The scene cuts to a pan of Hinamizawa in the morning. Birds chirp. The pan continues down the stone steps of the Furude Shrine to find Rika sitting and waiting at the bottom. She looks up the road expecting Satoko who is not there. She looks down as she sighs. The bell rings with a view outside the school. In the classroom, Chie greets all of the students while Keiichi stares at Satoko and Rika's empty seats. The door opens to reveal a sullen Rika. Chie asks her if Satoko will be late. Rika merely lowers her head and shakes it. Chie responds by ordering her students to study on their own. Mion, Rena, and Keiichi watch as Chie asks Rika for a moment.
With a view of the outside of the school, Chie ask if the rumors of Satoko's uncle is true. The scene switches to outside her office as Mion, Rena, and Keiichi try to listen in. Inside, Chie is satisfied that her suspicions are correct, but Rika merely stares at her and asks, in her Adult Voice, what she will do about it. Her questions startles Chie, and she looks away and down at her desk. She insists, with apparent reluctance, that she will visit Satoko, and if she discovers anything wrong, but she is interrupted by Mion entering her office and completing her sentence with the insistence that she will contact Child Welfare Services. She then adds that they will do nothing without proof as Keiichi and Rena enter behind her. Chie protests that she told them to study on their own, but Keiichi profanely dismissses her instructions. Chie insists that she needs to investigate the situation. Rena supports her. Rika adds her agreement which persuades Keiichi. Chie then asks the "Class Representative," Mion, to lead them back to the classroom. Mion closes her eyes and relents with Keiichi and Rena following her. Rika also leaves, and Chie keeps her eyes closed. After Rika leaves, she opens them and looks determined.
With the higurashi d oing what they d o, the scene focuses on the outside of the Hōjō home. In her room, Satoko sits with her knees folded against her chest. Teppei slides open her door and asks if she should not be lying down. Satoko confesses that she felt a bit feverish in the morning but is now fine. Teppei enters looking for the thermometer. Without looking at him, Satoko insists that she does not have a fever. Still concerned, Teppei relents that if she feels fine the next day, she may return to school. Brightening, he vows to walk her there and back. 
Satoko quietly replies that she does not want to go. This surprises Teppei, and Satoko repeats her insistance. Teppei asks if even her classmates are bullying her. She curtly reminds him that everyone in her class is from Hinamizawa. He angrily asks if her teacher is just allowing it to happen. "If she was just ignoring it," Satoko starts to reply, then finally turns to look at him. She concludes, "then maybe I could still get her to help."
Teppei takes the bait, and almost on cue, Chie's voice is heard calling out to Satoko politely asking if she is there. Satoko turns away begins to laugh, which appears, from behind, as if she is sobbing. Teppei reacts. He rushes to the door, and the scene focuses on her bike outside as the sound of the door sliding open is heard with the higurashi lending their o pinions. He profanely demands to know what she wants. Chie responds by asking if he is Satoko's uncle, then identifies herself as Satoko's teacher. When she asks if she may speak with Satoko, he demands to know why. The scene shifts to reveal Satoko inside listening in on their conversation. Chie explains that Satoko did not come to school and no one called to report her absence. The scene focuses on Satoko's mouth which smiles as Chie finishes, and the higurashi c hime in. 
The scene shifts to behind Teppei as he brusquely explains that Satoko has a cold. He adds that she has a fever and feels like excrement. Chie tries to look around him to see inside the house as she asks if he thinks Satoko will make it to school the next day. He angrily demands to know how he would know, then adds they will find out tomorrow as he slams the door shut in the horrified Chie's face.
Teppei sighs as he locks the door. He turns to see Satoko behind him, and he happily declares that she does not need to worry since he has told her off and she has left. She thanks him but then reminds him that it will not be enough to stop the bullying. She rhetorically asks who knows what they will do to her next. Teppei kneels down to her level and vows that he does not care if they all band together to come against her, since he will fight them all off. She replies that she know he would protect her. Teppei pats her on the head. 
