I Can’t Say No to the Lonely Girl, Vol. 1

Gr 9 Up–Sakurai is an excellent student who is terrible at taking tests, so when a teacher promises a letter of recommendation for the seemingly simple task of getting an often-absent student to come to school, she takes it. This puts her in a difficult spot, however, because Honda-san isn’t just any truant. She finds out about Sakurai’s predicament and adds another layer of bribery, and now Sakurai finds herself completing one “request” a day for Honda, even if that request is a kiss! While sorting out all these demands of her time, passing classes, and everything else that comes with school, Sakurai also has to figure out how she feels about Honda, because it certainly is more than just friendship. This heart-aching romance has beautifully detailed illustrations with fantastic scenery and expressive character designs that bring the reader into Sakurai’s emotional turmoil. There are some typical miscommunication storyline archetypes that may drive readers crazy, but Kashikaze doesn’t overplay too many yuri tropes in this first volume.