Erased S1E3
A beginning of a new school day! While the teacher is taking attendance for the class, Satoru takes note that Kayo is late to class. She keeps her gaze on the ground as she makes her way to her seat without making eye contact with anyone, even though the teacher reminds her of her tardiness. Satoru immediately notices fresh bruises on her legs.
Sometime later in the school day, he goes up to their teacher to share his concerns. Satoru believes that Saturdays is most likely when her mother beats her which is why she is late on Mondays waiting for the bruises to fade. Teacher reveals that he already knows this, unfortunatley. In fact, he has called child services for a welfare check. The only problem is that she refuses to answer the door and stupid as it sounds, they cannot investigate further if she can't answer her stupid door. Also what is needed is for the mother to verbally admit her abuse. As if such a thing were that simple.
The next day in class, surprise, she's actually early. Satoru of course in which he is also responsible to collect lunch money for that day finds it missing but his classmate is first to accuse Kayo of stealing the money for the sole reason is because she's poor. Everyone decides to look in their belongings to see if it got misplaced. Lo and behold Kayo ends up finding it in her possession in which classmate is like "SEEEE?!?!"
Good 'ol Satoru and Kenya have her back and defend her and so does teacher. All is right with the world. Just a snippet in what Kayo has to go through.
Satoru takes the plunge and formally asks her out on a DATE!! How cute! Except that she needs to get approval from mommy dearest.
She is definitely a piece of work. She gets a bit hostile and right when she was about to strike her daughter, Satoru's mom swoops in to save the day. However, she is somehow persuaded to let Kayo go out anyway.
He is able to whisk her away real quick and remembers a previous conversation they had when Kayo mentioned seeing such a beautiful Christmas tree. So he decides to take her to this breathtaking spot where he claims that THIS is a better lookin' Christmas tree. Probably not relevant to the episode much but it was such a sweet scene. And I cried happy tears.
In retrospect, this scene implies how he's slowly but surely growing on her and letting her walls come down.
Back in class, he has a rememberance of Jun Shiratori, whom in the original timeline was pinned in Kayo's death among other children. He has always proclaimed his innocence. He even had some quality bonding time with Sotoru before and he was nothing but emanating friendly and harmless vibes. In fact, he was a positive male role figure in Sotoru's life.
Today is the day. March 1st. Day X. After school Satoru persuades Kayo to go to this science center and they actually have lots of fun. He sympathizes with her that how she's always alone so he wanted to make her feel just less alone.
He walks her home as the adorable little gentleman he is. As he is walking home, he remembers that in the original timeline on that same day that he saw Kayo alone at the park but for some unknown reason, he just ignored her and went home.
He intently stares at his clock just outside her house. At the stroke of 12 he is filled with delight at the sheer fact that she is alive. She made it. Kayo survived Day X.
March 2nd is their birthday (remember that how they both share the same birthday??) So they have such a sweet dual birthday party with a small gathering of friends and everyone exchanges gifts to the birthday kids. Kayo looks down and says she is unable to give him his present yet since she didn't finish making it. No biggie! Just give the grand reveal when it's done, right?!
He walks her home again but this time she has such a huge smile on her face. He went over and beyond to include her and make her feel wanted which was exactly what she deserved. She gives him gratitude before walking inside.
Elated at a job well done, he now has such a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. Now that he successfully prevented not only her death but many others and in turn, the domino effect that would have ended up being his mother's death as well.
Except.
To his horror, she ends up not showing up to school the next day.
