Manga Like Adachi and Shimamura: Short Stories

Sun Jing has a major crush on a girl she spots at the bus stop—feminine, blonde, and utterly charming, Qiu Tong is everything Sun Jing longs for. Yet the boyish, outgoing Sun Jing can't manage to say a single word when Qiu Tong is near. After finally gathering her courage, Sun Jing introduces herself successfully and forms a friendship with the lovely girl. Even though they are merely friends for now, Sun Jing will go to any length to make Qiu Tong smile; and through her genuine warmth, she may just win Qiu Tong's heart.

Ayaka Sakurai is at the top of her middle school class in both grades and athletics, but she ends up stuck with her backup high school because she tends to crumble under pressure. Her homeroom teacher, Michiko Egawa, notices Ayaka's difficulties and offers a surprising trade: if Ayaka can persuade Sora Honda, a classmate who habitually skips class, to stop skipping, Egawa will provide a letter of recommendation to any school Ayaka chooses. After Ayaka's initial meeting with Sora, she reports back to Egawa, but Sora overhears their conversation. With Ayaka's true motive out in the open, Sora agrees to attend school as long as Ayaka complies with one of Sora's requests each day. To seal the arrangement, Sora's first demand is a kiss.

After her father relocated abroad for work, Konatsu Amano came to Iyo-Nagahama to stay with her aunt. While heading to her aunt’s home, she is pulled into the open house event at her new high school’s aquarium club. There, she encounters Koyuki Honami, a beautiful older student. After several more chance meetings, the two girls quickly develop strong feelings for each other. Hoping to grow closer to Koyuki, Konatsu signs up for the aquarium club, which up until then had only Koyuki as a member. Konatsu and Koyuki share many similarities. Both experience a deep sense of loneliness, are gentle and considerate, yet also reserved and obstinate. These latter traits make them reluctant to open up about their emotions, creating tension in their friendship. To move ahead, the girls must come to understand what they mean to one another and learn to handle their feelings. Will isolation remain their only constant, or can Konatsu and Koyuki summon the courage to confront themselves and each other?

Fumi and Akira were close childhood friends, with Akira always looking after the easily upset Fumi, until Fumi's family moved away. Years later, after her family returned, Fumi and Akira coincidentally met again on their way to school. They quickly rekindled their friendship, slipping back into their familiar dynamic. Not long after, Fumi started dating a stylish and attractive older student, who happened to have connections to Akira's current school, the prestigious Fujigaya Girls' Academy.

Office worker Hinako Uno feels constant pressure from her family and friends to find romance, so she puts significant effort into her looks and behavior to match the ideal of a "perfect young woman." She thinks that if she can make someone fall in love with her, she will finally be able to love herself—but this strategy fails. After turning down yet another confession, Hinako sees herself as defective for being incapable of loving. Meanwhile, Hinako's coworker and senior, Asahi Satou, becomes the legal guardian of her younger sister after their last living relative passes away, making her the sole breadwinner. Asahi prioritizes providing for her sister and ignores anything she deems unnecessary, including love. One night, as Hinako sits crying on a park bench, Asahi happens upon her and gives her a bag of doughnuts as comfort. They both let their guard down and open up to each other, beginning a connection that might be exactly what they each need.

A decade has passed since Momo "Maki" Makimura's first relationship ended, yet she still cannot get over her feelings for Midori Oonishi, who broke up with her because they were "getting too old" to date. However, after a chance encounter brings them together again, Midori invites Maki to her home. There, Maki discovers that not only is Midori getting married, but she is also pregnant. Maki wants to offer her congratulations, but her intuition tells her something is wrong. The more she hears Midori talk about her soon-to-be husband, the more red flags she notices. Later that night, she encourages Midori to run away with her. Kakeochi Girl follows Maki as she tries to figure out how to help Midori while exploring the unwavering feelings between them.

Adachi and Shimamura are two high school girls whose bond seems unbreakable. From playing table tennis to discussing their preferred television programs or simply spending quiet moments in each other's company, both find joy in their shared experiences. However, when Adachi develops romantic feelings for Shimamura, their dynamic slowly starts to shift, evolving gradually with each passing day.

Since middle school, Yuu Sonoda and Haruka Takayama have been close friends. They now attend Misato West High School together and are in the same class, though their seats are far apart. After school officials announce that the school will close in three years, the two decide to cherish their time there and build more shared memories. A misunderstanding sparks jealousy in Haruka toward Yuu, leading Haruka to flee. Yuu chases after her and offers an apology. The two share a kiss, stepping beyond the bounds of friendship, and subsequently start a more intimate connection.

At an industrial firm, Shimizu Makoto works as a team leader, finding her job both fulfilling and well-paying. However, she secretly indulges in an embarrassing hobby: creating and selling girls love doujinshi at conventions. Despite her efforts to keep this pastime hidden from colleagues, a chance encounter at a doujin convention reveals her secret to her coworker Akane Maekawa. Much to Shimizu's surprise, Maekawa shows interest in learning more, even visiting Shimizu's apartment to borrow DVDs. As the two women grow closer, Shimizu discovers the value of sharing one's passion with another person, all while trying to sort out her complicated feelings toward Maekawa.

