Fuko was truly a lovely girl. To help her fulfill her wish of having her sister's wedding blessed by everyone, the Furukawa family even got involved in carving the starfish.
Afterward, Fuko handed out these starfish carvings as gifts to every student she encountered in school, hoping they would attend her sister's wedding and offer their blessings.
As they worked together to spread the word, they all formed deep bonds of friendship.
It was just then that Tomoya Okazaki heard some shocking news:
Fuko Ibuki did indeed have an older sister named Kouko Ibuki.
This sister had been a teacher at the school, but she had left three years ago.
She also had a younger sister, but this sister had been in a serious car accident and had been hospitalized ever since, never waking up.
After learning this, Kawasaki Toshihiko was completely stunned.
Nani?!
So, that rumor about the ghost in the school... was it referring to Fuko?
If that Fuko was still lying in the hospital, then who was the Fuko currently by everyone's side?
In reality, in the game, both were Fuko. Or rather, the one lying in the hospital was Fuko's physical body, and she had become a ghost appearing in the school to fulfill her sister's wish to get married.
The only regret was that when Tomoya and Nagisa brought Fuko before her sister, Kouko, she couldn't see her. It was as if only Nagisa Furukawa and Tomoya Okazaki stood before her, with no third person present.
Playing this part, Kawasaki Toshihiko's heart skipped a beat.
But it shouldn't matter, he thought.
He could only say that the scriptwriter's imagination was truly rich to have created such a story.
Though he had a bad feeling, Kawasaki sincerely hoped that the physical Fuko in the hospital would one day wake up.
"She'll wake up, right?" Kawasaki muttered to himself.
At this, he couldn't help but swallow hard, then picked up the beer on the table and took a gulp to calm his nerves.
"Because of my sister, I don't know if I should accept these blessings and have a wedding. The thought that I might not be able to fully stay by Fuko's side after marriage makes me feel terribly guilty toward her."
Ibuki Kouko truly was a kind and gentle older sister, placing her own happiness behind her sister's.
Fortunately, the wedding preparations proceeded smoothly after that. With Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa's persuasion, Kouko finally understood that her sister Fuko's greatest wish was for her sister to have a wedding and find happiness.
If she were to wake up, she would surely want the same.
With this in mind, Kouko gladly accepted their suggestion.
Moreover, she had already decided on the wedding venue—
Right here, at the school.
After all, Kouko had once been a teacher at the school, and her sister had been a student there. They both shared deep affection and beautiful memories of the place.
Everything seemed to be heading in a wonderful direction.
However, the plot was about to take a sharp turn for the worse.
Just as Kawasaki Toshihiko was basking in the warmth and joy of the campus, believing the wedding would be a perfect success...
Ibuki Kouko brought terrible news: "The doctor says Fuko's condition has worsened. There's a good chance she'll never wake up again."
Of course, that was a gentle way of putting it. The real meaning was that Fuko's body probably couldn't hold on much longer.
Hearing this, Nagisa Furukawa couldn't help but burst into tears.
Seeing her face covered in tears, Kawasaki Toshihiko felt a pang of sorrow in his heart and almost wept like a man.
What?!
Damn it.
What kind of plot twist is this?
Are they really going to stab me in the heart with a knife?
Who wrote this script?
If something really happens to Fuko, Kawasaki Toshihiko is tempted to carve up the Producer.
"Please be human, Kogahara Tsubakiaki. Kouko's words just now must be fake, right?"
There were actually many twists and turns in this game. Just when you thought it was heading in one direction, it would suddenly veer off in the opposite direction.
Isn't happiness the main theme of the game?
Kawasaki Toshihiko comforted himself. There will be a change later, right?
But the story that followed had no twists.
In fact, it only became more heartbreaking.
The first one to notice something was wrong was the male protagonist's best friend, Sunohara.
He watched as students walked right past Fuko, ignoring her desperate pleas and the starfish carving she held out to them.
At first, he wanted to teach those rude bastards a lesson. But then Sunohara suddenly realized—
They truly couldn't see Fuko.
They didn't even remember she ever existed.
"What?!"
Kawasaki Toshihiko felt a wave of nausea. What did this mean? Why couldn't they see Fuko? Why were they forgetting her?
