Takeo Gouda is a high school freshmen with a big, gorilla-like appearance resulting in all the girls he has a crush on to fall for his more handsome best friend Makoto Sunakawa. On the other other hand, he's very popular with his male friends for his kind-hearted personality. One day, he helped a girl from being groped in the train, Rinko Yamato, and ended up liking her too. Believing that Rinko also has crush on his Makoto, Takeo decides to once more let go of his feelings and support Rinko's feelings towards Makoto.

Takeo tries to figure out the mystery behind Suna, who rarely shows interest in girls despite being popular with them. As the two meet up with Yamato again, Takeo, convinced Suna is the one she likes, tells her about all the times he has helped him out. Later, after the pair exchange contact details with Yamato, a large construction girder comes crashing down towards Yamato, forcing Takeo to step in to protect her. Despite being urged by Takeo to get to safety, Suna and Yamato stay behind to help hold up the girder until help arrives. Afterwards, Yamato asks to meet up with Takeo without Suna, though Takeo assumes she is seeking love advice.

As Yamato meets up with Takeo, she becomes upset when all he does is talk up Suna. When Takeo comes to his place for advice, Suna clearly tells Takeo that he is the one Yamato is in love with, clearing up any misunderstandings he may have had. Suna further clarifies that the reason he's rejected every girl who's confessed to him is because they were insulting Takeo behind his back. When Yamato comes over, Suna hides Takeo under his bed and has Yamato clearly express her feelings for Takeo over and over so that he understands it, after which Takeo and Yamato properly confess to each other face-to-face and begin dating.

Yamato invites Takeo to bring some of his male friends, Suna included, to a singles' meet with some of her friends, who are surprised by Yamato's new boyfriend. Midway through the meet, Yamato becomes upset when she and Takeo overhear her friends, Aya and Nanako, badmouth Takeo behind their backs and runs off. Takeo catches up to her, stating that he doesn't care about the bad things people say about him while also being thankful for all the nice things Yamato has been saying about him. Just then, a fire breaks out at the building the meet was being held at, with Aya and Nanako still trapped inside. Takeo rushes in to save them and does so, but in the process gets trapped under some rubble himself. However, thanks to an encouraging phone call from Suna, Takeo gains the strength to stand up and escape the building by jumping through the second-story window, after which Yamato's friends acknowledge his positive attributes.

As word spreads around class about Takeo and Yamato's relationship, Takeo saves a child from drowning on his way to another date. As the pair take a stroll through the park at night, where Takeo appears to miss some subtle hints from Yamato, Suna is visited by his older sister Ai, who is shocked to hear Takeo has a girlfriend, having had a crush on him herself. The next day, Ai brings herself along to Takeo's next date to meet Yamato, who becomes shocked when she learns she messed the cookies she baked. Yamato feels relieved that Takeo likes them anyway, but becomes downhearted when he mentions how pure she is, something Ai is keen to pick up on. Noticing Takeo realise his own denseness and putting in the effort to try and understand Yamato, Ai offers to speak to Yamato about what's bothering her.

While Takeo studies up on shoujo manga in the hopes of better understanding girls, Makoto and Ai meet up with Rinko, who confesses that she wants to become more intimate with Takeo, but is afraid of telling him as he'll think she is impure. Putting her own happiness aside, Ai encourages Rinko to tell Takeo how she really feels, later telling Makoto about how she fell for Takeo. Catching up to Rinko, Takeo listens to each of her small demands, accepting them without argument. Rinko then confesses that she previously lied a few times in order to have an excuse to keep seeing Takeo, which just makes Takeo even happier. That night, as Ai makes her way back home, Rinko sees her first shooting star while Takeo asks Makoto to practise kissing with him, which is met with resistance.

Takeo agrees to join the judo club for a month in order to help them in an upcoming match against a rival school, despite the fact it'll give him less time to spend with Rinko. This time lessens further when Takeo asks Rinko not to meet him at night out of fear for her safety. As Rinko holds herself back from seeing Takeo in avoid interfering with his training, she tells Makoto about the reasons she fell in love with Takeo. On the day of the match, Takeo's opponent, Tsuyoshi Iwayama, feels that Takeo would have gotten soft from having a girlfriend, but Takeo manages to prove otherwise and wins the match for his team using the strength he gained from Rinko.

While wondering what to do for Rinko's birthday on June 15, Takeo learns from her mother that he'll become a big brother come January. Claiming he has something to do that day, Makoto instead helps Takeo with his plans for Rinko's birthday day, becoming quite amused by his own memories his suggestions bring up. As Takeo takes on a part-time job to earn money for a present for Rinko, he learns that Makoto's father had been hospitalized and is to undergo surgery on June 15. As Makoto urges Takeo not to abandon his plans with Rinko to accompany him, Takeo decides to respect his wishes.

