Volume 17

Author's Note
Everyone experiences it, a time of bittersweet experiences in the stage of love. These are our "Salad Days". The ultra popular couple Yuuki and Futaba's romantic relationship experiences a critical turn of events! Starting with the widely controversial "Destiny" and ending with courtship veteran, Watase Mitsuki's struggle to fall in love in "A Veteran's Love", and many more cases of the fickle rules of love. Drawn here are the 17th volume of short love stories that could be deeply sad and equally as sweet.

Chapter 1: Destiny (Part 1)
It's been four years since Yuuki and Futaba have started dating and two months since they are living together. Everything has been going well and their lives have been calm for some time, too calm for comfort according to him. He starts getting some feeling of uneasiness as if there is some sort of omen. Yuuki's mother invites Futaba to their hometown in Hokkaido as she wants her to see them. After their date, Futaba eyes a painting and her eyes start welling up. The painter Sou asks her if she wants buy the painting and she says that she can't afford it. After seeing how she was so interested in the painting, Sou made an offer that he'd give it to her for free, but since she wouldn't oblige to that, he offered that she model for him and have the painting free of cost. Since then, Futaba comes home late everyday and she refuses to speak and diverts the question when asked. This makes Yuuki suspicious but he refuses to doubt her loyalty until he breaks one day. Yuuki vehemently questions her on her activities and excuses. Futaba, trying to conceal the fact, says that she'd never accept his terms of telling him each and everything even if he's her boyfriend. When he pusher her further, she tells him that she hates him. Now completely broken down, Yuuki asks Futaba to explain why being her boyfriend, he has to endure so much pain. Futaba leaves and stays at Sou's apartment that night.

Chapter 2: Destiny (Part 2)
Yuuki beats himself up over why he didn't go after Futaba the night before. As such, he is surprised when he sees Futaba cooking for him in the kitchen, but when asked again about where she was the whole night, she refuses to answer. This uneases Yuuki even further but he doesn't push her anymore since this was what led to their fight in the first place. Futaba kisses him and tells him not to worry and that she isn't doing what he thinks she's doing. She continues her painting lessons with Sou and Yuuki's uneasiness increases further, but he decides not to act on it since he said that he'd trust her. His resolve is stirred when his friend tells him that he saw Futaba at Harajuku entering an apartment with a guy wearing sunglasses. Yuuki goes to Harajuku to see for himself but upon reaching there questions his decision. Just then Sou emerges which coincides the description. Yuuki opens the door to the apartment only to be met with the sight of numerous paintings, all of Futaba and amongst them, a painting of her in a compromising position draped with nothing but a sheet.

Chapter 3: Destiny (Part 3)
While Yuuki stands there in awe, questioning all his decisions until then, Futaba's words and how she could expect him to ever trust her; Futaba opens the door and is shocked to see Yuuki. He reflexively pulls Futaba's hand to trying to take her back home but she shrugs him away harshly. Yuuki, out of all his wits and options, breaks up with her on the spot. Yuuki bluntly tells her that he never thought she'd be capable of doing something like this and leaves without hearing another word. The next day, Sou visits Yuuki in school and tells her that he saw her as nothing more than a model and that she couldn't stop crying when he left her the day before. He goes on to say that maybe their relationship is something more than that, at the very least they've become friends where no topic is taboo, discussing dreams of the future and the troubles of the present. Sou gives him the painting Futaba wanted to gift him on his birthday and tells him to make up with her. Yuuki realising that Futaba never told him about the things she discussed so openly with Sou and since she can be so honest with someone else, she didn't need him anymore. Thus, he decides to finally give up on Futaba and the next day when she comes to collect her things to live with her sister, he doesn't say a word other than bid her goodbye. Futaba apologizes. Yuuki then writes on the nameplate outside the door name with his and laments how it feels empty. However, he is optimistic that the day will come when he will fill up the other half of it.

Chapter 4: Her Reason for Wearing a Mini-Skirt
Shina Yoshimoto and his friend stand below the overpass to admire the mini-skirts. Shinta's next-door neighbour Nina Kawaguchi despises him for doing so. Later that she, she comes wearing a mini-skirt to Shinta's home but he, instead of complimenting her, says that mini-skirts only look great on girls who are fit to wear them. It turns out he is in love with Nina and so he doesn't like it when other men stare at her when she wears a mini-skirt. She finally confesses to him the next day after a fight that he doesn't know how she feels when he stares at other girls. He realises they are both in love with each-other and invites her to a date. However, it seems that his mini-skirt fetish and by extension, his habit of staring at girls wearing mini-skirts will take time to change.

Chapter 5: The Rules of Love
Eisuke Oze's gaze always drifts towards Koshiba, who has been in the same class as Hirayama since kindergarten. With Hirayama's advice, Eisuke finally invites her out. In the course that he take her, she is reminded of Hirayama more and more. It seems that they had this exact course years ago and both promised that they'd come back to it again. Eisuke decides to confess to her the next day and asks Hirayama to call her out. When the three gather, Eisuke forces Hirayama to "watch his confession" to the completion but when the time comes, he reveals that Koshiba is in love with Hirayama. This uneases Hirayama at first but when Koshiba doesn't deny it and starts blushing, Hirayama finds out that their feelings are indeed mutual. Eisuke wishes both of them good luck and walks away thinking that one day he'd also find someone such that both of them would mutually understand each-other just like them. Unknown to him, his fated encounter is five seconds away.