The scene shifts to a pan over Hinamizawa in late afternoon whilst the higurashi d ebate if they are in an autonomous collective or a dictatorship. In the school, Mion, Rena, and Keiichi stand together at the genkan. Keiichi calls out to the unseen Chie who replies asking if they were all waiting for her. As she walks into frame, Keiichi desperately asks about Satoko. The scene shifts to Rika sitting on the stares with a frightened look which makes When They C ry Wiki insist that the room is just terribly dusty. She looks down and buries her head in her arms and knees when Chie finishes her statement
The scene pulls back to show that she is behind the rest of the Gang who are depicted from below their waists. Rena holds onto Keiichi as he angrily declares that Satoko's uncle is keeping her locked in her house. Rena agrees with him. Chie insists that she will call the Child Welfare Services. She continues that if she explains the situation to them she is sure they will do something about it; however, her expression reveals that she does not believe they will. Mion interrupts to lament that while she was not able to help, perhaps if Chie contact them, maybe. ..
Her thoughts are interrupted by the scene focused on Rika with her head buried in her arms and knees. 
The scene then shifts to the outside of Satoko's house at twilight. A phone rings. Teppei answer.png.pngs and is angrily shocked to learn that it is the Child Welfare Services calling. He angrily dismisses the caller while Satoko listens behind him. He angrily repeats, "welfare check," and insists that he does not care. He stop for a moment and turns to see that Satoko is pulling on his shirt. She calmly suggests that she should talk to them. He protests that she does not need to do that, but she takes the phone and begins to calmly explain that she is fine and happy to answer.png.png any of their questions.
A view of the windows marks the passage of time. Satoko smiles as she hangs up the phone and explains that she convinced the Child Welfare Services that it was all a misunderstanding. Teppei sheepishly demands to know why they were calling in the first place. Satoko calmly suggests that this was another case of bullying. Teppei becomes angry; Satoko replies that this will not be good. She dramatically explains that the Child Welfare Services has the power to tear them apart. He dramatically protests; she sits at their table and explains that the village is lying to the Child Welfare Services. She suggests that they need to be careful to not give them a reason to separate them.
A paper on a table gives the date as "Wednesday, June 15, 1983."
Rika sits waiting at the bottom of the steps to the Furude Shrine. Her view scans the rice paddies. She hears Satoko greet her, and she sees Satoko approach down the road. She happily greets her, and Satoko replies, "let's go to school." Rika eagerly agrees. With a view of the rice in the paddies, then the two walking down the road between them, Rika asks her if she is now okay. Satoko formally thanks her for asking, then explains that her cold had completely cleared up. Rika stops walking. She replies that Satoko is wrong about what she asked. She continues that Satoko should have received a call from the Child Welfare Services. Satoko asks, "what of it?" She then tells Rika that she explained to them that they were mistaken about her current situation.
Rika startles.
The scene shifts to the outside of the school. Keiichi's voice is heard angrily repeating, "they'll keep an eye on them," then demanding what that means. Mion's voice responds that, apparently, the Child Welfare Services called Satoko's home. As the scene focuses on Satoko's feet stepping through the entrance, Mion concludes that the was all that happened. The scene focuses on Keiichi starring at the seated Mion as he repeats and denigrates the plan to 'wait and see." Satoko interrupts them to dramatically declare how loud they are this morning. As the rest react in delight to her return, Rika looks at her suspiciously.
The scene cuts to the Realm of Time Fragments where
Eua watches these events as they occur in a floating fragment.
Smiling, she muses that the human Satoko only feels happiness when she thrusts herself into despair and is lavished by pity. As the scene focuses on Satoko's laughing face as she eats lunch in a fragment, Eua continues that Satoko now moves pieces about a board and plays with the hearts of others in the blind pursuit of that pleasure. In the fragment, Keiichi stands and playfully calls Satoko a brat. He starts to place his hand on her head, she notices, and slaps his hand away to his surprise.
Satoko starts to recapitulate her performance, but the scene reveals that her eyes flash with the blaze. Eua contently watches and declares with a giggle that Satoko is no longer human; she is a witch. The scene focuses on Satoko's performance, including her emesis, as seen through the fragment. For her part, Eua laughs heartily as she watches the events unfold.
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