ホットギミック [Hot Gimmick] Series by Miki Aihara

In company-owned, rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex where high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled by the evil Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes horrendous. Mrs. Tachibana takes special delight in tormenting Hatsumi, particularly with Ryouki, the bully who harassed her when they were kids. Ryouki has special plans for Hatsumi, based on a scandalous secret he discovers about her... moreIn company-owned, rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex where high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled by the evil Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes horrendous. Mrs. Tachibana takes special delight in tormenting Hatsumi, particularly with Ryouki, the bully who harassed her when they were kids. Ryouki has special plans for Hatsumi, based on a scandalous secret he discovers about her. But neither he nor Hatsumi knows that another person from her past will be coming soon to help protect her. less

She says he's just a friend... but that's not how Ryoki feels. His New Year's fete with our hapless heroine Hatsumi didn't go according to plan, so childhood bully/potential boyfriend Ryoki high tails it back home in a huff. Luckily, Hatsumi's heavenly older brother Shinogu is there to give her a lift back to civilization... moreShe says he's just a friend... but that's not how Ryoki feels. His New Year's fete with our hapless heroine Hatsumi didn't go according to plan, so childhood bully/potential boyfriend Ryoki high tails it back home in a huff. Luckily, Hatsumi's heavenly older brother Shinogu is there to give her a lift back to civilization. A botched burglary at the Narita household leaves Hatsumi panicky and, in an act that goes way against character, Ryoki lends her a hand, but their affections do not go unseen. Will Hatsumi and Ryoki's feelings be able to survive the harsh scrutiny of company-housing life? less

Book by Miki Aihara

Neighbors in Love!In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex in which high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs... moreNeighbors in Love!In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex in which high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs. Tachibana's son, Ryoki, who used to bully Hatsumi as a kid, promises not to tell the world about Hatsumi's secret only if she becomes his slave. Suddenly Azusa, Hatsumi's protector in their youth, reappears to save her again! He's moving back into the neighborhood! Despite the budding romance between Hatsumi and Azusa, Ryoki has control over her through the secret that could ruin the lives of everyone in Hatsumi's family, and he hasn't forgotten who his slave is!Our hapless heroine Hatsumi's romantic woes are put on hold (only momentarily, though) to provide ample time for her little sister Akane to experience the sweet sting of teenage love herself. She's tried flirting, she's tried being rude, but no matter how hard she works at it, Akane just doesn't seem capable of getting shy (and dorky) and cute (but still dorky) Subaru to come clean about his feelings. Will a box of Valentine's Day chocolate bring these two mixed-up kids together, or will Subaru forsake the look of love and watch Gundam reruns instead? Later, Ryoki gets some shocking news from his father and learns more than he wanted to know about his parents' tawdry past--as well as their tangled relations with Hatsumi's and Azusa's folks too! All this and more in Miki Aihara's Hot Gimmick one of the most talked-about shôjo manga from Japan! less

Neighbors in Love!In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex in which high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs... moreNeighbors in Love!In company-owned rabbit-hutch apartments live tenants who can't afford to live anywhere else, and the apartment complex in which high-school girl Hatsumi Narita lives is ruled over by the rumor mongering, self-righteous Mrs. Tachibana. Get on Tachibana's bad side, and life becomes hell. When Hatsumi has to buy a pregnancy test because her popular sister Akane is late, Mrs. Tachibana's son, Ryoki, who used to bully Hatsumi as a kid, promises not to tell the world about Hatsumi's secret only if she becomes his slave. Suddenly Azusa, Hatsumi's protector in their youth, reappears to save her again! He's moving back into the neighborhood! Despite the budding romance between Hatsumi and Azusa, Ryoki has control over her through the secret that could ruin the lives of everyone in Hatsumi's family, and he hasn't forgotten who his slave is!It's official--Hatsumi and Ryoki are no longer a couple...kinda. To avoid seeing her bossy (and totally former) b-friend, Hatsumi agrees to hang out at hunky (and totally adopted) big bro Shinogu's place. Hatsumi's dad stops by to fill the kids in on the Machiavellian scheme he and Ryoki's father were embroiled in, but this only reinforces Shinogu's resolve to sever his familial ties to the Narita household--and to convince Hatsumi to see him as a man, not a big brother. Later, Azusa gets more than an earful from an extremely unapologetic Mr. Tachibana, and Ryoki all but hooks up with another lovely lady...kinda. All this and more in Miki Aihara's Hot Gimmick , one of the most talked-about shôjo manga in both America and Japan! less