Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata

A chance encounter with a beautiful girl during spring break inspires Tomoya to make a dating simulation video game. He tries recruiting Eriri and Utaha to assist him.

Tomoya asks Megumi out and gives her a lecture on how a perfect heroine should be like. He invites her to his home for an even more detailed lesson!

Tomoya continues to procrastinate despite a fast approaching deadline for his project proposal. Eriri and Utaha wonder if he's really serious about creating a dating sim.

Megumi is impressed after she finishes reading a light novel series written by Utaha. Meanwhile, hoping to learn more about Utaha's new book ahead of the rest of the public, Tomoya has a job interview with her and gets a job as a part-time editor, much to her displeasure. It is then revealed that Utaha's series gained its popularity due to Tomoya featuring it on his well-known blog site. He spends much of the day writing an interview article, after which Utaha offers her assistance on his project proposal, surprising him. Later on, Eriri decides to join in on the project as well. During a meeting between Tomoya, Eriri, and Utaha in the AV room, Tomoya announces the production schedule and declares the release date to be during the Winter Comiket. However, because of the funding necessitated to further the project, Tomoya is forced to work a number of odd jobs. While working one of these jobs, he is shocked to see Megumi with another boy. Though it turns out the boy is just her visiting cousin, Keiichi, he chastises her for straying from the heroine formula and tells her not to see Keiichi for the time being. When Megumi tells him that she plans to go shopping with Keiichi, Tomoya asks her out, and she accepts.

The circle activities begin, and Eriri experiences a difficulty in getting Megumi to display exaggerated emotions for inspiration for her sketches. When Megumi leaves to practice her expressions, Tomoya and Eriri talk about how emotionless she is and the challenge it presents for the game. Tomoya then asks Eriri on dating advice, as he and Megumi planned to go shopping the following weekend. At first, she gives it to him, but realizes his intentions and becomes enraged. Utaha overhears the conversation and is further inspired to write the game's plot. The next day, she finishes, and while Tomoya is impressed by the final result, he asks for a better conclusion, which upsets Eriri, as she wants to finish development as soon as possible. Tomoya and Megumi then go shopping at the mall, with Tomoya becoming increasingly uncomfortable about interacting with what he views as regular people. Upon reaching the last store, Tomoya realizes Megumi is buying glasses for him as thanks for accompanying her.

In a flashback, Utaha meets Tomoya personally for the first time during a book signing. She becomes impressed with his knowledge of her books and eventually is enamored with him. In the present day, Tomoya misses their scheduled meeting, which upsets Utaha. She then recalls an incident six months ago, during which she gave Tomoya an advanced copy of her final manuscript before its release, only for him to turn the responsibility down because she was only doing it to hear his feedback and not those of other fans. Later on, as a rainstorm approaches, she is surprised to see Tomoya running up to her in the rain. While allowing Tomoya to take a hot bath in a hotel room, Utaha is shocked after realizing her manager ordered the room for the both of them for the night. After taking a shower herself, Utaha has a conversation with Tomoya, who asks her for help in improving the game's plot. At first, she is upset by this, but changes her mind after he suggests keeping both storylines as game routes. After spending the entire night working out the plot, Utaha leaves the room, but not before acknowledging Tomoya as a creator. The day before, Megumi and Eriri meet up at the mall after Tomoya leaves so that Eriri could draw a quick sketch. Eriri is pleased with her drawing, having unexpectedly upset Megumi when she reminded her that Tomoya abruptly ended their date to chase after Utaha.

With the deadline for the manuscript of their dōjin circle drawing near, Eriri invites Tomoya to her house. There, she comes up with an idea how to push her creativity to the limits and the two engage in a role-play scenario. Thanks to their efforts, Eriri's work nears completion. At the school gate, Tomoya realizes Megumi changed her hairstyle, and he presses her for an explanation. Meanwhile, he meets Izumi, who is a childhood friend, an otaku, and a member of the dōjin circle Fancy Wave. Tomoya reminisces with Izumi, who gives him a ticket to the Comiket and tells him that she wants him to come to her dōjin circle. Additionally, she reveals to Tomoya that everything she has now is thanks to him. As Tomoya and Eriri walk home, they reunite with their old friend, Iori, who is the representative of the dōjin circle Rouge en rouge. Iori is looking for an illustrator, so he announces a challenge to Tomoya, in which both must prove whether they are the most qualified person to use Eriri as their group's illustrator.

In Tomoya's room, while Eriri silently writes a manuscript, Tomoya and Eriri argue over some minor things regarding the deadline for submitting it. Afterwards, Megumi and Tomoya play video games, during which he praises her, saying that she has become a fine otaku. He asks whether Eriri will join Rouge en rouge, but she tells him that she has decided to become his illustrator. On the day of the Summer Comiket, Megumi is bewildered by the large crowd, but, by following Tomoya, she manages to arrive at the dōjin circle where Izumi is, and the two help with Izumi's circle activity. When Izumi talks about the Comiket, Tomoya is impressed with the quality of her works, since it has only been a year since she started. Tomoya concocts a plan and when Izumi talks with Megumi, he starts carrying it out. Thanks to Tomoya's cooperation, Izumi's dōjin circle has an increase in its sales and is extremely well received, which makes a positive impression on Izumi. When the Comiket is over and Tomoya leaves, he meets Eriri, who has Izumi's circle's book. She tells Tomoya with teary eyes that she is no longer loved by him, and then runs away.

Tomoya abruptly wakes in his bed and notices that there is a woman sleeping alongside him. He realizes that it is Utaha, who was invited to his house by Megumi. When the three of them discuss why Eriri got angry, Utaha tells Tomoya that Eriri has lost her pride as a creator and that she subsequently lost her footing as Tomoya's childhood friend. She provides him with advice on how to reconcile with Eriri. Afterwards, Tomoya goes to the Comiket, where he meets Iori and asks her to help him get Eriri back to his circle. At night, against the dark sky, lit with fireworks that erupt over Eriri's house, Tomoya appears in her garden and cries out to her in accordance with Utaha's plan, and then takes her to the elementary school they used to attend. Eriri begins to cry and tells Tomoya that she is not as important to him as Izumi, who got to know him recently. He reveals to Eriri that he had blamed her for breaking off contact with him and making new friends. Afterwards, she pledges to become Tomoya's "number one", and then Tomoya carries her home on his back. In Tomoya's room, Eriri makes a new "circle cut" and delivers it to the circle's members.

Tomoya, Eriri, Utaha, and Megumi hold a video conference in regards to producing a game, and afterwards, Tomoya heads off to take a bath. On his way there, he bumps into a girl and realizes she is his cousin, Michiru. Michiru tells Tomoya that she ran away from home after a fight with her father over her membership in a band. After school, in the club room, Tomoya is contacted by Michiru, after which Utaha attacks him with questions about his relationship with Michiru. Tomoya goes home and is shocked to discover his otaku goods dumped in the garbage by Michiru. He confronts her about it, but she orders him to cease acting like an otaku and to think about his future. After the two talk about her band activity and his otaku activities, Tomoya gets in the bath, and while he is bathing, he hears Michiru playing music. Her music touches Tomoya's heart, invoking mental imagery of a cut scene from a game. Afterwards, he decides to introduce Michiru to his game circle.

Tomoya continues his attempts to recruit Michiru to his cause. Her critical words, however, cause Tomoya to question the dedication of his circle's members.

The group goes to see Icy Tail's first-ever concert. Before performing, Michiru's bandmates reveal a startling secret.