Four Shōjo Stories

They Were 11 is about ten Galactic University recruits who have passed many levels only to be given one final test. They are told to travel to an ancient spaceship and live there, together, for fifty-three days. This is not a problem until the ten recruits, hailing from diverse backgrounds and planets, discover that there are actually eleven of them on the ship. In fact, this problem turns out to be the test, as they have to trust each other in order to survive, even though one of them is an impostor. (Source: VIZ Media) *Note: Won the 21st Shogakukan Manga Award for Shoujo in 1975.*

1. **Changeling** (チェンジリング); Petit Flower 1989-03 2. **Nepenthes** (ネペンティス); Petit Flower 1989-05 3. **Chiri no Tenshi** (塵の天使); Petit Flower 1989-01 4. **Ophelia-sagashi** (オフィーリア探し); Petit Flower 1989-07 5. **Timer** (タイマー); Grape Fruit 1986-04

Contains 5 chapters: 1. **Inu to Anata to Haru Kaze to** (犬とあなたと春風と) 2. **Promise** (プロミス) 3. **Kimi Sarite Nochi** (君去りてのち) 4. **Koko e Oide** (ここへおいで) 5. **Mizu ga Koori ni Naru Toki** (水が氷になるとき) We open with a light-hearted story of a guy whose best friend is highly dependent on him on all matters. He tells his friend he can continue his clingy ways only if he were a dog. His friend goes missing, but then he comes across a dog... The next two very solid chapters are "Promise" and "Kimi Sarite Nochi". The former tells the story of a girl who keeps running into this mysterious young man whenever she is troubled. "Kimi Sarite Nochi" is on a cheating man whose lover is trying to persuade him into taking a trip with her and leaving his wife for good. Karino Yoshihito\* takes the stage again for the last two chapters; we get to know more about him when he was 26 and 15. \*recurring main character in some of Nishi Keiko's stories; see "September" and "The Another Ocean"