He soon found the book his little sister had asked for. The author’s name was Kanna Yuigahama. It was called The Prince Gave Me a Poisoned Apple. If he remembered correctly, this book had come out something like four or five years ago, but his sister had enjoyed one of the author’s other books and was determined to read through the rest of her works.

Sakuta searches for one of Kanna's books in the library for Kaede. (Chapter 1, part 1)

They looked up and saw a couple standing on the stairs to the beach.

The man had curly hair and a big pair of headphones around his neck.

The woman was smaller, with glasses. When her boyfriend ran off excitedly toward the water, she looked after him, sulking. Her heels were sinking into the sand, and she wasn't making much progress.

They looked a few years older than Mai and Sakuta. Probably college students.

Seeing her struggle, her boyfriend ran back toward her.

“N-no, don’t!” she yelped.

But he swept her off her feet, carrying her in his arms to the water's edge.

“I can’t believe you!” she complained. He put her down. Her face was red. She was clearly conscious of Sakuta’s gaze. “The nerve!”

While she grumbled, he was standing in the surf, yelling, “Whoa! The waves!” Not listening to her at all. Kind of an odd couple.

“It’s cold! I’m leaving,” the woman said, turning around. But he just threw his arms around her from behind.

Sakuta let out an impressed “Wow.”

Fortunately, they were too busy flirting to hear him.

“......”

Iori and Kanna are spotted together on Shichirigahama beach. (Chapter 3, part 3)

The illustrator, Keji Mizoguchi, and my editor, Aragi, were both with me on my previous series, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. I look forward to working with you both on the next book.

Kamoshida mentions Sakurasou in the afterword. (Afterword)

Sakuta turned his attention to the curvy mannequin nearby for comparison. But his eyes lit on a blond beauty who put the mannequin to shame. A foreign bombshell so stunning his jaw dropped and he couldn't help but stare. Curves for days.

Gorgeous blue eyes. Sexy lips. Her clothes utterly failed to hide the size of her chest or how tight her waist was. She was in a corner of the swimsuit section, speaking fluent Japanese, saying “How’s this? Or this?” to a slender girl with long black hair.

No, wait, the girl with long black hair wasn't a girl, but a willowy man with a very androgynous face. More “beautiful boy” than "handsome.” He seemed about the same age as the blond.

This international couple was drawing attention from all over the store, not just Sakuta and Tomoe.

“What about this?”

“They’re all great,” her boyfriend said, clearly sick of it.

“No need to get all embarrassed! Nobody’s watching.”

Yeah, no, everyone was. And the boyfriend wasn’t embarrassed, he was just fed up. Was this relationship healthy?

“They’re all the same!”

“You mean you think I can make anything look good?” she asked, grinning mischievously.

That really reminded him of Mai. The particular confidence of a woman who knew exactly how beautiful she was. She was joking, but she also meant every word.

“Yeah,” he admitted. This seemed to catch her off guard. But then she smiled happily. The kind of brilliant smile that made the air around her brighten.

“Not often I get a compliment from you.”

“It’s merely a statement of fact,” he said, and then he started walking away like he just couldn't take any more.

“Ah! Wait!” She went dashing after him, taking his arm despite his protests.

“I thought you went back to England? Why are you in Japan again?”

“I told you I have an exhibit here. And my parents are with me. You should come meet them tonight!”

“Wh-what?! That's news to me!”

“I’m telling you now.”

Things seemed to be heating up, but since they were on the escalator now, Sakuta had no way of knowing the rest.

Ryuunosuke and Rita, who are apparently dating now, are spotted at the mall. (Chapter 4, part 3)

He showed her an image from her own gallery, which he’d opened without permission.

It was a shot of Saki with her arms around a four-foot-tall stuffed bear. One with a terrifying face that looked ready to eat her up.

Sakuta pulls up a picture of Saki holding a plush of the Gaburincho Bear mascot. (Chapter 2, part 3)

“What are you reading?”

“Your sister said it was good, so…”

She lifted the cover so he could see. The Naked Prince and the Grumpy Witch, by Kanna Yuigahama. Kaede’s favorite writer.

Sakuta had read several books by her at Kaede’s urging but never really got into them. They tended to have ambiguous endings that left a bad taste in his mouth. Kaede said that wasn’t the point, but...

“Another depressing story?”

“Mm? Not really... So far it’s just about an ordinary girl excited because she finally has a boyfriend.”

That certainly sounded uplifting.

“The boyfriend is super popular, so she’s always wondering if a girl like her is really good enough for him, and every time a better-looking girl gets close to him, she starts thinking they’re obviously the superior choice and gets really anxious. But she can’t just admit that, so she takes those emotions out on her boyfriend.”

