Toma is out of the hospital, but his older brother blackmails Tai-chan into figuring out Toma’s reasoning behind skipping college and going straight into the workforce. With Tai-Chan’s birthday coming up, Futaba and Toma shop together to find a great present. During their time together, Futaba admits that she has wanted to be like Toma - strong, athletic, admired - and Toma admits he’d rather be more like Futaba. The four attend a fireworks festival together and Tai-Chan continues to make opportunities for Futaba and Toma to be together, but Futaba explains why his efforts are no longer necessary, and she may have accidentally admitted something to Tai-Chan that she wasn’t ready to admit.

Mona is plagued by depression, anxiety, some lack of self-confidence, and many other mental health issues that so many teenagers suffer from. She calls her depression and doubts her “Matter.” To begin with, Mona's best friend moves away to Hawai'i, and she makes a new friend who has just enrolled in her school.  Mona is also a violinist and loves to draw, but her Matter constantly tells her she's not talented enough.  Throughout the narrative, Mona learns to cope with her Matter invading her thoughts and sabotaging her social interactions.  She uses therapy, art, and writing to understand with and change her self-doubt into positivity.

​Taichi has to deal with the immense guilt from Toma's broken leg.  If Taichi hadn't tried to save the kitten from being run over by a car, Toma wouldn't have tried to say Taichi, and he wouldn't have an injury that completely ended his baseball season, just when the team on the cusp of qualifying for the summer tournament.  Futaba tries to console Taichi and discovers just how much she cares for him.  Taichi and Toma lash out at each other for the injury - Taichi claims responsibility for ruining Toma's dreams, but ultimately, the argument ends with Toma expressing that Taichi's life is more important than his dreams of becoming a professional athlete.  Taichi begins to understand some of the feelings Toma has been unable to express before, and he doesn't quite know what to do about it all.

Nina Kamiyama is trying to fly under the radar and attend her high school classes.  She doesn't want anyone to find out that she used to be in Pure Club, an idol group that was super popular across Japan.  After a fan assaulted her, she quit the group and begun her second life.  Unfortunately, someone recognizes Nina as Karen, the former leader of Pure Club, and her new life begins to unravel.  This story deals a lot with trauma, assault, exploitation culture, and more. 

Seki is up to his antics again, hardly ever paying attention during class and having a bag packed full of games instead of schoolwork. He tries to impress Yokoi with a magic trick, Japanese chess with a seemingly tragic, heroic story, table top golf, zombie Othello, and so much more. The class also takes a trip to a camp, where Yokoi gets a rare glimpse at her neighbor’s childhood. Back in class, the two are noticed by Goto, who desperately wants to be Yokoi’s friend, but thinks all they’re up to is sneaking kisses and loving glances during class.

Christmas time is upon them, and Hana and her friends win a raffle for a Christmas tree. All of them have a tree already so they insist Hana give it to Takane. Once it’s set up, Mizuni and Hikaruko artfully slip out, leaving Hana and Takane alone. Their solitude is quickly interrupted by Rino, a friend from Takane’s high school years who is incredulous that Hana is his arranged marriage meeting partner. Rino is in love with Takane and she grills Hana on her feelings for him. She ends up weaseling a date out of Takane, but he instead invites them both to tag along with Hana and her friends at their annual Christmas dinner.  There, Hana learns a deep secret about Rino, and discovers why she is no threat to her relationship with Takane. We also meet Takane's young cousin Hiromi, who is trying to be exactly like Takane, so much so that Hana knows just how to manipulate him.

It’s time for Aohama High’s Sports Festival. Toma is pressured into being the cheer squad captain by all the girls in the class, and he makes Futaba and Taichi his vice captains! The two vice captains must perform a major cheer before the last sporting event, a relay that Toma is running. Futaba freezes and forgets all the steps, but Taichi saves her with his cheering and drumming. Then, baseball season gets underway and Toma, as team captain, leads his team to victory over difficult opponents. Taichi struggles with the unasked question of why Toma isn’t planning on going to college, and if that means he’s giving up on his dream of being a pro baseball player. Later, Taichi runs into Masumi at the subway station just after she’s broken up with her boyfriend, and she asks lots of philosophical questions about the difference between romantic love, friendship, and love for someone of your same gender. So, thus, our quadrangle is complete (for those playing at home: Masumi-> Futaba -> Toma -> Taichi -> Futaba). Another cliffhanger ending will have fans gasping for volume 3.

Illustrated by Fabian Lelay, colored by Claudia Aguirre, lettered by Taylor Esposito.

This is a really cute story about an up-and-coming band as they work their way through a Battle-of-the-Bands competition. After overhearing Julie playing her Filipino songs in an empty classroom, drummer Tabitha invites Julie to a show for her band, Lipservice, which Tabitha quits that night.  Julie and Tabi decide to form their own band, and they bring on a bassist and another guitarist.  With Julie's skills as front woman, the band, We Are the Danger enters into Battle City, a competition to land a record deal with Fuze Studios.  Unfortunately, Tabi's former lead singer, Logan, wants to ensure We Are the Danger fails, and does everything to ensure it with her powers of a record-producer's-daughter.  Along the way, the band gathers a rag-tag team of supporters, and some of the members even find love.

For the school cultural festival, Komi and her classmates decide to do a Maid Cafe, somewhat so they can see Komi in a maid outfit, and somewhat because that’s what Komi chooses and everyone band wagons her. Somehow, Tadano is convinced to also dress in a maid costume, and he doesn’t look half bad.  Najimi uses several illicit money making schemes, most involving Komi, so her class wins the best of show but has to forfeit all their profits.  

Illustrated by Lissa Treiman, colored by Whitney Cogar
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College roommates Susan, Ester, and Daisy navigate their budding college lives together.  Ester is the feature of some cyber stalking when a photo of her at a party ends up on a website rating hot first years. After they both took a gap year, Susan’s “nemesis” comes to her university, and she uses the power of her feminist magazine to splatter his reputation. Daisy’s new friend furnishes her with some pills to make sure she really enjoys her 18th birthday party.  Daisy isn't sure if the pills have made her attracted to her new friend, or if this feeling is natural.