During a hot summer in a quiet town named Sotoba, bizarre deaths of the elderly in an isolated part of town surprises hospital dean Toshio Ozaki and his best friend, Seishin Muroi, a local priest who discovered the bodies. While the investigation is underway, a moving company arrives in the dead of night with the Kirishiki family, who will be occupying a long abandoned castle in Sotoba. Megumi Shimizu, a high school girl who is classmates with another village girl Kaori Tanaka, constantly fails to befriend Natsuno Yuuki, a boy who hates living in Sotoba and wishes for city life. She often has a bad habit of stalking Natsuno around his house at night, though he is aware of her activities. One day, Megumi heads up the hill to the castle and meets the Kirishiki family, then disappears afterwards. Upon learning of her disappearance, most of the townspeople head out to look for Megumi, only to discover her lying catatonic in the woods. Toshio examines Megumi and only finds her to be suffering a case of anemia from insect bites, but nothing serious. However, Megumi passes away a few days later, to the shock of her family and friends.