Erased S1E7
Now: Episode 7
Satoru, Himiro and Kenya are standing in front of the bus and just...staring at the foot tracks leading to/from the bus that Kayo was in. All three aboard the bus to inspect further. Just a lot of seemingly junk and abandoned stuff. Satoru immediately notices that the backpack and a box of coals are missing. He comes to the conclusion that this stuff belongs to a man who is a serial killer in the next town over and this one too I guess. His other two friends are in it with him. To help, not be serial killers.
Later on as Satoru is walking, he get a memory from his previous timeline a missing poster for Aya Nakanishi, whom was one of the victims of convicted serial killer Shiratori (the one who Satoru claims is innocent). He is satisfied to see that in this current timeline, the board he passes by is blank. He continues to walk past it.
While walking home he swears he never wants to have that feeling again of Shiratori being convicted.
Next Satoru is seen hanging out with Shiratori (or is it a memory? idk) he nicknames him Yuuki ("courage" in Japanese). They are both just having a friendly hangout drinking soda and reading comics when the topic of Aya comes up. He asks Yuuki if he knows Aya. Yuuki mentions that he sometimes sees her alone in the park and he has tries to chat with her to be a little less lonely but she doesn't really open up. Satoru's inner monologue compliments his character but he accidentally said it out loud. Oops.
The kid is back at home and in his room jamming out to this song (couldn't identify it, sorry) when he needs to think. He rationalizes that this serial targets quiet loners. Now he wants to save Aya's life but the problem is, she goes to a different school, just not too far off. He thinks she will be acosted by him somewhere enroute to her walking home so when her class gets out, Satoru makes his way to befriend her.
Except it didn't go as planned because as luck would have it (or not) his mother just pops out into the sidewalk behind him with bags full of groceries and various other stuff and implores him to help his mommy. With actual luck now, Mr. Yashiro spots them too nearby and offers them both a ride home.
During the ride home, mother is nodding off. This is when Satoru decides to ask his teacher why he hasn't been married at this point. Just a little bit out of left field, ya know? He swiftly answers back that eh, just how tense things have been lately it is not exactly his top priority.
He follows it up with another unrelated question, hypothetical this time on how he would approach someone you don't know but want to be friends with. Mr. Yashiro actually gives some good advice saying that maybe showing your own interests to that person and should she share any of that interest, she may let her guard down in return. He then asks Satoru to give him a lollipop from his forbidden stash.
Oop, looks like his mother was faking being asleep. Heh but she gives a warm smile.
The next day as the trio are walking in their mission for Operation: Befriend Aya, little do they know that they are also being watch. Satoru's 2 other friends from school are hidden just out of sight as one of them confirms that they have been acting suspicious lately and continue snooping at them.
All three of the boys this time go together to approach a lonely Aya who is reading a book at the bench and try to start conversation. She then replies that yeah she remembers these guys because from her point of view, she can see when they sneak into the building in front of her, giving her a clear view. She insults them and says it's a bit childish when Kenya referred to it as their secret base.
This is when the 2 other kids make themselves known. The first one was tall enough to hop the poles effortlessly but the other kid did not totally face planted on the ground. I wonder if this was supposed to happen in this scene or it was an unintentional goof on the actors part and the director never said redo and everyone continued as normal while filming leaving it in the final cut. Not sure, I don't remember if the manga or anime had this part but I just thought it was too anecdotal to not leave it out.
Aya takes her leave and now she thinks they are all weirdos. Great.
Despite this fail of a mission, this does not deter Satoru. While he is walking to school, he runs into none other than KAYO! He literally fell for her. I love the accompanying music.
To explain Kayo's resurgence, it is said that Mr. Yashiro helped arrange it and now Kayo was given special permission to take the bus from her grandmothers to school now. Dat cool. While Mr. Yashiro is trying to teach, he notices Satoru staring at Kayo like a psycho. Kidding, of course.
