Narcissu

Narcissu (ナルキッソス, Narukissosu) is a free visual novel by the dōjin group stage-nana, telling the story of a terminally ill young man, the unnamed protagonist, and woman, Setsumi.

Protagonist

• (after Setsumi tells him getting medication for her would be futile) It was as she said. I didn't think the same meds would do a thing for her either. But it was just too hard for me to sit there and do nothing, even if I knew that.
• (to Setsumi) ...w-why do you have to be like that...? You and your incessant 'not really's...W-wouldn't it be nice...to look straight forward for a bit?!
• "There was only one picture recorded of her smile in this cheap throwaway camera...but it was proof that we lived."

Setsumi

• ...my time was at a standstill...I'd spent so many seasons, so many white overcast skies...without the want or need to converse with anybody...just when did I become all alone...?
• Even if I closed my eyes, the real world didn't disappear...Even if I covered my ears, the sound of the rain would not stop. I knew that all too well.
• I knew that my scars...were about as deep as they possibly could be, and that they required much time to be fully healed...But if I were to wait patiently for that long time, was I then to be denied any hope of recovery? In that case...what was to become of me and my 22 years of life...?
• ...it isn't so easy...for me to face forward...It might be easy if you can yearn, hope, persist...if you can keep believing you'll be rewarded someday...But what can you do when your wish doesn't come true? When that time comes, I'm not so strong that I can smile and say it wasn't for nothing...T-the only thing I can do...is to give up from the beginning, wish for nothing...observe myself coldly...tell myself it's all useless...that's all I can do...W-when that time comes, even if I'm trying my hardest...even if...For me...there's nothing left but that last excuse...Because I've known this was futile ever since the beginning...S-so...c-can't you...leave me with at least that...?