Neighborhood Story, Vol. 1 cover

Neighborhood Story, Vol. 1

by Yazawa Aï

Mikako aims to take the world of fashion by storm but stumbles when love comes into season in this coming-of-age tale from the creator of Nana! Welcome to Happy Berry! No, this isn’t a fruit stand, but the label dreamed up by aspiring fashion designer Mikako Koda. In her quest to make a name for herself in the fashion world, Mikako enters Yazawa Art Academy, a prestigious art school, alongside her strictly platonic childhood friend Tsutomu. But there’s one problem—Tsutomu’s uncanny resemblance to a rock star skyrockets him to popularity and leads him to date the prettiest girl in school. Now, Mikako can’t help but wonder if what she feels is jealousy. Peppy and creative teenager Mikako wants nothing more than to make it as a fashion designer. But when she enters art school alongside her lifelong friend Tsutomu, she finds herself distracted by his sudden popularity and subsequent love life. Despite her feelings, Mikako forms a club with Tsutomu and her friends to sell their creations at local flea markets. What begins as an exciting day quickly turns sour when discord arises between members in the group.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?