Yuki Hirano, after failed university entrance exams and a breakup, crosses paths with a forestry program when he spots a striking young woman on a promotional pamphlet. The program proves brutal from the start, and when he learns that the pamphlet’s beauty is only a model, a wave of doubt makes him consider quitting. Many others drop out as well, but just before he leaves, he encounters the pamphlet’s girl in the area. She initially seems uninterested, sensing that his interest might be more about her than the work, yet her presence unsettles him in a powerful way. Driven by that spark, he throws himself into the training and resolves to prove himself.
Under the mentorship of his strict, hardworking superior Yoki Iida, Yuki begins to grow into the forest trade. He steadily improves and, all the while, pursues the girl from the pamphlet who motivated his decision in the first place, Naoki Ishii. She works part-time at a school, and Yuki’s determination leads him to the schoolyard, where he ends up spending time with the kids and drawing closer to her.
The village welcomes him gradually as he learns to respect the forest and the people who call the place home. A festival called the Onbashira Festival looms, and a town meeting debates whether a newcomer like Yuki should be allowed to participate. To everyone’s relief, Yoki defends him, insisting that Yuki has earned his place through effort and humility.
A turning point arrives when a student disappears into the woods. Naoki’s concern deepens, and her feelings for the young man grow as she sees his genuine care. On the night of the festival, Yuki’s mother calls, urging him to return home, but he refuses to pull away. He and the other men climb the mountains for a sacred forest ritual, where they pray before felling the largest tree. An accident binds his leg to a rope, forcing him to ride the tree down the slope using the techniques he’s learned. The crowd erupts in celebration as the tree reaches the bottom and Yuki emerges safely, a testament to his newfound skills.
On the program’s final day, Yuki bids a tearful farewell to Yoki and his host family. He boards a train home, but Naoki arrives just in time to say goodbye. Yet when he faces his parents’ door, he can’t bring himself to knock, instead wandering the streets until he’s drawn to a nearby construction site and the comforting scent of wood fills him with a quiet smile. The closing scenes show him on a train heading back toward the mountains, openly choosing the forest village as his home and future. A post-credits scene reveals a new promotional pamphlet for the forestry program, featuring an experienced Yuki at work and signaling the path he has chosen.
