Mitsuko, a schoolgirl, intervenes to shield Yu-Lian, a half-Chinese transfer student, from bullies targeting her. Shortly after this confrontation, Mitsuko uncovers an antique American doll named Emily in her home. This doll possesses deep historical roots, having narrowly escaped destruction during Japan's 1921 wave of anti-Western sentiment, when mobs burned foreign dolls nationwide. Emily survived solely because Mitsuko's grandmother rescued her from the flames.

The next day, Mitsuko presents Emily during a school show-and-tell session. She shares the doll’s harrowing past and her grandmother’s role in saving it, weaving the account into a broader lesson on tolerance and cultural understanding for her classmates. Through this narrative, Mitsuko simultaneously extends direct encouragement to Yu-Lian, intertwining the doll’s endurance with themes of empathy and acceptance.