Kō Sawanoi, a college student, maintains a nominal engagement to Kyōko Ikumi arranged by her mother during their childhood, though some of his relatives oppose this arrangement. He regularly appears alongside Kyōko within the main friend group during social gatherings. When Kyōko invites Akira Okudaira and others to his family’s Kiyosato summer home, the group enjoys activities including horseback riding and cabin stays. Kō’s mother voices strong disapproval of hosting outsiders, explicitly stating her reluctance upon discovering Akira nearby after her complaint. Later, during Christmas shopping after Kyōko’s unavailability, Kō accompanies Akira to buy presents—prompting Fumi Manjōme to speculate about potential romantic feelings between them. Ultimately, Kyōko resists ending their engagement, but Kō formally terminates the relationship. Kyōko subsequently resumes art lessons under Kazusa Sugimoto’s guidance.