Sakuta and Rio discuss one of Kanna's books. (Chapter 2, part 6)

“These two are the creators of that masterpiece.”

Fumika brought in a woman and a man, both in their midtwenties. The man was tall and slim, with glasses-smart and handsome. He smiled, not at all afraid of the camera. The woman was small and cute, with an impressive figure. She had a T-shirt on over a red bikini, clearly visible through the shirt; her boobs seemed like they barely fit in it, and the T-shirt was really short, offering a clear view of her taut, healthy waistline.

She was maybe Rio’s height. Sakuta glanced to his side for comparison, and their eyes met.

“My waist isn’t that narrow,” Rio said, reading his mind.

But that also meant she was in the running for the other categories. Maybe Rio nude was even more amazing than he’d imagined.

“Are you a couple?” Fumika was asking.

“You’re even more beautiful in person, Ms. Nanjou,” the guy said, ignoring the question. When Fumika blinked at him, he added, “She’s my wife.”

The girl held up the glitter band on her left ring finger. “Sparkle!” she said.

“You’re so young! Newlyweds?” Fumika asked.

“Nope! We married at eighteen!” the man said, staring into the distance.

Marrying that young must have a story behind it. Maybe he was reflecting on the hardships. Sakuta would be eighteen next year, but marriage might as well be some fantasy-world jargon.

“E-eighteen?!” Fumika stammered, caught completely off guard. “So I understand your wife did most of the work. What challenges did you face?”

“I’m in another competition at Kugenuma Beach on the twenty-third! Come shake my hand!” the girl yelled the moment the mic was on her. What was she even doing?

Then she stared roaring and advancing toward the camera. The man her husband grabbed her in a full nelson and dragged her out of the frame.

“......” Fumika stared after them for a moment, then recovered and said, “Back to the studio!” with a big smile.

Everyone in the studio had an awkward expression, and they soon cut to a commercial.

Fumika interviews Misaki and Jin about winning a sandcastle contest on TV. (Chapter 3, part 1)

The next-youngest people were the couple at the table beside theirs, who were maybe in their midtwenties. The girl had a short haircut, artfully disheveled in a very grown-up way. She had large headphones around her neck. Definitely more “elegant” than “cute.” She was a real classy lady.

The guy opposite her...well, his hairdo and glasses were immaculate, like the word serious had taken human form and was walking around. Or rather, sitting down. Even his shirt was tucked in neatly.

They were talking about the dolphin show, so they must have come from the aquarium.

“You know my little brother? He brought a girlfriend home the other day,” the girl said as she pretended to look at the menu. Even from the next table, Sakuta could tell that was a roundabout invitation.

“......”

“It feels a little early.”

“We’ve been dating since high school.”

“Yeah. And I feel like there's something I should say to you before I meet your parents…”

He adjusted his glasses, uncomfortable.

“...You mean?”

“I didn’t plan to do this here, but...will you marry me?”

The headphone girl instantly turned bright red and hid her face behind the menu. But she didn’t keep him waiting.

“Yes,” she said, real quiet.

It didn’t take them long to get up, pay their bill, and leave. Unable to endure sitting opposite each other any longer. Proposals did tend to be conversation enders.

Soichiro and Saori discuss Iori introducing Kanna to Saori's family before Soichiro proposes to her. (Chapter 3, part 4)

“Get her something she’s said she wanted.”

“And?”

“Uh, she really likes that Gaburincho Bear character, so I buy that merch for her. That’s it.”

Saki is confirmed to be a fan of the Gaburincho Bear. (Chapter 1, part 2)

“Here,” he said, holding it out to her.

A hardcover novel. The Prince Gave Me a Poisoned Apple.

Kaede’s hand slowly reached out and took it. When she saw the cover, she got up and went over to her shelves.

Her eyes were scanning the second shelf from the top. The left side of that shelf had a bunch of books by the same author. The first one was Cinderella’s Sunday; the second was The Naked Prince and the Grumpy Witch. There were two more novels also written by the same Kanna Yuigahama. Four in all.

The one on the left was her debut novel, and they were lined up in order of publication.

“I thought it was weird I was missing one.”

Poisoned Apple had come out between Cinderella and The Naked Prince. She’d even left enough space on the shelf for it.

Kaede put the book where it belonged.

Kanna's books are seen again, including a mention of Cinderella's Sunday. (Chapter 3, part 3)

Then they heard another girl’s voice say, “Look! Red pandas!”

They looked back and saw a petite girl, early teens, clinging to a man’s arm–probably her brother.

“They do seem ‘lesser.’”

“How so?”

“They aren’t ‘giant.’”

“Huh.”

