Keito Kirihata is a 15-16-year-old male student at Seirei Private High School with brown eyes. He shares a pre-enrollment history with classmates Mao Otoha and Shiori Motoya. A dedicated fan of the top virtual idol Hana within Aikatsu Planet, his fandom takes a pivotal turn when he discovers Mao Otoha's dropped Idol License. This discovery reveals Mao's secret identity as the current Hana, successor to the original idol Meisa Hinata. Confronting Mao directly, Keito agrees to keep her secret confidential until she chooses to reveal it herself. He witnesses her public announcement at a Hana fan event. Later, encountering Mao and Shiori at school, Keito states he was only a fan of the previous Hana, Meisa, but offers Mao encouragement in her new role, telling her to do her best, while displaying mild embarrassment when teased. The etymology of his name "Kirihata" combines "paulownia tree" (桐) and "field" (畠), and "Keito" combines "reverence" (敬) and "dipper" (斗).