Three years into marriage, Mahiro is deeply troubled by her deteriorating relationship with her husband, who dismisses her as too plain to see as a woman. When company policy sends her on a business trip with department manager Noguchi, he invites her for drinks beforehand so they can get to know each other beyond the work talk that has defined their relationship for a year. Mahiro gradually opens up, drinks too much, and wakes in a love hotel. Noguchi assures her that nothing happened, but she says she is not ready to go home and pulls her considerate boss into a fierce kiss, giving in to their forbidden attraction.