In her final year of middle school, Fū is a middle school student who had previously locked away her feelings following the death of her father. She returns home one day to find her brother, Kou, looking at the old photos their father had taken. Fū comes to understand the warmth of these photos and takes an interest in photography, asking to use her father's old camera. After taking a few photos, mainly with her friend Chihiro Miyoshi, she sends some to Riho who responds with positive feedback and a train ticket with no destination. After she decides that she'd like to go to high school in Takehara, her father's home town, the whole family decides to move there. After saying her goodbyes to Chihiro, Fū travels to Takehara where she meets with Kaoru.

It's been a month since Fū moved to Takehara, and she and her friends feel a bit bemused by the antics of her homeroom teacher, Mr. Dougou. After hearing Sayomi is going to be out of the house, Fū suggests a sleepover at her place. However, on the day of the sleepover, Dougou asks Kaoru to help out with making bamboo figures to impress the Hoboro okonomiyaki shop manager, so Fū and the others decide to help. As the girls finally resume their sleepover, Sayomi appears, telling him that Dougou had Kaoru's loneliness in mind when he asked her for help. As everyone else sleeps, Sayomi gives Fū her thanks for returning to this town.

As Norie decides to try to learn to make sweets from Fū's grandmother, she is pestered by Kou's classmate, Komachi, who challenges her to see who can make the tastiest dessert with Kou acting as judge. Though Komachi struggles at first, Fū's grandmother helps her realise the most important thing about cooking; thinking about making the person who will eat it smile. After Kou tries both Norie and Komachi's dishes, the contest is declared a tie. Afterwards, Norie reveals it was her older brother who inspired her to aim to become a patissiere.

Fū and her friends decide to have their summer vacation in Mitarai, where Maon's family runs an inn. While exploring the town, they visit a theatre which seems to hold some symbolism for Maon. After the gang visits Fū's grandfather, Maon explains that a guitar concert she once saw at that theatre inspired her to aim to try and perform on that stage at some point.

Chihiro comes to Takehara to visit Fū, though ends up getting off a station too early. As Fū's mother goes to pick her up, Fū hears from her biker friends about how she once was a motorcyclist. The next day, Fū takes Chihiro to meet the others, visiting various place to get along. Later, Sayomi takes everyone on a lengthy expedition to Kurotaki Hill, where everyone becomes friends with Chihiro and exchanges e-mail addresses.

Back in Autumn 1999, Fū meets Maon at the top of a hill after hearing her read out a story she is writing. When an incident between Kaoru and Norie, who also arrive at the top of the hill, causes everyone to start crying, Maon manages to calm everyone down with her whistling. After Fū returns to her father, Maon is able to come up with an ending to her story. Ten years later, Maon, who is now in middle school but is having trouble making friends, encounters Norie, who became depressed after a boy rejected her offer of sweets. As the two discuss their ambitions, they find something nostalgic about Maon's whistling and they become friends.

As the town makes preparations for a bamboo light festival, Riho comes around to visit Fū. As they visit Hoboro, Dougo asks for the girls' help so he can confess to the owner. As rain starts to fall, Fū and Kaoru become worried that the Road of Aspiration they were looking forward to might be cancelled. While writing wishes, they meet Shouko Hirono, who played with Kaoru and Fū once during their childhood. Luckily, the rain stops in time and Fū and Kaoru are able to enjoy the festival for the first time since Fū moved.

After Fū learns Riho is staying with Hoboro's owner and becomes curious about the relationship between the two. Meanwhile, Komachi also takes up traditional photography. As Fū and the others learn the owner's real name, Chimo Yakusa, she becomes concerned after hearing Riho had stopped taking pictures of the sky. Later, Fū accompanies Riho and Chimo to a restaurant to meet Chimo's senpai, Misano Fuji. After the trip, Riho reassures Fū about her worries.

Momoneko, the pink cat who wanders around the city, has trouble dealing with a wild boar who's been eating people's vegetables. However, after some invigorating words from Fū and co, Momoneko manages to get rid of the boar with help from Kou. Later, a woman named Shimako Tobita goes on a food binge after being rejected by a boy she liked and ends up having to spend the night at Fū's place. Sayomi decides to cheer her up by taking her and the others on another expedition, where her best friend Manami Hoshi helps her let out her feelings.

Kaoru feels a bit downhearted when the others have plans for Sunday, as she is unsure what she wants to be in the future. The others suggest ideas, but she rejects them, leading everyone to become worried. Come Sunday, as the girls send texts to Kaoru, Sayomi arranges a little get-together in the afternoon, where everyone gives their support for Kaoru. Having read the texts earlier, Kaoru decides she wants to set up an exhibition at the end of the year which makes use of everyone's talents.

As the girls prepare for the upcoming exhibition, Maon decides she wants to do a reading. Despite deciding she wants to do an original story, she hasn't been able to come up with anything, and she feels pressured by all the people planning to attend. On the day of the exhibition, Maon still doesn't have an ending for her story, and becomes more anxious when she learns that she is to perform her reading in the theatre due to the increasing number of attendees. Seeing her parents in the audience, Maon decides to perform anyway and, with encouragement from her friends and family, manages to make up an ending on the spot. Afterwards, the girls spend their Christmas at the spot where they unknowingly assembled back in 1999.

The day of the exhibition comes and soon gathers a large audience. After the exhibition, the girls look over the surveys the guests filled in before seeing in the New Year together, where Fū also gets a call from Chihiro. On New Year's Day, Sayomi takes the girls on an expedition which comes to a halt when her car goes off the road. While waiting for their rescue, they get to see a special view brought on by the first sunrise of the year. As Fū takes a photo of everyone, she is reminded of her father.