In the early 70’s, while Japanese students are pushing for political change, 15-year-old Michio’s father dies suddenly. Sent to live in the Dokoritsu Orphanage for Boys, Michio finds companionship with Yasuo, a lead soprano in the orphanage choir.
Michio, 15, is sent to a remote Catholic boy’s orphanage soon after the tragic death of his father. Awkward and unable to speak without stuttering, Michio finds it nearly impossible to get along in his new environment. Yasuo, star soprano in the school choir befriends Michio and agrees to help him escape, but later convinces him to come back and join the choir. While rehearsing with the choir at a neighboring girls school, Yasuo becomes jealous of Michio’s sudden fascination with the opposite sex. To vent his frustrations, Yasuo spends the summer marching in anti-war demonstrations in Tokyo. When Yasuo returns to school in the fall, he is horrified to discover that his angelic voice has changed.