Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Fan Fiction ❯ Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Reversed (Onikakushi-hen) ❯ Chapter1-Beginning ( Chapter 1 )

“Rena! Breakfast!” a womans voice faintly called.

Inside a darkened bedroom, a small groan of disgust came from a day-bed. The heavy, floral-patterned quilt stirred and was forced back. From the folds of the blanket emerged a 15-year-old girls head. The girl had bright orange hair that was long on the sides, but cropped short in the back. Her hair had a bad case of bed-head. The girl rubbed one of her half-open bright blue eyes lazily. Half-asleep, she climbed out of her bed. She changed out of her light blue pajamas that had a popular cartoon dog plastered everywhere, to her blue sailor-suit school uniform.

“Hurry up, Rena! You'll be late!” the woman called again.

“Yeah, yeah…” the girl mumbled.

She stood in front of her vanity and raked a brush through her messy hair. Once she made sure she was presentable, the girl left her room and headed down her stairs to her kitchen.

“Good morning, Rena-chan!” her mother greeted.

Rena pulled up a chair at her table. Her mother placed a plate of sunny-side up eggs in front of her. Rena's mom was in her early 40's. She had long orange hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her light pink apron was covered in random dried mulit-colored splotches of sauce, food, and juice.

“Eat up!” she smiled.

She left to go wash the dishes. Rena slowly picked at her food. She just wasn't hungry. The kitchen timer buzzed.

“Ah! It's 8:10 already?!” Rena's mom said quickly, “You're going to be late! You'd better head out now! Don't wanna keep that cute Keiichi waiting, do you?”

“Mo~om!” Rena groaned.

She hated it when her mom talked to her about boys. It was just too embarrassing!! Before Rena could say for the hundredth time that she and Keiichi were just friends, he mom shoved her bookbag and Bento lunch in her hands and ushered her out the door.

“Bye, Rena-chan!”

“See ya, mom!”

Rena headed down the path from her house to school. 5 minutes down, she reached the three-way fork in the road that split the way to her house, Keiichis house, and the school. There, leaning against the small tree that marked the fork was Keiichi. Keiichi was 16-years-old. He had short, dark brown hair, with his bangs grown out a little. He wore the standard boys uniform that was a white T-shirt, black tie and black pants. His eyes were shut, faking a nap. Rena half-ran over to him. She wasn't sure why, but she always felt happier when Keiichi was there.

“Ohayo, Keiichi-kun!! ♥” she greeted cheerfully.

Keiichi half-opened one of his deep brown eyes. Confirming it was Rena, she opened the other eye and leaned off the tree.

“Thanks for waiting.” Rena smiled.

“No prob!” Keiichi laughed.

The two headed down the path towards school, catching up on eachothers lives, when Keiichi suddenly changed the subject.

“Hey, Rena?” He asked, “If I was ever late for school, would you wait by the tree for me?”

“What do you think?” Rena \asked sweetly, then her voice turned playfully harsh, “I would leave immediately if you didn't show right away.”

“What?!” Keiichi yelled.

“Yup, I'd just keep on walkin'.” Rena added.

“Hey, that's totally not fair!!” Keiichi yelled, “I waste my time waiting for you and…!!”

Rena giggled. She ran ahead of him a few feet, stopped, and turned around. She put her hands behind her back and bent forward a little.

“Of course I'd wait for you, silly.” She smiled, “I'd wait forever.”

Keiichi's cheeks pinked. He looked away from her. Rena could be kinda…cute…no! He wasn't supposed to think things like that! They were friends, and nothing else. He shook his head to clear it. He looked back at Rena again. It must have been the way the morning sun reflected off the puddle behind her, but Keiichi could have sworn that she was glowing.

“Come on! We gotta get to school!” Rena called.

She spun on her heel and took off down the path. Keiichi snapped back to reality.

“H-hey!! Wait up!!” he yelled.

Rena laughed as she ran. There was no way Keiichi could catch up with her. She glanced back to see how far away he was. In this time, her foot snagged on a small rosk in the dirt path. Rena was heading right for a face full of dirt, when something caught her.

“Woah, there! You'll kill yourself!” a male voice yelled.

