"Usagi!" Makoto shouts after her, "Do you mean to make me do it by myself?! Does she?" She starts to throw laundry into the washer. "Usagi!" she yells again, though she sounds a bit resigned. Turning back to the washer, her eye is caught by some strange movement on the street. It's Motoki, in full explorer get up and crouching along peering through a pair of binoculars. She walks over to him, basket in her hand. Turning, he looks up and spots her through the binoculars. "Motoki?" she asks.

"Huh?" he lowers his binoculars and rises to his feet. "Mako-chan?!"

"What's wrong?" she asks. "Nothing. Ami said that there's a new type of turtle," he explains.

"A new type of turtle?" repeats Makoto and at the same time, they both look at her outfit and laugh.

Makoto does a little twirl. "I'm volunteering a little for homework for school," she explains.

"Oh, is that so?!" he asks, "How tough, huh, with so much laundry to do!"

In the background, Usagi watches from a doorway and cheers them on. "That's it! That's it!" she says, "Then, because Motoki is nice..." Her head whips the the left and she drops her voice in an imitation of Motoki (sort of), "'Shall I help?'" Her head whips the other way and becomes girly, "'Oh, no! I'm fine!' 'No, I'll help!' 'It's too much of a trouble!' 'I'm good at laundry, too!'" she switches back to herself, "something like that..."

Looking back at the two she sees bidding Makoto farewell. "Well then, good luck with your volunteer work!" he says.

"What?!" Usagi exclaims.

"Bye!" Motoki waves and leaves.

"Bye!" Makoto walks back to the washer and Usagi bursts out from her spot.

"Why?!" she asks, "After I worked so hard to get you two alone!"

"Usagi?" Makoto asks, puzzled, then gets angry in realization, "You didn't!"

Usagi looks chagrined.

"Don't decide selfishly," Makoto responds coolly.

"Even Ami supports me! We're worried about your saying that it was okay for you to be alone." Usagi plucks another piece of clothing from the basket.

"But that's something decided from the Past. I felt much better knowing that," explains Makoto.

"Is that the only reason you won't date Motoki?" asks Usagi.

"It's because I don't particularly like Motoki that way," replies Makoto. "Besides, Motoki doesn't think much of me any more."

Usagi shakes her head vehemently. "No, you're thinking about each other. In this kind of thing, I've got more experience than you!" she says cheerfully.

"There's no way," insists Makoto.

"There is a way!" Usagi replies, "Mako-chan, you shouldn't think that it's okay for you to be alone!"

 Makoto pauses thoughtfully.

"What happened?!" asks Usagi.

"They just came back from shopping and then suddenly..." the two workers are all collapsed, "I called the ambulance, but the children are getting out of hand."

"Everyone, sit down!" yells Makoto.

"Are you okay? Are you okay?!" Usagi asks one of the collapsed workers, but with no response.

Makoto finishes a head count of the children. "One is missing!" she says.

Naru and Usagi gasp.

"Shouta isn't here. I'm going to look for him!" Makoto quickly runs off.

"I'll look later, too!" Usagi yells after her.

"Mako-chan," he replies without his usual cheer.

"Did something happen?" she asks.

"I don't know," he says, standing, "but it's almost like all of their souls are gone."

They both look at the collapsed people uneasily.

"Mako-chan, what about you?" he asks.

"One of the children went missing!" she tells him.

"Huh?"

"Hey!" shouts Motoki, running behind Makoto, who calls out Shouta's name.

They're making their way through a park. "I'm sorry, making you come with me," she apologizes, heading down a stairway towards the river.

"It's not a problem," he replies, "I hope he didn't go down to the river..." They make their way down the river, calling out for Shouta. They search and search and finally, Makoto pauses. "Wait a second." There's a child crying nearby. "Can't you hear that?" Makoto turns, trying to pinpoint the source when Motoki calls out.

"Mako-chan!" Makoto looks towards where he's pointing. "Shouta!"

They run and look up a large tree. "Shouta!"

"Are you okay?" asks Motoki.

Shouta is clutching a thick branch. "The beetle..." he cries and then starts to wail.

"Wait!" calls Motoki, "I'm coming to save you!" He starts to climb.

"Shouta!" calls Makoto. "Be careful!" she urges.

Motoki says something muffled to Shouta and works on trying to get him down.

"Shouta! It'll be okay!" Makoto reassures him from the ground, "It's not scary!"

"You can trust me," soothes Motoki, "Your leg..." He moves Shouta's leg over the branch.

"Hang on tight!" calls Makoto.

"Can you move your hand here?" Motoki asks, still trying to pry him off the branch. "Okay! It's okay!"

Just then, Motoki's foot slips and the two fall to the ground. Motoki breaks Shouta's fall. "Are you okay?!" asks Makoto, running to them.