Makoto Hanaoka is a second-year high school student and one of the three main protagonists of the story. He is an androgynous boy with short black hair and black eyes, who regularly cross-dresses at school, wearing a long blonde wig and a female sailor uniform. He changes into this outfit from a personal locker provided for him, and on the way to and from school he wears conventional boys’ clothes. Makoto is deeply passionate about cute things and feminine fashion, and he becomes noticeably animated when discussing them. He typically uses the masculine first-person pronoun boku in daily speech but switches to the feminine watashi when he is cross-dressed at school.

Makoto’s personality is characterized by a gentle, timid nature balanced by a strong inner desire to express his love for aesthetics. He is often anxious about how others perceive him, and he worries about the social consequences his choices may bring to those close to him. Despite facing judgment from many around him, he continues to dress as he pleases because the act of self-expression is important to him. He is kind-hearted and considers the feelings of his friends before his own comfort.

His primary motivation is to live authentically according to his own sense of beauty, even when that puts him at odds with societal expectations and his mother’s traditional views on gender. He initially keeps his cross-dressing a secret from his mother, who disapproves of it. His father, however, supports him. Makoto’s deepest struggle is reconciling his desire for self-expression with the fear of rejection from his family and peers, and he wonders whether he can truly be loved by someone else if he cannot fully love himself first.

Makoto is the central figure of the story’s emotional and romantic core. He is the object of affection for both Saki Aoi, a younger female student who confesses to him under the mistaken belief that he is a girl and later accepts him fully, and Ryuji Taiga, his childhood best friend who has supported him from the start. Makoto rejects Saki’s initial confession not out of disinterest but because he has never fallen in love and fears that his identity might make her a target of ridicule. His role in the narrative serves as a catalyst for exploring themes of self-acceptance, the nature of love regardless of gender, and the importance of respecting diversity.

The key relationships shape his growth. With Ryuji, Makoto shares a long-standing bond of trust and mutual support; Ryuji acts as a protective confidant. With Saki, he is initially hesitant but gradually learns to let someone see his vulnerable side. His relationship with his mother is a source of tension, as she embodies the societal pressure he fears, but it also drives his journey toward seeking genuine familial acceptance.

Over the course of the story, Makoto develops from a person who hides his true self out of fear into someone who actively seeks acceptance from his family and peers. He learns to balance his desire for self-expression with the need for meaningful connection, moving toward a more authentic and open way of living.

Makoto does not possess any supernatural or extraordinary abilities. His defining traits are his emotional resilience, his unwavering commitment to being himself despite external judgment, and his capacity for deep care toward those he loves. His journey is one of quiet courage, showing that the strength to be true to oneself is a form of ability in itself.