First‑grade student Masaya, though big in size, is a tearful child and cannot stroll alone along the dim route to school. The one who steadies him is Akiyo, a small yet competent second‑grader.
Masaya longs to be as strong as Akiyo and looks up to her, yet one day an event breaks Akiyo"s composure.
To cheer Akiyo up for her, Masaya ventures into the far‑away Ipponsugi woods to gather the speckled bellflowers she cherishes.