Damn it, I'm going to kill that bastard Kogahara Tsubakiaki!
Now that he'd noticed something was wrong, Kawasaki knew there was no turning back. A terrible premonition filled his heart, but the plot had already progressed this far. If he didn't keep watching, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
The game continued.
One by one, the people around them gradually forgot Fuko's existence.
It seemed to be happening in order of their emotional bonds with her.
The first to forget were the strangers she barely knew, then the Fujibayashi twins...
Even her good buddy Sunohara's memories of Fuko began to fade.
It seemed only the Furukawa family and the male protagonist could still see Fuko and remember everything that had happened.
Sunohara grew increasingly uneasy and suggested going to the hospital to see Ibuki Kouko's younger sister.
"Don't go!" Tomoya Okazaki stopped him. "If you go, you'll probably forget about Fuko."
For some reason, he had a strong premonition.
Sure enough, just as he had predicted, when Sunohara returned from visiting Fuko at the hospital, he had completely forgotten her and could no longer see her.
When Tomoya and Nagisa Furukawa brought Fuko back to the Furukawa home, they found Furukawa's father looking frustrated.
"There's something really important I'm trying to remember, but I just can't. Damn it."
"It's Fuko! Fuko!" Kawasaki Toshihiko almost shouted.
This part of the story was just too painful.
How could anyone forget such a cute girl like Fuko?
Just then, Nagisa's mother came downstairs, her eyes fixed on the group standing at the entrance.
"You're back? Nagisa, Okazaki-kun... and Fuko." She smiled.
Ah~ Seeing this, Kawasaki Toshihiko felt a wave of relief. At least Mom still remembered.
"Did you have a good day at school?"
She stepped out of the house, facing the entrance.
"So, will you be taking a bath with Nagisa tonight, as usual? Fuko."
At that moment, Kawasaki Toshihiko's heart skipped a beat.
Because Nagisa's mother was facing the doorway, not where Fuko was actually standing.
That meant—
She could no longer see Fuko.
Though she couldn't see Fuko, she had still pretended to, just to give them all a glimmer of hope.
But seeing the expressions on her daughter's and Tomoya's faces, she immediately realized something was wrong and collapsed to her knees.
"I can't see Fuko anymore."
"I went to the hospital today... I heard the news about Teacher Ibuki getting married, and I wondered if Teacher Ibuki's sister was Fuko... So I wanted to see her... But..."
"Just like Akio, my memories of Fuko are gradually fading away... Waaah..."
She wept bitterly, blaming herself for forgetting Fuko.
"Fuko... Fuko is still here, isn't she?" she asked, her tear-filled eyes searching Nagisa's face.
"Yes," Nagisa nodded, her voice trembling with sobs as she gently squeezed Fuko's hand. "She's right here."
Sob...
Dammit!
Toshihiko Kawasaki's vision blurred. He had endured so many losses of memory before, but none had ever hurt this much.
His mother's breakdown had completely shattered his last defenses.
Toshihiko Kawasaki could no longer hold back his own tears.
That evening, Nagisa Furukawa and Tomoya Okazaki held a celebratory dinner with Fuko to fulfill her wish before she vanished completely.
But the next day, Tomoya and Nagisa had forgotten Fuko's existence.
"I can't remember something important..."
Just then, Nagisa noticed she was holding a wooden starfish carving.
"Why am I holding this? It feels important, but I can't remember why."
Damn it! Kawasaki Toshihiko groaned in frustration. Remember her!
No one in the school remembered the girl named Fuko. It was as if she had never existed. A few people still knew her name, but only as Teacher Ibuki's sister. Every memory of things they'd done with her, every moment they'd spent together, had completely faded away.
It was around this time that the school began preparing for Teacher Ibuki's wedding.
As Tomoya and Nagisa walked through the school, they came across Teacher Yukimura, who was busy writing a celebratory banner.
Only when he saw the words "Congratulations on Your Wedding" written on the banner did Tomoya Okazaki finally remember.
Right, Teacher Ibuki Kouko's wedding is coming up soon, isn't it?
"That's right. Weren't you the ones who made this happen?" Teacher Yukimura said with a gentle smile.
"Oh, you're right. I remember now. We worked so hard to make sure Teacher Ibuki could find happiness."
