Takopi's Salvation

A Fleeting Period of Peace

The episode opens with a period of calm for Shizuka. Takopi's presence had, for a time, kept Marina from tormenting her, which allowed Shizuka to perform well in her classes. This respite brought a moment of peace, during which Shizuka began to open up, softly reminiscing about her barely-remembered father. She spoke of the profound importance of Chappy, her dog, describing him as the last thing her father left to her. Takopi, clinging to the hope that he was finally making a difference, realized they were nearing the sixth day, just hours from Shizuka's original suicide.

Marina's Calculated Cruelty and the Inevitable Loss

However, this fragile hope was brutally shattered when Marina ambushed Shizuka and Takopi while they were out walking with Chappy. Marina's cruelty was calculated: she intentionally provoked Chappy, forcing the dog to bite her hand. Her aim was to ensure that Chappy would be taken away by animal control. Marina screamed that the dog was "ferocious" until her shouts were heard by the whole street, and animal control ultimately took Chappy away.

Takopi, in a panic, desperately activated his Happy Camera's rewind function, attempting repeatedly to undo the trap and save Chappy. He tried to reset the moment again and again. Yet, no matter how many times he tried, the outcome remained unchanged; Marina would always find them, and Chappy would always be taken away. This relentless cycle highlighted a powerful, underlying theme: you can't stop the inevitable, or fate. Takopi, in his naivete, did not understand why Marina would intentionally want to be bitten, an act that would hurt her.

The Mother's Neglect and Shizuka's Isolation

Further compounding Shizuka's pain, her mother delivered a final blow. She callously dismissed Chappy's significance as "just a dog" and falsely claimed he would go to Shizuka's father. The mother then complained about having to apologize to Marina's mother and went away to work, showing shocking indifference to her daughter's profound sadness.

Despite Takopi's attempts to distract Shizuka by convincing her to go to school, she remained an outcast, blamed and teased by her classmates. Everyone believed Marina's story about the dog bite and blamed Shizuka. Only her classmate Azuma offered a glimmer of genuine kindness and help, which Shizuka, accustomed to her suffering, largely ignored. The teachers were portrayed as useless and indifferent to the ongoing bullying.

The Fatal Confrontation

The story escalated when Marina cornered Shizuka in the middle of the woods after school. This chilling confrontation was designed to break Shizuka entirely. Marina venomously told Shizuka that Chappy was dead and that Shizuka had nothing left to live for, pushing her towards the edge and urging her to disappear or die. Marina's actions were fueled by her belief that Shizuka's mother was ruining her family, and she thought getting rid of Shizuka would solve her own problems. As Marina savagely beat Shizuka, Takopi, watching the horrific scene unfold, was paralyzed. Every bad memory of Shizuka's torment flashed through his mind. In a desperate, snapping moment, he grabbed the Happy Camera and, with immense, alien strength, brutally struck Marina in the head, killing her instantly.

Contrasting Reactions and the Shattered Camera

The aftermath was a profound and shocking reversal of emotions. Takopi was horrified, overwhelmed by worrying thoughts, and unable to comprehend the irreversible act he had just committed. He wondered if Marina was dead and if he could just reset the situation. In stark contrast, Shizuka, witnessing the death of her tormentor, was overcome with absolute, beaming happiness. She stated that she had not believed in magic before, but in that moment, she felt it existed, thanking Takopi profusely and smiling through tears, ready to move on with her life. Shizuka had always wanted Marina gone, and her death brought her immense relief from years of suffering.

This momentous act came with a critical consequence: the Happy Camera shattered, rendering its time-traveling function useless. There would be no more resets; everything from this point forward would be final, and Takopi and Shizuka would have to face the dire repercussions of their actions. This event is understood as the very "beginning of Takopi's story and his sin", marking his fall from an innocent alien to an accomplice in murder. His understanding of happiness became fundamentally warped; he might begin to believe that killing those who cause Shizuka problems is the way to bring her happiness, as Shizuka's distorted reality influences his perception.