Middle schooler Nishikata sits next to Takagi, a classmate who teases him with uncanny skill at every opportunity. Determined to get her back and make her blush just once, he devises plan after plan: rigged erasers, staring contests, test-score bets. Takagi reads him effortlessly and flips each attempt into a new round of embarrassment. Their daily one-upmanship plays out across classrooms, riverbanks, and walks home from school.