Rena looked up to see the handsome face of her second best friend, Kai. Kai was about 17-years-old. He had bright green hair and bangs that were starting to frame his face. His bright green eyes always appeared to be laughing. His small ponytail hung over his right shoulder. Kai wore the standard boys uniform of a white t-shirt with black pants and tie.

“The prophecy was true!” he exclaimed, “It said an angel would just fall into my arms today!”

“Oh, knock it off, Kai.” Rena grumbled, getting herself back on her feet.

“Sheesh, more like a devil.” Kai said, wrinkling his nose.

Before Rena could say anything, Keiichi arrived and greeted Kai.

“You guys are getting later every single day.” Kai commented, placing his hands behind his head, “What, do you make out or something every morning?”

Keiichi and Rena's cheesks flushed.

“N-no!!” Rena yelled.

“Anywho, it's none of my business.” Kai shrugged, “Haven't seen you in a week, Rena. Where'd you go? Did you get me a present?”

“I as at a my 5-year-old cousins Birthday party.” Rena explained.

“….so, you didn't get me a present.”

“What present? I was at a 5-year-olds birthday! You get nothing!”

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The one-roomed school was buzzing with the voices of children, ages 6-16. Their Teacher, Mr. Irie, had sent them to an open study hall to work on their math drills. Keiichi and Kai had pressed their desks together. Rena had turned hers around and moved it against theirs in a triangle.

“Rena-kun, I don't get any of this…” Keiichi whined, “Can you help me?”

Rena flipped her workbook around and showed Keiichi how to do the problem, step by step. Kai, however, wasn't doing any math. He was doodling pictures of Godzilla in his.

“…Then you divide by three, and you get X.” Rena finished.

“Oh…Now it makes sense! Thanks a bunch, Rena-kun!” Keiichi said cheerfully.

Rena slouched forward, laying her torso on her desk.

“Why am I even doing this? I barely know this myself…” she whined, “You guys are older than me, you should know this!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Kai said mockingly, “oh yeah, just remembered! Rena, you don't know your way around Hinamizawa yet, do you? Me an' Keiichi will show ya around at lunch.”

“Uhh…with you?” Rena asked, sitting up straight, “…..Nope.”

“Wha-?!” Kai yelled.

“Aww, c'mon, Rena! It'll be fun!” Keiichi smiled.

“Oh, sure, Keiichi. I'll be honored to go with you.” Rena said happily.

Woah, woah. How come you give him the thumbs up, and not me?” Kai whined.

Rena pulled down one bottom eyelid with her index finger and stuck her tongue out at him. She then turned away from him, crossing her arms.

“Keiichi, does Kai HAVE to come with?” Rena asked sweetly, “I would prefer it if it was just you and me…”

“Rena-kun has spoken.” Keiichi said triumphantly.

“Wait a minute!!!” Kai yelled.

***************************************************************** *******

Birds and cicadas sang their songs to the hot, noon sun. Rena, Keiichi, and Kai climbed the long set of rock stairs that led to the Furude Shrine. The shrine itself was a wooden hut-like structure with large, wood sliding doors that were currently shut and a large wood box in front of it that was used to collect coins the villagers threw in for protection from the god that resided there. A large, wide stone path led from the steps to the shrine, and down into the forest, where the shrine-keepers house was.

“…And that concludes out tour of Hinamizawa.” Kai finished in his tourist guide accent.

Rena looked over at the shrine. There was a small boy standing in front of the box, looking into it with a glum expression on his face.

“Hey, who's that?” Rena asked.

“Who? There'sno one there.” Keiichi said, looking at the shrine.

Rena blinked a couple times. There was a boy of about 8-years-old standing there. The boy had light purple hair that went to his shoulders and his eyes were a dark pu8rple. He wore the boys shrine kimono, which was a white robe with navy-blue loose pants. But the thing that grabbed Rena's attention most was the downward facing bull-like horns sticking out of the sides of his head.

“E-Excuse me, little boy? Are you lost? Whats your name?” Rena called.

The boy didn't respond.

“Rena, there's no one there.” Kai said, putting his hands behind his head.

