Synopsis
Tadashi Okano, a beginner teacher of junior school, spends his days by pretending busy and not to see the problems faced by his class students. One day, he came to know that one student named Kanda (Ren Asakawa) always stayed in school playground. Kanda seems to be told not to come back home till 5 o’clock by his step-father. From Kanda’s word and behavior, Okano doubts that Kanda might be abused.
On the other hand, since her husband is posted abroad, Masami (Machiko Ono) lives with her only daughter Ayane (Noa Miyake), and secretly abuses her. Masami was also in the past being abused by her mother. When she is with her daughter, she cannot stop herself raising her hands because it brings her memory back. Masami images that other mother friends must also be doing same as she does, and acknowledges herself. But her daughter’s friend’s mother, an unfashionable Yoko (Chizuru Ikewaki) who lives in the same apartment, is always kind and doesn’t have such sign. Masami’s frustration grows and her abuse on Ayane escalates.
And, Akiko (Michie Kita) is living alone at the house inherited by her parents, was about to go back home forgetting to pay at super market. She was treated as a shoplifter by a woman shop staffer. To save her is the only Hiroya (Amon Kabe), a handicapped elementary school boy who passes in front of her house and greets her. One day, Akiko saw Hiroya was upset because he lost his key, and invited him to her house. The mother, who picked him up, was Kazumi (Yasuko Tomita), the same shop staffer of that supermarket…
When Masami tried to search any of Yoko’s abuse, her own abuse was found out by Yoko. On the other hand, Okano’s class has been disrupted due to teasing problem of a girl student. Okano realized that he had pretended of not seeing student’s problems, and started to hate himself. At that time, Kaoru (Chika Uchida), his elder sister’s son Ren holds him tightly and cheered him up.
“If I treat him kindly, he also treats other kindly.”
Kaoru’s word moves Okano’s heart. He decides to tell his students about this important matter that he realized.