Volume 6

Volume 6 Cover

### Author's Note

Everyone has gone through a time of bittersweet experiences in the stage of love. These are called "Salad Days". Together with Yuuki and Futaba, we'll face the uncertainties of new lives and new beginnings, and go headlong to conquer them in this collection of love stories!

## Chapter 1: 16th Night (Part 1)

It has been a month since Kyoshi Kawahara's girlfriend Sakae died in a traffic accident. Kyoshi takes up multiple part-time jobs to cope with her loss. His friends Shige and Yamanashi invite him for karaoke but he declines. He adopts a kitty who came to him on her own and his sadness slowly starts melting away. He names the kitty Sakae-chan and begins crying about how he wants to see her so much. To his confusion, the kitty transforms into his dead girlfriend.

## Chapter 2: 16th Night (Part 2)

Sakae reminisces about the time they decided to go steady with Kyoshi. It was the 16th Night, the same time as the present. Kyoshi tells his friends that he has a date with Sakae. To his dismay, Sakae has transformed back into the kitten and can no longer speak. Kyoshi deduces that she is able to speak only on the 16th night. In the next 16th night, Kyoshi hurries home happily only to find the kitten has disappeared. He runs out searching for her. He bumps into his friend on the way and tells him the complete story. His friend says that he believes him tells him that Sakae must have gone to the afterlife because she wanted Kyoshi to move on. Sakae appears on the moon and speaks to Kyoshi. She tells him that she'll always be in his heart and pushes him to move forward for her. Finally, Kyoshi asks Shige if the invitation to the karaoke was still open.

## Chapter 3: A New Life (Part 1)

On 6th April 1999 in Yazu Park, Taguchi breaks up with Yuuki Kamiyama because she has fallen for someone else who is richer, taller and more handsome than him. The next day, while ranting to his friends about how he has lost faith in girls and in a comedic turn of events, he gropes the breasts of Futaba Kawamura, who turns out to be the newly transferred student and neighbor in his apartment complex *Co-Op Yamashina.* He learns of this later that day when Futaba's older sister accidentally spills water on Yuuki and invites him in to have a bath and dinner as an apology. While taking his bath, she runs out of some spice and goes out to get it asking Yuuki to look over the apartment while she's gone. Futaba, thinking that her sister's inside the bath, barges in to be met with the sight of a naked Yuuki in the bathtub.

## Chapter 4: A New Life (Part 2)

This chapter resumes from the bathtub scene of the previous chapter. The incident stirs a feeling of enmity between those two while Futaba's older sister remains friendly with Yuuki. It is also implied that Yuuki was invited to dinner more than once after the incident, thanks to the kindness of the older sister. Futaba becomes irritated seeing her sister strike up conversation with Yuuki on their way to school and accuses Yuuki of following them around. Yuuki states the obvious that they attend the same school so their paths are the same. At school, Yuuki's friends tell him that Futaba is popular and that many guys transferred to their school just to get a chance with her. Later that day, Futaba loses the key to their apartment. It turns out the landlord is his godfather. He invites Futaba to a coffee while the landlord arrives with the spare key. In the following conversation inside Yuuki's apartment, Futaba says how she's jealous of his parents since hers divorced two years ago. Yuuki expresses how he wanted to leave for Hokkaido but stayed alone because he had a girlfriend. Blaming his fate, Yuuki asks Futaba to go ahead and laugh at him. However, Futaba says how they're both similar in that she's also here because of the person she loves and they reconcile with a handshake. However, while standing up, Yuuki's leg falls asleep and he accidentally grabs on Futaba's chest again. Futaba starts berating him again.

## Chapter 5: Suzuki-san and Satou-san (Part 1)

Yuuki tries to settle into his new life but an obsessive-compulsive guy Suzuki stands on his way who regularly shouts at him if he makes any sort of noise. Futaba tells him how Suzuki is a master at making a fuss and so the guys who stay above him always move. Then there's Satou, Suite 101's resident who an easy-going guy. Later that day, Hatsune offers to cook for Yuuki after looking at the unhealthy food he was buying for dinner. During the dinner, Suzuki comes angrily to complain again but melts while looking at Hatsune. It turns out both Suzuki and Satou are pining for Hatsune and both ask for Yuuki's help in wooing her. Yuuki almost faints as he swallows the 20,000 Yen sushi that Satou had just fed him.

## Chapter 6: Suzuki-san and Satou-san (Part 2)

While Yuuki is confused between who to help, Hatsune proposes a welcoming party for him. Yuuki has to explain the situation to Futaba since she grows suspicious that Yuuki has fallen for her sister. Suzuki and Satou both find about about their rivalry in the party and drag Yuuki into it. Futaba helps him out by saying if they love Hatsune so much, why do they need someone else to confess their feelings. Both Suzuki and Satou pledge to "start-over" and become someone who can protect Hatsune.

## Chapter 7: Rock 'n Roll Veggies (Part 1)

In a conversation with Hatsune, it turns out Yuuki and Futaba were great fans of the lead guitarist Shuuto, who quit the band not long after. Yuuki later discovers that Shuuto is the same person he met before on that day and a teacher at their school, obsessed with rock 'n roll and horticulture. This is contrary to the fact Futaba denied knowing about the present whereabouts of the lead guitarist, further solidifying that she was living with her sister because someone she loved was in Tokyo.

## Chapter 8: Rock 'n Roll Veggies (Part 2)

Yuuki is conflicted when he finds out that Shuuto is the guitarist he admired so much. He is also jealous of the fact that Futaba loves him, though he does not admit this to himself. During a confrontation with Shuuto about his past, Yuuki learns that he has a girlfriend. Yuuki confronts Futaba about this fact and she harshly villainifies his character for interfering in her business. Yuuki is heartbroken and conflicted about what he should do to escape from this corner.

## Chapter 9: Rock 'n Roll Veggies (Part 3)

Yuuki apologizes to Futaba for their previous fight, but upon being asked why he said Shuuto was a minimalist, he says that Shuuto is dull has no determination to advance in his life. Futaba gets angrier on Yuuki and says that maybe he is the dull one, to have judged a book by its cover. Former members of Shuuto's band *Garden Plot* propose a revival of the band, however, he doesn't budge. Upon being asked why, he tells Yuuki that his current goal is to become a better teacher and his days in the band are in the past. Shuuto actually got into trouble when in senior high and in exchange of being expelled, he was offered a month of suspension, but he had to work in a farm for the month. During that time, he got to see the plants grow due to his hard work and that inspired a spirit in him to use his music for the benefit of plants and later inspire children as a teacher. Yuuki apologizes to him for doubting his determination. Futaba, who was watching the whole conversation behind the door, reconciles with Yuuki the next day. Yuuki says that contrary to what he said earlier, Shuuto hasn't changed and is still a person of great admiration for him.

## Chapter 10: An Accursed Cellphone?

Takuya's girlfriend Haruka gets angry with him because he forgot an important day and leaves their date halfway. The call doesn't go through when Takuya phones her the next day, so he invites his friends instead. Takuya phones Haruka again and when she asks if he finally remembered, he goes with the situation and answers yes. She catches his lie immediately and cuts him off, telling him that she hates him. His friends take him to karaoke and while he sings his heart out, he remembers it was actually the day they started dating and he promised that they'd go to the aquarium a year ago. He rushes to the aquarium and finds it closed, but Haruka is still there, waiting for him. She tells him not to apologize anymore since he finally remembered and to make sure they watch the fish the next year.