The stakes are two people refusing to confess their feelings while the other person refuses to confess first, and that simple premise carries a show because the comedy comes from watching two genius-level minds completely destroy themselves trying to win a game that ends the moment either one loses. Kaguya and Miyuki have chemistry that makes you believe they're actually playing 4D chess with each other's hearts. The show skips massive chunks of the manga to get here, which means you're missing entire character arcs that would've made this land harder, but what remains is sharp enough that the joke still works.

Years after finishing high school, Kaguya Shinomiya comes across an old photo album and thinks back on her time on the Shuuchiin Academy student council. Back then, she had only just begun dating Miyuki Shirogane, the council president, and the two were head over heels for each other. Every sweet and silly memory from those days fills her with happiness. The special is a romantic comedy with a slice of life feel, based on Aka Akasaka's seinen manga.