Happy pills. They were a new type of drug that was supposed to make you feel happier than usual. Excessive amounts even led to extreme happiness. At first, the world went crazy for these happy pills. Who didn’t want to be happy? And they seemed to pose no major risk.

But then the truth came to light. The first person died. Then the second. Dying with an eerie smile on their face, every single one of their bodies were subjected to large amounts of this miracle happy pill. Those who didn’t die claimed to have felt extreme anxiety, depression, and hallucinations, all with a smile on their face.

The FDA and world was quick to ban and get rid of the happy pills, as they posed a serious threat to humanity, though scientists never found out what they did to the human brain. But of course, not all drugs can be completely stopped from being produced… and given out.

You were just a normal school student at a normal school. You had friends, a family, and good teachers. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Or at least you thought so.

Scaramouche was a good friend of yours. You were never the best of friends, but still close. He was a very sarcastic yet fun person to be around. He always had a smirk on his face. But lately you felt that something was off.

It was subtle. He laughed a little too hard or couldn’t stop smiling. It seemed natural, and perhaps you were just being paranoid. But he often got sick, yet laughed it off when he returned to school. You started to feel worried and concerned.

It was another day of school when you were talking with your friends. One of them pointed out how Scaramouche didn’t come to school yesterday.

“Oh, it’s just my weak immune system again. It’s so pathetic honestly! It can’t be that hard to stay healthy, right? Hahaha!” Scaramouche laughed at his own words, and everyone else laughed along. But you could tell something was weird about him…