On
the first day of her junior year, Kajitsu attends a Life
Instruction class where she meets Akai, substitute calligraphy
teacher and part-time counselor. Kajitsu finds Akai very
attractive, and as she opens up more and more to Akai, he warns her
that she could get into trouble if she is too trusting. In the
meantime, Natsu has been contacted by his aunt and uncle, the
people who fostered him when Rumiko first disbanded the family.
Natsu's cousin had attempted suicide after being unable to compete
with Natsu academically, feeling that his parents had transferred
their love to Natsu. Natsu left his aunt and uncle's home hoping it
would give his cousin the space he needed to heal. Upon hearing
that the cousin has recovered and wants Natsu to return, Natsu
chooses instead to remain with his new family.

As readers gain insight into why Natsu is so anxious to please
while at the same time trying not to be noticed, Kajitsu begins to
see that holding herself apart has caused her world to shrink to
where she can only see her step-brother. Determined to be in love
with someone other than Natsu, she is thrilled when Akai agrees to
take her out to dinner in return for helping him clean the
calligraphy room. Aware of Kajitsu's naivete, the reader is left
anxious to find out just how far this possibly unscrupulous teacher
will go. As this series turns from the family farce of volume 1
into something reminiscent of a traditional teen novel, the
characters and situations become more recognizable and easy for
older teens to identify with.

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