Betterman EP17 - Dream

Keita and Hinoki, still on their date, stand on the beach in the town where Hinoki grew up. Keita must be doing something right, because Hinoki closes her eyes and puckers her lips. It's the moment Keita has been waiting for, but halfway through their kiss he realizes that he's kissing his best friend, Ushii.

He pulls away and runs off, but Ushii chases him. What can save Keita from this unexpected predicament? Just one thing: his alarm clock. Keita wakes up -- alone -- and heads off for school, where his classmates have been replaced by the crash test dummies that had tried to kill him. Before he can get too frightened, he again wakes up, this time with his head on his desk.

Keita isn't alone in experiencing horrible nightmares. Hinoki and Mr. Akamatsu suffer from them as well. Yanagi is familiar with their troubles, as he's plagued by visions of his dead brother whenever he closes his eyes. He may have finally figured out the source of his anguish -- or is he trapped in yet another dream?

Where does the dream end and reality begin? And who has cast this spell over the Akamatsu Industries team, robbing them of their ability to tell the difference? Whoever it is, the spell is very powerful. Even Betterman isn't above falling victim to its power.