“You feeling ok, Rena?” Keiichi asked, concerned.

He walked over to her and touched his forehead to hers, checking for temperature. Rena blushed.

“No fever…” Keiichi said, backing away.

Rena looked back at the shrine. The strange little boy was gone.

“He disappeared…” Rena said softly.

“Eh, the heat must be gettin' to ya.” Kai said calmly, “Let's get the lady in some shade before she starts seeing flying cats.”

“But-but he WAS there!! You believe me, right, Keiichi?”

Keiichi avoided her eyes. He stared at a rock near his shoe. Rena shook her head to clear it. Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe it was the heat. The boy did look a little transparent anyway…

GRUMBLE

Rena's cheeks pinked as she clutched her growling stomach.

“Hungry, Re-chan?” Kai snickered.

“Shut up…” Rena grumbled.

In about two seconds, Keiichi had set up a huge picnic area for them, complete with seven Bento boxes that overflowed with food.

“…..How long have you been carrying that food?” Rena asked.

“Who cares? Food time!” Kai said happily.

He yanked off his shoes and carelessly tossed them behind him. Kai sat down on the blanket, yanked apart a pair of chopsticks, and started pigging out.

“You're disgusting.” Rena said, wrinkling her nose.

She settled herself on a spot on the blanket. She carefully pried apart her chopsticks and looked around at what she should eat first.

“Keiichi…did you make all this yourself?” she asked, picking up a Tamagoyaki slice.

Keiichi placed one hand behind his head in embarrassment.

“Well…my mom hasn't cooked herself since she and dad split…I kinda taught myself…after 5 explosions and 2 burn-downs…” he replied nervously.

Now a little scared of the taste, Rena cupped her hand under the slice and took a bite. Her eyes opened wide in surprise.

“It's pretty good!” she said happily, “Keiichi, you're lucky. I can't cook to save my life.”

“Back up.” Kai said, pausing from his gorging, “You mean to say that Hinamizawa's only angel can't cook?”

Rena glared at him. Before she could say anything back to him, she was interrupted by a young voice.

“Yo! What's up?” it called.

Rena turned to see two boys standing behind her. The closest one was about 8-years-old, and had short, dark purple hair and light purple eyes. He wore a light green T-shirt and worn out blue jeans. The second boy looked to be about 11-years-old. He had short, bright yellow hair and purple eyes. He wore a short-sleeved red shirt with a huge yellow thunderbolt pattern that stretched from his right shoulder to his waist. He wore dark blue jeans with the knees worn out. His yellow backpack hung loosely from his left shoulder.

“Hi Riku! Hi Satoshi!” Rena greeted cheerfully.

“Cool! Bento! Can we join?” Satoshi asked excidedly.

“No, there's not enough.” Rena said smugly.

Satoshi ignored her. He dropped his backpack, removed his shoes and sat cross-legged next to her.

“I said there's not enough! Go home!” Rena yelled.

Satoshi looked at the four untouched Bento boxes. He raised one eyebrow at Rena.

“I wonder if they're ever gonna get along…?” Riku sighed, settling down by Keiichi.

Rena and Satoshi glared at each other, sparks flying from their eyes.

“I think they get along fine.” Keiichi said, handing Riku a pair of chopsticks.

“You two are like old men.” Kai commented.

“I'M GONNA EAT MORE FOOD THAN YOU!!” Satoshi taunted.

He yanked apart some chopsticks, breaking them unevenly, and started chowing down.

“No,. you wont!” Rena yelled.

Both of them started stuffing their faces, determined not to lose.

“My moneys on Satoshi. You bet, Keiichi?” he asked.

“Betting is for losers.” Keiichi said.

He then pulled ¥2500 out of his pocket and placed it in front of him.

“Rena-kun's gonna win.” He said confidently.

“HA! I gots the last slice of Tamagoyaki!!” Rena yelled in triumph.

She held up the fried egg slice in the air, as if it was a trophy. Satoshi attempted to grab it with his chopsticks. Rena moved it out of the way just in time. Satoshi attempted again, but missed. Rena lept up and started jumping around, dodging Satoshis attempts to take the last bit of food away. Satoshi chased her, yelling threats while Rena stayed ahead, yelling taunts. Keiichi and Kai followed the chase with their eyes while peace-loving Riku calmly ate his lunch.

