Please Love Me!

Michiko Shibata is thirty years old. The company she works for suddenly goes bankrupt, and she loses her job. Her job hunting goes nowhere, and she depletes her savings supporting a young man despite being unemployed. She has nothing and only wants to eat meat. One day, Michiko happens to run into Ayumu Kurosawa, her former boss, whom Michiko feared and despised because he verbally abused her. He is now the manager of Himawari, a cafe owned by his grandmother. Michiko begins working there in order to feed herself, but their relationship remains the same as before, and she is pushed around and ridiculed. Despite this, Michiko cannot resist the fine meals Ayumu makes. Michiko struggles daily, but the indifferent Ayumu begins to reach out and show her another side of himself.

Michiko is robbed of her first kiss by Kurosawa, who passed out drunk, and she is so upset she is unable to sleep the entire night. Kurosawa muttered the name Haruko as they kissed and later dismissed the whole thing as a misunderstanding. Michiko is struggling to find a new job, and that evening Kurosawa gives her advice and promises to get her Wagyu beef once she is successful. The following day, Michiko contacts a convenience goods company that wasn't even offering a position and is hired based purely on her personality. Kurosawa holds a wagyu beef party just like he promised, but then Haruko shows up with flowers. On the first day of her new job, Michiko is approached by Daichi Mogami and is asked out on a date for the first time in her life.

Michiko is proud to share with Kurosawa that Daichi Mogami asked her on a date. At work, she gets caught up in a conflict between two coworkers, Kadoma and Nakajima. Kadoma rebukes the unmotivated Nakajima, and asks Michiko to reprimand her too. Michiko wants to avoid conflict, and decides to take on the work herself and avoid any conflict, while Nakajima complains about Kadoma's warnings. Michiko and Mogami talk amid the perilous atmosphere of the company, but she cannot show intimacy in front of her colleagues and realizes the difficulties of an office romance. Michiko buys special lingerie in anticipation of her date and approaches it like a match while hoping all goes well.

Mogami tells Michiko he is dating her with the intention of eventually getting married. Michiko holds off on replying, but her face beams unconsciously with happiness. Kurosawa sees this and believes it is some kind of marriage scam. Meanwhile, it comes to light that all the women at Michiko's office use the same hand cream. Mogami gave the hand cream to Michiko as a gift, as well as to Kadoma and the others. Michiko begins to suspect Kurosawa is right and it is a marriage scam. Michiko returns to Himawari on the weekend to find Terry talking excitedly with Aya Tanno about soccer. Terry likes Aya and is only pretending to like soccer. Later, Michiko cannot help but notice Haruko coming to the shop after it is closed.

Mogami cannot help but feel concerned about Michiko and Kurosawa's relationship. He makes the bold decision to invite Michiko to his home, but his cellphone rings, and the distance between the couple remains. Michiko invites Kurosawa to eat a Korean barbecue a few days later. Kurosawa suspects she is up to something, but Michiko is supportive of his romantic situation. Kurosawa can normally hold his liquor, but he is distracted by thoughts of Haruko and ends up getting drunk. Michiko learns how to make an omelet on rice from Kurosawa and decides to go and cook for Mogami on the weekend. Michiko attempts to replicate Kurosawa's omelet on rice, but the results look pitiful. Despite this, Mogami enjoys it. Things seem to be going well, but then the phone rings.

Michiko tells Kurosawa that Mogami proposed they live together. When it is pointed out that Michiko lacks femininity, she consults with Akira Ikushima, and Michiko ends up taking Mogami to the lingerie shop where Akira works. Mogami is bewildered by women's underwear, but his attitude changes when he receives a phone call. Michiko is worried Mogami dislikes the date at the lingerie shop, but Mogami suddenly begins to cry. Mogami tells Michiko his parents are in the hospital, and she is reminded of the bitter memories of when she supported past men. Moving in with Mogami is postponed, so Michiko will move in with Akira instead. When Terry brings Mogami to Himawari, Kurosawa calmly addresses Mogami, and the pair face off in front of Michiko.