t ▁planned ▁for . ▁Cos mos ▁is ▁initially ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Sun - chan , ▁and ▁originally ▁requests ▁J oro ' s ▁help ▁to ▁succeed ▁in ▁her ▁rom ance . ▁However , ▁after ▁Sun - chan ' s ▁manip ulations ▁are ▁revealed , ▁she ▁redirects ▁her ▁attention ▁toward ▁J oro , ▁with ▁whom ▁she ▁develop s ▁genu ine ▁feelings ▁for . ▁She ▁and ▁P ans y ▁form ▁a ▁cord ial ▁rival ry , ▁as ▁neither ▁girl ▁int ends ▁to ▁lose ▁to ▁the ▁other . ▁ ▁Tai y о ̄ , ▁nick named ▁, ▁is ▁a ▁second - year ▁student ▁at ▁N ish ik iz uta ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁J oro ' s ▁best ▁friend ▁since ▁middle - school . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁ace ▁of ▁the ▁Baseball ▁Club , ▁who ▁is ▁popular ▁in ▁school ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁friendly ▁and ▁car ing ▁de mean or . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁target ▁of ▁affection ▁of ▁both ▁Him aw ari ▁and ▁Cos mos , ▁but ▁is ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁P ans y . ▁His ▁warm ▁person ality ▁is ▁only ▁a ▁mere ▁fac ade ▁as ▁Sun - chan ▁is ▁in ▁fact , ▁extremely ▁self ish , ▁pride ful ▁and ▁spite ful ▁and ▁has ▁held ▁a ▁grud ge ▁towards ▁J oro ▁ever ▁since ▁he ▁learned ▁the ▁girl ▁he ▁liked ▁in ▁middle ▁school ▁liked ▁his ▁friend . ▁H urt ▁at ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁" los ing " ▁against ▁J oro , ▁he ▁is ▁well ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁feelings ▁of ▁Him aw ari ▁and ▁Cos mos ▁and ▁manip ul ates ▁them ▁both