"The hero arrives. The hero comes. Chant these words in your head, and I'll certainly come to you..." This mantra is what Makoto Tsukimoto repeats as a source of encouragement while he battles through the stress of not just hard ping pong matches, but also circumstances in his life. Makoto does not battle alone; he and his friend, Yutaka Hoshino, nicknamed Smile and Peco, have grown up playing ping pong together almost every day. Peco, full of confidence, aspires to be the finest table tennis player in the world; Smile, on the other hand, lacks ambition. Despite this, the two have always remained close, with a friendship formed by their common passion for the sport.