Spring has arrived, and Togawa Manabu is beginning his middle school life. In a moment of horseplay during class cleaning, Togawa accidentally breaks a badminton racket. The owner of the racket is soon revealed to be his senior, Eiji Takasu. Rather than demanding repayment, Takasu presents Togawa with an unexpected invitation: he will take him to buy a new racket, and then they will play badminton together.

Takasu, who has been practicing for about a year, declares his intention to form a doubles team with Togawa, a complete beginner. This decision is met with immediate objection from Komatsu Tsugumi, an experienced badminton player who has been competing since elementary school. Komatsu argues that partnering with a novice is meritless, as a seasoned player would beat a clumsy first-timer a hundred times over. The conflict over Takasu’s partnership choice thus becomes the central point of tension.

The stage for these youthful days is the school badminton club, where frolicsome moments mix with more dispiriting ones. As team tryouts approach, Togawa must decide whether to turn the casual play into a serious commitment. He is initially scared of playing badminton seriously and finds the fast serves intimidating, especially since he has no prior experience beyond playing soccer in fifth grade. Despite his fears, he finds himself wanting to see Takasu and ultimately states his intention to join his team.

The narrative follows the ensemble of the badminton club, including the vice captain Hara Hikinari, the strict Kisuke who doles out laps as punishment, the unexperienced team advisor Mito, and coaches Nagai and Asou who provide guidance. A notable early arc involves a vending machine visit after practice where Takasu orders water they can share, prompting Togawa to realize they have shared an indirect kiss, hinting at the developing relationship between the two.