Sun-hee, Jung-soo, and Jin-myung, all in their 40s–50s, work as assistant teachers at a kindergarten. While cheerfully rehearsing a puppet show titled The Lion and the Wild Boar for the kids, their harmony is shattered when the director announces that one of them will be let go next year by lottery. Tensions rise as the trio begins subtly competing to keep their jobs. Sun-hee and Jin-myung decide to push out the oldest, Jung-soo, who overhears their plan and becomes disheartened. As the puppet show begins, personal feelings seep in, turning the performance into chaos. Unable to bear the collapse of their bonds, Sun-hee lashes out at the director, refusing to be fired. Just then, a young girl named Hye-ji innocently offers to leave instead, freezing the adults in stunned silence.