Kana Hagino, a second-year Nadeshiko Academy student, possesses a short stature and childlike appearance frequently causing others to underestimate her age. She secretly maintains a best-selling career as a romance novelist under the pen name "Naka Nogiwa," hiding this identity from her school life. This double life compels her to constantly observe the romantic relationships and interpersonal dynamics around her, directly fueling her creative process.

Her energetic and mischievous personality drives her interactions, marked by a curious interest in others' personal lives actively mined for novel material. She harbors romantic feelings for Hiroki Kamikura, the art teacher, feelings which emerge through playful teasing and awkward encounters, notably an almost-kiss incident in the library where Hiroki discovered her published novels. Professional pressure comes from her editor, Sugihara Shie, who frequently demands she meet writing deadlines, adding stress to her academic responsibilities.

Her tendency to wander off for "research" manifested during a school beach trip, leading to her getting lost and requiring a search party, highlighting the precarious balance between school activities and writing obligations. She later participates in a group yukata-shopping excursion with Elis and others, further embedding her within the group's social fabric.

Within her original visual novel route, romantic developments with Hiroki include a date culminating in an unresolved intimate moment causing subsequent tension. An optional romantic encounter later occurs with her editor, Shie, impacting their professional dynamic. Kana consistently functions as both a participant in and an observer of the central romantic tensions, channeling these experiences directly into her novels.