Nagomi is a genuinely serious and studious young woman whose flashy appearance—tall stature, wavy hair, and mature figure—has caused others to misjudge her since childhood. Classmates found her intimidating, teachers accused her of dressing provocatively, and peers gossiped about her body openly. Throughout high school, the only person who saw past her外表 and treated her as the diligent student she was, was her homeroom teacher, the kind and calmly mature Ichihara-sensei. Nagomi secretly admired him from a distance, but never acted on her feelings.

Years later, as a university student, Nagomi begins dating a boy who initially seems serious about a relationship. She is crushed when she learns he only valued her for her looks and badmouthed her as "pretending to be innocent." Nursing her heartbreak alone at an izakaya counter, she vents her frustrations to the man seated next to her. She pegs him as a bit of a flirtatious type—until she realizes he is none other than Ichihara-sensei, her former teacher. Their unexpected reunion reopens old wounds and old feelings.

Ichihara offers her unexpectedly sharp advice: she is upset that men judge her by appearance, but she also judges them by the same superficial standard. This encounter sets the stage for a second chance at connection, now that she is an adult and no longer his student. Over the course of the story, Nagomi and Ichihara navigate the lingering tension between former teacher and student, the awkwardness of their age gap, and the challenge of seeing each other as equals rather than through the lens of their high-school dynamic.

In volume two, a woman named Misaki appears and embraces Ichihara, leading Nagomi to suspect she is his ex-girlfriend. A confrontation forces Nagomi and Ichihara to address the nature of their relationship, culminating in an unexpected visit to Ichihara's home. In the final volume, Nagomi, overwhelmed by a gift from Ichihara, confesses her love impulsively in the middle of a crowded station. Ichihara pulls her aside to a quiet park and gently tries to push her away, suggesting that her feelings are merely youthful admiration for the nearest adult figure. But Nagomi refuses to accept that dismissal, insisting that her feelings are genuine and that she knows her own heart. The story concludes with their love fully acknowledged and reciprocated, a pure and heartfelt romance that began with a reunion and grew into something real.