<noinclude> <nowiki>*</nowiki> = optional row <PRE>
</PRE> </noinclude>Kokoro iya shi-hen (心 癒 し編, Heart-Healing Chapter) is a manga-only chapter. It is an epilogue to Matsuribayashi-hen in which Furude Rika and their friends go on a summer vacation to recover from all they have been through.
Rika eagerly asks what to do during the summer break. Mion laments that she has to prepare for her high school entrance exams. To herself, Rika laments that she has forgotten how to be a child. Feeling sad for Rika, Hanyū decides to ask each of the others are doing for ideas. Keiichi states that he visited Angel Mort with Kameda and others, then helped his father prepare for a gallery showing. Finding this unhelpful, Hanyū consults Mion; however, Mion is in the process of being harangued by Shion as she tries to study. Rena is doing a lot of chores so she will have free time with her father. She finds Satoko cleaning her old house. Satoko explains she cleans it periodically for when Satoshi returns. Hanyū pats her on her head and assures her that Satoshi will be happy. That night, Rika places covers over the sleeping Satoko as she remarks that she did not know Satoko did that. Hanyū reveals that everyone has a goal for the summer, and she decides to invite Rika on a trip outside of Hinamizawa.
Hanyū figures that they can at least travel outside of the prefecture. Rika responds that she can have fun with her friends in Hinamizawa. When Hanyū protests profusely, Rika comically knocks her on the head and demands that they go to sleep. She is awoken in the morning by a call from Akasaka Mamoru. He thanks her for the Watanagashi Festival, and she asks if she has recovered from his wife's wrath. He mentions that his daughter Miyuki has been asking when she can play with Rika again. He invites her to Tōkyō, and Hanyū and Satoko eagerly await her response. Satoko asks her why she responded that she will think about it while Hanyū has a comic tantrum over wanting to go to Tōkyō. Rika explains that she knows Rika's "circumstances." Later while Satoko endures a blood draw from Irie, Hanyū burst in to tell Irie to encourage Rika to travel to Tōkyō. Some elderly patients hear this and react. The rumor immediately spreads to others, including Mion, Rena, and Keiichi who asks if Akasaka is adopting Rika. Rika assures them all that she will remain a child of Hinamizawa.
When Rika asks if it is safe for the "Queen Carrier" to leave Hinamizawa, Irie assures Rika that that her levels have stabilized markly to make it safe for a few days. When Rika finds Hanyū excitedly talking about how everyone will go to Tōkyō, she eats a green pepper as revenge that even she finds more effective than kimchi. As Satoko consoles the suffering Hanyū, Rika relents and agrees to travel. Rena enters Take Home Mode over "Tsundere Rika," Keiichi vows to take the lead showing the sights, Mion looks forward to a break from studies, and Satoko refuses to be left alone. Chie Rumiko enters sick from a summer cold, but treating it with curry despite Irie's protests, to protest children traveling so far on their own. After suitably putting Chie to bed, Irie offers to chaperone them only to have Shion darkly remind him of his responsibilities towards the village, including Satoshi. Shion comically "whips" him then turns her attention to her sheepish sister who meekly asks for a study break. Keiichi distracts Shion by dragging everyone away under the lie of volunteering for a village cleaning brigade. He then encourages them all to go on their own then apologize to adults later. He imitates apologizing to Rena's father by promising to marry Rena, which excites Rena and irritates Mion. Later, Shion forgives her sister over the phone, while promising that the Sonozaki will take care of her if she fails her exam, while reminding her that is a last resort. Since she plans to spend some time visiting Satoshi, she grants Mion a brief respite.
Satoko eagerly packs her bags with rope and other trap gear as she excitedly asks Rika about Tōkyō. Rika reminds her that they are trying to sneak out without adults noticing; Satoko regrets not having the opportunity to trap Keiichi on the way. As she helps Satoko repack, she notices Hanyū looking at them. She asks her why she is looking at them "strange," to which Hanyū protests against Rika accusing a "maiden" for having a perverted expression. As Rika wonders about Hanyū claim to be a "maiden," Hanyū explains that she is worried about the others being able to sneak off without getting in trouble with their parents. Satoko encourages Hanyū to have faith in the rest while admitting that when Keiichi succeeds or fails, he does so completely. In her mind, Rika feels that Hanyū's expression reminded her of when Hanyū would fear that whatever success they had in past lives would always end in tragedy. Rika wonders why she has misgivings about the trip.
