Yukari Tsubaki/Plot

Overview**Plot**CharacterGallery

**This article does not contain *any* in-line citations, or is in need of *additional* citations.**
Please help improve this page by fixing or adding more citations. Once enough sufficient citations have been added to this page, this message will be removed.

This article **does not have an image**, or lacks a **good quality image**. Please upload and add the image to this article to improve its quality.

## Plot

### Background

During Tsubaki in her early high school days, she witnessed Yamada being confessed to by a girl named Shiraishi from Class D. However, Yamada rejected her, which Tsubaki witnessed on the scene. Since then, Tsubaki began to look at him afterward constantly. Eventually, Tsubaki developed romantic feelings for Yamada. According to Tsubaki's observations, despite being popular and catching people's attention, Yamada remained quiet and humble. Although he sometimes said things that sounded cold, he was kind to those who were close to him. Tsubaki defended him against others who spoke badly about him in her mind.

During their early high school days, Tsubaki asked why Yamada didn't have a girlfriend despite his popularity causing baseless rumors. He replied that he didn't care about what others thought of him. When she asked if he had ever fallen in love before, she was surprised when he confessed that he hadn't and even sighed in response. Tsubaki also knew about Yamada's childhood friend, who had feelings for him but was constantly bullied and hardly ever came to school.

## Chronology

### Romantic Comedy Operation Arc

***Main Article: Romantic Comedy Operation Arc***
Yamada's phone rings nonstop during class until Tsubaki places a towel underneath it to muffle the sound. She comments on his poor performance in an FPS match stream she watched and accused him of slacking off in MMO games. Yamada explains that lag caused his poor performance due to playing on an overseas server, but Tsubaki dismisses it as an excuse. Yamada receives a guild announcement from Eita about attending Tousei Academy's public culture festival and securing tickets. He realizes that Akane is listed as their sponsor for the event attendees list.

While waiting for Runa outside the restroom, Eita texts Akane about meeting in the courtyard. However, when she sees Yamada with his classmates and tries to greet him, he is too busy talking to someone else. Later, Yamada meets with Akane outside the restroom and asks why she is alone. As they talk about Runa's nervous problem before her exam, Tsubaki watches them from afar, along with other passersby who notice their interaction.

Akane feels frustrated with herself for not playing along with Eita's joke and regrets her reaction. She bumps into Tsubaki, who warns her about the dangerous staircase she is heading towards.
### The New Guild Member Arc

***Main Article: The New Guild Member Arc***
Yamada had invited the new member, taking a break from FPS games, to play MMOs. Overhearing gossip about an unnamed couple, Tsubaki asked Okamoto and Yamada if two people could end up together against all odds. She thanked Yamada for introducing her to his guild master in Forest Of Savior and defended him when he received an unknown call by saying he was terrible at love.

Yamada, Tsubaki, and Okamoto walk home together after their class. While Yamada is on the phone, Okamoto asks if he is calling the unknown number from earlier. Yamada answers the call, and Akane explains that she had something to ask earlier but has to go to her part-time job because nobody else is available to cover the night shift. Before ending the call, she promises to talk to him in the game.

While waiting for Okamoto outside a restaurant chain, Tsubaki inquires about the girl Yamada was talking to earlier and whether he likes her. Yamada thinks silently about Akane's ridiculous face, but doesn't reply when asked if he likes her. Akane drops her phone at her workplace and notices Yamada's name in her call history. She reflects on what she wants for herself before getting called for work.

Upon reaching their homes, Tsubaki logs into the Forest Of Savior and joins the Chocolate Rabbit Guild.

Akane feels regretful about her past relationship with Takuma, despite having no feelings for him anymore. While being tutored by Yamada, Runa receives a phone call from Akane, who cancels their plans due to feeling sick. Despite trying to take care of herself, Akane faints outside her apartment while attempting to go grocery shopping. Yamada locates her and helps her back to her apartment, where Tsubaki is crying over possibly losing him to someone else. As Yamada carries Akane inside, Tsubaki reminisces about how they first met and encourages herself to make a move on him before it's too late.

Tsubaki reflects on Yamada's personality and notes that despite being kind and humble, he can sometimes come across as cold. She overhears classmates discussing how Shiraishi asked Yamada out but was rejected, leading them to wonder if he is even interested in women. Tsubaki confronts Yamada about the rumors and asks about his relationship status and type. He reveals that he has never been in love, but he remembers a girl from elementary school who liked him and was frequently bullied. This experience has made it difficult for him to pursue romantic relationships.

After Momo leaves, Akane cooks and studies while waiting for Yamada's reply. She receives a message from Runa asking to hang out over the weekend and decides to take a break by playing Forest Of Savior. She meets Princess Ruri and newcomer TSUBAKI, a Paladin like her. They team up in the game, and TSUBAKI tells Akane that Paladins are the only ones who can challenge bosses alone, which excites her.

Akane, TSUBAKI, and Princess Ruri are playing Forest Of Savior together. They struggle to defeat a monster, and Princess Ruri teases them for their inability to kill it. Eventually, the monster withdraws from the battle as time runs out. Afterward, Akane calls Yamada for advice on how to defeat the monster. Meanwhile, Princess Ruri helps TSUBAKI repair her armor, and they discuss their guild. TSUBAKI cryptically tells Princess Ruri that she lacks courage and bravery but is unsure of what she means. Yamada admits to being tired when Akane calls him later in the evening, but she wants to hear his voice before ending the call quickly. She then calls Momo with something to say.

