Yuka Ayukawa, first known as Ryuji Ayukawa, forms a central narrative presence shaped by their complex identity and experiences. Physically tall and slender with pale skin, Yuka possesses naturally waist-length blonde hair, often styled with disheveled side-swept bangs, and distinctive dark purple eyes. Their fashion defiantly mixes gendered elements, frequently combining male and female school uniform pieces—skirts with boys' blazers or girls' blouses with boys' slacks—to reject conformity. During painting, they favor a French maid apron, embracing a self-described "cutesy, feminine" aesthetic. Personality-wise, Yuka appears boisterous and flamboyant, drawing peers with an outgoing demeanor. Underlying this confidence is significant anxiety, particularly about familial rejection. Stress triggers deep impulsiveness, yet they maintain a warm facade around their supportive grandmother. Academically, they struggle with poor grades. Their background involves intense familial conflict. Both parents disapprove of Yuka's identity and lifestyle, resulting in an unsafe home environment marked by violence—including a physical assault by their father demanding they "go back to normal." After parents discarded Yuka's belongings, their grandmother retrieved art supplies from the trash. This dynamic forces Yuka to seek nighttime refuge outdoors, prompting parental suspicions about transactional dating. Artistically, Yuka specializes in Nihonga (Japanese painting), influenced by their grandmother's appreciation for the tradition despite personally preferring Western fashion design. Their grandmother nurtured this artistic passion from childhood, though Yuka feels infantilized by her tendency to treat them as a young child. Key plot interactions begin with Yuka clashing with protagonist Yatora Yaguchi after criticizing his cigarette use as performative social conformity. This initially antagonistic relationship evolves into close friendship. Yuka later invites Yatora to join the art club; they confide in each other and frequently appear together on Yuka's Instagram. Yuka also shares a supportive bond with Maru Mori, celebrating her university acceptance with genuine joy. Regarding identity, Yuka explicitly rejects binary gender norms, fluidly navigating expressions from feminine-coded language to openly acknowledging their Adam's apple. They once identified as a "man in love with another man" while embracing femininity. Romantically, they experienced attraction to a female middle-school friend and made confessions to men, confirming bisexuality. A date ended abruptly when a male art student rejected them upon learning they were assigned male at birth. Additional trivia notes their chosen name "Yuka" (derived from Ayukawa) avoids association with singer Ayumi Hamasaki. They maintain an active Instagram presence under @ryuji_ayukawa.