Is that Satoru?
No...
Who is it?
ERASED
Good morning.
What are you doing up this early?
What am I doing? Isn't it obvious?
You're going to school early again, aren't you?
Yeah.
Thank you!
You don't have to wolf it down.
Satoru, can I ask you a frank question?
Go ahead.
Who are you meeting and what are you doing this early in the morning?
It's a secret.
You're not doing anything bad, are you?
No.
Okay then.
See you later!
Wait a second!
Take this.
Leaving so early, you'll be hungry before lunch.
Right.
Thanks, Mom.
Hinazuki, good morning!
Morning, Satoru.
Here, breakfast.
Isn't that for you?
I've already eaten, so it's okay.
Wow...
I'm sorry, Kayo.
It must be boring here.
If you had a TV at least...
It's all right. Hiromi brought me lots of books yesterday.
I think it'll take only another day or two of being patient.
Yeah.
That was good.
Well, I'll see you after school.
Yeah.
I put in all of my son's favorite things. - Sachiko Fujinuma
IZUMI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Crap!
The kids from Izumi Elementary are coming to school!
Maybe I spent too much time in there.
I don't wanna give the farewell address at the graduation ceremony.
Really?
You're better at public speaking, Aya.
It'll be fine.
I know you can do it, Saki.
AYA NAKANISHI
Just have a little courage.
Ice Hockey Club 1988 National Champions
Kayo is absent again today, I guess?
Fujinuma, you haven't heard anything?
No. She wasn't at her house this morning either.
Maybe she's got a cold? I wonder what's up with Hinazuki.
Yeah. And the school hasn't been contacted? That's strange.
- What's wrong? - Normally her mom would've called.
- Hinazuki sure is out a lot. - I wish I could take off like that.
Well, we're talking about Kayo.
She may show up here when we least expect it.
But shall we begin class?
- I hate math! - Okay...
STAFF ROOM
I see...
You stopped by her house this morning too, huh?
You must be worried.
Yeah.
But you're relatively calm about it.
It's like you always say.
At a time like this, you should stay as calm as usual.
That's true.
I tried calling Kayo's house yesterday and today,
but no one answered.
I called her mother's work too, but she's absent there.
Sensei! Would you call the police or the Child Consultation Center?
The police...
Yeah...
If I call the police now, won't it cause someone trouble?
I called the Child Consultation Center yesterday.
It seems like they're going today.
I'll go to Kayo's house with them.
The root of the problem is probably there.
"Doing your best is the key to everything."
Another one of my pet expressions.
Thanks, Sensei!
So Yashiro was already moving behind the scenes...
All right!
Ms. Hinazuki!
We're with the Ishikari Development Bureau.
No one's coming.
The lights are on, so someone is probably home.
Shall we check around back?
Ms. Hinazuki! Are you home?
Kayo!
Excuse me.
Sensei!
It's okay. I'll take responsibility.
Sounds like she's been missing for three days.
Let's trust him.
The lights and stove are on.
The recent remnants of a meal for one.
Kayo's coat is gone.
Her mother was here at least, up until moments ago.
I bet the mother escaped off the balcony right when we got here.
Rats. I wanted to at least take the daughter into custody.
Let's try again tomorrow morning.
I don't think the mother's coming back while we're here.
But if we leave, I'm sure she'll return.
Is the daughter all right?
We could have the police look for the mother.
No. I have a feeling Kayo is safe.
In fact, I happen to know she is.
If you say so, Sensei.
Then let's leave for now, to make the mother think we've given up.
People from the Child Consultation Center went to your house.
Mr. Yashiro, too.
Your mother wasn't home.
I think this can be resolved today or tomorrow.
Kayo...
You'll be separated from your mother.
Nothing could make me happier.
When Kayo Hinazuki was taken into protective custody,
it meant we wouldn't see her again.
I'll be fine.
Whenever I think of you guys, I'll get a warm feeling inside.
Satoru, this is late...
but this is your birthday present.
Here.
I'll give you your present tomorrow.
That's a promise.
Thank you.
This moment...
It feels like I've waited forever.
I didn't realize you were so easily moved, Satoru.
Huh?
Oh yeah, Satoru. Stay here tonight.
That's gutsy!
Not like that.
Nothing happened, but someone came in here late last night.
I was scared.
A security guard on night duty or the school janitor?
Is there anything else?
Did someone lend you their dirty magazines or something?
It was an adult.
He kicked a box, like he was angry.
Shall we open it?
Hopefully it is just dirty magazines.
What is this?
I was the only one who knew immediately what they were for.
