Oniokoshi-hen Chapter 1

Oniokoshi-hen Chapter 1 (第1話, Dai Ichi-wa) is the first chapter of Oniokoshi-hen.

Summary[]

June 19, the first year of the Reiwa Era in Hinamizawa. A fire rages as people join hands and a boy says that he trusted her even now, and might even love her. The boy cries and screams.

Keitarou Maebara wakes up and greets his mom and grandparents. On TV, Keitarou's father Keiichi is trying to dispel rumors of misappropriation of political funds. Keitarou's mom notices a text from the neighborhood association, saying that many cases of trash being dumped near people's house have occurred and to contact Mayor Kimiyoshi if they've been affected.

Keitarou finishes breakfast and goes to his usual meetup spot. He pranks his friend Kihiro Ryuugu by hiding out in a bush. They go to meet Tamaki Sonozaki and Sakiko Kimiyoshi, where Tamaki suddenly gropes Keitarou due to Sakiko's urging. Kihiro punches Sakiko in retaliation. Kihiro narrates how they're all the children of the former club members.

Hinamizawa's scenery was the exact same as it was long ago. They ran power lines underground to preserve this appearance and help get the village recognized as a World Heritage Site. Sakiko's father was an advocate for the tourism expansion.

At the Okinomiya middle school, Keitarou tries to make a lot of friends. He invites a bunch of kids to his games club, but to no avail. After school, Keitarou thinks about his dad telling him that his friends are his treasure, and that they can make miracles happen and defeat fate together. Keitarou walks the hallways alone and runs into a girl exiting a classroom. He tries to make friends with her as well, but she gets scared and falls down some stairs. Keitarou wonders why she acted like that as the girl starts muttering something while holding an object and looking at him.

Keitarou goes to help the girl and sees some other girls watching them from behind a corner. Keitarou asks them to help but they do nothing. Keitarou brings the girl to the nurse's office to get her bleeding knee bandaged.

Oniokoshi inori keychain — Inori's keychain

Keitarou is left alone with the girl and wonders why she's barely speaking, even when the nurse asked her name. Keitarou apologizes to her and tries again to make friends, but they get interrupted by a pigtailed girl leading the group of girls from earlier into the room. The leader thanks Keitarou for bringing Inori to the nurse's office. Inori speaks to her friends, and Keitarou accepts that he's the only person she won't talk to. Inori gives Keitarou a short bow before leaving. Keitarou wonders even more why Inori is like this. He finds that she left behind the object she was holding earlier and puts it in his pocket.

Oniokoshi ch1 kururu creepy — "No matter what terrible thing you do to her, you can be certain she'll never tell anyone about it?"

The pigtailed girl comes up to Keitarou and gives him a creepy look, taunting him and insisting that he likes Inori and would take advantage of quiet girls like her. Keitarou is taken aback, and the girl introduces herself as Kururu as she continues to tease him.

Oniokoshi ch1 kihiro shadow — Kihiro watches Keitarou and Kururu

Keitarou doesn't recognize her from the school bus, and Kururu says she drives to school with her parents. The two become friends, with Keitarou promising to go home with her some othertime. Kihiro joins Keitarou and watches Kururu go, a shadow falling over his face.

Kihiro comments on how easily Keitarou makes friends and suggests he be more moderate. Keitarou says that no matter how many friends he makes, they'll always be best friends. Kihiro insists he's not jealous. The boys rejoin Tamaki and Sakiko at the school entrance.

Kururu joins her own friends and looks at photos of Keitarou on her phone, commenting that he's the son of Mr. Maebara.

A narrator says that after all of this, they would understand a new tragedy would occur in Hinamizawa, when the higurashi cry.

Characters[]

Gallery[]

Notes[]

In the tankobon version, the panel showing Keitarou waking up removes the glare of the sun on the horizon and places a new glare in the bottom left.

Trivia[]

"I still haven't found him. I wonder where my future husband is now and what he's doing?♪
I'd be so happy if he's smiling under this same sky right now♪"

— Tamaki Sonozaki singing about her future husband

The lyrics of Tamaki's song about her future husband resemble those of the first part of you, a song associated with Shion Sonozaki.
The school nurse Gato and her assistant resemble Gertrude and Cornelia from Umineko When They Cry.