Uzuki and Rin come to 346 Production for the first time. They meet the final member who won the idol version of a “second chance sweepstakes,” Mio Honda, as well as the 12 other eccentric members, and thus the project can finally start. The first job for the three newcomers is to do a publicity shoot, but their nervousness threatens to derail the whole thing. Somehow, they get through it, and well enough to impress superidol Mika Jougasaki, who suddenly hires the trio to be her backup dancers for an upcoming concert!

Utsuki, Rin and Mio start taking lessons to train to be Mika’s back dancers. It’s a long, hard struggle, but thanks to the encouragement of the other project members, they somehow make it. But the pressure of being on stage for the first time has stressed the trio out so much that even the final rehearsal doesn’t go well. Will they be able to get it together for the actual concert?

Kanako, Chieri, and Anzu make their unit debut as Candy Island. However, Anzu states that she doesn’t want to work. Kanako is laid-back and does everything at her own pace, and Chieri is so nervous about an audience watching her that she can’t look at them.

The unit seems iffy from the get-go, but the three of them are invited to appear on a variety show hosted by Mizuki Kawashima and Airi Totoki. Preoccupied by the audience’s gaze, the newly-minted trio has zero teamwork as they face off against three other idols. It doesn’t help when a terrifying “punishment” is announced beforehand for whichever team loses!

The summer fest is here at last. All of the project members are nervous about performing on the grand stage, but their rehearsals go smoothly thanks to Minami's leadership. But then Minami collapses from accumulated stress. Ranko does an emergency fill in for Minami with Love Laika and somehow, the rest of the Cinderella Project's performances go off without a hitch... until a sudden downpour causes the rest of the concert to be canceled!

Executive Director Mishiro announces that the division is going to start anew and cancels all current projects. Furthermore, she proclaims that she will pick the idols as part of one grand project. Her policies are very different from that of Producer, the Cinderella Project, and other departments within the company.

There's a lot of anxiety as idols are driven out of offices they've always been in and relocated, while Producer works hard to protect their department by presenting a plan in place of hers. Then Executive Mishiro calls 346 Production's top idol, Kaede Takagaki, in for a private meeting!?

The project that Producer proposes to Executive Director Mishiro is called "Cinderella's Ball: Power of Smile." It's meant to be a complex event that will showcase the idols' individual strengths. Though Mishiro's proposal runs completely counter to this idea, she gives Producer permission to run with it. Producer and the idols will be able to prevent the gutting of their division if they show results within a certain time frame.

The Cinderella Project idols are happy about this reprieve, but idols in other departments, particularly those whose strong suit is with variety shows, find themselves facing changes due to Mishiro's course of action. And one of them is the eccentric Nana Abe, who claims to be from the planet Usamin! Cat character idol Miku worries about getting the ax, while Riina worries about Miku...

After Totokira Academy gets off to a popular start, Candy Island makes a guest appearance on the show. Chieri and Kanako are so nervous that they act stiff, but with Anzu's casual support, they make it through the taping. The staff loves the stark differences between Anzu and Kirari and gives them a new recurring segment, "Anki Ranking." Chieri and Kanako agree to do to a taped interview for that segment, but Anzu worries about them in her own way.

Seeing how hard everyone is working for the upcoming ball, Chieri and Kanako get fired up, but their nervousness prevents their true talent from coming out, and the interview becomes a hard battle...

The Cinderella's Ball finally begins, with the Cinderella Project girls encouraged by Producer to smile as they do each of their routines.