It's snowing and Yuka is in the streets, building a snow sculpture when two ruffians approach her and start harassing her. Toru happens to walk by and bumps into one of the guys. After a minor face-off, the two guys decide to push off. The altercation is taking place in the midst of a crosswalk, and as the lights start to change, Toru grabs the unmoving Yuka and pulls her out of the way of the oncoming traffic. He leaves, with Yuka following him at a distance. When he finally stops and turns around, she tells him about the "snowman" she was building to commemorate a bird that had died there recently. He's unmoved and tells her she's an idiot, but she just smiles at him and calls him a good person.

Yuka is almost home and runs into her cousin Ryo who tells her that her mom is very worried as she is so late. As they walk back, they start playing in the snow, and she tells him about her snow-bird memorial, asking him if he thinks she is an idiot. A little while later, he says softly to himself that she is not an idiot, she is just innocent. They continue to pelt each other with snowballs, when all of a sudden, she tells him that she has "found it"... "what?" he asks... and she answers, "a good person".

The next morning, Yuka's mom tells her that she can go anywhere she wants but to let them know first. Yuka doesn't seem to be paying too much attention as she is listening to the automated weather report on the phone. (There are notices all over the house, listing out the way things should be done: like turning on the answering machine when you leave, using laundry detergent for the wash, and locking up before you go out... all these are obviously reminders for Yuka, who is mentally slow.) As her mom leaves, they go through the routine of her telling her mom that today she doesn't need an umbrella as it will be sunny, and then locking the front door after her mom goes out and her mom saying through the door "ittekimasu" (I'm off) and Yuka replying "itterashai" (be careful). After she finishes doing the laudry, Yuka goes to her studio (attached to the house) and start her sculpting.

Ryo is a chef at a restaurant and he's deciding with his co-workers what the set menu should be for the day. Afterwards, he reminds his boss about displaying one of Yuka's works at the restaurant and the boss asks to see it first.

Meanwhile, Yuka's mom (Takako) works at a hair-salon, and one of the customers is talking about her impending wedding, and an obaasan is saying how she wished she had daughters because preparing for a wedding is so much fun. She turns to Takako to ask after her daughter but Takako says that it's too early to think about such things for Yuka.

Yuka's talking to her dad (he's dead but she's told that he's "gone to heaven") and telling him about Toru, and how he is a good person despite his cold exterior. She suddenly recalls that she forgot to thank him and resolves to thank him the next time they meet.

Toru's a reporter at The Move - which is a gossip magazine. His chief editor, Ooya-san, is telling him giving him an assignment from a tip-off he received about a famous actress's relationship with a teenage pop-star which he wants to use for the next edition. Toru is unimpressed and Ooya gets pissed off by his attitude and tells him to get off his high horse as he is no longer working for a prestigious political affairs news agency. He says that Toru's pride will get him into trouble. As he leaves, his co-worker (Asako) comes up to him and suggests that she go over to his house again tonight but he tells her he's busy.

Ryo is telling Yuka about displaying her work in his restaurant, saying that she'll be famous in no time, etc. but Takako checks his enthusiasm, saying that he shouldn't get her hopes up too high and they still need the owner's approval first. As Yuka goes off to wash the dishes, Ryo asks Takako why she's always putting a damper on things and that she should let Yuka experience more of the world. But Takako says that Yuka's temperament can be very volatile and she is not capable of keeping her emotions under control. She says Yuka has a lot of strange mannerisms too, and reminds Toru of the times they've had to request police assistance for her. Ryo tries to say that Yuka has her own way of thinking, and mentions the snow memorial incident, but her mom says that other people can't understand her and she'll just cause them a lot of trouble - and at times, even Ryo's been bothered by her. Even though she may look normal on the outside, she's not normal on the inside, and it's best to leave things as they are.

