What a hypocrite! Francesca was outraged by her brother-in-law who brazenly dared to show up at her husband's funeral. He never came to see her husband after he fell seriously ill, and she'll never forgive him for that. However, her husband's will completely blindsided her-unbelievably her husband asked his brother, Guy, to marry Francesca and take care of her for the rest of her life!
One morning as Tazzy opens her door to go to work, she finds a gift on her doorstep from an unknown sender. Her boss says the gift was probably sent for Valentine's Day, but Tazzy has no idea who the sender could be. And anyway, she doesn't want Ross to think that she has a romantic partner in her life! Tazzy has secretly been in love with Ross for a long time. The mystery only deepens, though, as her admirer continues to send her gifts!
Ginny, who works at a hotel, and her boss, Rourke, have a cat-and-dog relationship. Ginny is repulsed, despite his attractiveness, by how Rourke constantly changes girlfriends. Rourke, on the other hand, thinks Ginny is pretty but cold and stubborn. Their quarrels are entertaining for the rest of the employees, yet when it comes to working on projects together, they make an undeniably excellent team. Then one day, Rourke asks for Ginny's assistance with a very personal matter...
Jessica, a prosecutor in the small town of Whiskey River, comes across a man one day who has been shot in the back. The man, called Rory, says he has never seen a television and he's dressed in outdated clothes. He apparently believes he's a sheriff from a hundred years ago. A historic hero appearing in the modern day... Jessica is confused, but his eyes seem to be telling the truth!
Zara Evans abandoned her education and is working hard to pay off the debt accumulated by her aunt's illness. Independent and diligent, she's very different from the high-society women Nikolai Komarov is used to. But Nikolai has shut off his heart, which was broken by his mother, who left him for a new life. Zara can't be bought and kept like his past lovers, but he also can't provide her with the love she desires. Can Zara melt Nikolai's icy heart so he can learn to love?
Marc, the Earl of Rutherford, is content having numerous affairs with married women and widows. But to hold on to the title of earl, he must find himself a bride or risk losing his title to his cousin. Marc soon sets out for Yorkshire to take over his late uncle's estate. He discovers that the estate is in disarray and that the housekeeper has fallen ill. Meg Fellowes, the ward of Marc's uncle, was forced into the role of housekeeper due to her scandalous past. After spending the night caring for the sick Meg, Marc sets about correcting his uncle's wrongs toward her. Marc and Meg clash over her future as she is determined to make a living on her own. However, Marc soon makes her an offer of marriage and Meg finds herself agreeing to his terms.
Caitlin and her boss, David, are not only secretary and employer, but lovers, as well. When she met him four months ago, Caitlin quickly fell under the spell of his charm. But David only wanted a sweet, temporary affair with no complications. How can there be a future for them when they want such different things?
Though born into an aristocratic family, Meg has led a miserable life because of a scandal created by her parents. Feeling sorry for her circumstances, the Earl of Rutherford has proposed to her! Meg doubts whether their union could work, but his kindness opens her closed heart. On their way to London for their wedding, she's about to have a first night with him, but instead a stranger sneaks into her bed! Will she make it to London unscathed?
Carlene is hired as a housekeeper by young millionaire Win. Though he says during the interview that he is not looking to fill the position of wife, he is quick to make a feverish invitation. Saying he won't make commitments for the future, Win offers to share his bed. Though bewildered, Carlene is also intensely attracted to him. One night, the two seem close to crossing the line, but she stops herself at the last minute. Win is offended, but little does he know that Carlene is still a virgin!
Kat raises her little sisters while running a small bed-and-breakfast. Business hasn't been great lately, though, and she is about to lose ownership of the property. She doesn't know what to do next, but for now she's just keeping the place open as long as she can. One day, in the midst of all this, a man comes through a winter storm and sends Kat's heart racing. He's just too handsome. Of course, he's unaware of her feelings and leaves the next day. But a few days later, the same man shows up again. It turns out his name is Mikhail. Apparently, Mikhail has bought the deed to Kat's bed-and-breakfast, and he has come to make her an offer she can't refuse!
