Nikuko is a bold, jovial, scattered, and passionate woman in a peaceful northern Japanese coastal town. She's the single mother to 11-year-old Kikuko, her opposite. In this small coastal town, Kikuko is pensive, quietly observant, and methodical. Nikuko embarrasses Kikuko like any mom of a preteen, but her boldness makes her famous in a place where Kikuko wishes to blend in. A devastating previous revelation threatens to uproot the pair's fragile connection as Kikuko navigates middle school social issues with magical realism from her imagination.