And I finally realized that the serial killer's second victim,
KAYO HINAZUKI
AYA NAKANISHI (11 YEARS OLD)
Aya Nakanishi, is a student here at Izumi Elementary.
HIROMI SUGITA (11 YEARS OLD)
We were still inside the loop of the abduction murders.
Episode 8 Spiral
MARCH
Between 10 and 11 pm,
Kayo Hinazuki disappeared from her home's storage shed.
Footprints left around the shed matched the rubber boots
belonging to the Shiratori family.
The culprit used a spray to make her freeze to death quickly
in a cold storage room.
Then he returned her frozen body to the shed before dawn.
We can't stay in this bus.
It's in the dead center of the murder loop.
We have to get out of here.
Well, yeah.
We wanted Hina to be found,
but this is kind of creepy.
All this stuff...
Yeah.
We can't have a pervert find her.
Satoru... Do you have a plan B?
I do.
Okay. Then let's pull up stakes.
Remember this. His footprint!
What's this black powder?
A briquette.
Don't tell me this belongs to the killer too?
Dammit! Dammit!
Satoru...
That doesn't matter now.
You're right.
That's right. What good does losing my head do?
All right. Ready to go.
Too bad, it was a good hideout.
A hideout a stranger enters in the middle of the night is a bad one.
Yeah.
Right now we need to get Hinazuki far from the loop of murders...
even by force.
The Child Consultation Center is acting too.
Through our actions, the future is definitely changing.
It will work out.
FUJINUMA
Satoru, this is your plan B?
Yeah. Simple, isn't it?
Let's take one more step.
After all this, the straightforward approach?
I'm back.
Welcome home.
G-Good evening.
Satoru, explain.
This is what happened when I didn't abandon her.
Well done, kids.
I thought that's what you'd say.
Although I figured I'd get chewed out first...
I said that out loud.
Come on, I wouldn't scold you for this.
You did it for a friend.
I noticed this smell when you opened the door.
I figured you would be home soon
and didn't know how many guests we'd have, so I made curry.
Was I that transparent?
Just don't stand there.
Come in and have some curry.
I appreciate the invitation.
Thank you!
If nobody else had come, what would you have done with all this curry?
Well, curry is good for days, right?
Um... Here.
Thank you.
It was delicious.
Well, leave the rest to me.
I don't mean the dishes, by the way.
I know.
- See you! - See you!
See you!
Hello?
This is Satoru Fujinuma's mother.
Mr. Yashiro...
Satoru and Kayo came back to my house.
Is that right? That's great!
I figured as much.
Will Kayo have to be sent to an orphanage somewhere?
Good question.
I do have an idea about that.
Right, I couldn't see Kayo's mother.
But I have a favor to ask you, Ms. Fujinuma.
Understood.
Then tomorrow at 7:00.
Kayo, you can spend the night here.
Nice to meet you.
I apologize for calling at night.
I'm Gaku Yashiro, a teacher at Mikoto Elementary.
I'm calling about Kayo...
He's called Wonder Guy. Cool, right?
One of you take a bath.
You can go first.
Okay. But...
Why don't we take a bath together?
Shall I wash your hair, Kayo?
I can do it myself.
That's all right, I'll do it.
Does it itch anywhere, Miss?
Here? Or maybe...
Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle!
Here?
Or maybe here?
Or here?
Get a grip! You're 29!
You'll catch cold if you don't do a good job drying.
I-It sounded like you were having a good time.
Yeah.
It was warm.
I see.
Huh?
Those pajamas...
Yeah. I bought them beforehand.
Yokai...
Use this. The sheet's been washed.
Okay.
Satoru, that's sloppy.
Pull that end more.
Feels like we're on a class trip.
Which reminds me, the night view from Mt. Hakodate is great.
You've never been to Hakodate!
Crap!
I mean, I saw it in a photo.
Well, lights out.
- Okay. - Okay.
What is it?
We don't use a nightlight at my house.
Oh. Should I turn it off then?
No. This is fine.
Let's leave it on.
Okay.
Thank you.
Goodnight.
- Goodnight. - Goodnight.
Am I in the way here?
Yeah.
O-Of course not.
You said "Yeah?"!
I said it out loud.
What was that for?
Shut up!
Sheesh.
- Cut it out! - No chance!
Are you stupid?
Good morning.
Good morning!
Satoru, Kayo, eat it while it's hot!
Yea...
Thank you.
Huh? What about the curry?
That's your dinner... for the next several days.
There's still enough left for five or six people!
You should invite everyone over again.
5th Grade, Class 4 Kayo Hinazuki
Mom...
Kayo!
Where have you been for the last few days?!
You...
You!