Yoigoshi-hen

Yoigoshi-hen 宵越し編
Volume 1 Volume 2
Information
Orignal Release Date	August 27, 2007
Artist	Mimori
Number of Chapters	14
Platform	Nintendo DS PS Vita PlayStation 3 Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4

Yoigoshi-hen (宵越し編, Beyond Midnight Chapter) is an arc that serves as an epilogue to an alternate version of Tsumihoroboshi-hen, where the school and the hostages inside were destroyed in an explosion shortly before the Great Hinamizawa Disaster occurred with the exception of Keiichi Maebara who was already outside the school thanks to Mion Sonozaki telling him to tail Chie to the place where Rena was supposed to meet up with their teacher but turns out to be a ruse for Rena to hold the entire school hostage.

With the ban lifted a handful of different people make their way to Hinamizawa, each for their own reason. The protagonist of the story is Otobe Akira, who finds himself lost in the surrounding forest before he meets a woman who calls herself "Sonozaki Mion". The woman is on quest of her own, but for safety's sake he accompanies her further into a village that has one foot in the "land of the dead". On their way they meet Towada Yae, her boyfriend Kurosawa Takumi, and Arakawa Ryūnosuke.

They aren't alone in the village. There are forces set to oppose "Mion" in her quest, and the group has to overcome them and their personal demons to get through the night.

Endings (Console Adaptation)

In 2009, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kizuna: Dai San Kan "Rasen" (ひぐらしのなく頃に絆 第三巻「螺」, When the Cicadas Cry Bonds: Volume Number Three, "Spiral") included a different interpretation of Yoigoshi-hen, which was adapted for all console releases henceforth. The console version follows a non-linear story line. This version of Yoigoshi-hen is told from Arakawa Ryūnosuke's point of view as he is accompanied by Sorimachi Miyuki (who doesn't appear in the manga version) on his trip to Hinamizawa. Depending on the choices the player makes during game play, they can achieve different endings. The player must make the correct choices in order to reach the true ending, which corresponds to the one in the manga. In addition to the true ending, the player may also encounter the following alternative endings:

Bad End 1

If the player chooses to follow Mion along with Otobe to find her car, they follow the mountain path and discover that the car has gone missing. As they decide to keep looking, they become aware of a mysterious presence following them. Arakawa and Otobe decide to return to the assembly hall to check on Miyuki and Towada. At the shrine entrance, Arakawa stumbles into a pool of blood at the staircase and Otobe flees the scene in shock and horror. Arakawa makes his way back into the assembly hall and discovers Miyuki and Towada have been shot to death, along with a corpse he doesn't recognize. When Arakawa moves closer to investigate, the light bulb shatters with a gunshot and he is soon shot to death as he regrets that he wasn't able to learn the truth behind anything.

Bad End 2

If the player chooses not to search for Kurosawa and return to the assembly hall, they are confronted with a sick Towada. If they choose to bring her a blanket from the closet, Towada vehemently resists their help and gets the blanket herself. When Mion returns to the assembly hall, she realizes Towada is hiding something and forcibly opens the closet door. They discover Kurosawa's corpse inside. As suspicion starts to get a hold of everyone, Mion is quick to deduce that Kurosawa was dead all along and that Towada was the culprit. Towada gives in and begins to tell them how she and Kurosawa met and fell in love. Before she is able to explain her motive for murder, they are ambushed by men in black suits. A gunfight ensues and Mion and Miyuki manage to drive the assailants away. When the group returns inside, they discover Towada who had decided to stay behind had poisoned herself to death out of guilt. Arakawa regrets not being able to learn her motive and change her mind.

The next morning, Arakawa awakens to see that Miyuki had left earlier in the morning. He decides to accompany Mion to the Sonozaki Main House along with Otobe. Once they get there, they are attacked by more men in black. Arakawa and Otobe decide to flee and find the secret escape route. Upon entering the passageway, they discover it has been filled with toxic gas prior. Both die as Arakawa regrets having to die in a dark place where their bodies won't be discovered.

Bad End 3

If the player instead chooses to make tea for a sick Towada and the others, they are assisted by Miyuki who provides the water but doesn't have tea leaves. Towada arrives in the kitchen with a bottle of leftover tea and suggests they warm it up and drink it. When they begin serving the tea, Towada insists that she does the rest and forcibly drives Miyuki and Arakawa away from the kitchen. As soon as Otobe and Arakawa drink their tea, they are overcome by an intense lethargy and fall asleep.

Upon awakening, Arakawa comes face-to-face with an unfamiliar man who calls himself a "Detective". Arakawa soon realizes that they are both the only ones in the room. Upon asking the officer, he tells Arakawa that he didn't see anybody else there. As he is bewildered, the "Detective" leads him out of the assembly hall and they board a black car with more unfamiliar men who seem disinterested in what Arakawa had to say. Arakawa catches a glance of an earring he knew belonged to Miyuki in the car. As the men drive in the direction opposite to that of the suicide party car, Arakawa soon realizes that there is something strange about these police officers. He asks them where they planned on taking him but they tell him he didn't need to know.

Several months later, the editor of the Weekly Seven is shown watching the news and a report appears claiming that Arakawa's skeletal remains had been found downstream. What happened to him and those he met in Hinamizawa remained a mystery.

Disappearances and Deaths

All deaths and disappearances are listed only as they are told in Yoigoshi-hen. Spoilers are only for the individual arc, not the overall series.

Deaths

• Sonozaki Mion,Maebara Keiichi, Hōjō Satoko, Furude Rika, and Ryūgū Rena, died in the Hinamizawa School explosion caused by Rena in June 1983.
• Ten other children, also died in the school explosion in June 1983.
• Everyone in Hinamizawa, died of gas poisoning during GHD on the day after the school explosion.
• Some people who used to live in Hinamizawa, started showing erratic behavior right after GHD, and some died mysteriously.
• Maebara Keiichi, died from unknown causes in November, 1983 in the hospital where he was admitted at following the Great Hinamizawa Disaster.(Console ver. Only)
• The journalist, died 1995 in an accident at sea. In the summer of 2003, his parents living in Osaka Prefecture discover his interviews with Maebara Keiichii and Sonozaki Shion, in which his manner of death is "predicted" by the interviewee.
• Sonozaki Mion's and Shion's Father, died of illness a few years before June 2006.
• Sonozaki Akane, shot by a yakuza assassin under the orders of Mifune. She later died in the hospital where she was admitted.
• Akutagawa, Hori Chiaki and Hyuga Machiko, committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in their car on June 21, 2006.
• Kurosawa Takumi, strangled to death after being drugged by Towada Yae on June 21, 2006.
• The assassin, was slashed in the abdomen with the Tamahajiki no Katana by "Sonozaki Mion" on June 22, 2006.
• Mifune, slashed in the back with a katana sword by Sonozaki Shion on June 22, 2006.

Gallery

Miyuki gazes at Hinamizawa from atop the Furude Shrine

Driving to the village of no-return

Ghosts are canon now too, apparently

An unexpected gathering

Behold, the Sonozaki heiress

Akasaka, you've raised a badass!

Now that's just depressing

Futari no Birthday, anyone?