is an elementary schooler with a talent for drawing manga, publishing in the school's paper, and revels in being lauded for her skills by her peers and teachers. One day, however, her teacher asks her to give one of her strips over to , a shut-in with severe social anxiety who longs to draw manga. Fujino reluctantly agrees, but discovers that Kyomoto is a professionally-skilled background illustrator who exclusively draws scenic artwork in her , and demonstrates herself as the superior illustrator between the two. Envying Kyomoto's abilities, Fujino throws herself into improving her art skills, which leads to her alienating her friends and family as she obsesses over surpassing Kyomoto. Over the span of a year, in spite of improvements, Fujino fails to meet Kyomoto's standards and eventually quits drawing, rekindling her social life. When her class graduates from middle school, Fujino is tasked with delivering Kyomoto's diploma to her. Fujino enters Kyomoto's house and finds piles of sketchbooks. Finding a slip of paper, she draws a mocking Kyomoto, but it inadvertently slips under the door of Kyomoto's room. Though a remorseful Fujino tries fleeing, Kyomoto—recognizing the artwork—comes out of her room to meet Fujino, revealing herself as a huge fan who had been following her manga in the school paper. When Kyomoto asks why she quit, Fujino—flattered by Kyomoto's enthusiastic idolization of her—claims it is because she has plans to submit manga to contests. On her way home, however, she finds her creative spark reinvigorated and decides to actually start drawing again. She even invites Kyomoto to draw on the manga with her, and their eventual one-shot wins the contest. Having become friends from this experience, Fujino uses some of the prize money to take Kyomoto on a trip around town; afterwards, Kyomoto thanks Fujino for giving her the motivation to come out of her shell. Through high school, the two continue to create manga under the
pen name "Kyo Fujino", submitting multiple one-shots that receive high praise. After graduating, they are given a chance to be serialized in
Weekly Shōnen Jump, but Kyomoto declines as she wishes to get a formal education in art at
Tohoku University of Art and Design. Upset at this decision, Fujino continues without her, working on her manga
Shark Kick as Kyo Fujino. Though it becomes very popular, publishing eleven volumes and receiving an anime adaptation, the adult Fujino feels unfulfilled without Kyomoto and cycles through assistants as a result. On January 10, 2016, a man accusing Tohoku of
plagiarizing his work commits
mass murder there with a pickaxe, with Kyomoto being one of the casualties. Devastated, Fujino puts
Shark Kick on hiatus and returns home to attend the funeral, eventually entering Kyomoto's house alone. Convincing herself that she had indirectly led Kyomoto to her death by inspiring her to pursue an art career, Fujino deems her art to have no value and tears up the mocking she drew years ago. A scrap slips under Kyomoto's door, and seemingly time travels to the day when the two met. This time, Kyomoto is too alarmed by the scrap to exit her room, preventing her from meeting Fujino. Despite this, she still develops an interest in an art career and attends Tohoku. When the killer arrives, however, this reality's Fujino, who had continued to pursue athletics, physically incapacitates the man before he can hurt Kyomoto. As Fujino is loaded into an ambulance for injuries, the two meet in a similar way to the way they originally did. Returning home, Kyomoto draws a , titled "Look Back", of Fujino saving her in Fujino's childhood style. A gust of wind blows the strip out of the room and into the view of Fujino back in the original timeline. Shocked by the strip, Fujino enters Kyomoto's room, finding multiple and merchandise of
Shark Kick, as well as Kyomoto supporting it in reader surveys, showing that despite their separate paths, Kyomoto never stopped looking up to her. Still despairing over her life choices, Fujino complains that she hates drawing, only for Kyomoto's voice to ask, "Then, why do you draw, Fujino?", causing Fujino to remember all the times her manga made Kyomoto happy. Finally coming to terms with Kyomoto's death, Fujino decides to return and continue drawing manga, taping Kyomoto's above her workstation. ==Media==