In the rapidly expanding Seoul of 1994, the Seongsu Bridge has collapsed and as the city is rapidly industrialising. A lonely and quiet 14-year-old Eun-hee moves through life like a hummingbird searching for a taste of sweetness wherever she may find it. Adrift and deprived of attention from her family, she struggles against quarrelling parents and an abusive brother. She roams the neighbourhood with her best friend, shoplifting, visiting karaoke bars, attempting romantic relationships with both girls and boys alike, and is sent to the hospital with an unclear diagnosis. At school she only just scrapes by, but when a new teacher arrives into town, she becomes the first adult Eun-hee feels really understands her and the two form an unlikely friendship.