Shinnosuke Kanamuro begins as an 18-year-old high school guitarist dreaming of fame, dating Akane Aioi and bonding with her younger sister Aoi. His plans to relocate to Tokyo with Akane collapse when her parents die in a car accident, compelling her to remain in Chichibu to raise Aoi. Shattered, he departs alone for the city, severing all contact with the sisters for thirteen years.

Reintroduced at 31, he now plays guitar for enka singer Dankichi Nitobe, his demeanor weathered by disillusionment. Emotionally detached, cynical, and battling alcoholism, he clashes with his past self: Shinno, a spectral manifestation of his 18-year-old idealism. Shinno embodies his abandoned dreams, unresolved guilt over leaving Akane, and lingering affection for her.

Stuck in a career beneath his ambitions, the older Shinnosuke mocks Aoi’s musical efforts and resents collaborations with amateurs, his bitterness mirroring regrets over his own compromises. Tense reunions with Akane underscore years of unspoken regrets, though he secretly wrestles with doubt over sacrificing their relationship for a stagnant music career.

Shinno’s presence forces him to confront buried emotions. When Shinno aids in rescuing Akane during a landslide—a symbolic act bridging past and present—the older Shinnosuke begins to reconcile his regrets. A raw, honest conversation with Akane follows, culminating in their marriage. This acceptance dissolves Shinno, signaling Shinnosuke’s integration of his past and commitment to a future with Akane.

His arc traces the erosion of ambition into regret, then tentative redemption, emphasizing the cost of dreams and the fragility of connections left behind. By facing his younger self’s ghost, he navigates self-forgiveness, closing the rift between who he was and who he became.