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Arg!

The episode opens with a view of a calendar which reads "June, 1987."

The bells ring over a view of the beautiful summer campus of St. Lucia Academy. A number of girls inside a hall gasp in excitement, and one declares "Look, it's Rika-sama." Rika enters surrounded by her trio of Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan, Long Braids-chan, Unkempt Brunette-chan. She greets the collection of admiring girls, and they return it with excitement and some swooning. One with short black hair cannot believe Rika actually spoke to her.

Two shoes come to a stop on the floor, Rika looks up to reflexively greet the person but she stops when she sees it is Satoko, with the sunbeams streaming upon her, happily greeting her with the usual "good morning (おはよう・ohayō), Rika!" The music starts its discordant notes as she observes that Rika seems to be in good spirits this morning.

Rika looks back at her with her eyes narrowed and merely replies "Satoko." Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan objects to how rude "Hōjō-san" is. As the scene pans the shocked silent and watching girls Long Braids-chan scold Satoko for using an address that is unbecoming of the academy and rude to Rika. Without breaking her smile, Satoko begs the pardon of the "ladies," as she reminds them that she is talking to Rika now. She then lowers her head as she politely tells them to get lost. Unkempt Brunette-chan, whose side-view reveals that she has her hair actually nicely tied up in the back in an impressive ponytail, but When They C ry Wiki will not rename her "Currently Kempt Brunette-chan," walks towards Satoko while denouncing her "uncouth words." Rika bows her head a moment, then walks towards Satoko in front of Currently [Un – Ed.]kempt Brunette-chan. She tells "Satoko" that she knows that they have not had many chances to talk recently. She offers to make time for her this afternoon. Satoko interrupts her with a rough "Hey, Rika! (ねー梨花・Nē Rika)." She asks her if she could cease with this "ridiculous façade," with her "fang" showing. She continues that her behavior is not like her at all. She asks her if she knows how hard she worked to get into the school and make her dreams come true. Rika starts to answer.png.png, then turns and looks at all of the girls observing them. She quietly tells Satoko to stop. Satoko continues that she thought she would go insane from all of her studying, but she angrily reminds her that she did it to make Rika's dream come true.

"Quiet (黙って・damatte)!" Rika orders, and Satoko clenches her teeth. Rika measuredly reminds her that this is not the Hinamizawa Branch School: "This is St. Lucia. It would behoove you to start acting like it." Satoko closes her eyes and smiles as she replies that Rika is starting to sound like that "stuffy old principal." Rika continues that she is telling Satoko for her own good.

Keeping her eyes closed, Satoko dismisses this as she walks around Rika then through the crowd of Various Hairstyle and Distinguishing Features-chans as the opening titles and music commence. The trio looks aghast, and Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan declares that she cannot believe she spoke to "Rika-san" in that fashion. Long Braids-chan starts to turn her back while still looking as she admits that she can understand she was a friend before, but a student of "this fine academy" cannot behave in that manner. For her part, Rika lowers her head and asks them not to speak ill of Satoko. When Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan starts to protest, Rika smiles with her eyes still closed as she continues that Satoko has saved her life hundreds of times. She opens her eyes and looks brightly as she explains that when she was in trouble, Satoko would spring the perfect trap (タラップ・trappu) to save her. Confused, Unkempt Brunette-chan repeats the word "trap" as a question. Rika happily explains that Satoko excels at setting traps and pulling pranks. "Worlds better at it than I am, I'll admit," she confesses as she looks down with a smile. She looks up and concludes that Satoko is only acting out because her grades have fallen and she is doubting herself. Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan and Long Braids-chan stare back at her stunned. Rika happily insists that Satoko just has a foul mood. She turns and continues walking as she asks them again to not badmouth her. As Asaka's voice swells while various "Chans" chat with one another in the hallways, Satoko stands alone looking out of a window.

The scene suddenly shifts to usual opening credits scene with the doors of the Saiguden bursting open with hands reaching out reflected in an eye.

The scene opens with a view of one of the academy buildings at night. Inside a dormitory room, a girl sleeps. The pan reveals Satoko still awake and at her desk writing. She stops and declares that she is truly sick of this as she crushes what it revealed to be a blank page in her notebook. She sneaks outside and enters the main hall where she met Rika the morning previous. She looks up at the chandelier and talks as if talking to Rika that she understands why she loves the place. She grew up out in the countryside. She suggests that the gaudy trappings have simply temporarily entranced her. With a smile, she continues that during the Club activities, she passionately participated in their antics. She believes that if Rika simply remembered the fun she had in Hinamizawa, she would return to the Rika she knows and loves. The clock displays the time of 6:50 A.M. and various "chans" make their way to classes. Once again, Rika and her trio enter the hall and all of the other girls watch them. One by one, they greet "Rika-sama," and she returns the greeting. From an entrance, Satoko happily muses that Rika may have forgotten her true nature, but this will wake her up. She snaps her fingers, the scene reveals numerous pots attached to the chandelier, which fall upon Rika and her trio to their scream. In the entrance, with her backed turned, Satoko laughs her patented laugh as she asks how does it feel to fall victim to one of her traps after such a long reprieve. She turns to see that Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan is holding her bleeding head with Rika comforting her.

