Sixth grade was when Ayase Chihaya met Wataya Arata, the transfer student from Fukui. The shy and quiet Arata was hiding a surprising talent. He knew how to play the competitive karuta version of Ogura's Hundred Poets. Chihaya is stunned by the intensity Arata displays when playing karuta.

Chihaya's proclamation leads to a showdown between Mashima Taichi and the transfer student Arata, who is being shunned by their class. The stubborn Taichi, who's upset by how close Chihaya and Arata have gotten, steals Arata's glasses in the middle of the tournament. Arata, good as he may be, is unable to take cards without his glasses. That is when Chihaya steps in to take his place.

Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata visit the local Shiranami Karuta Society and meet the chairman, Harada, and a member who's their age, Kinashi Hiro (Retro-kun). When Harada sees them playing against Retro-kun in a team Genpei match, he realizes Chihaya's talent and invites her to join. After Harada tells Chihaya that learning the poems is like making 100 new friends, she begins to realize her own dream.

Arata returns with his family to Fukui after his grandfather falls ill. The three of them believe that as long as they continue to play karuta, they will be reunited. Now in high school, Chihaya has entered a tournament to qualify for Class A so Taichi will help her start a karuta club. Once Taichi sees how Chihaya is enjoying herself, he finds himself being swayed—

After Chihaya hears Arata say that he quit playing karuta, she and Taichi make a trip to Arata's home in Fukui. Once they find Arata, Chihaya is thrilled and suggest that they play karuta together again, but Arata turns her down. He's no longer the same boy he used to be. So Chihaya tries to learn the truth—