Christmas brings changes and new romances in the third volume of Flower of Life
. Five new short stories follow high school student Harutaro and his classmates as they plan their annual holiday party, but not without some complications. At the same time their masculine yet (unbelievably) female teacher, Shigeru Saito, struggles to end her affair with a married co-worker and deal with her newfound feelings for Majima—her arrogant, 17-year-old student. Classmates Takeda, Saki and Shota must overcome their own insecurities before enjoying an end of the year celebration with their friends. While Harutaro and his friends gather and finally come to understand the spirit behind Christmas, Shigeru crosses the final boundary between student and teacher and takes steps toward a dangerous relationship, while Majima remains apathetic toward her. Known for her success with traditional yaoi and shojo stories, Yoshinaga (Antique Bakery
) creates another series of warmly emotional short stories. Her characters—cute, somewhat unsure, almost hopelessly romantic—face awkward and potentially embarrassing situations as they come into their own. The art style is delicate, slightly effeminate and works well with the heartfelt nature of the stories. (July)
