Kakeru Kurahara, a former Sendai Josei High School ace runner, gets pursued out from a convenience store for theft. He runs across Haiji Kiyose, another student from his institution, after shaking off his pursuer. Haiji is amazed by Kakeru's quickness and convinces him to live at Chikusei-sou, the run-down apartment in which Haiji and eight other students dwell. Kakeru accepts the offer hesitantly, having lost his whole rental deposit at a mahjong parlor. During Kakeru's greeting party, however, Haiji discloses a secret: the apartment is really the Kansei University Track Club's dormitory. He reveals his ultimate ambition of competing in the Hakone Ekiden, one of Japan's most prestigious collegiate marathon relay competitions. Except for Haiji and Kakeru, all of the inhabitants are finished.