"Aah. God, if I'm dreaming, don't let me wake up."
"I must still be dreaming right.
But Midori writing a surname I've never heard before as her own,
starting a family with someone I don't even really know-
I feel like I'm back in the real world for those little moments."
Kakeochi Girl (or its alternative title, " Run away with me, Girl.") is a josei drama manga in the Yuri Genre by Battan
. The manga was serialized in Hatsu Kiss from 2018 to 2020 for 16 chapters.
Maki's first love was her high school classmate, Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki on graduation day, saying they were "too old to be fooling around dating girls". Ten years later, Maki's feelings for Midori haven't changed, especially when they reconnect after a chance encounter. Midori, however, seems to have moved on, and is now engaged to a man. But Midori's dreamy life isn't all that it seems...
Kakeochi Girl contains examples of:
- The Baby Trap: Gender-inverted with Tazune, since it is all but stated that he got Midori pregnant on purpose by "suggesting" (read: pressuring her into) unprotected sex.
- The Beard: Komari's boyfriend, who doesn't know she's gay.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: People look at Tazune and easily take him for a kind, mild-mannered young man. He's really a self-centered, controlling, smug and all around nasty piece of work who sees women as prospective scapegoats for his anger at having been unpopular in high school. Yeah, you read that right.
- Desperately Craves Affection: Midori. Small glimpses into her past homelife demonstrate that what family she may have had were frequently absent. In the present, this is the only reason why she stays with Tazune. Until she meets Maki again, that is.
- Domestic Abuse: Tazune already manipulates and belittles Midori on the regular, but it seems like he has even worse in store when he hits her for laughing in a way that he finds annoying.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: What's that, Tazune? You treat women with scorn because girls didn't like you in high school? How sad.
- Furo Scene: In Chapter 9, there is a scene where Maki, Midori and Komari are relaxing in Komari's family bath.
- Gayngst: Maki gets hit with a lot throughout the series. From the beginning, Midori breaks up with her right after their graduation because they are adults. Also, Komari, with her having a boyfriend despite being a lesbian.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Midori's colleague Domyo is in love with Tazune, and ends up snitching on Midori and Maki with photo evidence of the two of them sharing a kiss. It doesn't work out the way she'd hoped.
- Happily Ever After: Maki and Midori get theirs, and bring up Midori's child together.
- I Want Grandkids: Maki's Mother.
- Misogyny: Tazune sees women as inherently weak and easy to win over with a few pretty words.
- Shotgun Wedding: Tazune suggests getting married after he finds out that Midori is pregnant with his child.
- Stepford Smiler: Midori. On paper, she is all set for a perfect life, and thinks she should be happy, but she isn't. A chance meeting with her high school sweetheart Maki gives her a taste of how it once felt to be truly happy.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: While Midori didn't fully commit adultery (she doesn't sleep with Maki until after she's left Tazune), her actions (running away with another woman and kissing her) could be considered cheating. However, we see how Tazune treats her badly, constantly belittling her and even hitting her, and it's clear the two aren't actually in love with each other in the same way Maki and Midori are.
- Time Skip: The last chapter fast-forwards about fifteen years to Midori's daughter Kon running away from home after a fight with Maki. The only main character to appear is a now older Komari, while Maki and Midori are only heard on a phone call from Kon. Tazune doesn't appear either, but Kon states that he is a part of her life, if a bit of a Disneyland Dad.
- Tragic Mistake: When Midori "falls for" Tazune and started dating him.
- Why Did You Make Me Hit You? : In Chapter 6, Tazune smacks Midori hard enough that it gives her a nosebleed, blaming his actions on her "moronic laughter".
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Tazune's last tactic to get Midori to stay with him is to bring up his past "trauma" regarding women to try to get her to feel sorry for him, and while she admits that she actually does; it's just not a good enough reason to stay.
