes out her frustrations on the girl's desk. She is only stopped when she hears someone at the door, upon listening closer she realizes it is Kayo. She opens the door ready to greet her daughter with a slap but Sachiko and Satoru step out of the shadows and she thinks better of it. That doesn't stop her from hurling around accusations and threatening to sue. Sachiko asks the woman if she even bothered to look for her daughter and is promptly attacked with a shovel. Kayo and Satoru are able to pull their moms apart before any serious damage is done but Sachiko does end up with a small scratch. With blood trickling down her face she states that the woman was only worried about herself.
Kayo continues to hold her mother back from fighting as the woman accuses the Fujinuma family of setting her up. Satoru finally becomes too outraged and also begins to chastise Kayo's mother. Akemi elbows Kayo to the ground to free herself but Sensei Yashiro and Child Services arrive just in time to witness the scene. Realizing she's been had Akemi curses at the mother and son. Yashiro makes it known that the plan was all his and apologizes to the Fujinumas for getting them involved, neither Sachiko or Satoru seem to mind as they obviously care about Kayo. Akemi begins to carry on about pressing charges against Sachiko but Child services is more interested in Kayo's home life and outright informs her that Kayo will be taken away. They explain that she had given up parental rights when she failed to look for Kayo during the three days she went missing. Akemi still won't accept defeat and in a last ditch effort places the blame on Satoru before trying to drag Kayo away to the police station. Yashiro steps away for a moment and returns with Kayo's grandmother who calls out to her daughter. Falling to her knees the old woman apologizes for not having spoken to Akemi since forcing her to divorce Kayo's father. She gives a touching speech apologizing for not being there to help her daughter and granddaughter . Suddenly Akemi has a flashback of her own abuse as a man is shown punching her in the face and beating her mercilessly until a 5 or 6 year old Kayo throws herself over her mother to protect her. Later we see the anger in Akemi build up as she Strikes Kayo for the first time. Back in real time Kayo's grandmother says it is all her fault and not to think badly of her daughter. Akemi goes to her mother crying and venting all the pain she's held in for years. An unsympathetic Satoru thinks that Akemi's tears are out of self pity, he doesn't fail to notice that Kayo is unmoved and won't even acknowledge her mother's suffering. Satoru thanks Sensei Yashiro but the teacher tells Satoru that it was him that spurred the man into action, he couldn't just let all Satoru had done end on a bad note. Satoru Thinks to himself that while he can barely remember his father he wonders if he spoke like Yashiro.
Kayo and Satoru share a final moment together as she thanks him and cast one look at the home she so desperately wanted to get away from. As she and her grandmother get in Yashiro's car her poem "The Town without me" is read In voice over. Satoru shows Kayo he still has the mittens she made him and sends her off with a smile. Sachiko reads a note from Kayo thanking her for dinner. As Yashiro drives away Satoru chases behind as long as he can with Kayo watching. He is sure that where ever she is head will be a good place.
A day later in school the realization the Kayo is gone has set in and Satoru is pretty much dead in the inside. Kazu, Osamu , Hiromi and Kenya rally around him as he sits slumped at his desk Satoru maintains that he is fine. Yashiro calls Satoru to the staff room and gives him an update on Kayo's relocation and Satoru thanks him for his inspirational words the night before. Yashiro questions Satoru about where Kayo was during her "kidnapping" and when he finds out it was the bus he comments that it is a place only kidnappers would think to go.
With Kayo safe Satoru turns his focus to the last two victims in the making, His friend Hiromi Sugita and the girl from another school Aya Nakanishi. While listening to his Wonderman album Satoru ponders how he will overcome the obstacle of approaching Aya. Unlike Kayo she goes to a different school and has no to speak to a stranger like him. Looking to bounce some ideas off of his mom he is disappointed that her only advice is to be straightforward (even though it sort of worked with Kayo.) Sachiko thinks Satoru has his eyes on another lady now that Kayo is gone but he tells her it's because the girl is always alone.
The next day after school Satoru splits up with Hiromi and Kenya to follow Aya and learn her schedule. He figures out that he will be able to walk Hiromi home while she is in cram school. after heading back to the rec center to hang with Hiromi and Kenya Satoru makes it back in time to follow Aya from the cram school. His plan is derailed when his mother spots him on her way home from the grocery store and calls him to help her. Though he's really upset that his tailing mission was foiled he complains about the amount of shopping his mother did. Sachiko says it was cheap so she had to take advantage.
Sensei Yashiro who also happened to be in the area gets their attention and offers them a ride. It is unclear whether Satoru is trying to get his mom laid or is genuinely curious about Yashiro's private life but he surprises the man by asking why he isn't married. Yashiro begins to lay out a complex set of circumstances needed for holy union but eventually becomes more frank and admits he was hurt once and now regards relationships with extreme caution. Satoru looks back and sees his mother sleeping. (or pretending to sleep I'm unsure when it comes to Sachiko Fujinuma.) He asks Yashiro how to approach a girl you don't know. Yashiro suggests that Satoru use his talents to attract the attention of a new lady. Yashiro taps the steering wheel with his fingers idly as Satoru studies him for a second and notices something sticking out of his glove box. Suspiciously Yashiro's eyes grow wide when Satoru tugs at it and the teacher tells him not to touch it. It is too late and the glove box pops open raining candy onto the floor. Satoru is shocked and Yashiro tells him in a creepy manner that now he has seen the secret he is just as guilty. Stuffing his face and offering Satoru a piece he admits that after quitting smoking candy has become his new vice. This seems to allay any fear that Satoru has about Yashiro possible being the kidnapper. Sachiko wakes up, startling the guys and asks for a lollipop also.
The Next day at school Kenya notices that Satoru is smothering Hiromi now that Kayo is gone. Kenya speaks to Satoru in private and asks to be let in on the second part of his journey . After School Satoru Kenya and Hiromi end up back at the old bus that was Kayo's hide out. They notice some adult footprints that have been altered so as to not give away the pattern on the sole of the shoes. A search of the bus reveals that the kidnapping tools and Briquette are gone. Satoru finally admits that he believes a killer is targeting children in their town. He is willing to admit that it sounds crazy and he can't explain it but he is certain that someone dangerous is out there. He also reveals that he was also protecting Kayo from this killer as well as from her mother. Kenya reassures his friend that despite a lack of evidence he is still there to help.
Later Satoru escorts Hiromi home who says he is a man and doesn't really need Satoru to do such a thing. Hiromi grabs Satoru's hand and tells him that he also wants to believe like Kenya does. We see in a flashback from earlier that while Kenya figures Satoru's imagination is running wild he is willing to operate on the 1% chance there is a killer. this causes Satoru to remember Airi Katagiri who also believed in him against all odds and evidence. On his way home Satoru remembers crying to his mother about how he could have saved Kayo and renews his resolve to save the killer's future victims.
The next day after School Satoru rounds up the inner circle of Kenya and Hiromi to accompany him after school but Osamu and Kazu who had wanted to go to the hideout end up feeling left out. Kazu and Osamu almost instantly decide to follow their friends. While it seems that Satoru firmly has the future in his control we see the cracks in his plan as Misato the ex teachers pet has taken Kayo's place as the class loner. Her fate most certainly is now in jeopardy as Satoru doesn't even count her as a potential victim.
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