Yatora Yaguchi navigates high school as a paradox—academically disciplined yet rebelliously sipping illicit drinks with friends, his high grades masking a soul adrift. Raised amidst financial strain, pragmatism anchors him, yet societal success hollows his core. A transformative encounter with senior Maru Mori’s unfinished painting jolts him awake, emotions aflame, propelling him toward Tokyo University of the Arts and an uncharted artistic odyssey. His physique mirrors this duality: medium height framed by a muscular build, platinum blonde hair bleached defiantly bright, eyes like amber beneath long lashes. Golden helix piercings glint on both ears, a crimson stud punctuating his left tragus—subtle rebellion against practicality. Wardrobe shifts between crisp uniforms, muted sweatshirts, and paint-splattered coveralls, each choice a negotiation between function and identity. Outwardly sociable, Yatora masks insecurities beneath charm, smoothing social ripples by stifling his own turmoil. Inside, self-doubt gnaws; he dissects his art with merciless precision, measuring himself against peers until stress erupts in rashes and migraines. Driven by a creed of sweat over innate genius, he treads a razor’s edge between relentless ambition and self-ruin. Connections fracture and forge him. High school friends—Koigakubo, Utashima, Sumida—share laughter but skim surfaces, barred by his emotional armor. Art peers like the enigmatic rival Yotasuke and theorist Haruka ignite growth, while mentors Masako and Mayu steady his technical hand and quaking spirit. Ryuji Ayukawa, defying gendered molds, becomes a mirror, reflecting the courage to shed conformity. Trials loom: grueling exams, collaborative crucibles, cutthroat galleries. The Geidai Exam Arc pits him against Kinemi Miki, rivalry thawing into camaraderie as they orchestrate campus festivals. Even as university gates open, imposter shadows linger. At home, maternal skepticism softens to pride, his dedication melting resistance. Quirks punctuate his intensity: a distaste for mint, childhood toothpaste rituals, caffeine’s dizzying grip. These fragments—small, human—contrast the inferno of his aspirations. Yatora’s journey arcs from spark to flame: a boy hollowed by expectation finds solace in brushstrokes, chasing selfhood through art’s tempest. External accolades pale against internal battlegrounds where ambition wrestles worth, each canvas a step toward reconciling the artist he is with the one he yearns to become.