Kouhei Araki, a seasoned editor of Genbu Publishing's dictionary editing section, intends to retire in order to properly care for his sick wife. However, before retiring, he must find a replacement to finish his most recent project: The Great Passage, a new dictionary. But no matter where he looks, he can't find someone fit, because creating a dictionary takes a lot of patience, time, and devotion. Mitsuya Majime works at Genbu Publishing's sales section, but he lacks social skills and is unable to gauge people's moods in most circumstances. Despite this, he succeeds at having a love of words due to his love of reading and cautious demeanor. These abilities are what drew Araki to him and prompted him to pursue him.