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''Houkago x Ponytail'' ("After-School Ponytail") is a short RomanticComedy manga written by Teko Tanaka. It was serialized for six chapters in the {{shoujo|Demographic}} magazine ''Bessatsu Margaret'' in 2012, which were later compiled into a single volume.

Natsuki, an otaku high-school girl who'd rather spend her money on manga than pretty dresses, accidentally injures a creepy-looking mangaka named Kiritani Taichi. To repay him, she agrees to be his character model until he fully heals. Kiritani turns out to be a popular shoujo mangaka under the name Ichijou Kiriko, who is also Natsuki's favorite author! Plus, underneath that disheveled hair Kiritani is actually a good-looking man! What will become of these two?

[[http://betsuma.shueisha.co.jp/lineup/houkago.html Official page]](Japanese).

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!!Tropes:

%% ACupAngst: Natsuki is not proud of it.
* ActionGirl: Natsuki has black belts in both karate and taekwondo.
* AdultsAreUseless: The teachers doesn't stop Natsuki for going to an "old-man" after school, and her parents are never seen. One would worry about her visiting a stranger, a adult man, after school.
%% AlwaysSaveTheGirl
* AttemptedRape: Implied that was what the intent of the pervert at the end of the first chapter.
%% DoggedNiceGuy: Sotaro.
* EmbarrassingNickname: Natsuki doesn't like that Kiritani calls her "high-schooler".
%% JustFriends: Natsuki and Seto, unfortunately for him.
* LikeASonToMe: Kiritani tries to see Natsuki as a daughter.
%% OfficialCouple: Natsuki and Kiritani.
%% {{Otaku}}: Natsuki and her friend Seto.
%% OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent
* PlainJane: Natsuki feels really plain, it doesn't really help that is the reason why Kiritani noticed her.
* RomanticFalseLead: Seto. Kyoko and Naho hopes that Natsuki ends up with him.
* SailorFuku: Natsuki's school's summer uniform, which Kiritani really likes.
* SheCleansUpNicely: with help from her friends Natsuki puts on some pretty clothes and does her hair nicely and she looks really different. [[spoiler: But sadly for her, Kiritani does not care.]]
* ShipperOnDeck: Kyoko and Naho supports Natsuki x Seto, well until they meet Kiritani at least.
%% SmokingIsCool: Kiritani smokes.
%% ThoseTwoGirls: Natsuki's friends, Kyoko and Naho.
%% TomboyishPonytail: Natsuki's got one.
* VagueAge: Natsuki and her friends are around 17, while Kiritani looks about 20-25 but calls himself old man which would imply around [[OlderThanTheyLook 30-35]].
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