After class lets out, his two friends from earlier that were peeking in on him go up to Satoru and say they want to go to this "SECRET BASE" they sound friendly at least for now anyway. Satoru does a quick run through in his head. He remembers in the original timeline the secret base was where Hiromi's body was found and for some reason he decides that the same location will be safe to go to. Out loud he says "Sure". The friend openly invites Kayo along, too.
Now it's a party of 6. They all hop the gate, the other kid doesn't face plant this time so that's a plus. A simple hangout, really just playing games, socializing and all that jazz. When in walks Aya! She said she wanted to see just how cool this sEcReT bAsE is. She seems a lot friendlier this time. Their plan worked! The more merrier as we say. So now, it is a part of 7.
That genius mofo, Satoru, he's done it again! He narrowed down the time where Aya would be alone, thus lower her chances to her being a future victim of a yet to be known child serial killer. When it was just himself and Kenya playing a board game, he inquires if he will ever stop playing detective. NEVARRRR.
The next day during class, Kayo is seen lingering and randomly staring at the girl that previously bullied her but it gets interrupted when her BFF asks if she wants to return to the science center. She kindly asks to make a quick stop along the way.
It was to the tree that Satoru first took her to in an effort to lower her walls. They check it out but since it is in the daytime, Satoru makes an off hand remark and it bothers Kayo called him stupid and walks off. This obviously had a deeper meaning to her, that tree. She stops and says she realized she got a chance to tell him "thank you" for helping her get out of that abusive mom situation. Heartfelt scene gets interrupted when she initiates an impromptu snowball fight!!!!! Aaaaahhhh!
While walked back, Kayo makes a comment to Satoru that she noticed Misato (the so-called bully who accused her of stealing a few episodes back) and her demeanor lately is making Kayo concerned. Satoru assures her that maybe he chat with her and see what's up or something.
He returns home to see his mother, Sachiko, and another dude at the kitchen table. He introduces himself as none other than Sawada. Remember that dude? Satoru has to pretend that he is meeting him for the first time rather than say he is a time traveller and whatnot. However, he doesn't do a very good job because he stares freakishly at him while trying to act normal walking out of the room but his mom totally sees through that. Buuut he just tries to play it off. They are none the wiser and continue with their conversation.
However, Satoru all of a sudden starts really thinking about it and decides he wants in on the conversation too, because reasons.. He asks Sawada what brings him into town. He answers back that he is a reporter doing reporter things and thinks the person he is looking more info just may be in this town, in fact THE CHILD SERIAL KILLER!!!
Sachicko is like BRUH, don't be telling that shit to my kid.
Sawada explains that eh, better he does know what he is up against since her kid is after the demographic of the killings. He then spills the beans and says yeah this person and that person. Killer is like...still out there so yeah. He also theorizes it is only a matter of time before he strikes again in this town.
It is now Monday, March 14th and Satoru is stuffing his fat face at breakfast and says to his mom that haz plans and will probs be home late tonight. After hearing Sawada talking about child killers that child kills child his age?!?!? His mom says "Ok."
Satoru is at school and is pondering just who might be the next victim. He thinks it may actually be Misato. Kayo tries to befriend her but she completely snubs her and walks off. BFF is just around the corner to oversee things. When things didn't pan out, she says that he has to go cheer hockey or some thing so Satoru is on the double and sonic's his way out of there to the next level of Operation: Misato.
He enters the building where a hockey game is going on. Satoru notices Mr. Yashiro cheering in the stands. He walks past him and notices Misato sitting by herself. He doesn't approach her right away but just right out of view at least for the moment. After a while, she sets her cup down to excuse herself to the restroom. And what does Satoru do? He follows her!!! OMG WHY?
As he is pummeling down the stairs, he sees the restroom and the emergency exit. He decides to go through the emergency exit. Immediately, he sees the truck for Shiratori foods and drives off. I guess his teacher noticed him too because he just opened the door about to tell him the restroom is the other door.
Satoru pipes up quick and says he thinks he found a lead! Mr. Yashiro just looks confuzzled as all hell.
Episode 8 is next.