While it was previously decided that Machi should go to a local high school, she still cannot give up on going to school in the city. After her begging, Natsu is persuaded and gives her homework to prepare her.
Machi is already losing her enthusiasm to work on her assignments to prepare herself to go to school in the city, so she suggests that they perform the kagura ritual for a change of pace.
Yoshio asks Machi if she can survive without Natsu. Offended by Yoshio’s question, she starts listing the things she can do by herself. On a different occasion, she is harassed by a punk and cries to Natsu for help.
One of the kids in the village is put in a cell with Natsu as punishment for being naughty. Later, Natsu tells Machi how important it is to sense the mood in order to maintain a good relationship with others.
When one of the old guys in the village stops by at the shrine, Machi, Natsu, and Yoshio realize that some sort of a ritual is supposed to be held today. Since Fuchi is out of town, they try to figure it out on their own.
Yoshio and Natsu trick Machi into working at a supermarket to sell nameko, one of Kumade Village’s specialties. Having difficulty selling it, she longs to abandon the job and go home.
Kumade Village’s residents decide to create a commercial and broadcast it on TV as a village revitalization project. Yoshio has already discussed it with a TV station, so all they have to do now is shoot a commercial...
Machi becomes envious of Shota and Kaori when she realizes that they have their own cell phones even though they are only elementary school students. Yoshio tries again to turn Machi into the village idol.
Yoshio doesn’t seem to know when to give up on Machi becoming an idol. He went ahead and sent in an application for Machi to be in the Tohoku idol contest. Now, the results of the initial screening are in.
Machi has gone missing after making a blunder during the idol contest rehearsal. Yoshio and Hibiki look all over for her, but she’s nowhere to be found, and the time for her to appear on the stage is fast approaching.