Tatsuhiko Hirayama loved drawing as a child and dreamed of becoming an animator, but relentless teasing from classmates crushed that ambition. He later poured his energy into a band with friends, only for the group to break apart, leaving him cynical and convinced that dreams are pointless. One night, while mocking a friend's aspirations, a drunk stranger angrily confronts him in the street, berating his defeatist attitude. That chance encounter reignites something in Tatsuhiko. He impulsively creates a short two-minute animation and uploads it online, where it unexpectedly goes viral.

Soon after, he is contacted by Nico Kashiwagi, an independent singer-songwriter whose music he has long admired. She asks him to create an animated music video for her latest song. Excited to finally meet his idol, Tatsuhiko is horrified to discover that Nico is the same drunken woman who yelled at him that night. She does not remember the encounter, and they cautiously agree to work together. As they collaborate, the two begin to grow closer, encouraging each other through the creative process. Their partnership becomes more than professional, sparking a deepening emotional bond.

Their momentum is interrupted when a major record label signs Nico, putting the music video project on hold because the label holds the rights to her song. Tatsuhiko turns his attention to a local animation contest, befriending other aspiring animators at his college. Meanwhile, Nico learns that her label has paused her debut due to an influx of artists from a rival label that shut down. She asks permission to write and compose songs in the meantime and submits a track to a competition that could lead to a collaboration with a popular pop artist named Miyu. Nico's song is chosen, but she discovers that Miyu is actually Miu, her childhood best friend who once shared her passion for music. The two had a falling out and drifted apart after Nico gave up on music entirely. At first, Miyu pretends not to know Nico, but she eventually pulls her aside and demands to know why Nico abandoned her musical dreams years ago. Their confrontation forces both to confront the past as they navigate the path forward in their respective careers and personal lives.