I liked his presence in the manga a lot because it felt to me like I could read the story that would have been written for Niina has she not had Chitose's memories. Poor Kanata-kun, the love rival that never stood a chance. Again, it's all pretty convenient that all these Chitose-y things are coming up at once, but it's also great for Niina to see that Chitose wasn't forgotten, even though the family went on with their lives. The fact that the mother is using Chitose's old volleyball knee pads and they give Niina an apron to wear that Chitose made. But at the same time it's a very humbling scene that tugs on the heart strings. How she gets to see her parents is a very constructed plot line, seriously has anyone ever had their class be invited back to the teacher's home for extra study classes? Surely that's against some kind of rule. Those silly pregnant teachers going on materinity leave at convenient times! *shakes fist* Therefore I am really happy we got to see them, even if it was by a giant coincidence that Chitose's brother becomes Niina's substitute teacher. It would have been easy for this manga to stick to Atsurou and the revelations between the two, and I think I've seen a manga do just that, but the more you get to know about Chitose in the flashbacks, the more you start to wonder about the people she left behind. One of the plot lines I loved is how they brought in Chitose's brother and parents. I did it both times I read this manga because I didn't know, and then forgot. If you read the side story, don't click through to the very end. Just as an IMPORTANT FYI, if you read the version of the manga, at the end of chapter 3.5 there is a major spoiler for the story which I think they scanned by mistake. I found this manga incredibly enjoyable to read, and I always love it when I leave a manga replaying several of my favourite moments in my head. This internal struggle is believable and captivating, and you can't help but admire her for being such a young girl but with a lot of maturity. You see moments where Chitose's memories can't help but shine through and affect Niina's reactions, and moments when she is just herself - a new person. The way that Niina is characterized is also fantastic. So often something minor things happen to a character, but they still stay home from school for days on end drowning in sorrow. It was actually refreshing to read about someone being shaken by something that actually deserved the intense emotions it stirred. Past this, this is a very sweet manga which takes a twist on the usual boy meets girl at school that we usually see in shoujo manga.Ītsurou's devastation at Chitose's death is clear to see throughout this manga in the lingering issues he has which influence his life decisions, as well as in the flash backs which reveal more of the story. In order for Niina to have Chitose's memories, she had to be born at the same time Chitose died, and therefore the age gap between Niina and Atsurou is 15 years. Something that some readers may struggle with in this manga is the large age gap. As a young girl, and then a teenager, Niina struggles not only with keeping her her memories of her past life a secret, but also with working out where Chitose ends and Niina begins.Ĭan Niina keep her secrets safe? And can she make the man who loved her in her past life fall in love with her again, despite their age gap? Now his neighbor, Niina attempts to bring happiness to Atsurou, who remains unaware that she was formerly Chitose. She recognizes Atsurou as the boy she was in love with in her previous life. Then, 10 years later, 10-year-old Aoyagi Niina jumps over a wall and into his life.īut Niina is no ordinary girl. Her death severely impacts her longtime friend and boyfriend, Itami Atsurou, who grows into adulthood unable to get past his first love.