True Tears

Nakagami Shin'ichirou is a student living in what would be a dream come true for most high school boys, but for him it is mostly frustrating.

A well-liked girl in school named Yuasa Hiromi has lived in his house for a year along with his family.

Her father was a close friend of the family, and when he died they immediately took her in.

She is popular and well liked, always smiles, and is talented in sports — but Shin'ichiro knows she must be hiding her sadness deep inside.

Having an artistic tendency, he creates watercolours of her and thinks about wishing to ease her tears.

Yet he cannot bring up the nerve to talk to her even in his own home.

She, too, is quiet and withdrawn in their house, quite unlike at school.

Shin'ichiro is also distracted by teasing from his friend Nobuse Miyokichi for watching Hiromi from afar, a curse of bad luck from a strange girl named Isurugi Noe, and being forced to perform Muhiga dancing.

By helping Noe he hopes to ease his own problems, yet he seems to have difficulty helping himself.