Kanoko Matsukaze is the former girlfriend of Nagomu Irino, their relationship concluding when he departed Tokyo to inherit his family's wagashi shop in Kyoto. She later resigned from her corporate position and relocated to Kyoto.

Their first encounter unfolded when a distressed and intoxicated Kanoko met Nagomu on the street. He aided her by purchasing water from a vending machine. Upon her offering thanks, he proposed she buy him tea if fate reunited them. They serendipitously reconnected when she visited his workplace, and their bond deepened after he invited her to his band’s performance—though his peculiar chestnut hat initially bewildered her.

After moving to Kyoto, Kanoko discovered Itsuka Yukihira, a young girl stranded at Sanzen-in Shrine after boarding a bus believing her father was aboard, then falling asleep and lacking fare for her return. Kanoko assisted her and confided her own romantic rejection—revealing she was abandoned by a man who prioritized family over her, breaking his promise to attend the Gion Festival together. She expressed a resolve to forget him and seek new joy in Kyoto. During this exchange, Kanoko misinterpreted Itsuka’s references to her father as allusions to a romantic partner. Upon encountering Nagomu, Kanoko mistakenly presumed Itsuka was his child before learning of Itsuka’s missing father, then aided in returning the girl to the Irino household.

Kanoko later visited the Irino family’s shop, Ryokushō, witnessing Nagomu’s professional struggles. She temporarily assisted him, pretending unfamiliarity with Itsuka to safeguard the girl’s secret of skipping school. Kanoko subsequently secured permanent employment at "Kafu-En," a tea shop, where her role expanded beyond sales to include studying the tea ceremony—a practice she grew to cherish for its timeless tranquility. She adapted skillfully, mastering the formal seiza posture.

Regarding lingering feelings for Nagomu, Kanoko acknowledged their dynamic had shifted but maintained interest in observing his authentic pursuits. She reflected that separating love and hatred cleanly would simplify matters, yet deeper familiarity blurred such lines. Her unresolved attachment surfaced during a Christmas Eve outing where she and coworker Mitsuru Horikawa vied subtly for Nagomu’s attention amid unspoken romantic tension.