A plan clicked in Satoshis head. He let Rena take the lead to set up a rock. He then chased her until she was directly in the path of that rock. Her sock snagged on the pointy top. She tripped and landed face first in the grass. Her chopsticks, still grasping the Tamagoyaki slice, fell right into Satoshi's hands. Rena pulled her face out of the dirt.

“Tripping and setting up traps should be against the rules…” she groaned, spitting out some grass.

“What rules?” Satoshi asked tauntingly, “Who said we ever had rules?”

Kai pocketed the money he won while Keiichi went over to Rena to help her up.

“You ok, Rena-kun?” he asked.

“Y-yeah, I'm fine.” Rena replied.

Keiichi held out a hand to help her up. Rena took it. Once she was on her feet, she brushed the dirt off her uniform.

“Thanks, Keiichi. YOU'RE the only nice one here.” She said, louder than needed.

She stood on her tip-toes and kissed Keiichi on the cheek. Keiichi blushed.

“Hey!! What was that?!” Kai yelled.

“What was what?” Rena asked innocently.

“THAT!!!”

“Oh…well, Keiichi is nice. Thought he deserved it.”

Satoshi sat down next to Riku, finishing the food he won.

“Man, I don't ever wanna grow up. Older people are so complicated.” He said.

“I can't wait to live past 8-years-old…” Riku said quietly.

Satoshi looked at him and cocked his head in confusion. Riku smiled.

“Pa-run!” he said happily.

************************************************************* ***********

The sun set behind the many forests that surround Hinamizawa. Every Evening Cicada in the village seemed to be buzzing their songs. Keiichi and Rena were waving good-bye to Kai, who was standing in front of the path that led to his house.

“Bye guys! Keiichi,don't forget about tomorrow!” Kai called, turning around, heading down the path.

Keiichi saluted him. Rena looked at Keiichi quizzically.

“What's tomorrow?” She asked.

Keiichi smiled and rubbed her head.

“That's a secret.” He smiled.

“I hate secrets.” Rena grumbled.

“Oh, yeah!” Keiichi exclaimed, just remembering something, “I wanna show this place to you, Rena-kun!”

He started running down a path that was unfamiliar to Rena. When he was about 15 feet away, he stopped and turned.

“You commin'?” he called.

“Cho-chotto matta!” Rena yrelled.

She followed him down the path to whatever place he wanted to show her.

***************************************************************** *******

“♪ Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny Shiny bo~ox! Time to find things to put in my shiny box! ♪” Keiichi sang.

He rounded the corner on the rock ledge on the mountain that bordered Hinamizawa, Rena close behind.

“This place better be worth the 45 minute walk up here…” she grumbled.

“Check it out!” Keiichi said proudly.

Rena rounded the corner. Her eyes met mounds and mounds of other peoples old, smelly, broken trash items.

“You dragged me all the way out here……to some CRAPPY GARBAGE DUMP?!?!?!” Rena screamed.

Keiichi exaggerated a gasp in horror. He picked up a discarded hubcap that lay by his feet and started petting it.

“Shhh, shhhhh….She didn't mean that, Cappy. You're not trash…” he whispered to the broken metal.

“Just what is so exciting about heaps of old, broken junk?” Rena asked.

Keiichi tossed the hubcap into the pit of junk like a frizbee. IT clattered about 100 feet away.

“It's not trash if you look at it the way I do. I see mountains of very valuable treasure!” Keiichi explained, “It's just like the saying: One mans trash- -AWESOME!!! A NEW PILE!!!”

He ran down into the pit of trash, his footing as sure as a mountain goats. Half-way, he turned to face Rena.

“You can come down too, if you want, Rena-kun!” he called.

He turned back and headed for the new mound of junk.

“H-hey! Wait up!” Rena called.

She hung her school bag on a broken pipe that stuck out of a small heap of trash nearby. She carefully descended into the ocean of trash.

“This isn't that hard…” Rena thought.

