Noel Minamino has a sister complex, and does not take it well when his twin sister Maria transfers to a boarding school to pursue a boy. Noel promptly decides to go after her, and is not stopped by trivialities such as the only free space being in the girls' dorms. After all, it only takes the right wig for him to very convincingly pass for Maria's twin "sister". Hilarity Ensues, of course.
The story follows Noel as he struggles with his life as a girl, befriends the popular Ryuiji Sasa and tries to figure out the mysteries of his roomate Miyu Makimura. Meanwhile, Maria is struggling with her love life. Created by Wataru Yoshizumi of Marmalade Boy fame. It was serialized in Ribon from July 1997 to February 2000.
This series provides examples of:
- Confirmed Bachelor: Well, the middle school version of such. Sasa infamously "doesn't like girls", has no interest in dating, and turns down every girl who confesses. By the end, he is a Deconfirmed Bachelor
- Cute Sports Club Manager: Noel becomes this to the basketball club.
- Disguised in Drag: The premise of the story.
- Forgotten First Meeting: How a five year old Sasa met Noel and Maria. It's used as a joke, and none of the involved realise that it's them since he never realised they were two different persons.
- Half-Identical Twins: Noel and Maria looks exactly alike despite having different gender, and they apparently have identical voices too, given that Maria was able to pretend to be Noel at one point.
- Half-Truth: Noel isn't lying when "she" claims that she likes women.
- He-Man Woman Hater: Sasa's "first love" left a bad impression.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: When Noel in his girl disguise, the only thing that sets him apart from his twin sister Maria is the hairband he's wearing.
- Invented Individual: Noel spends some time posing as "cousin Tohru".
- Locked Out of the Loop: Miyu, in regards to Noel's gender. She takes it badly when it DOES come out, and it gets worse when she realises that Maria and Sasa have been playing along.
- Long-Lost Relative: Miyu's father married his sister-in-law who had a son from her previous marriage - Sasa. So her father is also his step-father, and they're cousin by their mothers.
- Love Cannot Overcome: When Miyu discovers that "Tohru" is Noel because Noel is a boy, she dumps him. She forgives him, but won't be his girlfriend any longer.
- Loves My Alter Ego: Self-inflicted. Noel can't let Miyu know that he's a boy, so he starts dating her as a boy, explaining that he is Noel's cousin Tohru.
- The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: It is difficult to pick up girls when you're pretending to be one.
- Mistaken for Romance: Many people assume Noel and Sasa are dating, since Noel is one of the few "girls" that Sasa could get along with. Of course, the only reason Sasa could befriend Noel is because he knows the latter is a boy.
- Odd Friendship: Sasa, captain on the basketball team, and Noel, a guy attending school as a girl.
- Open Secret: As Kanako reveals to Chris, many people in their school actually knows, or at least suspects, that Noel is a guy.
- Pretending to Be One's Own Relative: Whenever he wants to go out as a guy with his new friends, Noel pretends to be "Tohru", supposedly Noel and Maria's cousin.
- Romantic False Lead: When Sasa thinks that Maria is going back to her ex, he demands that Noel comes with him to Harajuku to pick up girls. He finds one, too.
- Samaritan Relationship Starter: Sasa comforting Maria after Daisuke breaks up with her
- Secret-Keeper: Sasa, that one lady on the board, Miyu and Karin
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Maria repeatedly. All three of her boyfriends are Nice Guys.
- Sorry, I'm Gay: Though Noel is probably not aware of just what he's implying by explaining that he likes girls while he is also pretending to be one.
- Status Quo Is God: When Maria no longer has a reason to stay at the new school, the twins discuss going back to the old one so that Noel no longer needs to crossdress. They decide against it. When the story ends, Noel is still disguised as a girl.
- Twin Switch: Maria and Noel substitute for the other on different occasions.
