Despite a rocky start to their relationship, second-year high school students Mao Tsuchiya and Hisashi Ootomo have managed to find a way to coexist in their dorm room for another year. The roommates swear to abide by three simple promises: Mao must refrain from outing Ootomo as gay and having a boyfriend; Ootomo, in turn, must not fall in love with Mao; and the two must respect each other's privacy when one of them needs time to himself. While these are simple asks, the school's film club's new project suddenly puts them at risk. The club's short film for the year is a boys' love story between a class president and a delinquent—a role for which Ootomo is considered the perfect fit. As the principal photographer in charge of composing every scene, Mao oversees all of the intimate moments between the leads, and though he wishes he could deny it, his growing attraction to his roommate is affecting the movie's production. But as things start to intensify—both in the film and in his personal life—Mao is soon forced to confront these complex emotions head-on.

Energetic and cheerful, 14-year-old Masaki Hinaoka takes his pet corgi on morning runs along the beach bathed in the rising sun. Suddenly, Masaki's eyes sparkle in awe: a blond boy surfs, delicate and breathtaking, with a slight smile gracing his kind face. Before long, Masaki encounters him again as a new classmate named Shou Akitsuki. Shou is a skilled surfer and has been immersed in the sport since childhood. Even though surfing is the hobby of choice for Masaki's best friend, easygoing half-Hawaiian Nalu Tanaka, Masaki has never shown interest in trying it himself. But his admiration for Shou's surfing style finally inspires him to try the waves for the first time—despite not knowing how to swim. On the surfboard, Masaki shows surprising potential and talent for balance. He learns quickly and eventually enters a local competition, all with Shou and Tanaka by his side. However, behind Shou's gentle smile lurks a darker shadow, threatening to overwhelm his friends. Nonetheless, Masaki fearlessly steps into the fun world of surfing, stopping at nothing to be the very best.

With university entrance exams and graduation drawing close, high school senior Shuumei Sasaki has to start taking his future more seriously. However, Sasaki is increasingly finding it hard to study; all he can think about is his boyfriend and junior, Yoshikazu Miyano. Having only recently made their relationship official, Sasaki cannot help but yearn to hold his boyfriend close. But with Sasaki's graduation on their minds, the couple begins to wonder what lies ahead for them both—especially as a public relationship can garner scrutiny from friends and family.

Saku Chitose appears to lead an enviable high school life. Extraordinarily charismatic, tremendously confident, and effortlessly friendly, he is the kind of person others naturally look up to. But his popularity carries its own burdens; not everyone views him kindly, and whispers of cynicism follow wherever he shines too brightly. To Saku, living an ugly life is worse than death—a belief that drives his need to maintain his perfect reputation. At the start of his second year, Saku's homeroom teacher asks him to help bring back a classmate who has stopped attending school. Initially hoping to resolve the matter quickly, Saku finds out that the shut-in Kenta Yamazaki harbors open contempt for him and everything he represents. A simple favor instead exposes the distance between those who live within the social light and those who were never given a chance to shine. Surrounded by the expectant gazes of those who both admire and despise him, Saku treads the delicate line between sincerity and performance—searching for what it truly means to live beautifully in a world that sees only the surface.