[VN] Yume Miru Kusuri

Next day, normal day at school. You are wide awake and focused, able to have a fruitful day in class. Soon school is over and you get invited by Iogi to play some basketball after school. You tell him that you need to return some books to the library, but he insists that you come after returning the books. You agree and make your way to the library. The librarian at the front desk is sleeping. You try not to wake her up and place the books gently on the front desk and tear a paper out to write a note. However, she wakes up from the noise... quite loudly


I didn't do anything...

Is she afraid? You try to calm her down, but she backs away, cowering in fear. The head librarian comes over and reprimands you for bothering her and breaking the quiet of the library. You apologize and leave. In the end, you go home and wonder about what Nekoko did with her money. You try to call her, but realize you do not have her number. You soon fall asleep.

Next day, normal school day. Proper one too since you got another night of good rest. Soon school is over and you head your way to the convenience store for work. You meet Nekoko at the entrace. You immediately ask the question on your mind, "What did you do with the money you earned?"



After receiving the answer you hope to not here, you find out she bought cheap stuff with the money, since she couldn't afford the more expensive one. You try to get her to save her money buy telling her to save for the expensive one. She tells you that the effects of the fairy drug she bought wasn't very good. You become seriously concerned, since she could be developing a resistance to the lower grade drug and will looking to buy the higher grade. You contemplate on what to do, but can't exactly figure out an answer. Going to the authorities seems like out of the question...

The two head into the store to begin work. Tsubaki talks casually to Nekoko. They seem to get along very well. Then work shift ends, uneventfully. You begin to hang out with her more and do the usual, running away.

However, she seems different. More irritated and agitated.



You realize she is having withdrawal effects, as she is unable to obtain the drug anymore. You try to calm her down, telling her to rest and everything will be well, but she doesn't. Finally you try to reason with her, saying the Fairy Home will always be there and won't go away and tell her calm down once more. You see her hesitate and embrace her. She seems a bit surprised, but you realize the feelings you had towards her.



After confessing, she seems to have calmed down. You give her a soft kiss and she
seem to get a little shy. Glad to know that you feel that way about her, she relaxes and says she won't show up to work anymore. After exchanging a few more words, she departs.

Next day, school ends as usual and you go to work. Nekoko is not there. Hirofumi asks if anything is wrong and you hesitate again, wondering how much to tell him. He encourages you and you decide to tell him everything. He realizes and makes you realize the seriousness of the situation.



You think more on why she could be using drugs and come up with possibilities. Perhaps she, like you, leads a life where everything is monotonous and wants to change it. But you know that drugs are not the way to do it... You are determined to stop her at all costs and decide to investigate more on this Fairy Powder that she buys. After leaving the store, you hear a voice



A soft, timid voice of a girl pleads, wanting anything with what she can. He makes an offer that she can get anything she wants if she goes and sees a man, but she quietly refuses. Somehow, the dealer gives in and gives her a bit of the drug. You realize this is your chance and try to investigate without being too suspicious.

You walk up to him, asking what he is selling. He is suspicious at first, but then you tell him that you want to purchase some drugs. Seeing that you are a customer, he opens out his wares and asks what you want. You inquire about the drug that the girl before bought.



You quickly buy some and run back to the store. Tsubaki fortunately is still at the store, and you show him the drug you bought. He quickly takes you behind the counter and examines the drug. After some assessment, he asks if the girl you saw was Nekoko.



You firmly are resolved to stop Nekoko now and plan to stop her at any cost

Next day, you try to find a way to meet Nekoko, but the problem is answered as you receive a call from her. A call from a pay phone as usual. You meet her in the square again in front of the tree. She waves as you approach and you ask her that you want to have a talk. She ignores your offer and proclaims she found the entrance to the Fairy Home. You realize she is probably on drugs again, and try to persuade her out of it. But suddenly, you become a little conscious. You have, after all, been playing along and agreeing with her. What would happen if you refuse to cooperate now and tell her the truth? She then begins to climb the tree, and take out more of the drug, intending to take some more. You stop her. She becomes agitated and continues anyways. You finally knock it out of her hands.







You try to reason with her to stop



She begins to cry, realizing that you are not supporting her actions anymore



You begin to tell her your life story, how she brought color to your colorless life. How she was so energetic all the time. How you wished to be like her... If only I could get close to her, perhaps, I could live a more meaningful life... However, you realized this was artificial as well. Drugs are not the solution to problems. There is plenty of time to fix problems and make amends. She however does not hear your pleads.



Leaving no choice, you quickly follow up after her as well. She quickly reaches the top and shouts to the heavens for the entrance to open.



