Tomoya Aki, his cousin Michiru Hyodo, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Utaha Kasumigaoka, and Megumi Kato, all part of the Blessing Software doujin circle, travel to a specific area to scout for their project, a video game. While Eriri tries to persuade Megumi to act out a romantic scene for the main heroine, Utaha seduces Tomoya and compels him to play out a romantic scene with her. Her attempts are cut short by an envious Eriri, and the two girls dispute. Michiru leads Tomoya to a lake, where they play in the water before ending up in an awkward situation. And to top it off, Megumi arrives.
After that in their inn, the gang plays ping-pong. Later that night, Eriri, Utaha, and Michiru face Tomoya and want to know why he pushed them to join the club, forcing them to complete absurd chores without compensation. After being saved by Megumi, he speaks with her about her inclination to blend in with the crowd. He also assists her in further developing the character of the primary heroine. The two then share their hope that the otaku community would like their game.
Six months before their research trip, Tomoya encounters Megumi after returning her missing beret, which prompts him to start work on a computer game featuring her as the primary protagonist. A week later, he runs into his buddy Yoshihiko Kamigo at school, who informs him about Eriri, a famous member of the institution’s art club on whom Yoshihiko has a crush. Unable to replicate Megumi’s identical appearance, Tomoya contacts Eriri and begs her assistance in making the visuals for the dating sim, as she is also a well-known dojinshi writer and illustrator. However, she declines the offer, thinking Tomoya isn’t considering the situation seriously because he can’t even recall Megumi. During lunch, Tomoya meets Utaha and requests help because she is a prominent author, but she turns him down because his idea lacks originality. Eriri and Utaha gather in the AV room and immediately engage in a heated rivalry before discovering Tomoya will not appear.
She and Utaha eventually accept Tomoya’s proposition to build the video game. He then goes to a coffee shop with Megumi for supper. The two are approached by Eriri and Utaha, who look through Tomoya’s extended plan and continue to voice their displeasure with it. They urge him to abandon the idea, but he resists it. He brings Megumi to his place the next day, where he makes her play a dating simulation game with the expectation that she will comprehend the subject matter. Megumi is delighted with her experience after completing the game, but she cannot comprehend its true attraction. To his surprise, Tomoya then forces her to stay overnight and play the game’s continuation, which she agrees to do. Morning arrives by the point she ends playing, and in her tiredness, she decides to join Tomoya’s group.
Tomoya is facing the last deadline after Golden Week as Eriri and Utaha continue to reject his new proposals for the project. She and Utaha arrive at his residence separately, with Eriri discreetly inspiring Tomoya and Utaha, urging them to quit since being a developer has drawbacks. Later, he contacts Megumi again and lets her enjoy her trip. She then asks him how she would be attractive to him, to which he says she has no room for improvement. Suddenly, Megumi appears, clad in the same outfit she was wearing the first time they met but with a new attitude, asking if this is what he had in mind for his heroine. She informs Tomoya how Eriri and Utaha assisted her before pushing him to keep working on the project. Seeing this, both Eriri and Utaha agree to participate in the initiative.
After finishing a light book series authored by Utaha, Megumi is pleased with the results. Meanwhile, in order to discover more about Utaha’s upcoming book before the rest of the community, Tomoya interviews her and is hired as a part-time editor. Later, it is stated that Utaha’s series became popular as a result of Tomoya’s inclusion of it on his popular blog site. Eriri chooses to participate in the project too. During a discussion in the AV room with Tomoya, she and Utaha, reveal the release date as Winter Comiket. Tomoya is surprised to discover Megumi with another boy while doing one of the odd jobs. The boy, however, turns out to be her cousin, Keiichi. He asks her out when she tells him she’s going to the store with Keiichi, which she accepts.
The circle activities start, and Eriri has difficulties convincing Megumi to show exaggerated emotions to inspire her sketches. When Megumi exits to practice her emotions, Tomoya and Eriri discuss how indifferent she is and how this makes the game production more difficult. Tomoya then seeks dating advice from Eriri since he and Megumi intend to spend some time together the following weekend. She first offers it to him but soon understands his true intentions and becomes outraged. Utaha overhears the talk and is motivated to further create the game’s narrative. The following day, she concludes, and though Tomoya is pleased with the end effect, he requests a better finale, which irritates Eriri, who wants to complete development as quickly as possible.
Later, Tomoya and Megumi go shopping at a mall, where he becomes more uncomfortable mingling with what he perceives to be ordinary people. When they go to the final store, Tomoya understands Megumi is buying him glasses as a thank you for accompanying her. In a flashback, Utaha meets Tomoya for the first time during a book signing. She is intrigued by his mastery of her literature and ultimately becomes fascinated with him.
In the present, Tomoya fails to show up for their arranged meeting, which irritates Utaha. When a drizzle starts, she is astonished to find Tomoya racing up to her during the rain. After having a shower, Utaha meets with Tomoya, who requests her assistance in refining the game’s narrative. She exits the room after spending the whole night figuring out the storyline, but not before recognizing Tomoya as the inventor.
