Shadows Draw Closer (忍び寄る影 Shinobiyoru Kage) is the sixth chapter of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kizuna manga.
Summary[]
Tomoe and Natsumi have lunch at Angel Mort. Natsumi says that everyone was surprised at seeing her hair down and that the boy she liked confessed to her. Tomoe is happy that she's happy and starts ordering. Natsumi then sees she forgot to take her pills. She explains it's her regular medicine that makes her a little sleepy, but it clears her head and makes her feel good. Natsumi decides to take them later, and Tomoe wonders if it'll really be okay.
Tomoe helps Natsumi study. After some time, Tomoe wonders if they should be leaving since it's closing time, but Natsumi says it's fine since the manager here is a chess friend of her grandfather's relative. The relative lives in Hinamizawa near Okinomiya and is mayor of the village. Tomoe spaces out as she remembers what Ooishi told her about Hinamizawa and the Kimiyoshi family. Natsumi interrupts her thoughts to ask if she can consider Tomoe as her big sister.
Natsumi gets flustered at the strange question but Tomoe says she'd also like to have Natsumi as her sister, especially since her real one seems to hate her. Tomoe is constantly surprised by what Madoka's doing, not knowing what to make of her running away from home, becoming a police officer, and dating someone who's older than her father. Natsumi asks if she's opposed to her sister's relationship, and after some thought, Tomoe says she's just jealous. She might be feeling lonely since her sister is slipping away from her. Natsumi likes that she feels closer to Tomoe now. Tomoe looks at the time and asks if Natsmi's parents know what she's up to, and Natsumi says she already told them everything. Tomoe takes Natsumi home in a taxi.
When Natsumi gets home, her mother goes off on her for getting home late. She thinks Natsumi was going somewhere else, and Natsumi replies that she can go check with the restaurant as she goes upstairs. Her mother then tells her to take her medicine, and an annoyed Natsumi does so. She wonders if she'll really believe her when she tells her.
Natsumi has a flashback to her childhood, where a girl cuts her arm on a pair of scissors. Natsumi picks up the scissors and hands them back to a boy, who recoils in horror. Other students surround Natsumi and assume she attacked the girl with the scissors, but she tries to explain that the boy tried to cut her hair and she smacked him. Natsumi pleads that she's innocent.
Characters[]
- Tomoe Minai
- Natsumi Kimiyoshi
- Haruko Kimiyoshi
Comparisons to Source Material[]
- This chapter adapts a similar scene in Miotsukushi Ura Chapter 4.
References[]
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