Sakurako Kawawa is getting ready to start her first year of high school and moves into her new place. However, when she meets her roommate—the stunning Kasumi Yamabuki—her life takes a turn! From the start, the dependable and sensible Sakurako clashes with the carefree and laid-back Kasumi, yet with their matching mugs and a single bed to share, the bond between Sakurako and Kasumi is only starting to grow!

Yuki Nomoto is a complete beginner when it comes to cooking, but she loves doing it more than anything. This young office worker has big dreams for the dishes she wants to make, yet she always runs into the same issue: there's no one to enjoy her food with. Like a masterpiece that never gets shown to anyone, Nomoto feels her efforts go to waste and her options are limited when she only cooks for herself. By coincidence, Nomoto runs into Totoko Kasuga, her neighbor two doors down, who is carrying a huge load of fast food to eat all alone. Kasuga might come across as intimidating at first, but her love for eating large portions is exactly what Nomoto needs to take her cooking to the next level. As Nomoto prepares meal after meal for Kasuga, the two women slowly start opening up their lives and hearts to each other.

Kurumi and Ruriko once agreed that if neither of them had found a partner in five years, they would get married. Five years later, both are still single, so a wedding is on the horizon. Living together as a married couple brings many new experiences, especially for two friends who have a lot to discover about each other in their shared home. But will this arrangement remain that of close roommates, or could genuine romantic feelings develop between them?

Himawari-san runs an old bookstore that has been around for years, until a high school girl named Matsuri walks in and asks for a job. Their friendship begins from that moment.

Okashi Nako is a young woman living in poverty. She applies for a job at a gem store and discovers that the owner, Otsuka Ren, is a lesbian. Ren assures Nako that she is not her type, but that may be a lie. Nako takes the position, beginning a comedic tale of wealth and poverty, sickness and health, for better or for worse.

Asako Suga, a manga editor, decides that moving into a new home will help her move on from a painful breakup with her toxic ex-girlfriend. She discovers an ideal rental—affordable, spacious, and complete with a lovely garden. However, there is one catch: the property comes with a live-in landlord. Asako is already disappointed that she cannot enjoy the single life she anticipated, but her cute landlord also appears to be hiding a major secret. Will cohabitation bring them closer together, or cause more trouble than it is worth?

A spin-off of Yuru Yuri featuring Sakurako and her sisters.

In the late Victorian period, a race called beastkin exists—those born with animal ears and tails. Raised under government supervision from birth, every beastkin child is groomed to become an ideal servant for a human master. Mel is one such beastkin, but her clumsiness and shyness keep her from achieving her dream of being taken in by a master. Eventually, Mel is assigned to a young writer. This new master lives in isolation, with only the family maid, Colette, for company in a sprawling mansion. At first, the master shows little interest in having a beastkin servant, but as they grow to understand each other, their bond deepens and takes on a familial quality.

The fifteen-year-old Umika Konohoshi struggles with socializing at school, but she holds onto the hope that her words will eventually reach others. When the self-proclaimed alien Yuu Akeuchi enters her life, Umika will gain a deeper understanding of what it means to open up.

Konohana Kitan follows Yuzu, a new apprentice, and the other fox-eared girls working at the Konohatei hot spring inn. The entire staff lives by one guiding principle: no matter who a guest truly is, every visitor is treated as a god. That includes you. Let the warmth and care of Yuzu and the Konohatei team soothe your exhausted heart.

Wakana Morinaga and Yuina Minami, a couple who were side characters in the main series, take center stage as they navigate college life.

Kokoro learns that her father intends to force her into a marriage of convenience immediately after she graduates high school, making her feel as though her life is ending. In her final year, she decides to indulge her love for other women and create an exceptional sketchbook of lesbian romance to leave behind as her legacy. Through observing the young women in her town, she discovers more about their desires, their hardships, and the unpredictable nature of love.

This story focuses on Ayaka and Sora after graduation.

Punpun Onodera is an ordinary 11-year-old boy living in Japan. Driven by hopeless idealism and romanticism, Punpun begins to experience a subtle yet unmistakable shift toward adulthood after meeting the new girl in his class, Aiko Tanaka. The quiet boy soon learns how fragile maintaining a relationship can be, along with the overwhelming difficulties of moving from naive boyhood to a complicated adult life. When his father attacks his mother one night, Punpun realizes another truth: the people he once admired are not as impressive as he believed. As his troubles mount, Punpun's formerly shy nature turns into voluntary isolation. Rather than resolving his problems and inner turmoil, this only makes them worse, pulling him down a dark path toward maturity in this grim coming-of-age story.

Where others consider the world ordinary, five-year-old Yotsuba Koiwai perceives it as a constant source of lively commotion and endless opportunities for exploration. After she and her adoptive father Yousuke relocate to a new town, the spirited little girl naturally decides to scout the area by herself. Following a few mishaps at the nearby park, the Koiwais become acquainted with their next-door neighbors, the Ayase family. Their three daughters—college student Asagi, who enjoys teasing; responsible high schooler Fuuka; and kind elementary student Ena—gradually grow fond of Yotsuba and partake in her adventures, despite often finding her ridiculous. Whether she is learning to use a swing or trying to stop global warming by adjusting air conditioners, Yotsuba’s gift for finding delight in everything both surprises and exasperates those around her. Together with Yousuke, the Ayases, and friends she meets along the way, Yotsuba experiences everyday adventures, each one furthering her mission to savor life’s simple pleasures.