In his home, sneaking by his parents who are working late on his father's artwork, opens his door only to find Rena looking in at him. Before he can scream, Rena slams her hand over his mouth. His parents remark that perhaps Keiichi made a "weird noise," but "it's the same as usual," then return to work. When he asks how she got past her father, she reveals that two beers knocked him out. Meanwhile, Shion gets herself in character to act as Mion for a day; Mion promises to take her place at Angel Mort later. Mion conveys them to the well hidden in the Estate bunker. Keiichi recalls their attempts to use it to escape from the Yamainu. Mion leads them on, while Shion demands a souvenir, and they make it to the passage. As they walk, in the dark, Mion tries to joke that she fears some spirits may reside there. Shinning her flashlight up to her face, Rika says, as the Furude miko, she can see the spirits whose hands extend out to them. Behind her is Hanyū with hands extending from the blackness. They all run in panic, including Hanyū, whom Rika teases since she is Oyashiro-sama. They make it to the exit which is covered by vines and roots since no one has passed through it in a very long time. While the rest panic, Rena takes charge with her axe. Free, they find themselves in a dark forest with Mion not exactly sure of their location. When Keiichi starts to walk, he steps into a noose trap which indicates that they are on Satoko's "trap mountain." Satoko, while admitting that she had hoped to trap Keiichi at some point, does not recall setting this particular trap as Keiichi demands she let him down.
While Satoko insists that she did not set this trap, Rena informs Keiichi that it will take some time to bring him down since he is suspended over a deep drop. Keiichi hears cracking and sees the rope starting to unravel. Keiichi dramatically apologizes for "retiring" before the trip as the rope breaks and he falls. Mion rushes to find him, but Rena holds her back since she fears other traps. Rika notices that Satoko is completely distraught. Hanyū explains that three years ago when Satoko suffered from problems with her parents then a year ago when she was bullied by her uncle and aunt she planted sharpened bamboo stakes. In a flashback, Satoshi takes her away by the hand, and Hanyū explains that she has not returned to this mountain since he disappeared, and this mountain is different from the one where they beat the Yamainu. Hanyū suggests that it is better for Satoko to forget that the time when she was L5. As Mion and Rena beg the panicking Satoko to explain how to safely reach Keiichi, Rika orders them to stop and not corner her. They both apologize, and Satoko thanks Rika for protecting her while explaining that Mion and Rena became desperate when she could not answer.png.png them. Finding her determination, Satoko decides to lead them to find Keiichi.
They find Keiichi suspended from a sharpened bamboo stake by his backpack which prevented him from hitting the ground. Rika declares this a greater miracle than their triumph in Matsuribayashi-hen, but Hanyū insists that she did not do anything. Rika suspects Keiichi's luck is unlimited. Crying, Satoko hugs Keiichi while calling him an "idiot" for making her worry. A relieved Rena and Mion join in in blaiming him. When he asks if they are completely lost, Mion suggests that they wait until the Sun rises, and they can then take the first train. First, they have to find a place to spend the night.
Keiichi offers to take Satoko's hand. As she protests over being treated as a child, and Rena teases him for "drooling for the women," Satoko smiles as she imagines it is her brother. They all walk holding hands in a line, with Mion slightly blushing as she holds Keiichi's other hand. To herself, Rika finds that even in the darkness it is fun since everyone is together, and they have passed June 1983.
Mion stops suddenly and declares that she has seen the place before. She recalls her and her sister playing in the area after using the Sonozaki well despite knowing their grandmother will punish them for using it. She finds a place to rest. She points to an old storage hut for food used during WWII. Back in her memory, Mion recalls Shion opening a package Kasai gave her which contained canned goods. Mion recalls that Shion stopped eating canned goods after hearing a scary story about them, and he wishes Mion to help Shion overcome the fear. Mion refused and chibi threw the cans away.
Searching the hut, she finds some of the cans, but they are swollen. Hanyū comforts Mion to not sulk and offers to share her favorite shū cream (Japanese cream puff) with Mion only to find it smushed. As Hanyū "Auu~! Auu~!"s, and Mion tries to comfort her, Rika wonders if that was Hanyū's only luggage. Meanwhile, Rena reveals that she packed an impressive spread of food as Hanyū tearfully bites into her smashed cream puff.
