Suzuka Takinami, mathematics instructor and reluctant advisor to Tokise High School’s Koto Club, carries a legacy forged by music. The son of a guitarist father and pianist mother, his childhood as a composing prodigy became a battleground of expectations under his father’s relentless ambition, breeding a lasting bitterness toward music. Adulthood saw him sever ties with the art, concealing his past even as he accepted the koto club’s advisory role. He observed the students with indifference, guarding his history while they rehearsed—until their earnest efforts and incremental progress began chipping at his resolve. Compelled by their determination, Takinami cautiously reengaged, crafting original compositions to challenge the group and devising structured practice regimens. Yet he sidestepped direct instruction on koto technique, deferring to colleague Akira Dojima. His guarded support evolved into fierce advocacy as he shielded the club from administrative pressures, prioritizing their morale over competitive demands. Through their collaborative struggles, he reframed music not as a solo performance burdened by perfection but as a collective language—raw, imperfect, and revitalizing. The club’s ascent to national competitions mirrored Takinami’s private reckoning. His scores, blending technical intricacy with emotional intuition, became a conduit for healing, transmuting old wounds into mentorship. While his familial estrangement lingers unspoken, their shadow informs his insistence on balancing skill with sincerity. By nurturing the students’ camaraderie over individual brilliance, he reshaped the club into a testament to resilience—a space where his own fractured relationship with music could mend alongside their growth. His story lingers in the quiet friction between legacy and reinvention, where guidance emerges not from authority but shared vulnerability.