He appeared to be blowing off his sister’s chatter. He didn’t seem like a college student-more like he was in his midtwenties. Probably had a job and everything. He kept turning his head, like he was looking for someone.

“Where’d she go?”

“She still not picking up?” his sister asked.

The man pulled out his phone and tried again.

“No luck,” he said, looking defeated.

“Can’t believe a grown-up would get herself lost like this.” For some reason, the sister smiled like this was a major victory.

“And whose fault is that?”

“You’re supposed to be looking after her, so this is clearly your fault.”

“You’re the one who suddenly stopped following that grade school class around!”

“Well, the teacher started waving at me.”

“You’re in your twenties, and she really thought you were in her class…”

Sakuta almost made a noise. He’d figured the sister was in junior high, but apparently she was a fully grown adult. Older than him even. But she looked Kaede’s age or younger. The world had all kinds of little sisters in it.

“We’re gonna have to have them call for her over the loudspeakers, aren’t we?”

“I dunno if they’ll even do that for a grown-up…”

But even as the spoke, the loudspeaker crackled to life.

“W-we have a lost...grown-up. She’s five foot three, long hair, midtwenties, carrying a sketchbook. If you know her, come to the West Monorail Station, please.”

The woman making the announcement was clearly a bit flummoxed by the whole situation, and the visitors nearby were all going, “A lost grown-up?” But they all soon decided it didn't matter and went back to touring the zoo.

“They’re calling for you,” the sister said.

“...Yeah, they are.”

Looking suddenly tired, the siblings left the red panda exhibit and headed toward the monorail station.

Once the mystery siblings were gone, Sakuta and Kaede said good-bye to the red pandas and continued east.

Mashiro gets lost on a trip to the zoo with Sorata and Yuuko. (Chapter 5, part 3)

Mashiro enters the school culture festival's beauty pageant while searching for Sorata.

Mashiro quotes her famous line in her famous cat costume.

Mashiro stuffs Sakuta in a Gaburincho Bear suit. It's mentioned how Misaki and Saki are both a fan of the character.

Mashiro draws Sorata with ketchup and mentions attending Suimei University of the Arts Affiliated High School.

Sorata was promoted from "owner" to "lover" and it's mentioned that he started a game company with Ryuunosuke.

Sakurasou.

“Uh...am I interrupting?”

He glanced at the manga as he took a seat on the stool by the bed.

“No, I’ve been waiting for you all day. Today and yesterday!”

She closed the book and set it on the table. The artist's name was Mashiro Shiina. That name sounded familiar. At the culture festival the month before, an attractive woman in her midtwenties had gotten lost on school grounds—and she’d had the same name. Coincidence, or had she been a manga artist? Didn’t matter now.

Sakuta sees one of Mashiro's mangas and wonders if she's the same Mashiro as the one who wandered into his school during the culture festival during Rascal Does Not Dream of a Culture Festival Heroine (she is). (Chapter 2, part 1)

The clue he was searching for came from a couple who emerged from the building. They were both in their late thirties, so a grown-up couple.

“The chapel certainly earned its reputation. I say this is the place.”

“So at our age, you still want to put me in a wedding dress and hold a ceremony?”

“I think your students would be delighted.”

“They’re the last people I want to see me like that."

“Should we make it just the two of us?”

“More trouble than it’s worth. They’d just insist we hold a second ceremony for them…”

A snatch of conversation in passing.

Chihiro and Kazuki discuss their upcoming wedding. (Chapter 2, part 4)

Sakuta searches for one of Kanna's books in the library for Kaede. (Chapter 1)

Iori and Kanna are spotted together on Shichirigahama beach. (Chapter 19)

Asakusa mentions Sakurasou in the afterword. (Afterword).

The translation notes in the official English release give some context on Sakurasou and erroneously refer to Sorata and Mashiro as college students. (Translation Notes)

Sakuta searches for one of Kanna's books in the library for Kaede. (Episode 1)

Minegahara faces Suimei in a basketball match. (Episode 7)

Sakuta gives Kaede one of Kanna's books. (Episode 12)

Sakuta gives Kaede one of Kanna's books again. (Episode 12)

Sakuta reads one of Kanna's books. (Episode 12)

Minegahara faces Suimei in a basketball match. (Chapter 4)

Sakuta pulls up a picture of Saki holding a plush of the Gaburincho Bear mascot. (Chapter 5)

Kaede reads one of Kanna's books. (Chapter 6)

Sakuta gives Kaede one of Kanna's books. (Chapter 6)

Kanna's books are seen again. (Chapter 7)

This was ten years ago now.

Our previous series, Sakurasou, was winding down, and I was meeting Kamoshida at the usual bar when he started sharing his ideas for a new series.

Mizoguchi mentions Sakurasou in the afterword. (Afterword)