Manga4Kids: Manga Reviews for Parents and Kids

Plot Summary:

As Book 2 opens, a group of girls has invited Tsukushi to a fancy nightclub only to humiliate her, but Tsukushi turns the tables and causes a scene that embarrases them.

Rui, the F4 member Tsukushi has a crush on, unexpectedly shows up in a stairwell she frequents, and they chat briefly. But the mean girls spot them and tell Tsukushi that Rui is in love with Shizuka, an impossibly beautiful, rich girl who is returning soon from studying in France. The girls start to get rough, but Domyoji appears and rescues Tsukushi, insisting “The only one allowed to bully this girl is me!” When he tries to help her up, she pushes him back and tells him she hates him.

The F4 boys tell Tsukushi that they have been friends with Shizuka since childhood, and that Rui loves her because when he was young, and dominated by his father, Shizuka was able to draw him out of his shell.

Tsukushi comes upon Rui kissing a poster of Shizuka. Rui asks “Are you in love with me?” and when Tsukushi retorts “Who could ever fall in love with you?” he grabs her and kisses her cheek. Tsukushi is angry at Rui for toying with her but also strangely thrilled.

Soon after, Shizuka appears and is joyfully reunited with Rui and the other F4 boys. When she learns that Shizuka is the daughter of a CEO of a major company, Tsukushi gives up.

Then a childhood friend of Tsukushi’s shows up at her school. Kazuya Aoike comes from the same middle-class school as Tsukushi but his family has become rich. Tsukushi is delighted to have her old friend back, but soon the jealous Domyoji posts a red slip on Aoike’s locker—a signal for the other students to shun him. The F4 gang throws eggs and garbage on Aoike as the teachers dash off, refusing to get involved. Tsukushi tells Domyoji off, and during the argument, he slaps her. She slugs him back, then runs to rescue Aoike.

Meanwhile, Shizuka teases Rui, offering to set him up with a model friend but then telling him “You’re my one and only.” Suddenly Tsukushi and Aoike burst onto the scene, covered in garbage and still being pursued by their schoolmates. Rui once again rescues Tsukushi and tells Domyoji to knock it off. Domyoji threatens to kick Rui out of F4. The two boys each try to pull Tsukushi to themselves, creating a tug-of-war with her as the rope, then drop her onto Aoike. As the F4 boys argue, Shizuka takes Tsukushi to the ladies’ room to clean up.

Tsukushi comes down with a fever, and Domyoji goes to her house to pay a visit. When they find out he is the son of a wealthy businessman, Tsukushi’s parents fall all over themselves trying to flatter him and push the two together, but Tsukushi is disgusted.

When he learns she can’t go to Hawaii for summer school, Aoike invites Tsukushi and her parents to accompany him to Atami, a hot spring. When he hears this, Domyoji announces that Hawaii is passé and everyone is to go to Atami this year. Atami is hot and overcrowded, and Tsukushi’s parents bicker the whole time, but she tries to enjoy it anyway. Then a yacht shows up with Domyoji and all the other kids from school aboard. Tsukushi is horrified, but Shizuka invites her to a party on board, and even takes her in for a makeover and lends her a dress to wear. When she appears at the party, everyone is stunned. Then, suddenly, the lights go out. Everyone chooses a partner and kisses, and when the lights go on, Tsukushi sees that she has been kissing… Domyoji.