Faster Than a Kiss

Manga is a strange form of writing. You read it from right to left and get confused with the order in which you're supposed to read it, but you can't help but be entertained by it all. "Faster Than a Kiss" was one of the first mangas I've read. And I must say, it was the one that started my addiction. Before I knew it, I was reading more manga than watching anime!
As of now, there are 44 chapters (that have been translated into english). The story is about a girl, Fumino, and her younger brother, Teppei, who lost their parents a few years back. Fumino turned into a delinquent and was about to quit highschool. However, a chance meeting with her English teacher, Kazuma (usually refered to as Ma-kun or sensei) resulted in a heated argument between the two. Fumino challenged Kazuma, saying that if he actually cared about what would happen to her then he would marry her and support her and Teppei. Well, we know what happens next! The story then evolves into a struggle of teacher-student boundaries, and the compromises both of them have to face in order to secretly love each other.

This manga is so sweet, funny, and heartwarming. The love between Fumino and Kazuma is so strong. Kazuma's struggle to keep his "inner man" from showing is seriously hilarious. And poor Fumino has to deal with the insecurity of not being old/experiened enough for Kazuma. Chapter 44 left off describing Kazuma's childhood: how his father was never with him, how he lived with his father's assistant, and his deep need for fatherly love. It finally tells us about sensei's past, and how he became known as "Hells Ma-kun"and why he's always been so secretive about his past. Even though they haven't even kissed yet (Kazuma won't kiss her because she's still his student), the romance is so good. The fact that both of them have been resisting kissing (though they've done some other things) shows that their love is strong. If you like romance, then this is a must read.