Satoko stares in sweating shock. The scene focuses no Rika and the rest of the trio kneeling around the injured girl whilst the rest of the girls look in horror. The Teacher enters and demands to know who pulled the childish prank, then directs Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan to the infirmary. Rika applies a folded cloth to her bleeding head as the Teacher commands the rest to head to class. Still shocked, Satoko backs up whispering that it is wrong and she did not mean to hurt anyone. Rika looks up, and the scene shifts to "spotlight" the two of them whilst the rest are in shadow. The lighting becomes normal, and Satoko looks regretful and runs away.

In the infirmary, the Teacher exclaims that she is appalled and insists that nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the academy. Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan looks downcast with a bandage applied to her forehead. She asks Rika and her trio if any of them know who might have done this to them. Rika insists that she does not. The teacher accepts this and directs them to return to class when they are done. Unkempt Brunette-chan looks at Rika with some surprise.

In the hallway, she calls after the Teacher. She haltingly reports that she may know who did it. The Teacher stares back with a barely audible "hmmm." In class, Satoko and other students sit working. The Teacher approaches her and asks her to come with her. The scene shifts to clouds audibly moving quickly over one of the buildings. A heavy metal door squeaks as it closes, and Satoko finds herself in a prison-like room dressed in an orange t-shirt and sweat pants. Through the window, the Teacher explains that Satoko will sit there and reflect on what she did for a good while. Satoko asks why she thinks it was her. The Teacher responds that another student informed her that she is quite skilled at "these unsightly pranks."

Satoko startles, and she has a flashback to Rika looking at her as she applies her cloth to Corkscrew Twin Tails-chan 's head. The Teacher then adds that they have security camera footage of Satoko sneaking out of the dormitory that previous night. She then asks her what she has to say for herself. As the music grows ever somber, Satoko takes a few steps back then sits on the bed. The Teacher continues that she will remain there until she has thought long and hard about her actions. Satoko's eyes are obscured by her bangs. She then looks up and rushes towards the door. She begs the Teacher to wait, but the Teacher merely walks away adding that Satoko would be wise to start reflecting now so that she may return to class all the sooner. She departs down a corridor that contains similar rooms on both sides. Satoko begs that she be let out as the scene pans away down the corridor.

Inside, Satoko grabs at her chest as tears flow from her again obscured eyes. She asks herself why she, herself, did not, but her question is interrupted by a flashback of Rika stating that she would like her to share her dream with her. In her flashback, she responds with resignation that Rika is stubborn. Back in reality, Satoko finishes her question: "Why I didn't say no?!" She pounds the wall with her fist as she repeats that question. She returns to the flashback of her dramatically agreeing to join Rika. Back in reality, Satoko repeatedly cries the question, then she buries her head in the bed as she begs to try again and go back to when it all went wrong.

In class, the Teacher writes on the blackboard notes about the short story Rashomon by Akutagawa. A light conveniently highlights Rika who notices that Satoko's desk is empty. A view of one of the buildings has the sky pass from afternoon to night as a passage of time twice. It then shifts to Satoko's room where her tray of food remains uneaten. She has a mathematics workbook and notebook on the metal desk with a crumpled paper and a pencil with its lead point broken. She sits on her bed staring at nothing. Her door opens, shining daylight on her. She merely opens her eyes and looks in the direction of the door and remarks, "finally."

Cherry blossom petals fall just outside the window to the salon where girls laugh. Rika sits with her trio drinking tea. Meanwhile, Satoko walks a dark corridor in her uniform. Her expression is one of exhaustion.

A view of the trees show their leaves turn to brown and fall. When the leaves are gone, the voice of the Teacher explains to Satoko that she will be moved to the Special Class for her second year. Unlike the previous meeting outside with her, Satoko says nothing. The Teacher encourages her that with good grades, she can earn a place back in the Regular Class. She instructs her to focus on her studies. Satoko frankly responds that the teacher must be joking. The Teacher turns away declaring that she knows Satoko can return to the Regular Class if she puts in the effort. After she leaves, Satoko replies that the Teacher does not believe that. The trees and a fountain move to winter then spring. Inside the Study Hall, the collection of girls with their eyes in shadow labor at their studies. Satoko sits next to the window and stares out it.

