Rin befriends Kouki, a boy she met at the local nursery school, while Daikichi's pulse races a bit when he meets Kouki's beautiful single mother. Later, the modem Daikichi found leads him to his grandfather's last words. And from there, he receives a contact number for Rin's mother, Masako...

When Rin enters elementary school, Daikichi proposes planting a tree to commemorate the occasion. Rin plants a loquat seed in the yard, but there's no telling whether it will actually put forth buds. Thinking that perhaps Souichi planted something to mark Rin's birth, Daikichi has another visit with Masako...

Daikichi's cousin, Haruko, runs away from home to Daikichi's house with her daughter Reina in tow. Daikichi can hardly fathom Haruko's determination, but when he does learn her reasons, he's not a little surprised by how strong Haruko has become as a mother. It gets him thinking again about what marriage and family mean.

During Rin's summer vacation, Daikichi and Rin visit her father's grave, where they find an ink bottle and bellflowers. Daikichi runs after Masako, Rin's mother, who had just been there, and when he catches up, offers her an unusual proposal.

At school, Rin is concerned that the disobedient Kouki is getting off track and getting a bad reputation. Meanwhile, when a typhoon hits, Kouki and his mom take shelter with Daikichi and Rin at their house.

Daikichi feels helpless when Rin is laid up with stomach flu, so Kouki's mother steps in to give them both a hand.

It's the first anniversary of Grandpa's death, which means Rin and Daikichi have been living together for about a year now. Daikichi mulls over what he's lost and what he's gained since Rin came into his life...

As the cherry trees are in full blossom, Rin wants to go flower watching, and Kouki's mother prepares a bentou for this purpose. But the weather forecast announced a spring storm, so Rin and Daikichi make good-weather charms.

After visiting a festival, Kouki is still not tired, so Daikichi suggests a little detour on their way home, thus showing Rin, Kouki and Yukari his "secret place".