Minami leads Sakurako and the others to a wooden lodge where Hitoe is believed to be hiding. There, they find not only Hitoe, who is still alive following a failed suicide attempt, but also the bones of Hitoe and Minami's friend, Futaba Nishizawa, who Minami reveals was buried there after she allegedly hung herself. Uncovering Futaba's skull, Sakurako reveals that Futaba didn't hang herself, but was in fact strangled to death by Hitoe, who felt she was going to be killed by her. As Sakurako discovers the sphenoid bone removed from the skull, deducing it to be the work of Hanabusa, Minami, angered by her words, attempts to stab Sakurako, but Shotaro steps in to take the hit for her. Although Shotaro makes it out okay, Sakurako, deducing that Hanabusa is the man behind many of their recent incidents, tells him to break off all contact with her so as to not get into further danger.