Junsho Fujioka, a college student working part-time as a shoe salesman, resides at his father's temple. His initial demeanor is detached and drifting, marked by a prickly and somewhat angry attitude in his interactions.

He first meets Mizuki Tateno when she visits the shoe store and deliberately tries on numerous pairs of boots only to reject them, which provokes his anger. This leads him to lie about the availability of her chosen pair, resulting in a mutually disdainful parting. Their subsequent encounters remain heated after he discovers she lives next door.

Through these clashes, he comes to recognize that Mizuki is alone, lonely, and filled with self-loathing. This realization acts as a catalyst for his own self-reflection, making him aware of his detached state and stirring a desire for personal change. This development moves him to confess his feelings to his childhood friend, Seiko Kashiwagi, who had been waiting for him for years.

Their mutual joy is interrupted when he learns Mizuki has contracted pneumonia in her unheated home. He and Seiko then attempt to nurse her back to health, though their efforts are met with resistance.