The second that thought left her mind, she lost her footing on a loose piece of lumber. Rena let out a short scream and landed on her back. She lay there for a minute. She moved each of her limbs carefully. Good. Nothing broken. The very next thing she did was yank her skirt back down, in case anything was showing that she didn't want to reveal. Rena got herself off and brushed off her clothes.

“Forget this…” she mumbled.

Rena turned around to climb out of the trash pit and to wait for Keiichi on the path. Instead of the usual orange sky that marked twilight, Rena's eyes met a camera lens.

She yelled in shock, lost her balance, and tumbled down back into the pit.

“Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!” A womans voice said hurriedly.

Rena lifted the scrap of corrugated sheet metal, that fell on her face when she fell, off enough so she could see who spoke. There was a woman in their late 20's or early 30's standing on the path. She had long yellow hair and light amber eyes. Perched on her nose was a tiny pair of glasses. She wore a lime-green jacket that was unzipped, revealing her light pink shirt, and black pants that stopped at her ankles. In her hands was an old-fashioned camera.

“I'm really sorry for scaring you…” The woman apologized again.

Rena threw the metal on her face away. She climbed back up on the path.

“You know, it's polite to ask before you take someones picture.” Rena said bitterly.

“Ah ha ha ha! Sorry, sorry!” the woman laughed, “

“So, whats your name?” Rena asked, picking up her school bag, “I've never seen you around before.”

“Oh, sorry! My name's Miyo Takano.” The woman replied, “I'm a photographer for Tokyo. Though I take pictures of wild life all the time, I've never asked their permission before!”

Miyo started to laughat her own bad joke. Rena weakly laughed politely.

“I'm Ryuuguu Rena. Nice to meet you.” Rena smiled, bowing slightly.

“Be patient, Rena! I'll be out in a minute!!” Keiichi called from atop a trash mound, “Just wait a little longer, `k? I'm on the verge of finding something good!”

Miyo and Rena turned their heads to look at the waving Keiichi. Rena waved back.

“What's he doing in there?” Miyo asked.

“Pfft. Probably looking for the arm he severed off the person he killed.” Renasaid sarcastically.

Miyos face fall.

“That was a horrible crime…” she said solemnly, “They still haven't found one of the arms…”

Rena stared in shock at Miyo. She had meant the missing arm thing as a joke! Miyo cleared her throat.

“Well, I'd better get going. It was nice meeting you. Don't stay out too late now.” She said cheerfully.

Miyo bowed and left down the path to the main city. Rena watched her leave. AS soon as she was gone, Rena turned her head back to see if Keiichi was still in the dump. Instead of seeing the piles of broken items, Keiichi was standing right in front of her.

“Who were you talking to, Rena?” he asked emotionlessly.

Rena yelled in surprise and started to fall backwards. She was headed right for the junk heaps for the third time. Keiichi used his arm as a hook and caught Rena around the waist so she wouldn't fall in.

“You scare too easily.” He teased, setting Rena back on her feet.

“Shut up.” Rena growled, “Anyway, you find any `treasures' in there?”

Keiichi blanked for a second.

“Oh yeah! I found a big shiny!!” he exclaimed.

“…..big…..shiny…..?” Rena asked, tilting her head.

“YEAH!! It's REALLY shiny and diamond-shaped and this big!” Keiichi said quickly.

He formed a circle with the tips of his thumbs and forefingers to show size.

“How `bout we come back tomorrow and I'll help you get it out?” Rena smiled.

“You'll help me get the shiny?!” Keiichi asked excidedly.

Rena nodded. Keiichi started trembling uncontrollably with excitement.

“Hey, Keiichi,” Rena started, “Have you heard about a murder that happened recently here?”

Keiichi froze. He turned so his back faced her.

“Like a missing arm-“ Rena continued.

Keiichi cut her off.

“I don't know.” He interrupted.

He turned back to face her and smiled.

“What I mean is, I transferred here a year before you did, so I don't know much.” He explained.

“Oh…” Rena said quietly.

“Lemme walk you home. It's getting late.” Keiichi said, changing the subject.

Rena nodded. She and Keiichi walked down the path. She shoved the murder thoughts to the deepest confines of her mind.