The third episode of the anime series “My Home Hero” is out now and unwinds the mystery of the previous episode, where Kyoichi kidnaps Tetsuo.
Spoilers Ahead
Episode 3: The Correct Path
The episode begins with Tetsuo at an automobile repair shop, declining a worker’s offer to have drinks later that evening. He lies about having an appointment later, which is why he must leave. Tetsuo had only one job on his mind: to remove the stench from Reika’s apartment before she returned. Tetsuo made Reika stay in his house on the pretext of getting her apartment cleaned. Now that three days have passed since Tetsuo killed Nobuto (Reika’s boyfriend), Tetsuo will have to remove all evidence of the killing soon. He cleans the apartment’s bathroom fastidiously.
A police patrol vehicle is parked just beneath the apartment, thwarting Kyoichi’s plan to follow Tetsuo more closely. He calls his superior Kubo, however, and tells him about Tetsuo’s presence in Reika’s apartment, where Nobuto was last seen. We finally hone in on the mystery of the stalker, which Tetsuo and his wife had fabricated in the previous episode. Kyoichi tells Kubo that he checked with Reika’s friend in her college, and there is absolutely no news of any stalking ever having disturbed Reika. This meant that Kyoichi knew that Tetsuo and Kasen’s conversation about the stalker was a white lie, which they deliberately made up to throw Kyoichi off track. Kyoichi’s natural conclusion is that Tetsuo’s family is definitely involved in something fishy; otherwise, they would never have to fabricate such a tale.
Back at Tetsuo’s house, Reika tells her mother, Kasen, about receiving the news that a stranger was asking Reika’s friend whether she had any stalkers. Kasen intuitively knows it must be the people who installed the wiretaps in the house. Now that they know Reika had no stalker, they will assume the worst as to why Tetsuo and Kasen made up the story.
Kyoichi asks Kubo’s permission to extract information from Tetsuo and Kasen. Kubo instructs him to make the task of finding Nobuto his priority No. 1. Kyoichi, having reached a cul-de-sac in his pursuit to find Nobuto, is left with no other option but to go ahead and torture Tetsuo. He asks another gang to break into Tetsuo’s house and torture Kasen when he so demands. Meanwhile, Kyoichi abducts Tetsuo and begins his torturous investigation. He asks Tetsuo the reason for fabricating the story about the stalker. Tetsuo tries to persist with his lie and is then beaten to a pulp. The other gang waits at Tetsuo’s house, holding Kasen hostage and awaiting further instruction.
Tetsuo does not deter from his lie but, in fact, doubles down on it and starts to explain further. He mentions a private investigator by the name of Suzuki, who was hired by Tetsuo after Kasen noticed Reika’s stalker. When Kyoichi mentions Nobuto’s disappearance, Tetsuo adds that it was Suzuki who confirmed the presence of a stalker, and it is this stalker that could have done something to Nobuto, and they didn’t tell Reika about the stalker so as not to disturb her studies.
Kyoichi remembers the cleaning man he encountered after breaking into Reika’s apartment. He suspects him to be the private investigator Suzuki Tetsuo just mentioned. Before he can verify these statements with Tetsuo, he receives a call from Matori, Nobuta’s father. He senses Matori’s nihilism and promises to find Nobuto as soon as possible, as the gang’s existence depends on it. Kyoichi goes on to check Tetsuo’s phone records and does find a contact named “House cleaning service, Suzuki” but finds neither a phone number attached to it nor any record of correspondence. Kyoichi ponders whether to believe Tetsuo or not.
Kyoichi finally calls the other gang waiting at Tetsuo’s house to begin questioning Kasen about the stalker. If what Tetsuo blurted out during the torture was true, Kasen would give exactly the same details. To his surprise, Kasen tells exactly the same story as told by Tetsuo.
In reality, Kasen and Tetsuo had already rehearsed a series of probable questions Kyoichi and his gang might ask them if they ever needed to confirm the presence of the mysterious stalker.
Kasen observes the gang’s will to leave as soon as possible and realizes that if she blabbers about some random stuff, they will get tired and leave. Kyoichi asks them to stay put, but the gang leaves Tetsuo’s house, leaving Kasen unharmed, fearing the police patrol.
Tetsuo’s ingenious plan to prepare answers in advance worked well, but Kyoichi plans to kill the family anyway. He gets a call from Kubo and learns about his removal from the case of finding Nobuto. Furious at this decision, he goes in to kill Tetsuo but refrains at the last minute.
‘My Home Hero’ Episode 3: Ending Explained – Why Doesn’t Kyoichi Kill Tetsuo?
Kyoichi was in a lot of trouble. He had the yakuza’s sword dangling over his head. Now that he has been removed from Nobuto’s case, he could face deadly repercussions as well. Torturing Tetsuo doesn’t get him anywhere, and he tries to kill him in cold blood. Tetsuo begs Kyoichi to let him go, but Kyoichi goes in for the kill. Tetsuo, in order to stop Kyoichi, blabbers out the only thought that came into his mind that could save him. He proposes to Kyoichi that they work together on locating Nobuto. Tetsuo enlightens Kyoichi that his best bet is to find Nobuto before his replacement does, and Tetsuo might be able to help more than any other person. Having already bought the “stalker plot” as a statement of Tetsuo’s innocence, Kyoichi weighs in on Tetsuo’s connection with the private investigator in his mind, from whom he might get additional information on Nobuto’s whereabouts. All these reasons make him defer Tetsuo’s killing.