Aoi presses on with his inquiry into Kaede’s murder, arriving at the shrine where the poised Sumire welcomes him inside. Over tea, disorientation gives way to an unsettling intimacy that exposes long-buried ties to his father. As Sumire speaks of the past, Aoi recalls a quiet evening walk with Kaede and the sorrow she could not fully voice. Beneath her gentle smile, something far more disturbing stirs.