The narrative follows Subaru Asakura, a young man who, due to a past experience of seeking validation online, has cultivated an elaborate online persona as "Pleiades," a cute, domestic, and somewhat shy otaku girl. This persona began on a blog where he shared his crafts and later evolved to include cooking and anime reviews. To maintain this illusion, Subaru meticulously crafted a detailed profile, even adopting a female appearance through makeup and careful posing for photos. His followers, unaware of his true identity, grew in number, and Subaru found himself increasingly drawn into the world of cosplay to further enhance Pleiades' image.
Subaru's journey into cosplay began with creating elaborate costumes and props for popular anime characters. He successfully transformed himself into a convincing female cosplayer, gaining significant online popularity. This success led him to participate in cosplay events. After entering university and moving out, Subaru's life became more intertwined with his family, particularly his stepmother and her twin children, Yuna and Yuji, whom he met after his father remarried. Unbeknownst to them, Subaru continued his Pleiades persona, interacting with them online and even meeting them at events while disguised as Pleiades.
A significant turning point occurs when Yuna, inspired by Pleiades' photos, decides to pursue cosplay herself. Subaru, concerned about her safety and the potential for unwanted attention due to her chosen revealing costume, offers to join her at an event. During this event, Yuna reveals that she specifically came to meet Pleiades, whom she admires. This leads to a close interaction where Subaru, as Pleiades, exchanges contact information with Yuna and Yuji, further deepening their connection.
Subaru's interactions with Yuna and Yuji become more frequent, with them showing an almost obsessive admiration for Pleiades. They meticulously study his blog and social media, demonstrating an uncanny knowledge of his preferences. This creates a delicate situation for Subaru, who must constantly be careful not to reveal his true identity. The twins invite him to a movie, and Subaru, despite his apprehension, agrees.
At the movie meeting point, Subaru encounters his childhood friend, Inaba Kobayashi, who is attempting to pick him up. Subaru, realizing he has leverage over Inaba, decides to reveal his true identity to him. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Yuna and Yuji, who are surprised to see Subaru with Inaba but do not suspect his female persona. Yuna and Yuji, however, ask Pleiades if she has a boyfriend, leading to a peculiar high-five between them.
Later, Subaru confides in Inaba about his elaborate deception. Inaba, shocked by the quality of Subaru's female impersonation, is drawn into a bizarre situation. Inaba's family, particularly his wealthy and influential older sister Misaki, is pressuring him to marry a young girl named Shizuku Kinoshita to secure business alliances. To escape this unwanted arrangement, Inaba enlists Subaru's help. He proposes that Subaru pose as his girlfriend to deter Shizuku and her family.
This plan leads Subaru to visit Inaba's family home, where he meets Misaki and Inaba's parents. Misaki, surprisingly, is charmed by Subaru's female persona and enthusiastically supports their fabricated relationship. The situation escalates when Inaba's childhood friend, Ameri Ichinomiya, who is now dating Misaki, arrives and further complicates matters. The narrative concludes with Subaru and Inaba preparing to implement their plan to deter Shizuku, with Subaru analyzing Shizuku's personality to devise a strategy to make her recoil from their fabricated relationship. The story also delves into Shizuku's past, her obsession with Inaba, and her history of aggressive behavior towards perceived rivals.