She returns to her room at night and finds a letter addressed to her on her desk. She is surprised to see the name Sonozaki Mion on the back. She sits on her bed and reads the letter which announced the reunion of the Hinamizawa Branch School's Club founders. She reads out loud, "I'm sure we've all grown used to living proper lives," as her voice is taken over by Mion's to continue, "but I hope you still have that game Club spirit where you'd do anything to win!" as the scene shifts to a view of St. Lucia's gates. Outside of them, both Rika and Satoko stand in regular clothes without speaking or looking at each other. Mion's voice crescendos into her invitation for them to return to Hinamizawa and "bathe in your fellow contenders' blood!" as a van pulls up. The window rolls down, and the college-aged Mion asks them if they are ready for the showdown. Satoko happily replies that they have received permission to leave the campus.

As she drives them, Mion remarks that they have grown so much they will give "uncle" a heart attack. She playfully suggests that Rika must be the center of attention. Reflected in the rear-view mirror, neither Satoko nor Rika seem to share Mion's excitement. Rika calmly observes that Mion has also grown a lot. She brightens a bit as she then suggests that she must be the center of Keiichi's attention. Mion laughs and merely replies that that is the Rika she remembers. She states that she is glad Rika has not changed much. Rika emits a "Mii" and insists happily that while she may be a fine lady now, she is still herself.

Satoko rhetorically asks if Mion is in college now, the same university as Keiichi and Rena. Mion confirms this: "Gogura University." She adds that as soon as the entered they joined her game club. In her more Child Voice, Rika happily comments that she can imagine the antics that they are getting into. Mion replies that Satoko and her need to hurry up and graduate and join them. Satoko looks pensive as Mion continues that it will be easy for them to gain acceptance in their university coming from St. Lucia's. She brightens a bit when she asks Mion where they will be meeting Keiichi and Rena. She then adds that she has not asked about their plans for the day.

Mion replies that she thought she explained it in her letter: if all four of the "legendary founders" are reuniting, then she knows what they are going to do, as she hits the accelerator and her vans jumps on a familiar mountain road, and where they are going. They approach Hinamizawa. Satoko finally brightens and admits that she cannot wait to be back. Rika adds that she is also excited, then emits a "Nipaa!" This startles Satoko a bit.

Mion's van stops at their old school. Satoko stretches as she walks with Rika. They encounter the now college-aged Keiichi and Rena who greet them. Rena remarks that it must have been a long ride. Satoko declares herself exhausted, while Rika quips that all she did was sit in a car. Satoko playfully retorts that Rika was snoring and drooling over herself in her sleep. Rika covers her ears, then embraces Rena whining that Satoko is a bully, which sends Rena into Cute Mode as she hugs her tightly. She reflexively punches Keiichi and Satoko who lie on the ground in depression created by Rena's blow. Satoko slowly raises her head and remarks that Rena is strong as ever. Keiichi asks why she hit him also. Meanwhile, Rena continues to embrace the now chibi struggling Rika. Mion calls them to get started.

Inside the school and their former classroom, Mion dramatically calls for the start of their games. When Keiichi asks her what is first, Mion walks over to the locker. She is surprised and excited that a deck of cards they used is still there. The rest quickly recognize cards based on the creases and other marks. Mion chooses a game which Keiichi agrees will work with the marked cards. Surprised, Satoko asks if they are allowed to cheat. Mion quotes Club Rule Number Two, which Rena happily repeats: " You don't talk about the Club Always strive for victory with everything you've got." Mion reaffirms that everything, including traps and cheats, are allowed, or how else would they get through a game?

Satoko startles again, closes her eyes for a moment, then transforms to her former self with her patented laugh. As noted below, her voice is her voice when she was a child. Mion reminds them that, of course, there will be penalties. Rika asks how they will work, and Mion replies that they will do them as they did in the past: everyone will write down a penalty, and the loser will pick one. Satoko laughs again and vows to choose something horrific and make sure Keiichi loses. Keiichi vows otherwise, and in her more Child Voice, Rika joins in and adds a "Nipaa!" In a semi-montage, Keiichi holds the day. Rena loses first and must pretend she is a maid. The next game results in Satoko having to pretend that she is their "baby sister." Mion loses next, and she must change into a swimsuit. For those wondering who wrote that, Mion quickly reveals it is her as she curses that it was suppose to be Keiichi who got it! With Totally Not Fan Service, there is a pan of Mion in her school swimsuit. In said swimsuit, she encourages Rika to defeat Keiichi. Both stare at one another with Rika appearing unimpressed. She loses and chooses a penatly. She emits a sad, if not irritated, "Miii" as the scene transforms to her wearing a collar with a bell and cat ears as she repeats her cat-like "Miii." This immediately sends Rena in to Take Home Mode. Kitten Rika begs Rena to avenge her. As Rena prances about bliss, Keiichi protests that he cannot believe Rika is using Rena against him.

