Karuho Shiina

Sawako's chance to become friends with Yano and Yoshida is about to go down the drain when rumors start flying that Yano's been around the block and Yoshida's a former gang member. And the source of all this tattle is Sadako herself. Will Sadako retreat to her former life as a loner because of a simple misunderstanding? "Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine...for a horror movie. With striking similarities to a haunting movie character--jet-black...

"After an eventful Christmas with her classmates, Sawako is super excited when Chizu and Ayane invite her to come with them to the shrine on New Year's Eve, which happens to be her birthday. But what she doesn't count on is her friends' birthday surprise--to get her to go alone with Kazehaya-kun!"--Page 4 of cover.

Now that Sawako and Kazehaya have confessed their true feelings to one another, Sawako is afraid her rival Kurumi will try to steal Kazehaya from her and vows to do whatever it takes to protect their relationship.

"A new school year begins happily when Sawako and her friends Chizu and Ayane--as well as her crush, Kazehaya--are all in the same homeroom. But when another popular guy in the class shows an interest in Sawako, will it push Kazehaya and Sawako apart?"--Back cover.

Shy Sawako Kuronuma is ostracized by her classmates, who call her Sadako because of her resemblance to a horror movie heroine, but when Shota Kazehaya, the most popular boy in school, becomes her friend, things start looking up.

"Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine ... for a horror movie. Nicknamed "Sadako" after the haunting movie character, everyone is afraid to come near her for fear of being cursed. But underneath her scary exterior lies an ordinary teenager who just wants to make friends. Ever since the near-kiss incident on the school trip, Sawako and Kazehaya have become distant. With Ayane warming to Kento's affections and Chizuru devastated that her friendship...

"While their friends' romantic relationships deepen, Sawako feels Kazehaya pulling away. Will a big Christmas party bring the troubled couple back together, or will Kazehaya continue to hide his pain from the person who most wants to help him?"--Publisher's web site.

"As Sawako and her friends strive toward bright futures, can their high school relationships last? Sawako forges an unlikely friendship with Kurumi while studying for college entrance exams, but she and Kazehaya spend less time together than ever. Meanwhile, Chizu is so broken up about Ryu leaving that she finally confesses her true feelings. And Yano wants to confess something to Kento he won't want to hear..."--Page 4 of cover.

The future is on everyone's minds, and Yano and Kento are feeling the anxiety of losing each other as they hit a crossroad in their relationship. Tensions rise as Yano seriously thinks about her own future for the first time. Will she take the easy route and stay with Kento, or will she follow her dreams and go to university in Tokyo without him?

At career conferences, Kazehaya's father blows a fuse! When Kazehaya shares his complicated feelings about his strict father with Sawako, their relationship deepens. It's just in time for Valentine's Day, when Sawako's plans to give Kazehaya chocolate for the first time hit a surprise twist!