Akane goes to Yamada's house to confess her feelings but is interrupted by loud neighbors. Yamada invites her inside and asks if they can talk on the way to the station. On the way, Akane hesitates to confess in public and almost gets hit by a car, causing her to feel guilty. She decides to return again but is surprised when Yamada holds her hand as they cross the street. At the station, he apologizes for not being able to listen and offers to call later if it is important before they part ways. Meanwhile, at cram school, Tsubaki is wondering about the weather on their way home.

After his classes, Yamada wants to get home quickly because of the heavy rain. Okamoto offers to share his umbrella but secretly offers it to Tsubaki instead. Tsubaki reluctantly accepts it and later asks Yamada for the umbrella. While they walk together, Yamada seems disinterested in Tsubaki's conversation and becomes captivated by a blonde girl who runs past them. He hands his umbrella to Tsubaki and intends to run all the way to the station, leaving her behind.

Tsubaki chased after him but fell and broke her glasses in the process. Yamada returned and helped her find them, while she unconsciously confessed that she liked him. They were caught in a downpour as Tsubaki requested that he think only of her for the day. Meanwhile, Akane was napping by her window, watching the rain, when she received a text from Yamada saying they couldn't talk anymore that day, leaving her feeling disappointed.

Yamada is at the Sasaki Residence for his daily tutoring session with Runa when Eita asks if anyone has confessed to him, assuming it is Akane. However, Yamada reveals that Tsubaki has confessed to him, and he is unsure how to respond as he considers her a friend. He tries to contact Akane but cannot reach her, so he goes to her workplace, where she cheers him up. She tells him that what she says is not essential, and she has already told Momo. Later in the day, Yamada meets Tsubaki near a bridge.

Yamada and Tsubaki arrived at their meeting spot on time. Tsubaki had been concealing her emotions for Yamada for years but had finally mustered up the courage to tell him everything she liked about him. She knew that Yamada could not return her feelings but still chose to express them. Tsubaki was aware of how Akane had changed Yamada, even though others were unaware of it. When Yamada responded that he could not reciprocate her feelings, she was grateful that he let her say what she needed to say. During their conversation, Tsubaki noticed a drawing on Yamada's hand which she recognized as Akane's work, revealing that Yamada liked Akane instead of her.
### Espion Arc

***Main Article: Espion Arc***
Meanwhile, Takeaki Okamoto is at Yamada's house when Akane calls to say she's on her way. Okamoto asks if it's Eita coming, but Yamada says it's someone else - a woman. This reminds Okamoto of their class president, Tsubaki, who he knows has feelings for Yamada.

Tsubaki confirms to Yamada that he has a girlfriend, which she learned from Okamoto. Tsubaki tries to converse with Yamada, asking about Akane and joking about his girlfriend. Despite the awkwardness, Yamada remains friendly and mentions that their guild waits for Tsubaki to log back into the game.
### Satsuki Arc

***Main Article: Satsuki Arc***
End of the school year at Tousei Academy. Tsubaki, one of the students, is standing by her classroom window, enjoying seeing the falling flowers outside. While she's there, a group of classmates discusses holding a snack party, and she decides to take a walk to buy snacks for it.

On her way out, Tsubaki sees Akane, a fellow student, waiting at the front gate. She assumes that Akane is waiting for Yamada, one of their mutual friends. Tsubaki congratulates Akane on graduating and notices a floral ribbon on her uniform. Akane explains that she has a friend who just graduated and assumed that anyone with pink flower decorations on their uniform might be her friend.

Tsubaki is a bit unsure whether Akane is talking about her or someone else, but she introduces herself as Yukari Tsubaki anyway. Akane is delighted and introduces herself too, and they quickly hit it off. Meanwhile, Yamada is about to leave because Akane is waiting for her when Takeaki Okamoto, another classmate, stops her. Takeaki stands at their classroom window, watching Tsubaki and Akane interact happily outside.

Princess Ruri is announcing a guild event hosted and sponsored by Takezo, a team RTA battle event with a grand prize: an ultra-rare Prophet Stone. The rules are simple, and the pair that clears their assigned dungeon the fastest wins. Runa wants to be paired with Akane, but when she learns about the prize, she switches to Yamada's side. Takezo offers to pair with Akane, and they become one of the three pairs: Ruri and MeatLover, Tsubaki and Afro, and Akane and Takezo.

Akane is scared as they approach the dungeon because she has never been there before and is unsure how to protect Takezo, the paladin. However, Takezo's in-game character's battle mode leads them to victory, and they easily win the event. After receiving the award, Akane intends to use the ultra-rare Prophet Stones on her tutorial equipment, but Yamada thinks it would be a waste and insists on getting her new equipment. However, Akane is insistent, and Yamada is left speechless.

After the event, the guild team returns to their daily lives. Tsubaki is checking out equipment while looking at Yamada's in-game character's equipment, Runa and Eita discuss how Takezo went all out on the event, and Takezo is sleeping with his cats.