Cheerful Michi Sonoda informs her teammate Sanae Takigawa that she will retire from judo after the last middle‑school tournament. Sanae is stunned, because Michi"s enthusiasm had first drawn her into the sport. Michi argues that a productive youth should focus on things like finding a boyfriend instead of clinging to damp tatami mats.
Yet Michi"s intention to finish her budding judo career dramatically is ruined by a humiliating loss to the skilled Towa Hiura. Later, her plans falter again when she learns that Towa has joined the same high school as both she and Sanae. With her former rival suddenly nearby, Michi may soon discover that she still harbors a deep affection for judo.
In the world of school sports, she feels a pull that she had ignored. This realization forces her to reconsider balance between friendship, ambition, and growth.
