Hananoi-kun has made the discovery that Ginji-san, the older man who was his “friend” throughout his childhood, was actually Hotaru's grandfather! He resolves to tell her everything, but Hotaru misses their date in order to help Yao-kun's little siblings get to the hospital. Wanting to make up for the date she blew off, Hotaru herself resolves to take things between her and Hananoi-kun to the next level on the night of their one-year anniversary…

Hotaru and Hananoi-kun have been together for half a year now. With every passing day, they grow that much closer...and the first summer break of their relationship is right around the corner! Hotaru decides it's time to work on her appearance if she wants to be a good girlfriend for Hananoi-kun...and just as soon as they get that worked out, an all new romance seems to be budding in their friend group!

Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first-year who has always been ambivalent about love ... but somehow or another, she's found herself going out with Hananoi-kun, the pretty boy from the class down the hall who, as it turns out, is a little too romantic for his own good. But they're not official yet; they're going out on a trial basis, and once Christmas Day comes, they'll be perfect strangers again. Hotaru was fine with that ... until Hananoi-kun gave her the happiest Christmas Eve of her life. Now, with the deadline just hours away, Hotaru's beginning to have second thoughts ...

Hananoi-kun and Hotaru's trial run is over. They're officially boyfriend and girlfriend now! Their first official date leaves Hananoi-kun determined to tell Hotaru how he really feels…but before he can, she's got a surprising request for him!

While observing exotic animal trainers for her acclaimed book Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched, journalist Amy Sutherland had an epiphany: What if she used these training techniques with the human animals in her own life–namely her dear husband, Scott? In this lively and perceptive book, Sutherland tells how she took the trainers’ lessons home. The next time her forgetful husband stomped through the house in search of his mislaid car keys, she asked herself, “What would a dolphin trainer do?” The answer was: nothing. Trainers reward the behavior they want and, just as important, ignore the behavior they don’t. Rather than appease her mate’s rising temper by joining in the search, or fuel his temper by nagging him to keep better track of his things in the first place, Sutherland kept her mouth shut and her eyes on the dishes she was washing. In short order, Scott found his keys and regained his cool. “I felt like I should throw him a mackerel,” she writes. In time, as she put more training principles into action, she noticed that she became more optimistic and less judgmental, and their twelve-year marriage was better than ever. What started as a goofy experiment had such good results that Sutherland began using the training techniques with all the people in her life, including her mother, her friends, her students, even the clerk at the post office. In the end, the biggest lesson she learned is that the only animal you can truly change is yourself. Full of fun facts, fascinating insights, hilarious anecdotes, and practical tips, What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage describes Sutherland’s Alice-in-Wonderland experience of stumbling into a world where cheetahs walk nicely on leashes and elephants paint with watercolors, and of leaving a new, improved Homo sapiens.

After Non-chan-the girl who assaulted Hotaru many years ago-moves back into town, things between Hotaru and Hananoi-kun grow tense. Hananoi-kun's attempt to prevent Hotaru from getting hurt again itself hurts her. Can he work through this problem and leave his harmful tendencies behind him? Or will this be the end for our couple?! Their mismatched love story takes a new turn!