Togashi Yuta, a while ago in junior high, “caught” what’s passing among teens as a mental illness—more invented than real—namely the “Eighth-Grader Syndrome.” Those infected with this syndrome begin to think of themselves as having unusual abilities or carrying an important mission. Whether it’s the typical desire of adolescence to stand out, show off, or—on the contrary—to escape reality into a world of one’s own fantasies, one thing remains true: outrageous behavior always makes other people uncomfortable. Yuta, for example, started calling himself the “Master of Dark Flame,” bandaged his arm, and poured out pompous phrases. But then everything passed, he realized how foolish his behavior was, entered a good senior school, and firmly set himself on the path of becoming an adequately grown-up.
And everything might have gone on as usual if a random incident hadn’t revealed a shocking truth: his beautiful and silent classmate, who has always worn a medical bandage on her eye—Takanashi Rikka—still suffers from the Eighth-Grader Syndrome, in the most severe form…