Eiji Kakihana, a 41-year-old janitor born in 1980, has maintained friendships with Odokawa and Goriki since their high school days. Working as a cleaner, he actively seeks romance via a matching app, his optimistic spirit undeterred by setbacks. This leads him to Shiho Ichimura, a backup singer for idol group Mystery Kiss, unbeknownst to him entangled in yakuza-backed honey traps.

Despite Odokawa’s cautions about her deceit, Kakihana persists, ensnaring himself in a blackmail scheme that culminates in his abduction by yakuza members mistaking him for wealth. His rescue, orchestrated by Odokawa and gangster ally Dobu, leaves him shackled with debt.

Odokawa’s refusal to aid repayment forces Kakihana to confront the fallout alone. He pragmatically embraces part-time jobs to steadily settle his dues. A near-fatal encounter during captivity steers him toward cautious pragmatism, though his core optimism endures.

Kakihana’s life, defined by financial simplicity and a yearning for connection, starkly contrasts the criminal machinations encircling him. His journey from wide-eyed optimism to tempered resilience mirrors the consequences of manipulation and violence, forging a resolve anchored in realism rather than naivety.