Episode: Birthmark

The episode opens with the school kids racing on Ice, Satoru remember which person he is even going to race. In the end he looses this race while trying to figure out who would even win. This makes him realize that he had the same result 18 years ago, implying that he may not even be able to change anything. 

He tries to confront Kayo again but fails to reach her at all, this leads to him exploring the teachers work room when he notices a book on one of the desks. He gets caught before being able to look at the book by one of the teachers, Gaku Yashiro. Yashiro knows exactly why he is there and he tells him that is was just for Kayo's birthday. Yahshiro shows him the book and it reveals that both Satoru and Kayo have the exact same birthday!

Satoru goes to the park and runs into an old friend Yuuki. They begin to talk about Kayo until it is time to each dinner but than Satoru gets flash backs to a police station, something that will come up later. Yuuki begins to notice how Satoru is acting much more mature than he has lately, mostly because he doesn't know that it is a 29 year old in a young body, but if he has notice, there is always a possibility that others have as well. It turns out that in the future Yuuki has been arrested for being responsible for the abductions, but Satoru believes that he might be innocent. 

He makes it to Kayo's house only to find that she has been clearly mistreated and abuse by her mother, only for her to have her cover it up as Satoru leaves. The next day Satoru approaches his teach about Kayo and tells him that she is being abused by her mother. Yashiro also suspects her mother as well.  They talk about a plan of possibly exposing it. Lunch comes around and everyone's money disappears, a girl starts to blame Kayo and Satoru immediately tries to stand of for her. It turns out that one of the girls just planted it in Kayo's desk because of a past conflict. Satoru and Kayo take out the classroom trash and she tells her the story about when the girl started to not like her. 

Satoru invites Kayo to go see a Christmas tree and on the way they run into foxes who begin to run around them. They continue to make their way up the hill and finally make it to see a frozen tree that reflects the lights from the sky. Satoru talks about coming back in the summer, this is where both character finally share a nice moment and bond together. 

I really liked this episode and how it really make Kayo much more interesting. It was one thing to know that she was getting abused by her mother and another for our main character to see it and see how it affects him.

The one person who does seem like the possible villain could be the teacher, but that is because we don't know much about him and the little we have seen, he has payed close attention to the students there. I am really interested in seeing how this plays out especially knowing that the possible date of her disappears is coming ever so close, giving only little time to solve this mystery.

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