Over the course of the manga, Yabe goes from pure terror to a resigned, almost fond tolerance. He starts buying an extra pudding at the convenience store—just in case Momoko shows up. He starts to rely on her chaotic energy to motivate his lazy teaching habits. By the final chapters, when Momoko announces (as she does every day) that she will marry him, Yabe sighs, smiles, and says, "Sure, Momoko. Finish your homework first."

This rejection does not end Momoko’s arc; it ignites it. For the first time, she sees the wall between fantasy and reality. Her romantic storyline transitions from "Will they, won’t they?" to "How does a woman survive loving a man who cannot love her back?"

Leonardo’s response is a masterclass in painful rejection. He does not mock her, nor does he waver. He admits he feels a deep respect and care for her, but romantically, he sees her as a , a kohai . He tells her, essentially, that his heart belongs to duty and, perhaps implicitly, to a version of himself she has never met.

Leonardo, as the leader of the TMNT, is stoic, disciplined, and deeply traditional. When Momoko first enters his orbit, he treats her with the polite distance he affords any ally. But Momoko reads deeper. She interprets his leadership commands as signs of protection, his tactical focus as silent intensity. She falls for the mask of the "Perfect Ninja."

Ken Gima is Momoko’s childhood friend, a loyal, steady, and quietly brave young man who works at a local shop. He represents normality —the life Momoko could have had. Their relationship is sketched in small, poignant moments: shared bento boxes on the school roof, him walking her home under the streetlights of Manhattan, his worried texts when she disappears for days on Foot Clan business.

Initially, Momoko Isshiki is portrayed as a wealthy, fashionable, and somewhat shallow high school student. Her life revolves around her family's business and social status. However, her encounter with the Ouran High School Host Club changes everything. The host club, a group of charming and handsome male students, provides an elite social service to their female classmates. Momoko's interactions with the club's members, particularly Tamaki Suo, mark the beginning of her transformation.