True Tears

Living under the same roof with the girl he has a crush on should be a dream for Shinichirou Nakagami, but the reality is closer to a nightmare. At school, Hiromi is bright, academically successful, athletic, and popular. But at home, Hiromi is a completely different person; she's cold, distant, and encased in the protective shell she's erected around herself after a painful childhood.

At school, a strange girl named Isurugi Noe suddenly takes an interest in Shinichirou. Noe loves the school's chickens, especially Raigomaru, who she's convinced can fly. Thus begins a strange relationship where Shinichirou helps Noe resolve her problems, even as he tries to figure out his own feelings about Noe, Hiromi, and his childhood friend, Andou Aiko. All the while Shinichirou is also trying to find the key to unlock Hiromi's heart, and to finish the children's picture book he's been writing. Surprisingly, it's Noe who proves critical to both...