Jonesy974 said:It's a shame Satoru has his kid body, because you can tell he would've gone ape shit on that mother right then and there if he had the physical ability to. That scene would've been perfect if it went full plot twist and he stabbed the bitch in the back as she walked away.
That 2 second scene before the ED, I'm 100% convinced the teacher is the killer. Keep these traits in mind:
- He has been called observant and has a sharp eye
- He is intelligent, a critical thinker, which also makes him good at planning
- It's shown he has good people skills and likability and is able to talk his way through all sorts of conversations (not that he's been shown doing it in a negative way, but he is always very sociable no matter the topic).
- On top of that, his likeability and charisma also makes him very persuasive and respected. Students don't even consider talking back to him.
Now, with that in mind, think about this:
- Because he is so well liked, most people would probably take his word on things and leave it at that, especially given the time period.
- He had intimate knowledge on Kayo's abuse and her family situation. Yet he didn't seem to do much about it for how "concerned" he was. He supposedly sent the CCC there multiple times, but Kayo and mom were always gone. Why not send them at a different time? Why not have them walk Kayo home from school when the mom would definitely be there? etc. It's a simple problem with a simple solution.
- Being the teacher, he also had knowledge on the other two girls who were killed.
- That ending scene, he was talking with a kid (who was obviously Satoru's smart friend) and the kid had a creepy grin.
My theory is that the teacher is the killer. He knows about her abuse, and combines that with in-class abuse to make her vulnerable enough to kill. As I said before, he knows about the abuse but hasn't really done much to stop it. He's notified the CCC, but hasn't taken action to make sure they succeed.
Then in class he uses that smart kid to make her a target. He had the smart kid put the money in her bag (because no one would suspect the nice kid), and then in turn it causes the entire class to hate and berate her. Sensei still gets to have the face of a hero when he comes in and diffuses the situation. And he does this repeatedly; sabotages her in class to make her hated, and then nonchalantly breaks up the dispute like a good teacher.
Her abuse at home is escalating. He noted before that her bruises used to be hidden, but now they're pretty damn visible aside from her face. It wouldn't be much longer before Kyo is beaten to death or sexually assaulted by her (dad?). This increasing abuse combined with in class isolation leads her to being the perfect target.
Then he simply had to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike: when she'd be so upset she'd be in the park for a long time, and when nobody else would be in the park, nor would even care about her enough to look for her. Since it happens right before a big snowfall he simply kills (and possibly rapes) her, and leaves her body to be buried in winter.
Since Sensei is such a beloved, intelligent, and charismatic man; who is loved by his students and respected by his co-workers, obviously he would be devastated and grief stricken by the loss of one of his students who he was trying so desperately to save from her bad home life and loneliness. What better time to point out that he heard some of the students, Kayo in particular, were associating with "a creepy guy who talked and acted weird" in the park? Obviously the caring Sensei must be on to something if he's pointing the finger at social outcast Yuuki who plays with kids in the park.
Boom, he gets away with it, and murders those two other girls. Since he's a teacher, it would make sense that Satoru's mom recognized him; but not immediately because he was his grade school teacher. It was so many years ago that he, and the murders, were relevant. He gets spotted, kills the mom, and then tips his hat and lowers his head in front of Satoru because he knows he'd be recognized.