Choi Seok, the principal of a girls' school, takes in and raises Jung-im, the daughter of a friend who died in prison during the independence movement. The warm affection between the two, which is like that of a father and daughter, eventually turns into a platonic love. Jealous of this, Choi Seok's wife, Mrs. Lee, and their daughter, Soon-im, force him to step down from his position while Jung-im is studying abroad in Tokyo. He visits Jung-im to say his goodbyes and leaves for Manchuria. Knowing that it is a love that cannot be, he feels guilty and, while battling illness, wanders through snowy fields with a sense of atonement until he collapses. Upon hearing the news, Jung-im rushes to him, but he finally brings an end to his life full of sorrow.