Masako Saeki, an older woman with a serene presence, has stark white hair fading into darker tips and eyes often gently closed, though they occasionally open with striking clarity. She favors practical yet polished attire: a dark red turtleneck with mid-length sleeves, light-hued pants, and black shoes, paired with a school badge hanging from her neck. When engaged in art, she adds a protective apron to her ensemble. Serving as a part-time art instructor and art club advisor, her calm, gentle exterior belies sharp perceptiveness. She offers incisive observations with a soft smile, keeping students alert yet inspired. Her teaching philosophy adapts to individual needs—challenging driven pupils with precise critiques while cultivating an inclusive space for others to experiment. A graduate of an art university, she draws on her academic and professional background to mentor students navigating competitive art education, including preparation for elite institutions like Tokyo University of the Arts. Her enigmatic nature surfaces in moments like posing a cryptic puzzle: four claims—international marriage, a spouse two decades younger, a CEO partner, and an island received as a proposal gift—with only one declared false. This deliberate ambiguity sparks debate and analytical thinking among her students. In guiding Yatora Yaguchi, she balances candid truths about the art world’s demands with nurturing his creative fervor. She pushes him to merge technical precision with introspective expression, shifting his focus from academic perfection to authentic artistic discovery. Her mentorship prioritizes igniting intrinsic passion over rote instruction, underscoring her view of art as a transformative, deeply individual pursuit shaped by both discipline and self-reflection.