Aya Kanzaki, a secondary school teacher, was the object of admiration for her male pupils. One of her pupils, Masaomi Odagiri, had viewed her with hostility ever since he was caught shoplifting. One day, irregularities in the teacher recruitment examination were uncovered at the school where Aya worked, and a colleague was arrested. The deputy headmaster, Murakoshi, informed her that her own examination marks had also been inflated.