First love can be messy—but what if it’s the worst possible choice?

When timid high schooler Hatsumi Narita accidentally gets caught in a scandalous misunderstanding, she finds herself blackmailed by her handsome but manipulative neighbor Ryoki Tachibana. What starts as a forced “relationship” spirals into a tangled web of jealousy, rivalry, and complicated love triangles involving childhood friends and family drama. Hot Gimmick is a dramatic shōjo romance that explores toxic relationships, insecurity, and the messy, often painful process of figuring out what love really means.