Sensitive Youko and tomboyish Maki are two best friends who are just starting middle school together. However, their school life is off to a bad start when an older boy at the tennis club recognises Youko as the younger sister of a girl he knew who already graduated, and immediately dubs her 'Imoko' ('younger sister'). Youko takes offence and starts to hate Keita in earnest when he fails to listen to her requests to stop it. But strangely, Maki doesn't seem too bothered by it all, and even elects to join the tennis club with him, making Youko feel even worse.
As Maki and Keita become closer, Youko only becomes more miserable. However, her bad feeling doesn't go away even after Keita agrees to stop calling her by the nickname and make it up to her. Why is she so opposed to the burgeoning relationship between him and her best friend?
Lemonade is a Yuri Genre manga by Shioya Teruko that ran from 2012 to 2014.
Lemonade contains examples of:
- All Love Is Unrequited: Youko likes Maki, Maki likes Keita, and Keita was shut down by Youko's older sister a year ago, only to develop feelings for Youko herself later on. Then one more in the finale when a girl confesses to Youko
- Always Someone Better: Youko constantly feels inferior to her beautiful older sister, Aiko.
- Boyish Short Hair: Maki.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Taken to extremes - in over a year of manga-time, Youko still hasn't even admitted to herself that she has romantic feelings for Maki, though she seems to understand it on some subconscious level. Even when she finally confesses, it seems to be accidental.
- Cool Big Sis: Naomi, the handicraft club's president.
- Distant Finale: The end of Chapter 22 was supposed to be this (albeit only a few months ahead), but then another chapter was added on as well for the manga version.
- Even the Girls Want Her: Neither is really popular with boys so it doesn't fully count, but Maki's fangirls completely fit the fan club trope (including the fact that she's confessed to often enough that it's not unusual anymore), and when Youko is confessed to by a girl, Maki and Pikari can only comment that she really must be popular if a girl confessed.
- Gayngst: Youko is not all that good at handling her feelings for Maki.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Youko's jealousy of Keita is the main focus of the plot. Maki also gets jealous because of Youko in the final chapter when a younger girl confesses to her.
- Last-Minute Hookup: Between Maki and Youko. Occurred because the hook-up didn't actually occur in the original version of the story. The last chapter was actually written six years later when it was made into an actual manga, specifically to make it happen. As a result, it's very rushed compared to the rest of the story.
- Love Triangle: Youko has feelings for Maki, who sees her as a close friend, but also has a crush on Keita. Later, Keita develops feelings for Youko, too.
- Pseudo-Romantic Friendship: When asked who she likes, Pika thinks that she loves her sempai Naomi, but quickly assures Maki and Youko that it isn't actually romantic. Youko then starts to think of herself and Maki this way.
- Selective Obliviousness: Youko is very reluctant to admit that she might like Maki in a romantic way, but seems to be at least somewhat aware it's the case.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Maki when she wears a proper yukata for the summer festival, though she still feels pretty insecure about her appearance.
- Time Skip: After chapter 22.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Youko and Maki.——
