That night, Hajime pays a visit to the editor, a man named Miyabe. Miyabe tells Hajime that the story was written by Fukumoto, an illustrator who used to with for the publishing company. Miyabe hands Hajime a manuscript of the story which includes a photograph of the group who wrote for Flesh and Cherry Blossoms, noting the presence of a man named Okochi. Miyabe says Fukumoto and Okochi worked together, but Okochi died suddenly after the picture was taken and Fukumoto wrote the story soon after. Miyabe also mentions that Fukumoto originally wanted to show a different illustration, but Miyabe had it replaced with the drawing of the monstrous woman which was also drawn by Fukumoto, though in a different style. Miyabe shows the original illustration to Hajime, who recognizes it immediately as a drawing of Ai.
The next day, Hajime takes a train to an address supplied by Miyabe as Fukumoto's last known whereabouts. Hajime recalls the rest of the conversation with Miyabe, who also mentioned that Fukumoto's wife committed suicide under mysterious circumstances around the time Fukumoto wrote "Purgatory Girl", just before Okuchi died. Miyabe suggested that Fukumoto was inspired by those events and gave Hajime the address. Returning to the present, Hajime gets off the train the town of Minowabashi and finds the address in a mostly-abandoned part of town. Hajime knocks on the door of Fukumoto's apartment, but receives no answer. Hajime comes back later and slides the drawing of Ai under the door and saying he met Ai in person despite the drawing being fifty years old. Fukumoto, now an old painter, lets him in.
Hajime describes the Hell Correspondence website and Fukumoto says that in his time, it was found on the newspaper's missing persons column and that Okochi was the one who told him about it. At the time, Fukumoto saw nothing in the space because he didn't have any grudges. Later Fukumoto walked in on Okochi raping his wife, who committed suicide shortly after. Fukumoto's grief and anger caused the Hell Correspondence's space in the newspaper to appear and he submitted Okochi's name through the mail. Ai appeared immediately and gave him the straw doll, laying out the terms of the deal. Fukumoto shows Hajime Hell's seal and it explains that it marks those who accept Ai's offer as being hell-bound. Fukumoto says that at first, his damnation seemed far-off, but his life turned into a battle against the seal. First, threw himself into his work. Later, he tried to absolve himself through religion. When that didn't work, he tried to distract himself through gambling. Eventually accepted his fate and decided to make himself useful, taking up community service. Fukumoto shows Hajime his last artistic piece. Hajime is shocked when he sees a room full of paintings of Ai. Fukumoto says that he is looking forward to seeing Ai again despite the meeting heralding his damnation, but Hajime asks why he would want to meeting the girl who ruined his life. Fukumoto says that it was Okochi who ruined his life and that since Okochi always carried a gun, the Hell Correspondence was his only recourse. Fukumoto says he is grateful for the chance to have done something about his situation, even if it did destroy him. Hajime wonders what Ai is and Fukumoto says that if she was human once, she isn't anymore and that the Hell Correspondence has been active since at least the Warring States Period. Hajime asks why Fukumoto wrote "Purgatory Girl" and Fukumoto says that he suspects that Ai may have wrote it through him and that he had to tell someone about the encounter. Hajime happened to be that someone. Fukumoto finishes his last painting, an illustration of Ai's face that takes up an entire wall when to his surprise, the tears flow from the painting's eyes. Fukumoto dies and his candle goes out.
On Ai's boat, Fukumoto says that Ai is just as beautiful as he remembers. He asks if he'll see Okochi in Hell, but Ai says that she doubts it since Hell is a vast place. Ai ferries Fukumoto through Hell's gate.
This episode contains examples of:
- Dead Hat Shot: Fukumoto's cap falls to the ground as he dies.
- Death's Hourglass: Fatalistic version. Fukumoto has a candle just like all of Ai's previous clients, only his has nearly burned all the way down due representing his age. It goes out when he dies and Ai claims his soul.
- Driven to Suicide: Fukumoto's wife killed herself after Okochi raped her.
- Despair Event Horizon: Fukumoto. He wouldn't have used the Hell Correspondence if his wife didn't kill herself due to Okochi raping her.
- Happily Married: From what was implied, Fukumoto and his wife were this, which makes the situation more tragic when Okochi rapes her and she commits suicide afterwards.
- Hidden Depths: If the ending is something to go by, Ai really can and do feel sympathy for some of her clients.
- Humans Are Bastards: Ai says that Hell is a vast place.
- Karma Houdini: Okochi would have been one if not for Fukumoto accepting Ai's offer of revenge.
- Not So Stoic: It's implied that Ai was mourning for Fukumoto just before he died.
- Rape and Revenge: A variation. Fukumoto's wife was raped and Fukumoto was the one who got revenge for her.
- Really 700 Years Old: This is the episode where we learn that despite her youthful appearance, Ai's been doing her Hell Girl duties for centuries.
- Roman à Clef: "Purgatory Girl" is one In-Universe. Okochi's name is shortened to "O." and everyone else involved is unnamed. Played with in that Ai may or may not have written it through Fukumoto.
- You Can't Fight Fate: At one point, Fukumoto says he tried to find salvation through religion (Shinto or Buddhism apparently) to avoid going to Hell or doing good deeds but it was of no avail.