Ryo and Yuka take her sculpture to the restaurant and Ryo's boss is enthusiastic, saying that he really likes it. As Yuka's going home on the bus, she sees Toru pass by on the streets and she goes off after him, but unintentionally she blocks him from taking long-range pictures of the actress. When she thanks him for saving her, he walks off, saying he had no such intention. But then she finds she's lost her direction and asks him where her bus stop is.

At the hospital, Takako is tellingYuka's doctor how her daughter's been going out more and more. She's also been adding wings ("tsubasa") to all her works. The doctor says that Yuka's probably going to undergo changes but she shouldn't worry as Yuka's smart and has a good heart. She's also very clear about her own condition. But he adds a rider that she may be entering a difficult phase from now on...

Toru and Yuka are sitting at her bus-stop when his pager suddenly goes off. She doesn't know what it is, and he explains to her what a pager does but comments that it's something someone in primary school would know. She gives him a candy before she gets on her bus, saying that he looks tired and her "genki" (get-well) candy will perk him up.

At home, Yuka's mom receives a call from New Age Fine Arts, who says that Yuka has won their top award. It turns out that Ryo had made the submission without telling them about it.

When they go to meet the New Age people, Ryo informs them of Yuka's disability, and they are concerned as they've never had a mentally disabled winner before and they're worried about their sponsors' reaction, but one of the female executives there named Komiya says that she doesn't think it will be a problem as Yuka appears to be normal and so they decide to go ahead and give her the award. The mother suddenly tells them that she's sorry but they're not going to accept it because Yuka isn't normal and she doesn't want Yuka to be subjected to such public scrutiny. Ryo tries to argue with her, and suddenly Komiya-san looks at Yuka and asks her what she herself wants. Yuka replies that she doesn't know...

Yuka's sitting in her studio, talking to her father out of the window. She says that she didn't really understand the conversation at New Age but she wanted her mom to be happy and she didn't like seeing the pained expression on her mom's face at the meeting...her mom is outside the door and hears what she is saying... The next morning, as Takako leaves for work, she tells Yuka to go ahead and accept the award.

At The Move, Toru's boss, Ooya Kunio, gets the scoop on the New Age award winner being mentally retarded and that the committee does not intend to make it public. He tells Toru to cover the story, saying that he should trap her at the media conference that New Age is holding tomorrow. As Ooya opens the door to leave, he sees that Toru's colleague, Asako, is outside listening. He tells Toru to take her with him to the conference.

That night, Asako is at Toru's, and (they've obviously just done it) she's dressing to leave when she mentions the story they're doing on Yuka, but he's not interested in discussing it with her. She tells him that there's a lot she wants to learn from him, but all he says is that sleeping with him is not going to help her in any way.

Just before the start of the press conference, Yuka's family is meeting with the New Age people and they're told that Yuka's handicap is going to be kept secret. All Yuka has to do is say a few simple words at the end, saying thank you and I'll continue to work hard. ("Arigatou gozaimasu. Kore kara mou ganbarimasu.")

Yuka comes out to the stage to receive her award. Shinichi isn't there yet, but Asako is already at the conference. The New Age guy gives his speech and the press start asking questions. She's doing ok at first, answering the easy ones, and he fields the harder ones for her but referring the press to the info package they'd passed out earlier. But then she starts getting unnerved as the questions come faster and faster, and so when the guy cuts off the Q&A and asks her to say a few words, she freezes and doesn't respond.... Shinichi shows up at this point, and recognises her to be the girl he'd seen on the streets. There's a long pause, and finally she looks over at the sculpture and says softly, "ano, tori ni naritai desu..." (I want to become a bird...) This naturally sets off the reporters, and they start asking all sorts of questions, but the New Age guy hurriedly ends the conference and ushers her back in. As she's leaving the stage, Asako asks her "when are you going to turn into a bird?" and Yuka stops and turns around. She thinks a moment and then says, "watashi wa haru goku no o tanoshimi ni shiteimasu.." (I'm looking forward to the coming of Spring...) Shinichi looks over at her sculpture ... and then takes out her candy from his pocket...

- End of Episode One -