Sayoko was married to a man with a child from a previous relationship, but suddenly lost her husband in a traffic accident. After his death, she was forced to live alone with her stepson. Unemployed at the time, Sayoko began searching for work, but due to the economic downturn, she struggled to find a job. One day, her late husband's older brother came to Tokyo from the countryside and suggested taking Sayoko and her stepson back with him to their hometown. He offered to help her find employment and invited her to come stay at her husband's family home. Just come visit for a short while, relax in an onsen, and think it over, the brother-in-law persuaded her. That trip would bring about a major turning point in her life.