Ao Haru Ride

Futaba Yoshioka is determined to change her lifestyle. In junior high, she was rejected by girls because many boys were interested in her. Her crush Kou Tanaka moved away before she could confess her feelings. Now in high school, Futaba wants to fit in with the other girls so they won’t be envious of her unladylike behavior. She meets Kou again, but he now goes by Kou Mabuchi and has a cool attitude. He reveals that he also had feelings for her in junior high, but things have changed.

Since middle school, Futaba has believed that boys are too rough and aggressive. Kou was the only exception and she wanted to get to know him better. They shared some memories, including a plan to go to the summer festival together. But when Futaba accidentally tells Kou’s friend Naitou that she hates all boys, she worries about what Kou will think of her. However, she convinces herself that he understands she didn’t mean him. At the summer festival, Kou doesn’t show up. When Futaba returns from summer vacation, she finds out that Kou transferred to another school without explanation. She regrets not telling him how she felt.

In high school, Futaba’s personality has drastically changed. She no longer acts girly or cunning, instead making herself as unattractive as possible. This is because she was an outcast in middle school and now wants to make friends in high school. Despite being strong-willed, stubborn, and passionate, Futaba just wants to be accepted for who she is, rather than being rejected. She falls in love with Kou again, but constantly worries that he only sees her as a past crush. After being rejected and accepting it, she decides to move on. She briefly dates Toma before reconciling with Kou and starting a relationship with him in chapter 45.