The two dramatically play their cards, and, of course, Keiichi loses. As he reaches in, he asks if the rest chose penalties from the past. Both Satoko and Mion admit that they did. He chooses his penalty which requires him to do all of the penalties that have been handed out. He protests that he has no idea where he will find a swimsuit. Mion genially offers her own in a fashion that When They C ry Wiki will eventually make into a gif for. . . SCIENCE! Rika offers her cat ears. Keiichi panics and runs, to the protests of Rena. Satoko reminds "Big Brother" that he will not get out of it, as she snaps her fingers, and he trips over one of her ropes. Mion compliments Satoko, and Rika asks Keiichi to be a nice boy. Keiichi, in "Maid Mode," asks forgiveness from his "mistress."

Late in the day, they have gathered outside the school. Mion declares that seeing Keiichi in that outfit was the best part of the day. Keiichi sighs over the fact that at least someone had fun; Rika pats him on the head as she laments "poor, poor Keiichi." Rena insists that Keiich was really cute, as she giggles. Keiichi smiles and responds that it is hard to believe her when she is laughing, and Rena bashfully smiles. She explains that it was fun to play games like they use to. Keiichi and Mion agree, then Rika with a "nanodesu!" For her part, Satoko stares at Rika then back towards Mion. She asks her what they will do now. She answer.png.pngs that they will go back to Okinomiya and have dinner at Angel Mort. She adds that Shion will be there as well. Keiichi eagerly asks if it will be Mion's treat. She playfully responds that she did get to see him in that outfit. She agrees to everyone's cheer except Satoko's. She continues to look sad as Mion gathers everyone into her car. She sadly remarks that that this means they will be leaving Hinamizawa again. Mion asks her what is up, and she responds that she would like to take a walk around Hinamizawa. Keiichi offers the rest to accompany her, but she transforms into her patented laugh as she responds that she would like to do so alone.

While Rika and Rena look at Satoko with some concern, Mion tells her to call Angel Mort when she is done, and she will come and pick her up. She replies that she understands, Rena tells her to be careful, and Rika walks up to her. She looks at Satoko and says that she will see her at the restaurant. Satoko replies that she will. As the rest leave in the car, Rika looks back at Satoko sadly from her window. When they pull away out of sight, Satoko sighs and allows her smile to become a sad look.

She begins her walk. She hears one man tell another that he heard that they will be demolishing the old schoolhouse. The other remarks that it has been there since the Forest Service owned it. She pauses to look at the outside of her house. She then climbs the stairs to the Furude Shrine. When she comes to the home that she shared with Rika, she finds that it has collapsed with the remains overgrown. An old woman calls out to her having recognized her. Satoko asks her what happened to the building. The woman explains that it collapsed during the previous year's snowstorm. Satoko reacts with sadness. Later, she walks to the observation point on the gounds of the shrine where she can look over Hinamizawa during as night falls. While she does this, the end titles and music start. She then walks back up the steps towards the Saiguden, whose doors are cracked open. Satoko says out loud that she knows the place. She recalls how she once climbed up on the roof and snuck inside. She smiles a bit as she wonders if Oyashiro-sama is still angry at her. She is startled by a loud ringing sound. The air between her and the Saiguden gives out circlular pulses like ripples with the center being the doors. Investigating, she enters the Saiguden which appears empty of the various implements of torture that are normally stored there. She sees the old statue of Oyashiro-sama. As she approached it, she wonders if the sound comes from it. She touches the statue, and it starts to crack. The cracks ascend up the statue until a large piece falls to reveal a horn or fang which then falls to the ground. When it lands, the sound and ripples appear to emit from it. Satoko reaches down to try to touch it. When she touches the point from which the ripples appear to eminate, the horn emits a bright light that engulfs the shocked Satoko.

She finds herself in the plane of time fragments as the music and credits conclude.

A staff with rings jiggles. Satoko looks up to see the holder is a woman dressed as a miko, with horns, but is clearly not Hanyū.

She smiles as she tells Satoko that it has been a long time since they last met, "child of man."

Adult-Voiced Rika returns to announce the next chapter.