Chapter 6: Love Advisor
Kotake Yoshio, age 14 and a second year at Aona Junior High, is a guy renowned as the love adviser. He has successfully made 37 matches out of the 49 advices he has given. He is also in love with Shimaoka Sumika. Unfortunately, Sumika approaches him for love advice. Yoshio comes in conflict with his helpful personality but still resolves to help her. Sumika practises her confessions on Yoshio, whose heart skips a beat each time. One day, however, Sumika tells him that she plans on giving up on her love since it doesn't look like she'll succeed. When pressed upon the issue, she confesses that since he was so enthusiastic on helping her get together with another guy, it just infers that in his heart, she means nothing. Yoshio realises that the whole love advising was just a farce she did to get close to him. Thus, his 50th love advising becomes the 38th match.

Chapter 7: An Awakening of Love in the Summer
Tamizaki is an enthusiastic film buff who is set on presenting a video documentary of the various preparations for the cultural festival. Tsukiyono Shizuka is a classmate who backs off on the role because she prioritizes her studies above everything else and thus sets a chain reaction among their classmates where no one agrees to help him in the end. Still determined, Tamizaki sets off alone to make the video. There are a lot of hardships but he is persevering. At home, Shizuka envies her little sister for having too much leisure time as a first year. Her sister spins this as she isn't one to let go of all her joys just for academic advancement. On the way to school, Shizuka gets to talk with Tamizaki's mother. It seems that he is transferring schools after summer break and she is glad he has got so many friends for the duration. Shizuka realises how he was working so hard for a film he himself won't be able to attend the screening of, and how her selfishness destroyed his wish for a final memory. She then starts helping him despite getting cold stares from fellow classmates. Finally, in the day of the cultural festival, Shizuka succeeds the film as the head of production and the video screens without a hitch. She reminisces how Tanizaki left her with so many precious memories, taught her perseverance, offered her fullness, a sense of accomplishment and an awakening of love. She vows to keep these memories in the depths of her heart and carry it as she moves along.

Chapter 8: Love at First Kiss
Hashimura Takeo, age 14, has fallen in love with Horii Riho, who moved just recently into their city. It seems that their love is mutual, so they start going out. During Christmas, they have their first kiss, only to be told by Riho that it is actually her second time. Thereafter, he starts avoiding her. A week after, her calls stop coming and he receives a letter. His father reprimands him that not everything has to be perfect and that he shouldn't lose the sight of his victory. Takeo fails to realise the complete meaning of the analogy, but takes the spirit into heart and runs to Riho's house to apologize. Thereafter, he gifts her a pair of earrings. This time, Riho remarks how it is the second pair he has given her. In a flashback ten years ago, we see Takeo gifting Riho a pair of earrings during their childhood before she leaves, and it is exactly the time that she kisses him, and thus their first kiss. In the present, both laugh how ridiculous the situation is and subsequently have their third kiss.

Chapter 9: Love on a School Day
Tanaka is always teased by his classmate Tsukiyono. One day, during their day duty, they discover the infamous "Underworld Stairway" that their teacher was talking about that morning. While he is frozen in fear, Tsukiyono approaches him from behind leading him to suddenly jump and both fall into the hole. In the darkness, Tsukiyono shrieks in fear while Tanaka tries to calm her down. While they tread in the darkness trying to find an escape, Tsukiyono remarks how real boys are really a breed apart and how her dad really wanted a son as his third child so he named her Yoshi, which she found out about and developed a complex. Tanaka comments how both are so similar in that they are both flighty individuals and pain over trivial things. Suddenly, there is a sound and an arm comes towards them, making a hole on the wall on its way out. Tanaka steps in front of her for her protection and both are shaking only to be met by the sight of the vice principal. It seems the whole "Underworld Stairway" was made up by him to prevent students from going there and doing nasty things. On their way home, Tanaka notices how Tsukiyono has started using a feminine tone towards him and Tsukiyono remarks how refreshing it is for her to be treated as a girl. They go on along the path talking about mundane things as Tanaka notes how romance slowly began to take shape from then on.

Chapter 10: A Veteran's Love
Watase Mitsuki is a "Veteran" at the game of love. Her schoolmates comment how she has no virtue and switches guys left and right. Her friend laments the fact that their schoolmates speak so badly of her but she seems unfazed, only to declare that she is just searching for true love like everyone else, with the only difference being that she has looked for it more times. As they walk around, there is a ruckus in the Archery Range. It seems that Nagasaka Gen is quite the rising star in the Junior High Division. He has made it all the way to the junior nationals and secured fifth place. Thereafter, he has become the heartthrob of the girls in second and third year of Junior High. Mitsuki aims to have some fun with him despite never having chased younger guys before. She pursues him by inviting him to have tea but he refuses, stating that his mom told him never to talk to strangers. Mitsuki realises how he's only 13 years old and is totally wet behind the ears. She introduces herself and then invites him again, since they are not strangers anymore, and he readily accepts. She tries to flirt with him but to no avail. But then she sees it, the smile on his face when talking about archery and feels her heart skip a beat. Unwilling to admit defeat, she barges into his classroom the next day and forcefully invites him to a date later that day. She peeps at him as he waits for the date in front of the archery range. She plans to see the defeated look on his face as he realises he has been lied to. However, three hours pass and he doesn't budge and she goes back home leaving him there. After dusk sets in, she gets increasingly worried and goes to the place of their meeting only to be met by him, who has been sitting there still. He seems unfazed and greets her with a smile. She loses it and asks if he is some sort of freak as no normal person would've waited that long. He tells her how she finally came and thus he wasn't waiting in vain. As he walks along the path and she walks behind him, she reflects on how she'll have to owe up to her true feelings, then backing off stating that that she's not agreeing with them and surely he doesn't have it in him to "love". She comments further on how this is not so bad either and that she can start stroking their bond until their feelings become mutual, only to realise she's planning out her love life and can't have flings anymore.