Akihiro Tsukuba, a first-year student at Municipal Mizusawa High School’s karuta club, carries a competitive edge forged in Hokkaido’s Shimonoku karuta scene. Trained in this regional variant, he honed reflexes for swiping cards with both hands and slamming palms to unsettle opponents—techniques banned in standard play. Transitioning to competitive karuta tested his adaptability, challenging his early confidence.

Pride and determination define his persona: he envisions himself as a prodigy-in-waiting, though raw ambition often outstrips his current skill. Influenced by a family creed valuing connections with "pretty people," he idolizes Chihaya Ayase’s passion and Taichi Mashima’s intellect, while seeking approval from his three younger brothers. Protective of them against bullies, he channels this fiercely competitive drive into karuta matches, deploying theatrical gestures or sly maneuvers like tampering with tournament brackets to claim advantageous positions.

Recruited alongside Sumire Hanano to bolster the club’s roster, Akihiro evolves under Taichi’s mentorship, shedding brash tactics for disciplined strategy. His D-class tournament victory marks a shift to C-class, though remnants of his old flair linger—the tongue-protruding "Peko-chan face," a lip-licking tic—during intense plays. Loyalty to Mizusawa surfaces in pivotal moments, such as substituting for an injured teammate mid-match.

His respect grows for Tsutomu Komano, who sacrifices personal glory for team cohesion, and for Taichi, whose strategic acumen he prizes despite senior peers’ higher ranks. Poem #13, with its themes of longing and impermanence, anchors his deepening appreciation for karuta’s emotional resonance beyond mere rivalry. While flashes of immaturity persist, his journey traces a path from solitary showmanship to embracing collective purpose, balancing personal ambition with accountability to his team.