Shuchiin Academy is a beacon for talented students with a bright future ahead of them. The vice-president of Student Council, Kaguya Shinomiya, and the president, Miyuki Shirogane, are attracted to each other, but they are both too proud to be honest about their feelings, so all they do is think about how to get the other person to confess their love. Six months pass without anything happening between them, but then one day, the secretary, Chika Fujiwara, comes in with news about how she won a pair of free tickets to see a movie, a movie that supposedly turns males and females who see it together into romantic couples. This is the trigger that kicks off the romantic game of wits...

The students at Shuchiin Academy are under the impression that Shirogane is a veteran when it comes to romantic affairs, and so it is that despite the fact that Shirogane actually has no romantic experience whatsoever, a male student comes to him seeking advice on a matter of the heart. But if the truth about Shirogane's lack of experience got out, he would lose his dignity as the president of student council. So he nervously takes on the student's request with false bravado: "If it's about love, leave it to me!" Kaguya finds herself in a position to surreptitiously eavesdrop and does so as a chance to hear Shirogane's views on love, but finds his advice off the wall...

When Fujiwara glances at an unwholesome magazine confiscated by the headmaster, she notices to her dismay a survey with the question, "When was your 'first time'?" The magazine claims 34% of high school students have had that experience. Fujiwara calms a startled Shirogane by doubting the veracity of the figure, believing it to be too high, while Kaguya posits, "This percentage seems about right to me," and freely admits that she has had that experience. Shirogane, who has never been in a romantic situation, is shocked by Kaguya's admission, but when she sees his reaction, she uses it as an opportunity to stir him up by asking, "Don't you have a girlfriend?"

For some reason, Kaguya and Shirogane indulge Fujiwara's idea of doing cosplay for the upcoming gathering with students from their sister school in Paris. Deep down, Kaguya thinks it's silly, but when she puts on cat ears, a subdued "meow" escapes her mouth. Moreover, that minor cosplay is an unexpected major hit with Shirogane, an avowed cat lover. He's so bowled over by her cuteness that he isn't able to maintain his usual presence of mind. The situation becomes more complicated when Shirogane follows suit and puts on cat ears, which secretly thrills Kaguya. Unable to hide their thoughts that each other looks cute, the two act weirder and weirder...

When it comes to studiousness, Shirogane is second to none, but as for athletics, he's hopeless, which is why he's training hard for volleyball in the gym after school. However, no matter what he does, Shirogane isn't showing any signs of progress. Playing volleyball for P.E. is only a week away, and at this rate, his image as the perfect president of Student Council will be crushed. Just as Shirogane gives in to despair, Fujiwara shows up. Swallowing his pride, he begs her to coach him, and so Shirogane's days of training under the enthusiastic tutelage of Fujiwara begin. Will he be able to deliver an average serve in time?

Yu Ishigami is the fourth member of the student council. Despite being a first-year, he was scouted out by Shirogane for his talent with numbers and appointed the council's treasurer. Owing to Yu's introverted personality, he normally doesn't stand out much, but the council would fall apart without him. But one day, Yu goes to Shirogane and confesses his desire to quit the group. In fact, his mind is made up, even though Shirogane desperately tries to persuade him to stay. Apparently, the situation is beyond Yu's control, but with a tear in his eye, he explains to the president that he thinks he's being targeted for murder...

Kashiwagi's boyfriend goes back to Shirogane for more romantic advice while Kaguya eavesdrops again. Thanks to Shirogane's advice the first time around, the boy has been dating Kashiwagi, but a month has passed and the two haven't even held hands yet. To Kaguya, the question of what to do in order to hold hands is so simple that she's disgusted by it, but for Shirogane, who doesn't actually have any experience when it comes to romantic relationships, it's a relief since he feels capable of addressing the problem. However, like the previous occasion, Shirogane's advice seems to go in an unexpected direction...

As term-end exams approach, the psychological war between Kaguya and Shirogane in the student council room ramps up. Kaguya is an all-around genius, but her pride is hurt because she hasn't yet beaten Shirogane when it comes to academics. Meanwhile, when it comes to making an effort, Shirogane is second to no one and as the president of student council, he refuses to let anyone else usurp his position at the head of the class. The two of them lie through their teeth and employ wiles worthy of Machiavelli in an attempt to get ahead of the other. At last, it's the day of finals, but which of them will the goddess of victory smile upon?

When Kaguya stays home from school with a cold, Shirogane tells the other council members that he's going to drop off handouts at her house, an announcement that stirs Fujiwara up as she volunteers to go in his stead. According to Fujiwara, Kaguya acts like a baby when she gets a cold. Shirogane's heart beats fast as he imagines a cute Kaguya who's upfront about what she wants, but he shoots down the idea of all the student council members barging in on Kaguya when she's sick. So, Fujiwara proposes playing a game of Concentration to decide on who will visit Kaguya. Even Ishigami gets dragged into what becomes a serious battle!

Kaguya and Shirogane had an argument over the "home visit incident" and as they're both unable to be honest about their feelings, a hostile mood pervades the student council room. Since Kashiwagi has a boyfriend, Kaguya goes to her for "romantic advice," although she lies, saying she's "asking for a friend." Meanwhile, when Shirogane asks romcom fan Ishigami how he can make up with the "person of the opposite sex" he had a fight with, the class treasurer goes off on a heated rant... After getting an earful of various advice, Kaguya and Shirogane begin to realize how they really feel about each other.

Half a month into their summer vacation, Kaguya spends her days moping around, unable to see Shirogane without the student council to throw them together. However, she does have plans to see a fireworks display with the other members of the student council toward the end of the break. Kaguya has never been able to make summer memories because of her strict upbringing as the daughter of the head of a financial conglomerate, so she is anticipating the day she can have fun with everyone. But the day before the event, Kaguya's father suddenly summons her home to Kyoto...

After being forced to bail out on seeing fireworks with her fellow student council members, Kaguya shuts herself up in her dark bedroom. Hayasaka, Kaguya's maid, is worried about her mistress's depressive state. She tries to cheer Kaguya up, and when that doesn't work, introduces a plan to sneak out of the family mansion. Kaguya manages to slip past a pair of vigilant butlers and reaches the venue, but the fireworks display is already over. Kaguya is in tears, since she really wanted to see the fireworks with the others, but then she hears a familiar voice: "Then, I'll show them to you."