Volume 1

Volume 1 Cover

### Author's Note

Everyone has experienced it at least once. A fresh, innocent season of love. These are our "SALAD DAYS". Whether it's hidden in your heart, or right in front of you, it's all within this book...

## Chapter 1: Confession

Tatsukichi Aizawa is in love with his senior Wakui, who happens to be on the same grade as him because she got held back. Tatsukichi assumes she is also in love with him and that is why she willingly got herself held back to be with him for one more year. He later learns it was because of Kousuke Niwa who promised her he'd get into Tohka but was unable to attend exams due to high fever. Wakui starts crying after looking at Kousuke and Yuuki realises the gravity of the situation. The next day, despite knowing the result, he confesses to Wakui. After the rejection, he brings out Kousuke for the two to make up. Wakui thanks Tatsukichi and apologizes to him, wishing that he'll find someone better soon. In the locker room, Tatsukichi overhears how one girl rejected another good-looking guy because she is in love with another guy in Section 3, foreshadowing the beginning of another romance.

## Chapter 2: Kiss

Kyota Kasukabe wonders how lovers at the train station pair up. What would've been their circumstances to have come together, he wonders. Just when he was thinking, a girl from the merchant club calls out his name and kisses him. His friends tell him that Kiriko Kashiwagi is apparently a sex hound and it doesn't matter to her who the guy is. The next time they meet, Kiriko confesses to Kyota and Kyota doubts the rumours about her as she was blushing the whole time like a maiden. Kyota sees Kiriko getting beaten up by the girls thinks that she brought it on herself. He finally replies to her that he thinks that they should be friends first. She is very accepting of this initially, until Kyota breaks her heart by saying that he doesn't know what kind of girl she is. Having realised that Kyota had bought onto the rumours about her, she begins to cry and says that it would've been better if he had said he hated him instead of giving her such a reserved answer. The next day, Sawada Tomoko, Kiriko's friend calls Kyota an idiot and says that she is a virgin and all the rumours about Kiriko are false and planted by a girl in their class out of jealousy as the guy she was interested in liked Kiriko instead. A month ago, when Kiriko was almost smothered in a packed train, it was Kyota who had shielded her from the crowd. Finally, Kyota runs off to Kiriko and tells her his true feelings. They are thereafter suspended for hugging in front of the faculty room.

## Chapter 3: Summer Romance

Yuuji goes asking around girls in the beach and is having a bad day. His friends who came with their girlfriends abandon him to his own devices. He then meets Taeko who slaps him hard for making a pass at her. When he wakes up, she tells him that she hates skirt-chasers the most. In return, he tells her that the reason she hates skirt-chasers is because she is starving for attention and leaves. When one girl finally takes up on his offer, Taeko comes and holds his arm leading the girl to slap him for two-timing. Even though the fault is hers, she refuses to apologize and states this explicitly. As they are bickering, she suddenly starts crying and Yuuji has to treat her to an ice-cream to calm her down. He then learns that he wasn't glaring at him but was actually embarrassed due to her awkwardness. They then spend the rest of the day having fun together at the beach and Yuuji realises how great Taeko is. As he goes to change so they can watch the fireworks together, her friends instead come up to him and say that she has left for home as her father is strict with her curfew. Realizing that he hadn't even got her address and phone number, he goes running towards the station and starts persuading her to stay, which leads her to miss her train. She grows angry due to his childishness but the fireworks appear at the right time and both of them decide to resolve the matter peacefully. Taeko guesses that the reason he wanted her to wait until nightfall was because he wanted to take advantage of him, calling him boring when he refutes this.

## Chapter 4: Closet Lover

Takaaki and Akari are dating. Akari is in love with Takaaki but is afraid that her friends will make fun of her for having such an astronomy nut as a boyfriend. She goes with her friends to an induction party, and it turns out the other party are boys from Takaaki's school, with he being one of them. She acts as if she doesn't know him and tells him to do the same. She looks at Satoshi Sawada and thinks if only Takaaki was as handsome as him. Her friends, seeing her looking at Satoshi intently, set them up. Takaaki follows them from behind as they walk together. He phones her the next day angry as to what was her intentions were, and declares that they are strangers from then on. After he cuts her off, Akari affirms that she was planning on breaking up with him anyway. As Takaaki waits for her as he promised stargazing for her birthday in the rain, Akari meets up with Satoshi and he promises that he'll take him to somewhere great. When the 'great place' turns out to be a love hotel, Akari tries to back off. Satoshi holds onto her saying that he knew from before that she was Takaaki's girlfriend and he wanted to experience how it feels to sleep with his classmate's girl. Disgusted, Akari runs away regretting her behavior and actions towards Takaaki from the beginning. She goes to the promised place fully aware that he wouldn't be there. In a turn of events, he was waiting for her, soaked in the rain. They reconcile with each-other and Akari swears to be reborn for him, proclaiming that if the stars represented all the men in the world, he would be her North Star.

## Chapter 5: Bamboo Passion (Part 1)

Daichi and Sonoyama are rivals at the school kendo club. Daichi is a good swordsman but gets defeated by Sonoyama everytime. He swears one day he'll win. Unfortunately for him, Sonoyama is transferring next week. Daichi challenges her to one last match before she leaves. When asked by his closest friend as to why he is so adamant on defeating Sonoyama. He answers that he can't confess to her if he can't protect her. Sonoyama overhears this conversation. However, another surprise is waiting for her as she learns that their schedule for the transfer has been moved up. She makes a call then runs to the club to see Daichi but can't find him.

## Chapter 6: Bamboo Passion (Part 2)

Daichi eagerly goes to the club awaiting their match but he finds out that she has already left for the train. He runs off to the station then challenges her there. Sonoyama, remembering Daichi's words, intents to lose so that he can confess to her but changes her decision because Daichi has always been honest with her and she coering him into a false confession that way wouldn't be right. Unfortunately, Daichi loses his 1000th match. However, he promises that the next time they meet, he'll defeat her for sure. Sonoyama says she eagerly awaits for their next match. Daichi starts practising even harder from that day onwards.