Sumie Ayado is a first-year high school girl who is passionate about anime and a member of the gardening club. She meets Hikari Tsutsui by chance and bonds with him over their shared interests. Although she develops feelings for Tsutsui, she faces heartbreak when she realizes his love for Iroha Igarashi. Later, she starts a relationship with Itō Yūto, but their differences and the pressures of adult life eventually push them apart. Sumie is a bit of an outsider because of her otaku nature but shows a brave and honest heart. Her story covers her high school life, personal growth, love, heartbreak, and a future full of hope and new beginnings.
Sumie Ayado has a calm and gentle look.
She has a good figure and is known for her hidden beauty.
She is described as having a "secretly great" body, and she often looks taller than Itō Yūto in some scenes.
Sumie is shy and struggles with making friends.
She often feels alone because she loves anime.
Sumie is kind, honest, and sometimes acts without thinking.
Even when hurt, she tries to face her feelings head-on.
She loves to help others, and her friendly nature helps her connect with people.
Sumie is a first-year student at the same school as Hikari Tsutsui and his friends.
She is a member of the gardening club, where she helps take care of the school garden.
Sumie comes to school early to avoid being late.
Once, while rushing, she bumps into Tsutsui and returns his lost anime magazine—this is how their friendship starts.
She grows vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes at school and often shares them with Tsutsui.
Sumie also works at a maid café in Akihabara.
Hikari Tsutsui
They become friends over their love for anime.
Sumie starts to fall in love with Tsutsui and tries to get closer to him.
She confesses her feelings, but is heartbroken when she learns Tsutsui loves Iroha Igarashi.
Itō Yūto
Itō is Tsutsui's classmate who comforts Sumie when she feels down.
Itō confesses his feelings, but Sumie turns him down at first.
After some advice from Arisa Ishino, Sumie decides to be honest with Itō about her past and feelings.
They become a couple, go through ups and downs, but later break up due to growing apart in adulthood.
Arisa Ishino
Ishino helps Sumie at important moments, giving her advice and even scolding her to help her realize her happiness.
Becoming Friends with Tsutsui
Sumie meets Tsutsui when she bumps into him on her way to school.
She returns his anime magazine and they start talking about their shared love of anime.
Sumie often gives Tsutsui vegetables she grew herself.
She gets to know Tsutsui's friends, like Itō Yūto and Iroha Igarashi, through their conversations.
Developing Feelings and Heartbreak
Sumie starts to like Tsutsui after he helps her when a stranger bothers her at her maid café job.
Encouraged by this, she becomes more open and tries to get closer to him.
She even goes camping with friends at Anzu Takanashi's villa, but an accident there leads to misunderstandings.
Sumie confesses her feelings to Tsutsui, but finds out that he loves someone else (Iroha Igarashi), and feels heartbroken.
Finding Support in Itō Yūto
Itō Yūto is there for Sumie during her heartbreak.
He confesses his love, but Sumie struggles to accept her feelings at first because she feels different and alone.
Sumie opens up to Itō about her painful middle school experience—being called weird because she liked manga characters.
With this honest talk, she starts a relationship with Itō.
Moving Forward in Their Relationship
Sumie and Itō spend more time together and become a couple.
They face some funny and awkward moments, like when Itō plays games for hours instead of focusing on her.
Sumie wants to become closer with Itō and expresses her true feelings to him.
She is bold and honest, asking Itō to really see and know her.
The two finally share a meaningful and deep relationship.
Adult Life and Difficult Choices
As adults, Itō starts working in the anime industry, which keeps him very busy.
He hardly has time to see Sumie, and they only meet a couple of times a month.
Sumie tries to be strong, but their different values and dreams cause distance between them.
A small comment from Sumie leads to their breakup, proving their love couldn't survive the challenges.
Sumie later gets married after college, but this marriage ends quickly in divorce.
Seven Years Later
Sumie is invited to Ishino and Takanashi's wedding but does not attend.
It is revealed she got married, but later she appears at Tsutsui and Iroha Igarashi's wedding, now divorced.
After the wedding, she talks with Itō Yūto about anime, and he asks her to dinner, surprising her.
Itō tells her that he can't make her happy but wants to support her happiness.
Sumie decides to reflect on herself and work on becoming better.
The story ends with hope for Sumie's future.
"If what you mean by 'cherish' is never to touch me… then I feel very lonely. I want you to know more about me. I want you to know much, much more about who I am."
"Senpai, I was scared… I learned that love can be painful and embarrassing, and I was afraid to fall in love again… But! I was even more scared of you leaving, Senpai. I'm sorry I hurt you so much. But now, I want to say something selfish… Can I stay by your side, Senpai?!"
"Um… Senpai, why are you crying? Usually, it’s the girl who cries at a time like this, isn't it? Was it bad for you?"
"I was happy, too."
Sumie is called a "hidden beauty" by some for her gentle looks and figure.
She loves anime and manga and once wished her first love was a manga character.
Sumie is known to be honest, brave, and eager to connect with people, no matter how awkward things get.
She tries to gather all the happiness around her, as advised by Arisa Ishino.
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