As usual, Keiichi and Satoko fight over food, but everyone enjoys Rena's food. Keiichi, then Satoko, notice that they are itchy. To Rika's shock, Rena also admits that she is itching as she scratches at her throat. Mion joins in, and Rika fears an outbreak of the Hinamizawa Syndrome until she realizes that she is also itchy. Mion lights a flashlight and realizes that they are surrounded by mosquitoes. The ever-prepared Rena produces a mosquito net as Rika sprays repellant. After they hang up all of the netting, Satoko falls asleep against Keiichi's arm. When asked if she should also go to sleep, Rika responds that she is used to staying up late. Suddenly, Hanyū announces that she always lectures Rika to get more sleep since failure to do so is stunting her growth. Rika claims that despite this her breasts are already bigger than Satoko's. Hanyū retorts that she is more worried about Rika's growth hormone which causes Rika to produce a jar of spicy kimchi. Rena interrupts to delightfully tell Hanyū that Rika looks just like her mother. This startles Rika. Keiichi deems that Rika is cute and should stay that way which elicits comic violence from Hanyū. Now in full Cute Mode, Rena remarks that Hanyū acts like a mother. Rika becomes serious, places the jar behind her back, and calmly announces that they should go to sleep. Mion and Rena turn away embarrassed. Both stammer a bit as they wonder where, exactly, Keiichi will sleep. Ever an iron grip upon dry sand of a clue, Keiichi interprets this to mean that as the only guy, he will sleep on the outer edge to protect everyone which both Rena and Mion realizes that will allow one person to sleep next to him. Both imagine watching him sleep with Mion hoping to feel his breath and Rena contemplating waking up before everyone else to take him home. Rika senses their machinations. When each starts asking the other where she plans to sleep, Rika intervenes to declare that like the kanji for "river" (川・kawa), the "child" sleeps in the middle between the "parents." This results in Rika sleeping between Satoko and a smiling Hanyū, who sleeps next to Keiichi, with the disappointed Rena and Mion sleeping next to Satoko. 
Rika recalls for a moment being a very little girl happily helping her father with the mosquito netting over the bed she shared with her parents. Hanyū says her name and hugs her, thanking her for this adventure she has enjoyed. She reminds Rika that she can now enjoy her life without the fear of people trying to kill her. Rika recalls staring at a Watanagashi Festival game with dread as she remarks that life before was nothing but repeating pain until the horrible nights after the Festival. She then asks Hanyū that she remembers as a very small child, before she entered the "loop," playing with the netting at night, and she believes she saw Hanyū sitting and watching and smiling. Hanyū recalls that she watched Rika sleeping like the kanji for "river." Rika laments that she can no longer have back the time with her parents, but she can be with her friends. Hanyū laughs and gently admonishes her as a "really bad sleeper" then tells her to close her eyes. As Rika falls asleep, Hanyū hopes time will heal her. Meanwhile, Rena's father read her note and panics as he calls parents to announce their kids are missing. Keiichi's parents did not know his absence. The resulting unrest finally comes to the attention of Chie Rumiko who drops her curry spoon.
On the phone, Rena's father stirs the panic which includes Keiichi's parents, Kimiyoshi Kiichirō, and Chie Rumiko. Eventually, calls come to Shion. She quickly concludes that that all will be exposed including her. She chibi starts to tip-toe away only to have her grandmother ask her what is going on. Shion tries to play it off, but Oryō stares at her intently regarding her expression desu ne (ですね). Oryō realizes that she accidentally used the polite and formal language she always uses which Mion never uses. Fortunately, Oryō slyly responds with the "you're too early" idiom for her to understand her ability to trick someone from revealing the truth. Oryō declares that she cannot retire as Head of the Sonozaki Family and slams shut the doors to her room. Kimiyoshi arrives frantic and apologizing for being late. Shion wonders if Oryō actually overlooked her mistake and concludes it is best to confess before things get worse. She confesses to Kimiyoshi that she is Shion, but he becomes more upset that Mion is also missing. Meanwhile, Keiichi's father tries to calm down the panicking Mr. Ryūgū. When Rena's father demands to know why he is not worried, Maebara Ichirō reminds that all of the kids are together. He then ruins it by suspecting that if it had just been Keiichi and Rena, then they would really have to worry. His wife hushes him as Mr. Ryūgū. freaks further.
A sick Chie enters, asks everyone to calm down, then formally bows while presenting a plate of curry.
Keiichi's mother tries to comfort her. Chie reveals that she learned from Kimiyoshi that Satoko and Rika are also missing. She then adds that she learned that Shion impersonated Mion, and she recalls all of the kids talking about visiting Tōkyō. While Rena's father continues to panic, Keiichi's father admires his son's ambition: "Not bad, Keiichi." Chie concludes that they must consult the police, and Ōishi Kuraudo answer.png.pngs the phone. When told it is a missing person's case, Ōishi notes that it is not yet the next Watanagashi Festival.