Krusnik Keep has been hunting his vampire for 300 years.Wishing to end it once and for all, he kills his vampire and watches him turn to ash.He quickly realizes that all has not gone to plan, as he returns home to find he is still immortal and can sense the lingering presence of his vampire.What has happened, and what role does it play in the lives of the former familiar Soosa and the Krusnik of the vampire Endlees?Fraught emotions are brought to the fore while ghosts need to be laid to their final rest...
On a lonely afternoon, a young boy is drawn to a small church by the lure of an angelic voice. Determined to find its source, he sneaks in only to realize the singing is coming from a beautiful boy his age. Enraptured by the music and his discovery, embarrassed and confused, he flees. By a curious arrangement with fate, they happen to meet again their first day of middle school. As their meetings continue, will they be able to recognize the force that draws them together for what it is?Salva Me contains a collection of stories carefully crafted with the high and lowlights of life and feeling. From the haunting pain of unrequited romance to the baffled concern of a prodigal father for his cross-dressing son, Konno Kita captures the realities of raw emotion with her unique brand of whimsy.
Haru Akaishi's father has just died, leaving him an orphan at age 17. It seems his father was in a lot of debt and took out some shady loans. Just when the Yakuza-esque creditors come to collect, a mysterious lawyer named Yuuji Senoh appears and says he'll deal with the matter personally. As it turns out, Mr. Senoh was someone Haru befriended many years ago as his mother ailed in the hospital, but Haru had forgotten about him. When the bank takes back the mortgage on his house, Haru takes Mr. Senoh up on his offer to live at his apartment. While Mr. Senoh claims that he's only trying to offer financial support to Haru as a minor, perhaps there's is a stronger bond between the two than either realize at first.
Office worker Shiho, age 28, plays the go-getter career woman so well that everyone at work calls her the "Iron Lady." Feeling uneasy about her relationship with her boyfriend Ken, Shiho takes the leap and invites him to a company party, but as the party begins he's still not there... In that moment, her handsome coworker, and heir to the company, Miyagi strikes up a conversation with her. Miyagi is a big hit among the female employees, but Shiho has always treated him casually, never taking much interest in his charms. However, when she runs into him again on the way to the bathroom, the usual sweet and chipper Miyagi is nowhere to be found! His speech is rougher, and he's dropped the workplace niceties, and on top of that he backs her up against the wall, blocking her retreat with his body...?! An office romance with a high-class bachelor, at once wicked and earnest, who just might be her Mr. Right!
Look, it's not like Azusa doesn't want to get married. She's a wedding planner, after all, and in spite of her boss's biting sarcasm, she actually finds a lot of comfort in her job. Her boyfriend of five years, Ayumu, just hasn't really brought up the conversation, that's all. Or at least, that's what Azusa thinks, until she catches Ayumu having an affair! Though usually extremely unpleasant, Azusa's handsome boss, Kiryu, offers her sudden and uncharacteristic kindness: "If you don't get married, then I'll step in." What's that supposed to mean?! The sudden tension between Kiryu's usual offensive nature and his sweet words has Azusa wrapped around his little finger, and she's not sure if she can get away... or even wants to?!
Kiyo works in product development at a chocolate manufacturer; she's what they call a "science type" with her white lab coat and glasses, plus her lack of romantic prospects. "I've spent my whole life focused on research, but now I want to give 'love' a try." -- Her mind made up, Kiyo registers with a matchmaking service, but the dates just keep going down in flames... Then one day, she's met with a shocking invitation from the young and handsome president of her company, Mr. Sendo: "Would you like to go out with me? I need you." Kiyo has zero experience with romance, so this well-mannered and gallant man gazing sweetly at her as he calls her beautiful is enough to leave her reeling...! Her heart is still pounding on the day of their date, and then Mr. Sendo suddenly reveals his red-blooded, manly side and proclaims, "I'll shatter that logic of yours with my passion"...?!
