In 2001, Lee Gyeong-hwan and his mother move from rural Yeongcheon to the city of Daegu to leave behind a broken marriage and hurtful rumours. Reticent and shy, he struggles to acclimatise but his seatmate happens to be Jae-min, the cool class president who takes Gyeong-hwan under his wing. While they quickly bond over a shared love of Japanese culture, particularly the music of Globe, Jae-min's affectionate and open attitude allows Gyeong-hwan to relax and reveal his feelings in a world where he must hide them.

After a bombing at the school, the father of terrorist Jung Hae-sung sues teacher. The teacher goes around to get a petition with a lawyer and meets the people around Hae-sung. Through them, the teacher hears a story about Hae-sung that he did not know.