Suddenly, she expression on her face changes and she becomes pale



You realize the drug effects must have wore off. You cry out to her trying to help her but refuses to listen. She cries in fear and shouts at you to go away. You call out in a gentle voice, trying to calm her down but are unable to accomplish anything. She suddenly then takes out her pill case, clearly intending to take more of the drug. You cry out telling her not to rely on it, but she doesn't listen. Shaking she takes out more of the powder, but she loses her balance, and drops her pill case. You call out, telling her to be careful, but she isn't focused on anything but the case she just dropped. She reaches out trying to catch it but loses her balance and begins to fall. You dive after her and catch her, but you begin to fall as well. You fall expecting a big crash, but realize you landed on something soft. A pile of cushions lay where you fell. The crowds must have place them in case something like this would happen.
Police immediately comes and takes both of you in.

Next day, you get called to the principle office. Along with your parents, you make your way thinking about the incident. You are glad that your parents are there. Although they scold you for what happened, you realize they do truly care about you. Even though you are a foster child, you realize that they still care about you as an actual son. Thinking upon this, you wonder how Nekoko's parents feel about her...

You enter the principal's office with your parents and see a quiet girl. She is the librarian that you met the other day.



Then you realize who she really is.
They go over the incident last night, and realize that she has been taking drugs.

Nekoko, or Sakurai, quietly hangs her head. Her father attempts to take all the blame on her daughter as you are an honor student, and am worried about this affecting your career. Your father however interrupts. He does not deny what she has done, but realize that I got involved in the situation as well, voluntarily; that you tried to help her but did not succeed.



They try to decide a what to do. What must be done in a situation like this. The Principal decides that he must hear this from the point of view Sakurai as well. He asks her why she took drugs, but she remains silent. Her parents desperately try to get her to talk. She however continues to not say anything. You realize something is wrong, why would she not even try to defend herself? You realize that something is not right about her right now. The principal unfortunately makes the announcement that she must be withdrawn from school, as she was in possession of narcotics. The parents clamor over the announcement, asking what is to become of her future?



You are in disbelief at their insensitive words. You suddenly grab her and take her hand and call out Nekoko's name. This seems to bring her out and you get a reaction



You leave and take her out of the office, ignoring the words of the Principal. You take her away, to the park find a solitude place. You try to calm her down by making small talk.



"Why would I?", you respond. She mentions how she dragged you into this mess... You respond saying you knew all this and voluntarily decide to be with her.
She confesses to you, that she is weak, and everyone says she is weak, and wanted to be someone else. Someone new, someone different than her old self. She received a sample trial of drugs.









She begins to shake and weep. You try to calm her down.



You try your best, but am unsure of what to say or do.



You reassure her that you are here for her





You decide to risk it and ask her to become Nekoko once more
Procuring the pill you bought earlier, you split it into two and give a half to her. After deciding on a place to meet you depart.

Later that evening, Nekoko is there in her usual demeanor. Is she really the same person as Sakurai? You offer her some food and eat reminiscing how this used to be part of everyday life. You decide to take the pill as well and follow her to the tree again.

Both of you reach the top and see the Fairy Home



You can see it as well. It must be the hallucinations from the drug. She makes her way, trying to ascend the stairs to the Fairy Home. She calls back to you, wondering why you are not following her. You explain, you are searching for a Fairy Home. Perhaps not one exactly that she is searching, but you followed her around and helped her.



She then looks at you, as if she understood something and starts to climb down



You ask, why? Is that not what you have been looking for all along?







You then sneak back into school and go to the library.
You spend the night and morning comes

After waking up, you decide to go back home, then suddenly Sakurai tells you that she can't return. You realize she is going to be leaving, as if you will never see her again. You try to stop her, but can't move or think very straight. She tells you that she needs to improve herself.





She really did leave. She does not attend school anymore, nor is she there at her house. In fact her family moved suddenly. You return back to life, back to school as an honor student, but you feel different. You are not living just for the sake of living anymore. Things have changed somehow after telling your family everything that you went through. It is as if we are a true family now...


Your sister is watching TV after dinner. It is about a new theme park, called Cat Sidhe Wonderland, and how it has opened. Just then, you get an envelope. You realize it is two tickets to the premier of the theme park. You begin to make connections, knowing this is too much of a coincidence... Your mind wanders back to Nekoko...

So on the opening day, you take your sister to the theme park. After playing though most of the attraction, it becomes dark. You offer to return home but your sister thinks otherwise



She encourages you and you decide to hang around a bit longer



You hurriedly make your way to the Ferris Wheel. Nervous, you wait there waiting, just waiting. for her to show up. Then suddenly you hear footsteps


At last

Silence ensues... You realize you should be the first to talk and try to make some conversation happen. However, she interrupts and asks a question


Oh you're worried about that

You reply with your sister and she let's sigh of relief




haha







Silence returns again... You quickly try to bring back conversation. You ask how she has been.
She seems a bit surprised...



So she tells you how she told everything to her parents and everything worked out. They listened to her and realized what she needed. She went to the hospital that night



You tell her how selfish that was of her. You did after all, had to endure through her sudden departure.



She begins to cry again, and you can't help but feel sorry as well. She then tells that she was hired by the theme park company for her ideas that she came up with.



So they hired her after reading through all her ideas





She thanks you again and tries to repay her gratitude. You are confused on what this could be, then the sky is lit by brilliant fireworks...



and finally