Series by 南波あつこ

Uemura Nina, a ninth-grader, harbors a crush on her next-door neighbor and childhood friend, Tachibana Kyosuke, a kind and cool boy one year her senior. Her dreams of becoming his girlfriend falter when she sees him kiss another girl, prompting her to confess despite the heartbreak. As Nina navigates her feelings and a new connection with her supportive classmate Miyake, this tender tale explores the pangs of first love, jealousy, and growth in a heartfelt story of a girl caught between childhood bonds and the uncertainties of young romance.

Hinata is a high school girl who often visits the empty house she once lived in, a place filled with precious memories she can’t let go of. One day, she meets Itsuki, a game developer who has recently moved into the house, and though he initially tells her to stay away—worried about being misunderstood as a kidnapper—she keeps coming back. As they spend time together, their bond grows through shared moments and Itsuki’s game, with Hinata seeing traces of her late father in him at first, only to realize her feelings are something deeper.