Haruma Kouki leads a double life: outwardly a plain, inconspicuous high school boy, he is secretly 'hikari', the exclusive model for the popular fashion brand 'Candy in the Candy' (AmeAme), lauded as the "world's cutest" girl. This secret identity stems from his childhood, where his perfectionist cousin, Misora, the brand's founder, discovered his plain face transformed dramatically with makeup. After a hiatus, a desperate Misora convinced a middle school Kouki to model for a new dress, leading to his stunning transformation into hikari. This experience left Kouki with a unique "disease": he finds himself unable to perceive other girls as truly "cute," constantly comparing them to his own flawless hikari persona.
Kouki's mundane school life is punctuated by his best friend, Izumi Mikage, a popular, prince-like boy who worries about Kouki's lack of romantic interest. During a post-school discussion about the cutest girls, Kouki's discomfort is evident. Soon after, a quiet, introverted classmate, Amamiya Shizuku, trips and scatters her papers. Amamiya, burdened by low self-esteem due to her timid personality and plain appearance (heavy bangs, thick glasses, hunched posture), is often taken advantage of by classmates, who push their chores onto her. Kouki, feeling a kinship as a fellow "shadow-dweller," secretly begins helping her with tasks like cleaning the blackboard, a gesture he considers mere self-satisfaction.
A turning point occurs when Kouki finds Amamiya's lost pass case. Inside, he discovers a printed photo of hikari, revealing Amamiya to be a devoted fan. Hiding in a cleaning closet as Amamiya returns, Kouki witnesses her find the pass case and notice the clean blackboard. As she looks at hikari's photo, she smiles genuinely and whispers, "Haruma-kun." This unexpected, radiant smile profoundly impacts Kouki, stirring emotions stronger than even his initial awe at his hikari reflection. For the first time, he finds someone other than his alter ego truly "cute," marking a potential cure for his "disease."
From Amamiya's perspective, she secretly admires Kouki's kindness and suspects he helps her. She yearns to change her self-deprecating ways and hopes Kouki might one day find her "cute." Her idol, hikari, inspires her, and she feels a strange resemblance between Kouki and the supermodel.
Days later, during a hikari photoshoot in a park, Kouki, still in his hikari guise but disguised, spots Amamiya alone. Despite her unfashionable clothes, Kouki is captivated by her innocent excitement for a dorayaki stall and her kindness in giving up her spot in line. When a rude couple bumps into Amamiya, insulting her and stepping on her dorayaki, Kouki's protective instincts ignite. Activating his full "hikari switch," he confronts the couple, using his "world's cutest" charm and a carefully practiced feminine demeanor to force an apology and compensation. As Kouki attempts to discreetly leave, Amamiya follows, trying to thank him. To Kouki's shock, she calls him "Haruma-kun," seemingly recognizing him despite his hikari disguise, hinting at a major revelation or deepening misunderstanding. This encounter solidifies Kouki's emotional shift, setting him on a path to explore his newfound feelings for Amamiya and navigate the complexities of his secret identity.
