The story is shown from the perspective of the protagonist, Makoto Naegi, who starts a new year at the elite private Hope's Peak Academy, a government-funded school which is renowned for educating students that are top of their expertise. These students are given the title of "Ultimate". However, every year the school hosts a raffle in which every average student nation-wide is entered, and a random student is selected to enter the school as the "Ultimate Lucky Student" - as is the case with Makoto Naegi, and is shown through the short story, Makoto Naegi's Worst Day Ever.