"But... why did we do all that?"
"I have a feeling there was one other person who was desperately determined to make this a reality."
Teacher Yukimura smiled faintly as he rolled up the banner, preparing to leave. "Is it possible that person was Teacher Ibuki's younger sister?"
"Ah!"
In that instant, Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa finally understood. They suddenly remembered.
They turned their heads.
In the scene, where there had been only a blank space, Fuko's adorable figure appeared.
Seeing this, Kawasaki Toshihiko was moved to tears.
Damn it, you finally remembered?
Thank goodness.
You finally remembered.
My Fuko!
At Teacher Ibuki Kouko's wedding, every student from the entire school gathered to offer her their blessings.
Each person held a carved wooden starfish. Though they didn't know why they were doing this, or even what had happened, everyone felt they simply had to.
Attending Teacher Ibuki Kouko's wedding with a starfish was important!
The scene was truly spectacular. Seeing this, Kawasaki Toshihiko felt a lump in his throat, and tears began to well up in his eyes again.
In this atmosphere, Fuko also handed over her starfish, presenting it to her own sister.
It was likely just an illusion, for Fuko's figure was shrouded in a faint, blurring glow, making her look utterly unreal.
And yet, the starfish was clearly held in her sister's hands.
And in this very atmosphere, Fuko completely vanished.
The wedding was held with great ceremony, and Kouko received the blessings of everyone. Fuko's wish had been fulfilled.
A bright sphere of light soared into the sky, as if it were Fuko's soul.
It made no sense, it was inexplicable... but it was still deeply sad.
After that, Tomoya never saw her again, nor did he remember Fuko. However, many legends about the "Ghost Girl" and Ibuki Kouko's younger sister continued to circulate throughout the school.
[ Everyone began to look forward to it. ]
[ Waiting for the day that girl wakes up. ]
[ Of course, I am one of those people. ]
[ Even though I have never met her. ]
[ I find it strange myself. ]
[ So, just like everyone else, I am anxiously awaiting that day. ]
Until one day—
"Um, excuse me."
Hearing someone speak to him, Tomoya Okazaki turned around.
Standing before him was a girl he had never seen before.
It was Fuko, grown up.
Her hair was long, she had grown much taller, and she had already blossomed into a young woman.
Come to think of it, that made sense.
After all, Fuko Ibuki had been lying in the hospital for three years. The childlike Fuko they had seen was merely her from three years ago.
Just seeing her for the first time, Kawasaki Toshihiko, watching the screen, felt an urge to cry.
"What's up? Do you need something?" Tomoya Okazaki asked.
"Um, this, please take this."
Fuko Ibuki handed him a wooden carving.
"What is this?"
"It's a starfish." Fuko Ibuki smiled happily.
In a dream she once had, she dreamed of playing with starfish at the beach. And on that beach, there was another person—
A friend.
They held hands and played happily on the beach. It was the most beautiful dream Fuko Ibuki had ever had.
At that moment, the screen suddenly flashed, turning completely white.
The credits immediately followed:
[ Producer: Kogahara Tsubakiaki ][ Animation Director: Hayao Miyazaki ][ Script: Jun Maeda ]
Eh?
Only now, seeing the staff credits, did Kawasaki Toshihiko realize that the first playthrough had already ended.
Ah...
How did I even end up on Fuko's route?
But, even though he had veered off from Nagisa Furukawa's route onto Fuko's, Kawasaki Toshihiko still felt no regrets. In fact, he even felt—
That being able to stay by the side of such a cute Fuko and experience this tear-jerking, laughter-filled, and deeply moving story was a stroke of luck.
But—
The emotional impact was just too overwhelming.
At least the ending was relatively happy.
It was just missing a portion of his memories.
Thankfully, the ending was okay. Otherwise, Kawasaki Toshihiko would have felt like hacking Kogahara Tsubakiaki to death.
Back at the title screen, Kawasaki Toshihiko felt something was off.
After a closer look, he finally noticed—
Two glowing orbs had appeared beneath the ancient tree on the screen.
Huh?
What's this all about?
Forget it.
There's no time to dwell on it.
Kawasaki Toshihiko restarted the game.
This time, I'm definitely going to win over Nagisa!
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