CD-Bunko
Oretachi no Kinenbi/Inner Dream

I had trouble classifying this, so in the end I've linked it to both Drama CD and novel ;)

I'm not 100% sure when this was released, because the book is dated in Japanese eras not in CE years, but I'm guessing it was probably around 1997ish, before the PLUS novels were written and after the E.M.U live events had taken place. The CD is dated 1997, so that seems to make sense. It comprises a really TINY bunko novel and a mini-CD which features a drama and a song. The book is literally only JUST bigger than the CD sold with it, which if you're familiar with mini-disc releases, tells you just how big it is. In comparison to the PLUS novels which are about 3/4 the size of a manga volume, it's probably about half as big again. Yep, that's pretty tiny!

Oretachi no Kinenbi: The Novel
(Story synopsis coming soon)
Above is the front cover of the mini-novel. I think maybe the covers have discoloured somewhat on mine, sadly, but you still get the picture. The book has illustrations done by a third artist - neither of the manga-ka usually associated with M. I haven't figured out the name yet because name kanji is so random, but the kanji is
越智信次 (Something Shinji I'm guessing, but I wouldn't like to hazard what...if anyone knows please let me know!). The original price was 1000円。


Inner Dream: The CD
The CD comprises two tracks - the drama "Inner Dream" and the live recording of "Girl" from the Equal Live Tour concert. (Heaven only knows why this one...)

The drama plot is another one of those were someone was smoking something strange. It's pseudo-cinderellaish (at least that was my first impression on listening to it, lol). The drama predominately features Nakamoto (yay). It's his birthday, and he's heading home (theoretically) for that reason. However when he goes to feed his cats he realises one of them (a white one) is missing. He's worried she's been in an accident so he looks for her, but can't find her. Then he encounters a strange girl calling herself "Mew" (Myuu) who seems to know him and everything about him. They go to the park together for a while, till the clock chimes and Mew has to leave, saying that it's the promised time for her granted wish to end. She tells him she'll see him next year and she also gives him a birthday present of white mittens. At this point Nakamoto realises who she was...the white cat he had looked for (!). Back at school, Arai and the others tease Nakamoto about the mysterious date he had on his birthday and the odd present. He gets quite wound up at something Yuusuke says and storms off. Worried, Mikimaro hurries after him and finds him with the cats. The white one is there and Nakamoto tells him that the cat's name is "Mew".

What's interesting to the geek in me is that Nakamoto's formal-speak dissipates when he speaks to himself, his cats, and most specifically to Mew. Even when he thinks she's a human, and she calls him Shou-san...he still drops the formality that he uses with his classmates when talking to her.