To break the monotony of his daily routine, Jouji Ema enjoys counting every cute thing he encounters. However, this hobby has become a challenge at his all-boys school, with one notable exception: his classmate Miyoshi Hayashi. Following a random mishap involving Hayashi at the sports festival, the boy begins trailing Ema, repeatedly asking if he considers him cute. Ema is baffled by Hayashi's blunt yet naive demeanor, yet he finds himself drawn to his eccentric personality. Meanwhile, Yuuichi Medaka's school year takes a wrong turn when he is seated in front of Akira Nikaidou, a gloomy student rumored to curse anyone who crosses his path. Determined to win Nikaidou's favor, Medaka attempts to befriend him, but to no avail. Just as he is about to concede defeat, he realizes that Nikaidou may not be the bad omen everyone believes him to be.