Chouchou Kumo

In a small, depopulated island in the Seto Inland Sea, best friends Kiyo, Kanta, and Goma lead their quiet daily lives. Their world changes when a transfer student arrives from Tokyo, and soon the pale-skinned, cute girl Ritsuka begins spending time with the trio—but what lies ahead for them? This story originally appeared as a one-shot in the anthology volume *Bitter - Nakechau Koi Monogatari*. During her first year of middle school, Koizumi Kana is deeply in love with Fujimoto. Her infatuation causes her to build an entirely fictional image of him in her mind, driving her to commit all sorts of foolish acts, even going so far as to steal a piece of pencil lead. But when Fujimoto suddenly asks her out, she is forced to face the truth: he is not the person she imagined. In her second year, Mitsuki Abe endures repeated sexual harassment, which gradually breeds a strong distrust of all men. When Torii is falsely accused of groping Abe, he resolves to track down the real culprit. Matters grow more complicated when Torii accidentally kisses her, betraying her trust in the process. Can Abe ever bring herself to trust another man? And will Torii manage to unmask the true offender—and perhaps become the sole exception to her hatred? In her third year, the cherry blossoms scatter.