Rules/Hydra Short Stories

Universe created by Miyamoto Kano by telling stories of different protagonists interacting with each other as they are dealing with everyday life struggles and love. Realistic in depicting ambiguous feelings, dilemmas, imperfections and seemingly small choices impacting whole lives. Recommended for audience seeking emotionally mature and realistic reading experience. From tvtropes: The Rules Universe consists of a series of yaoi stories created by Kano Miyamoto, which mainly revolves around Hikaru, his love interests, and friends. Hikaru's high school friend and love rival Ryuu debuts in Please, while Hikaru himself debuts in Kiss. Hydra and its doujinshi revolves around Ryuu, Hikaru, and Hitomi and their high school years. Lovers and Souls covers the story of Hikaru's prostitute friend Tooru and Tooru's sempai, Matsuoko. Rules and its doujinshi focus on Hikaru, Yuki, Tooru, and Atori. **Timeline: ** 1) [Please](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5613) (ch5) {R} 2) [Rules / Hydra: Short Stories](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7276) (ch1-3) - Kiss {R,HT,H} - Kiss After {R,HT,H} - Skies {R,HT,H} 3) [Hydra](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=11334) (ch 1-6) 4) [Rules / Hydra: Short Stories](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7276) (ch4) - Heavenly {R,HT,H} 5) [Hydra](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=11334) (ch 7-8) 6) [Hydra dj - Blue Film First](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=32009) {R,HT,H} 7) [Hydra](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=11334) (ch 9-10) 8) [Hydra dj - The Days Before](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=47909) {R,HT,H} 10) [Rules / Hydra: Short Stories](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7276) (ch5) - Real Things {HT,H} 11) [Rules dj - Hello Again](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=45968) {HT,H} 12) [Lovers and Souls](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5840) (ch3) - Sleeping Beauty {M,T} 13) [Lovers and Souls](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5840) (ch1) - Lovers and Souls {T,HT,S,M} 14) [Rules / Hydra: Short Stories](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7276) (ch6) - Fragile {T,HT,S} 15) [Lovers and Souls](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5840)- (ch2) - Vanity 16) [Rules](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2325) (vol 1 - 3) {HT,T,Y,A,H,S} 17) [Another Rules Story (Novel)](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=28602) {T,A} 18) [Rules dj - If Winter Comes, Can Spring Be Far Behind?](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7028) {HT,T,Y,A,H} 19) [Rules dj - Song Birds](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=13262) {HT,Y,T,A} 20) [Another Day on the Planet](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=23921) {HT,Y} 21) [Rules dj - Double Trouble](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=42665) {HT,Y,T,A} 22) Rules dj - Overload 23) [Rules 2nd](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=94194) ??) [Dreamers High](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=75193) Characters: R = Ryuu HT = Hikaru Taira H = Hitomi T = Tooru S = Shige Y = Yuki

Yuki sees Hikaru with a woman, and is upset thinking that Hikaru might have cheated on him, especially now that they've been together for two years. To make things worse, the woman in question seems to be stalking Hikaru. Meanwhile, Atori and Tohru are concerned about their friends, but at the same time wonder how involved they should get.

Sakura picks Ryouichi up at a brothel and their one night transaction soon turns into more of a rent-boy relationship. Can these two damaged people figure out that their true feelings run much deeper than any monetary based transaction? In Chapter 5, (A Bird at Sea, A Door in the Sky) Ryuu is a sad but tough kid from Osaka who is trying to overcome his past. When an American, Stefan, takes an interest in him, will it lead to more than just friendship? Ryuu's story is continued in the Kiss DJ. (This is part of the Rules series. A complete Rules series timeline can be found in the Synopsis for Rules.)