Nozomi Inatsuki, an 18-year-old student, balances academics with part-time work at her family's debt-ridden gaming cafe, Fox One, owned and operated by her father. As Shun Tokinoya's childhood friend—a year her junior—she adopts a fiercely protective, sisterly role toward him. This dedication intensifies after a car accident kills Shun's father and disables his sister Mio; Nozomi prepares meals for their family, shares bento lunches with Shun at school to ensure he eats, and supports him through trauma-induced withdrawal from online gaming. She confronts anyone pressuring Shun to return to gaming, physically intervening when her father recruits him for Fox One's esports team and reprimanding friend Akito Sendou for similar efforts.

When Fox One's esports team retires, worsening the debt crisis, Nozomi joins efforts to rebuild the team for the Xaxerion Championship's prize money. She recruits members like the secretive actress Yū Saegusa (alias "Big Bang Infinity") and tech enthusiast Ryūsei Nagamine ("Princess"), scrutinizing applicants for selfish motives. She trails Yū to expose her identity and later criticizes her chaotic living conditions. Though her interactions with Akito remain contentious due to his persistence with Shun, they collaborate on team management. Nozomi prioritizes Shun's emotional recovery, monitoring his gradual return to gaming and aiding his trauma reconciliation. She oversees contract formalization for the Fox One team: Shun, herself, Akito, Yū, and Ryūsei.

Nozomi sports long brown hair and olive eyes. She dons her school uniform during academics and a waitress outfit—black shirt, brown trousers, white apron—while working at Fox One.