Oniokoshi-hen Chapter 3 (第3話 Dai San-wa) is the third chapter of Oniokoshi-hen.
Summary[]
Keitarou is under his bedsheets looking up videos and articles degrading Polaris. He's concerned that the cult could take over Hinamizawa at any time and wonders if Kururu and Inori could really be involved when he suddenly gets a phone call. On the other end, a bedridden Rika asks how he's doing, and Keitarou happily calls her Aunt Rika. Rika jokes that he doesn't want New Year's gifts anymore then, and Keitarou corrects himself by calling her Big Sis.
Keitarou heard that Rika fell earlier and went to the hospital, and asks if she'll be let out before the Watanagashi. Rika unfortunately won't be let out until after, but she'll definitely visit Keitarou then and asks for a status update on Hinamizawa's goings-on. Keitarou tells her about Polaris, but Rika says she already heard about them from Mayor Kimiyoshi. Rika tells Keitarou to listen to what the villagers tell him and to be careful around Polaris. Keitarou asks if she thinks they're dangerous too, and Rika says she's never met a member in person. She asks how Keitarou felt when he met them, and he thinks about Kururu, the pendant, and the news articles.
The next day, Keitarou declares that he will make friends with the Polaris members. His friends think he's kidding, but Kihiro is convinced he's telling the truth. Tamaki asks how he plans to get closer to them, and Keitarou recounts how someone like Kururu he can definitely become friends with. Keitarou is unwilling to accept that Polaris members are bad people and retells something his father taught him: that friends are his greatest treasure and that harmony among people is the strongest force out there. As long as he never gives up, he can make miracles happen.
Keitarou figures Polaris members are just afraid of relationships with others, so all he needs to do is help them remember the joys of communication. Kihiro voices his support. Keitarou says that as a man, there are things he must believe in even if nobody else will. He heads to school brimming with energy as his friends watch nonchalantly.
Keitarou tries talking to Polaris kids at school, but they all ignore him. Even when he puts letters in their lockers, it has little effect. After school, Sakiko calls him to come to the bus. Tamaki, Kihiro, and Sakiko doubt that Keitarou can really make friends with Polaris. The group goes to Angel Mort for dessert, where waitresses bring them special items for a Wanyan When They Cry collab the restaurant is doing. Keitarou tells his friends to dig in, declaring it the first official "I Wanna Get Along With Polaris Meeting" and asking for advice. The club ignores him and has fun eating and chatting. Sakiko and Tamaki talk about the waitress outfits, with Tamaki saying they were wearing them since Aunt Shion worked there.
Keitarou tries to bring things back on topic, and Kihiro remembers they were to have a club activity that day. Sakiko passes, saying they already know each other's patterns and would prefer something fresh. Keitarou says she promised to play if they got new members, and Sakiko replies that she just wants to slack off today.
Sakiko compliments Keitarou's positivity and drive, but thinks he's pushing himself too hard. Tamaki adds that he's carrying too much on his back. Kihiro says it's kyute when he tries too hard and gets into trouble, and pulls up a photo gallery of Keitarou's "accomplishments", much to his chagrin. The group says that Keitarou has been too focused on Polaris recently and he should just relax.
Keitarou finally joins in on eating the food and having fun. He opens the badge given to him as a collab gift and gets a golden butterfly charm, which his friends say can grant love. Keitarou wonders if Inori would like it as a gift and hopes nothing bad happened to her because he didn't give her back her charm; Inori hasn't come to school since then. Keitarou stops his train of thought, trying to convince himself he has no ulterior motive and that he just wants to get along with Polaris kids. Keitarou then sees Tamaki giving him a death glare and hands her the butterfly charm, and she happily accepts it.
After eating, the group leaves Angel Mort and run into some delinquents harassing a girl for interrupting the leader's livestream. Keitarou steps in, and the leader knees him in the chest. He then goes over to Tamaki and Sakiko and tries to hit on them. Tamaki puts on a menacing face and tells the streamer to get lost while insulting him for thinking she'd be an easy target. The streamer gets nervous and tries to say it was a joke, but Kihiro says he's lying about being a streamer. As he tends to Keitarou, he asserts that the guy lies about being a popular livestreamer just so he can pick up girls. Sakiko records a video of them and says she'll spread the story all over the internet unless they apologize and move on. The streamer and his friends run away, promising vengeance.
Keitarou asks Kihiro how he knew they were fake streamers, and Kihiro says it was just a hunch. Tamaki worries that her intense gaze might make him fall for her instead. Keitarou checks on the girl that was being bullied and sees she's actually Inori. Keitarou tells his friends about her and says it must be Oyashiro-sama's guidance that they met here. Inori apologizes and thanks Keitarou for doing so much for her, then runs off.
Kururu emerges from a nearby store and wonders where Inori went, then greets Keitarou and his friends. Kururu teases him again and takes a picture of his angry face, and Keitarou explains to his confused friends who Kururu is. Kururu asks where Inori went and apologizes for Inori's behavior, explaining that she's also a member of Polaris. Tamaki asks if it's okay for her to talk to them like this, and Kururu says she was forced to be a part of them when her parents joined. She's tried many times to tell other Polaris kids to offer at least some communication to outsiders. Kururu laments that Polaris members seem to get hate where they go and Keitarou gives her a headpat, saying that he can't reject someone who tries to get along with them.
Kihiro watches Keitarou and Kururu's interactions intensely, and Tamaki and Sakiko take note of it. Keitarou is certain that he can make good friends with Polaris and Inori. Kihiro's gazes intensifies as he clenches his backpack strap.
Characters[]
- Keitarou Maebara
- Rika Furude
- Kihiro Ryuugu
- Sakiko Kimiyoshi
- Tamaki Sonozaki
- Inori Mikazuki
- Kururu Isshiki
Trivia[]
- This chapter has several references to Ryukishi07's other works:
- Wanyan When They Cry references both the When They Cry series as a whole and the recurring wanya entity.
- The Angel Mort waitresses resemble Chloe, Lilja, and Koshka from Ciconia When They Cry.
- The golden butterfly charm is based off a similar object from Umineko When They Cry.
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