On the day of her high school entrance exam, Momo was groped by a stranger on the train. Another student heading to the exam, a boy, saved her. Ever since, she's been searching for her savior amongst her new classmates, and has decided that it must be the school playboy, Amagase. His appearance and personality have completely changed, apparently, because Amagase doesn't get serious with anyone. Attempting to appear unfazed, Momo tells (lies to) Amagase: "I will never fall for you." Convenient for a player like Amagase, he forces her to be his next girlfriend. Amagase toys with Momo, his kiss sweet, the physical closeness between boyfriend and girlfriend a first for her... A heart-pounding high school romance with a mysterious boy!!
"This is the real me." -- Having no defined sense of self, Suzuno spends each day simply trying her best to be the ideal woman. She somehow manages to impersonate a very capable woman at the stationery company where she works. One day, though, her handsome, prince-like coworker, Watarai, finds out what she's really like! Once they are alone together, Suzuno realizes that Watarai, himself, is not actually the princely type he seems to be... What's more, Watarai finds out that Suzuno is shouldering her parents' debt. The morning after Suzuno reveals all to the office prince, she wakes up in her own bed... To none other than a naked Watarai sleeping beside her?!
Nana (no-name in Japanese) has no memory of his childhood before the age of twelve, when a store owner took him in and cruelly named him. The only clues to Nana's past life are the burn scars on his legs and his irrational fear of fire. Enter Mitsuha, a vagabond writer, who crashes Nana's place at the insistence of a mutual friend. At first, Nana loathes Mitsuha's very existence - although he can't sleep alone, Nana doesn't like it when his new roommate climbs into bed with him, either - but eventually, he warms to Mitsuha's sincerity and kindness and finds happiness waking beside him. Can their budding relationship help Nana come to terms with his unknown past?
White is passion, a color that won't yield to even the slightest imperfection.From manga artist Suguro Chayamachi comes BLANC, a collection of six very unique short stories.A young man takes it upon himself to find a lost cat's home. Two delinquents bond after one has a near-death experience. A boy discovers the joys and pains of first love. One punk makes a dark decision to cover up his tracks. A familiar face has one teenager remembring the past. At a Yakuza funeral, loyalty to a friend struggles with loyalty to the whole.Chayamachi's stories explore that which makes humans so imperfect: friendship, love, and heartbreaking regret.
Black is an expression, a color before which words can only hesitate.Suguro Chayamachi returns with another set of short stories in her second collection, NOIR.An unlikely friendship begins when a delinquent picks up a timid businessman stranded on the side of the road.Though they can't understand each other there is something they each gain from this new, strange relationship.Later, a teenager hires out help to break up his ex-girlfriend's new relationship, but his new accomplice isn't quite what she seems. In Nazi Germany, an artist is caught in treason when his son drops a book of paintings.And in England, a street urchin is given a special job, and while it seems simple, there is a dark secret to it that could mean disaster for his friend.
"In Yuni-san's country, everyone kisses the ones they love every day." Yuni-san gave me my first kiss. I don't really understand young love or true love but I do know what it means to "like."
Growing up, Nobuko Tanaka was always a "side character" standing off in the corner. Now in her 20s, she's fallen in love for the first time. While she isn't any good at being assertive, she will muster her courage bit by bit as she tries her best to close the distance between herself and her crush - because even side characters fall in love. If you're tired of the same old romantic protagonists, this modest, refreshing love story is for you.
One evening, a boy named "Air" suddenly appears at Mizuki's window, forcibly transporting him to Neverland. Having grown up most of his life without his own father, Mizuki wants nothing to do with being a surrogate father to Air and the other children, but unfortunately stuck without a way out of Neverland, he has little choice but to stay. As he spends time with Air, however, Mizuki is gradually charmed by his boyish innocence.
"Wanna make a bet with me? If I manage to run into you one more time within a week, you'll agree to model for me." With that, up-and-coming photographer Kiwamu Izumi scouts high-schooler Takahito as his model. Assuming he'll never see Kiwamu again, Takahito takes the bet, but then the two meet again at school! Takahito is repelled, yet simultaneously finds himself gradually attracted to Kiwamu...
