Episode 6

**Orbital Resonance** (軌道共鳴, *Kidōkyōmei*) is the 6th episode of the Summer Time Rendering anime.

## Synopsis

July 22nd, the fourth time. Hizuru Minakata is the woman who met Shinpei on the ferry and told him the name "Ryunosuke Nagumo". Hitogashima was her hometown too, and she had returned home for the first time in 14 years in order to unravel a mysterious message left on her cell phone. Hizuru learns of the existence of "Shadows" and "Heine," and joins up with Ginjiro, a hunter, to discover that many of the islanders have been replaced by Shadows.

## Summary

Arriving on Hitogashima, Hizuru is about to step on a man's shadow, but the shadow moves avoiding being stepped on, making Hizuru realize that the man is a Shadow and the message she got is now much more believable. She then sees Mio heading towards Shinpei calling him "Shin" and wonders if he is Shinpei Ajiro. Hizuru sees a notification about Ushio Kofune's funeral and recognizing the Kofune name, she decides to attend it. There, even after fourteen years, Masahito Karikiri recognizes Hizuru, who steps on his shadow and confirms that he isn't one of them. Hizuru wonders if Ushio is from the Kofune restaurant and Masahito confirms, saying there was an accident yesterday. He wonders why she came back, but then interrupts Hizuru trying to guess that she studied for a teacher or doctor, but that only annoys Hizuru who states she remembered why she can't stand him. Masahito calls Alain wanting to see if he will recognize Hizuru, but Hizuru reveals her name. Alain remembers Hizuru and is surprised to see her. Hizuru recalls that during her second year of middle school, she was a frequent visitor at Kofune restaurant. Alain had two daughters and his wife passed away after giving birth to Mio. She would meet Ushio there and would sometimes tell Ushio her original stories.

Alain receives a call from Mio, who tells him that she and Shinpei fell into the ocean and will be a bit later. Overhearing that, Hizuru asks about Shinpei, and Alain explains it's his best friend's son, Shinpei Ajiro, who he took in. Masahito explains that about ten years ago, both of his parents died in a boating accident. Hearing that, Hizuru realizes that the boy sitting in front of her on the boat was Shinpei and she decides to avoid him for now. Alain follows her and tells Hizuru about Ushio's marks on the neck. Hizuru asks if they checked under her nails for blood or skin, but Alain says they didn't check. Alain wonders if this case reminds Hizuru of Ryuunosuke's death fourteen years ago. Hizuru then returns to Ushio's coffin and opens it, to check her neck. She asks who dressed the body and Alain tells her it was a nurse from the Hishigata Clinic. Hizuru starts leaving, but asks Alain if before Ushio's death, she mentioned she saw her doppelganger. Asako Isokane recognizes Hizuru, an old friend of her, who was visiting the Kofune restaurant with her. Asako explains that Ushio saved her daughter Shiori during the accident. However, Hizuru notices that Asako's shadow is avoiding her foot. Seeing the rest of the Kobayakawa's, Hizuru gets angry for the shadows acting like they care for Ushio.

Hizuru reveals to Ginjiro that the whole Kobayakawa family are shadows. As they are growing in numbers, Ginjiro states that one of them has the ability to produce more Shadows. Hizuru guesses that a Shadow was drowning Shiori and killed and erased her, but then played and acted like she was the one drowning, and then killed and replaced the Kobayakawas. Hizuru gives Ginjiro her second phone and tells him to contact her if it rings.

Shinpei reaches the funeral and decides to repeat all the conversations he had. He tells Shiori that she probably saw a Shadow and to keep away from duplicate if she sees her again. A bit later, Asako mentions that Shinpei told Shiori about "Shadows" and he confirms it's something he heard from Mio when they were young. In that moment, Shinpei notices an ant walking over Asako's and her husband's shadows and they avoid being stepped on by the ant, and realizes they are already Shadows. As they leave, Mio approaches him and Shinpei asks her if yesterday she was with white panties. Mio is shocked that it's the first thing he asks her after two years. Shinpei recalls that he managed to see Mio's panties when she killed him, but today she is wearing blue and white stripped panties. Mio confirms it and he realizes she was copied yesterday. Elsewhere, Shadow Mio produces a shadow with Alain memories, and learns that he too doesn't know where Ushio is.

At 1:30PM, Ushio's casket enters the furnace and after collecting her remains, everyone has a lunch in a special room. Shinpei plans to ask two questions those he suspects. The first is if they had heard about shadow sickness and second if they had seen a well-endowed lady. As he asks around, Alain tells him that's Hizuru and gives him a note she gave him, when he asked her about her contact info. Shinpei recognizes the text as being a code from her book Adrift. After cracking it, Shinpei calls the phone number and Ginjiro picks up. After Shinpei introduces himself, Ginjiro does the same and states he is an acquaintance to Hizuru. As Shinpei is in the crematorium, Ginjiro tells him to go back alone to the funeral hall. Getting there, Ginjiro tells him to stand still and shoot at Shinpei's shadow. At the same time, Alain had gone to the bathroom. Hizuru follows him and puts "maintenance" note on the stall he enters and goes into the other. A shadow Alain then comes and as he opens her stall, she smashes the shadow on the ground with a hammer and kills the Shadow Alain. Hizuru then receives a call from Ginjiro.

After confirming Shinpei isn't a shadow, Ginjiro invites him to the fourth battery. As he meets Ginjiro there, Ginjiro tells him that he has some questions. Ginjiro notes that to solve the code you need to know the author, Ryuunosuke Nagumo, and her real name. However, Hizuru haven't told anyone else except Ginjiro that she is Ryuunosuke. Which would mean, no one could call the phone unless there is a Shadow that copied Hizuru, however Shinpei is human. Hizuru appears and Shinpei gives her his copy of Swampman and asks her for an autograph and to write his name Shinpei Ajiro. As he had said his name in front of her, he wonders what will happen now. Hizuru notes that he isn't normal and signs his book. She then tells him to correct her if the next thing is false. She notes that he didn't knew who she was on the boat and that there is no way to know her identity unless she revealed it. Hizuru notes that this isn't the first time he experienced July 22nd and repeated in multiple times. This would mean, he is a time traveler. Shinpei starts crying and confirms.

## Characters

* Hizuru Minakata
* Shinpei Ajiro
* Mio Kofune
* Sou Hishigata
* Tokiko Hishigata
* Seido Hishigata
* Tetsu Totsumura
* Masahito Karikiri
* Alain Kofune
* Asako Isokane/Asako Kobayakawa
* Ushio Kofune
* Shiori Kobayakawa
* Ginjiro Nezu