Sleeping, Rika thinks she hears a lullaby and remembers her mother singing to her when she would have a nightmare. It is Hanyū singing and hoping that Rika will sleep soundly. The next morning, they are rudely awaken by the sound of a higurashi at 5 A.M. Hanyū greets Rika, but she notices that Rika has tears in her eyes which Rika quickly rubs away. She confesses that she had a nostalgic dream. Hanyū patiently listens, but Rika feels embarrassed. Rika then hugs and greets Satoko who is trying to brush her teeth.
Mion takes charge since the first train to Nagoya leaves at 6:30 A.M. Keiichi wonders if Akasaka knows how many people are coming. Rika confesses she concluded that if he knew so many were visiting without telling their parents, he would object, but if they just show up, he cannot. Keiichi concludes that Rika will grow up to be a "splendid wicked woman." As they walk, Hanyū suggests holding hands since the footing is bad. Rika wonders if it is because Hanyū wears geta. Hanyū merely giggles and blushes.
When they reach flat ground, Satoko starts to run followed by Rena. When Rika tries to run, Hanyū holds on and looks sad. When Rika suddenly breaks free, she falls forward on her face. As the rest run to her, Rika notices that Hanyū has disappeared. She hears Hanyū's voice apologize for tripping her. Rika turns and sees Hanyū dressed in her miko robes. Rika rushes to her, but the rest do not see her. Rika asks why she is dressed in her miko clothes and asks her to hurry and come to her. Hanyū sadly pushes her away, and the rest remain confused. Rika asks Mion to stand next to Hanyū and tell her what she sees. Mion admits that she cannot see anything. The rest suggest that they look for Hanyū. As they rush off, Rika asks Hanyū why she does not follow. Hanyū sadly notes that for all their time wandering in Hinamizawa, "it was only natural for us to be together." She explains she thought that a trip to Tōkyō would be a chance for Rika to be away from her.
Rika protests as Hanyū explains that she needs to be separated from her parent. Rika tries to forcibly carry Hanyū forward and fails. Hanyū gently explains that because Rika has lives so long in her repeated lives, she has forgotten her appropriate age and needs the opportunity to grow up. She then reminds Rika that when she returns home, she will be there. However, Rika cries that the reason she wanted to leave was because she thought Hanyū wanted to travel outside Hinamizawa.
Her friends only see her kneeling on the ground crying. Hanyū insists that she go to Tōkyō, then jokingly asks her not to eat too much spicy foods. Rika finally turns to her friends and explains that Hanyū realized that she had to return to Hinamizawa and asked them to go without her. As they leave, Rika hears Hanyū encourage her to "fight"; Rika turns and tearfully waves. Inwardly castigates herself for crying when separated from Hanyū, particularly since it makes her nose embarrassingly run. Amongst themselves, her friends worry about Hanyū. Ōishi arrives to announce that their journey is over, and Rika's friends quickly enter his car, and tell him to return immediately to Hinamizawa. Rika stands surprised; Keiichi responds that they want to see Hanyū. Rika rushes into the car and hugs Keiichi. As they drive, Ōishi kindly admonishes them that they need to get permission from their parents. He then asks if they enjoyed their one-night adventure. Rika smiles as they happily relate what happened.
Back at the house Rika shares with Satoko, Hanyū seems sad until she finds some sweets in the refrigerator. As she eats the shū she is surprised that it tastes salty and realizes that she has been crying. She says Rika's name, and Rika appears behind her with Satoko. As Rika violently hugs her, Hanyū wonders why she is there, and Satoko sarcastically notes they could as Hanyū the same thing. Inwardly, Rika is overjoyed that Satoko can now see Hanyū again.
As parents talk, and Shion confesses to Mion that Oryō figured it out, Ōishi calls Akasaka Mamoru. Hanyū smiles as she reads through a book of memories of the Summer of 1983. She wears a turtleneck sweater, and outside there is ice and snow. Rika, wearing a winter coat, happily exits a train during the Spring Break of 1984. She immediately finds a payphone to tell Hanyū that she has arrived in Tōkyō. Outside the station, Akasaka waits with Miyuki for her. Rika continues talking with Hanyū on the phone. Hanyū slips into her maternal mode, warning Rika not to go to strange places and ask help from adults. She finally lets up and asks Rika to bring back some limited Tōkyō shū creams.