On June 15, after seeing Makoto off, Takeo begins his birthday outing with Rinko, following the plan that Makoto had laid out for him. After spending the day bowling and going to a fancy restaurant, Takeo keeps thinking about Makoto and tells Rinko about his father's surgery. Understanding Takeo's wishes, Rinko encourages him to go visit Makoto and stay by his side during his father's surgery. After the surgery goes successfully, Takeo and Makoto find Rinko waiting for them, enjoying her birthday despite the sudden change in plans.

Takeo and Rinko go on a picnic in the mountains to make up for her birthday being interrupted. When a hawk tries to steal the brooch Takeo bought for Rinko, the pair end up falling off the mountainside, landing safely thanks to Takeo's efforts but winding up in an unknown part of the woods. As the pair try to make their way back to civilization, Rinko becomes anxious about having to spend the night together with Takeo. That night, as Takeo goes to sleep, Rinko decides to give him a peck on the cheek. The next morning, Takeo and Rinko get to meet some woodland critters before reaching the roadside, after which they are able to get home safely.

Rinko invites Takeo and his friends to join her and her friends to the beach. As Rinko's friends encourage her to make her boyfriend's heart skip with a new swimsuit, Takeo remains determined to keep the beach experience purely about swimming and avoid looking at her in a lecherous way. Rinko starts feeling embarrassed at her failed attempts to become closer with Takeo, but the two eventually get to share a romantic view of the sunset together, though get interrupted before they can share their first kiss.

Hearing about Rinko wanting to go to the same college as him, Takeo asks Makoto to help him prepare for an upcoming benchmark exam so he can go to the same university as Rinko. As Rinko comes around to help Takeo with his studies, Takeo's parents take extra measures to leave a good impression on their son's girlfriend, prompting Takeo to take his studies to Makoto's room. During the exam, Takeo manages to get through the test with what he learned, only to discover his answers are off by one, ending up with poor marks. As Rinko assures Takeo that they can both go to another college together, she points out the university Takeo was originally targeting was actually a women's college.

One day, Okada meets pretty boy Oda. He'd been rejected by Sunakawa's sister Ai, and he wanted to have a word with Takeo, who was the cause of his rejection.

Takeo and Yamato end up going to MM Land with Ai, Oda, and Suna. While the two enjoy the various attractions of MM Land, Oda tries everything in his power to have Takeo and Ai have a moment alone together in the hopes that Ai can confess her longtime feelings to Takeo. Will Ai do it?

Saijou Mariya, a classmate of Takeo's, would not count running as one of her favorite activities, but she ends up being assigned to a relay at the school festival along with Takeo. Takeo tries to help Saijou improve through practice. Saijou, who barely knows Takeo, gradually comes to realize his rare qualities...

Saijou Mariya tells Takeo that she likes him "as a person" after falling for Takeo, knowing full well that he already has a girlfriend. Being dense, Takeo takes her words literally, but what will he do once he finds out how she really feels?

Takeo and Yamato's friends get together for a Christmas party. Takeo's friend, Kurihara, reveals that he intends to ask Nanako out, but his numerous faux pas turn Nanako off. As the party draws to an awkward close, no one knows what will happen...

Takeo's long-awaited birthday has finally arrived. Yamato really wants to make it a memorable one by attempting a first kiss. But Takeo's obliviousness may ruin everything...

Takeo's mother's due date is approaching, but she continues to engage in household chores with dangerous enthusiasm. She ridicules Takeo for being anxious for her well-being, but an unexpected incident causes her to evaluate her son.

Takeo is over the moon over his new little sister, Maki. With Valentine's Day approaching, Takeo's heart is set aflutter again since he has never gotten chocolates from a girl who liked him in his life. He can't wait to see what Yamato will give him, but...

Every year, Suna has received an anonymous letter and chocolate on Valentine's Day. Every time, the letter says, "I don't need anything in return, but please like me." One day, Takeo senses a strange presence behind them, and meets the sender of the letter, Amami Yukika. After hearing about her longtime feelings for Suna, Takeo decides to help her!

With help from Takeo and Yamato, Yukika finally manages to tell Sunakawa her feelings. Yukika takes it even a step further by inviting Suna to go on a date with her to a zoo! Yet despite having had a great time there, Yukika looks unhappy...

Mesmerized by the cakes of Ichinose, the handsome patissier, Yamato is having a blast at her summer part-time job.

True love.