For the past 17 years, Takehiko Nakamaru has refined his abilities to stay unshaken by whatever life presents. However, his reclusive habits have deeply concerned his younger sister and grandfather during this period. Worried that Takehiko is preventing his sister from marrying, their grandfather urges him to secure employment and begin a conventional life. Rather than following this advice, Takehiko escapes his countryside home and hitchhikes to Tokyo. Driven solely by the desire for his sister's happiness, he determines to confront an adversary he labels "life." Broke and hungry but brimming with bravery, Takehiko wanders through the metropolis, only to discover that its inhabitants are far less benevolent than he had pictured. As Takehiko dwells on his self-created hardships, another man in a comparable predicament shows up, requesting to be friends. Cautious about what such a friendship might entail, Takehiko chooses to maintain distance from the man, hoping this will help him endure his struggle against the world.