Megumi and Eriri meet in the mall the day before, after Tomoya leaves, so she can create a quick sketch. She is happy with her artwork, surprising Megumi by reminding her that Tomoya eventually canceled their date to pursue Utaha. As their dojin circle manuscript deadline approaches, Eriri brings Tomoya to her home. As a result of their efforts, her job is nearing completion. Tomoya notices Megumi’s new haircut at the school entrance and begs her for an explanation.
Meanwhile, he encounters Izumi, a childhood friend, an otaku, and a Fancy Wave dojin circle member. Tomoya shares memories with Izumi, who hands him a pass to the Comiket and invites him to her dojin circle. She also tells Tomoya that everything she has today is because of him. As he and Eriri go home, they run across an old buddy, Iori, who represents the dojin circle Rouge en rouge. Iori is seeking an artist, so he issues a contest against Tomoya in which they must demonstrate that they are the best suitable person to utilize Eriri as the illustrator for their group.
In Tomoya’s room, he and Eriri quarrel about minor details, such as the submission date. After that, Megumi and Tomoya engage in a video game session in which he compliments her on being a wonderful otaku. He asks Eriri whether she would join Rouge en rouge, but she says she has chosen to become his illustrator.
Megumi is perplexed by the enormous crowd on the day of the Summer Comiket, but she follows Tomoya to the djin circle where Izumi is, and the pair assist with Izumi’s circle activities. When she mentions the Comiket, Tomoya is amazed by the caliber of her work, especially given that she has only been doing it for a year. Izumi’s doujin circle has increased in sales and is exceedingly well received due to Tomoya’s participation, which creates a favorable impression of Izumi.
When Tomoya exits the Comiket, he sees Eriri holding Izumi’s circle book. She informs Tomoya, through tears, that she is no longer wanted by him and then flees.
Tomoya unexpectedly awakens in his bed and discovers a lady lying beside him. He realizes it is Utaha who has been invited to his home by Megumi. Utaha informs him that Eriri has abandoned her sense of self-worth as a creator, and as a result, she has lost her place as Tomoya’s close friend. Tomoya emerges in Eriri’s garden at midnight, the dark sky illuminated by firework displays that erupt over her house, and screams out to her in line with Utaha’s plan. He takes her to the primary school they used to attend, where Eriri starts crying and explains how she is not as significant in his eyes as Izumi, who has just recently met him. After that, she vows to be Tomoya’s “number one,” and Tomoya takes her home on his shoulders. Eriri creates a fresh circle cut in Tomoya’s chamber and distributes it to the circle’s members.
Tomoya, Eriri, Utaha, and Megumi conduct a video conference about creating a game, and then Tomoya takes a bath. On his route, he meets a girl who turns out to be his cousin, Michiru. Michiru informs him that she walked away from her house following a disagreement with her father about her band membership.
Michiru approaches Tomoya in the club room, and Utaha assaults him with questions regarding his connection with Michiru. When Tomoya returns home, he is astounded to see Michiru’s otaku items in the garbage. After discussing her band and his otaku interests, Tomoya gets into the water to take a bath, and while he is showering, he overhears Michiru playing music. Her song affects Tomoya’s heart, conjuring up mental images of a gaming cut scene. He then chooses to include Michiru in his playing circle.
Tomoya presents Michiru to his friends, claiming that he wishes Michiru to compose the game’s background music. On the other hand, Michiru expresses her disdain for all things otaku. Tomoya continues to urge Michiru, but Michiru prefers to concentrate on her music and find management to gain her father’s approval. Michiru desires Tomoya to be her musical manager, suggesting that it will force him to abandon his otaku lifestyle and that the other females aren’t as interested in game development as he is.
Meanwhile, Megumi assists Eriri and Utaha with game development because they are a week behind schedule. Megumi subsequently reveals to Tomoya the alterations she made and taunts Tomoya’s tight friendship with Michiru in retaliation for his response to her relationship with her cousin Keiichi. They both believe that Michiru’s music enhances the game. Michiru’s band manager, Tomoya, arranges the band’s first live performance.
Tomoya informs Michiru’s band, Icy Tail, about their first show, explaining that they are heating up for other bands because they do not yet have a fanbase. Later, Utaha and Eriri join Megumi in support of Michiru’s band. They come to find Michiru and Tomoya in an uncomfortable situation, with her questioning him about the band’s attire. Tomoya reveals that Icy Tail has only ever played anime song covers, adding that all the other members of the group are otakus.
With the agreement of her bandmates, he persuades Michiru into joining his group. She performs her original composition towards the end of Icy Tail’s debut, which is highly welcomed. Eventually, Eriri and Megumi get close, while Utaha completes the first course of the game’s storyline. With two months until the Winter Comiket, Tomoya and the girls examine the finished first route in his bedroom and work on the remaining routes. THE END!
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