Kei Fujieda was bored - bored with school, bored with his friends, bored with life. Having been forced to attend an elite high school, Fujieda's days were spent feeling trapped. Only his rebellious, bad-boy attitude gave him a fleeting sense of excitement in his otherwise dreary existence. It wasn't until a school prank went bad that Kei found a reason worth living in Atsushi Sakuraba.Sakuraba was a model student and a teacher's pet; a complete opposite of Fujieda. Calm and cool in every situation, his unexpected encounter with Fujieda gave him a chance to reveal his true nature, sparking an interest in Fujieda that was both confusing and addictive. Suddenly the pair becomes part of each other's lives in more ways than one. Their days, once thought of as quiet and monotonous, are turned upside down as they struggle with unfamiliar feelings and outside circumstances that threaten to end their relationship when it's only just begun.
Elite businessmen Hosokawa and graduate student Takagi are both in love with cute little Gouda, who they used to go to school with! Gouda, however, is a little thick and only sees the two as good friends. One of them is his beloved childhood friend, and the other is his bosom buddy. But then, one day, Gouda falls in love...
A 2 million dollar ransom-replaced by a pile of some ditz's underwear!When a case of mistaken identity results in her kidnapping, the would-be target is tasked with handing over her own ransom... But one thing leads to another and then everything turns topsy-turvyin this bizarre kidnapping story!
I'm ugly, so I can't refuse my boyfriend's invitation for sex... but, one month after I finally turn him down for the first time, something unexpected happens!
An internet uncle using way too many emoji and cheesy lines to write to a high school girl... This uncle she looked down upon, was actually a real monster...!
"Don't tell me you love me so much you chased after me?" Momo has never been able to forget Hiiro, the boy who lived next door to her in her childhood. Right when she'd decided to turn a new leaf and find another great love story in high school, Momo reunites with Hiiro on her first day of high school. Hiiro had always been good-looking and a bit of a meanie, but now he was completely cruel, and a womanizer, at that! To make matters even more confusing for poor Momo, Hiiro suddenly kisses her...! Momo's first love is the school scoundrel, and yet the irresistably dreamy Hiiro -- how will this indulgent yet complicated love story turn out...?
Jun dresses provocatively, but every time she gets near a guy, she gets too lost in her fantasies to make a move! Will she finally be able to get close to the guy she likes without breaking down or running away?
Chisato and Riku have been neighbors since they were kids. Even in college, they still live in adjacent rooms. When Chisato says she'd like to have a boyfriend, Riku begs her to be with him. Can he become more than the boy next-door to her?
Upon graduating from an all-boys high school, Tobishima Ichita (18) enrolls in the manga course at an art school. Ichita's genre of choice is Boy's Love (BL) and he has always wanted to connect with girls who love BL just as much as he does. As such, Ichita heads to his first day of class with a dream in his heart! When he arrives, though, his nerves get the best of him -- he can't seem to have a normal conversation with a girl. What's more, his class is nothing but girls...! What will become of Ichita?!
You'll be overcome with laughter at this silent but all-out duel between man and woman! A romantic comedy that keeps you endlessly grinning! Kureha (27) has just one criteria to choose a man: "Is he rich, or not?" Taisuke (29) picks out women by their bodies alone. This pair of scoundrels, faithful only to their own desires, meet at a mixer - an encounter as unfortunate as it is destined. Each scheming to snatch up the other, they act the part of a selfless, humble lady and gentleman while gradually drawing closer, and then...
Mizuno Sawa, high school first-year, is a quiet and reserved girl living under the social radar. Her school is also home to the band "Blue-Burst", made up of four boys from the pop music club and hugely popular among the students. Of course, Sawa and the band members pass their time at school without ever crossing paths - except, Kouichi from the band is secretly her twin brother! Kouichi is an amateur model on top of singing in the band, and basically the school's superstar; but despite his superstar smile on the surface, his true face is a sneering demon. When he double books a modeling gig with make-up lessons at school, the idea strikes him to make Sawa take his place at the lessons. Poor Sawa has a complex about defying her brother, so in the end she puts on his boys' uniform and heads to school. From that day her plain, quiet high school life changes completely! It's a melody of love and thrills in this coming-of-age story!