The tale unfolds in 1955 within Kokuga, Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. A millennium earlier, this location hosted the ancient capital of Suo no Kuni, and remnants of the Heian Period (year 794-1185) endure today through its ruins and historic place names. Shinko, a third grader at the local elementary school, hails from one of the town's old, respected families. The little girl is known for the odd curl on her forehead, which she nicknames "Mai Mai," and for spending much of her time romping through the fields. In private, though, her true delight lies in envisioning and daydreaming about life a thousand years in the past, letting her mind roam freely through the Heian era. Then one day, a transfer student named Kiiko arrives from Tokyo and joins Shinko's class. Accustomed to the big city, Kiiko struggles to feel at ease in this small town, yet bit by bit her bond with Shinko grows stronger. In time, the pair find themselves swept up in a strange occurrence from a thousand years ago...?!