Yoshimi Matsubara, in the midst of a divorce mediation, rents a run-down apartment with her daughter, Ikuko. She enrolls Ikuko in a nearby kindergarten and lands a job as a proofreader, a job she held before she was married, but this time in a small publishing company with modest pay. The ceiling of their apartment has a leak that worsens on a daily basis. Matsubara complains to the building superintendent but he does nothing to fix the leak. When she tries to contact the apartment above, she gets no answer. However, as she leaves, she catches the glimpse of a mysterious long-haired girl peering out of the doorway, but upon returning, sees no sign of her.