Karen Inukai, a high school student with hip-length black hair often braided at the back, wears a white headband and has striking red eyes. Publicly, she maintains a cool, expressionless demeanor, appearing aloof and detached, particularly around classmates and her mother—a defense mechanism rooted in childhood trauma after losing her beloved dog, Pochita. This guardedness masks her deep-seated fear of emotional vulnerability.

Privately, she transforms around dogs, radiating warmth and playful affection. She showers them with physical closeness, gentle petting, and animated attention, revealing a capacity for emotional bonds reserved solely for animals. Discovering the protagonist, now a dog also named Pochita, becomes pivotal: she nurtures him with meticulous care, bathing him, documenting his routines, and even playfully cosplaying as a dog to strengthen their connection.

Her journey with the new Pochita gradually mends past wounds. His presence encourages tentative social strides, such as engaging peers during a school festival, signaling her slow reintegration into human relationships. Her mischievous side emerges through antics like testing canine communication gadgets or leveraging Pochita’s form for humorous reactions.

A strained, emotionally distant relationship with her mother underscores her prior preference for canine companionship. Her name, "Inukai," fuses terms for "dog" and "domesticate," while "Karen" intertwines "love" and "increase," mirroring her evolving ability to express affection through Pochita’s influence. Across her narrative arc, subtle shifts—wariness giving way to cautious social participation—highlight healing via unconventional bonds, though her core traits of quiet reserve and devotion to dogs remain steadfast.