Chino Kafū is a central figure in her community, known as the diligent and reserved granddaughter of the founder of the Rabbit House café. She assists with its daily operations, working alongside a small, close-knit group of friends. With long, periwinkle-colored hair secured by distinctive crossing black clips and relaxed blue eyes, she is notably the shortest of the main characters. Her typical work attire consists of a cobalt-blue uniform, including a white blouse, waistcoat, bow tie, and a long black skirt with Mary Jane shoes, while her school uniform is a royal blue sailor outfit.

Raised primarily by her father and her grandfather after her mother passed away, Chino exhibits a level of maturity and responsibility that belies her age. Her personality is marked by a reserved and often stoic demeanor; she speaks in a flat, polite monotone, a habit formed from years of interacting with older customers at the café. She takes her duties very seriously and can become annoyed by reckless or overly loud behavior, strongly resenting any implication that she is still a child due to her stature. Despite this cool exterior, she possesses a deeply caring nature and a subtle, non-confrontational side, often struggling to express her warmer feelings directly. A key motivation for Chino is her aspiration to one day become a skilled barista and inherit the Rabbit House, continuing her family's legacy.

Within the story, Chino serves as an anchor of stability and quiet competence at the café, often contrasting with the more energetic personalities of her peers. Her role becomes a journey of gradual emotional opening, as she learns to navigate friendships and accept affection. The most significant relationship in her development is with Cocoa Hoto, a new, boisterous employee who enthusiastically declares herself Chino's older sister. Initially resistant to Cocoa's overwhelming friendliness, Chino slowly and reluctantly begins to depend on her. She finds comfort in Cocoa's scent and grows noticeably absent-minded or unconsciously makes multiple cups of cocoa whenever Cocoa is away. This bond pushes Chino to confront her own feelings of loneliness and jealousy, eventually acknowledging that Cocoa helped her learn to open up to others.

Chino shares a profound, secret bond with Tippy, an Angora rabbit she often carries on her head, who is the spirit of her late grandfather. Only she and her father know this truth, making Tippy a source of private advice and familial connection. She also maintains close friendships with her classmates, the energetic Maya Jōga and the gentle Megumi Natsu, who helped draw her out of her shell at school. Her relationships with her other co-workers, the reliable and intense Rize Tedeza, and the refined but impoverished Sharo Kirima, are built on mutual respect and shared experiences. Chino's character development is marked by increasing emotional expressiveness over time. She begins to indulge in silly or "dorky" activities she once avoided, openly credits Cocoa for helping her make friends, and shows greater resilience, such as impulsively retrieving Cocoa's hat from a river despite being unable to swim.

Aside from her burgeoning coffee-making skills, Chino possesses several notable abilities and quirks. She can distinguish coffee varieties purely by their aroma and performs fortune-telling using the foam of cappuccinos. Her hobbies are often solitary and intricate, including crafting bottled ships, solving puzzles like the Ring of Wisdom, and playing chess. She has a fondness for fairy tales like "Puss in Boots," the scent of bread and trees, and dislikes celery, though she forces herself to eat it in the hopes of growing taller. She also has a hidden talent for singing and an affinity for the fictional character "The Phantom Thief Lapin." Despite her quiet nature, she claims to work better with Tippy or her pet rabbit Anko balanced on her head, as it gives her a sense of calm and improved concentration.