Kanako Mitsue, a middle school student in apartment 701, navigates strained finances and a disapproving mother who dismisses her manga ambitions as frivolous. Her online art uploads face relentless criticism. Pale and petite, she sports disheveled dark brown hair, grey eyes, and a habitual frown, embodying introversion. Solitude fuels her sketchbook, filled initially with eerie, horror-themed art before transitioning to mundane snapshots of life and soft tennis matches. Though self-taught, her sharp observation and relentless practice drive her growth.

Rational and unflinchingly blunt, she critiques the boys’ soft tennis club with a candor some deem abrasive. Drawn initially to their practices for artistic inspiration, she gradually immerses herself in their world—shadowing tournaments, dissecting strategies mid-game, and even posing as a decoy during a reconnaissance mission. During this operation, she withstands hostile taunts and physical jostling from rival fans, revealing steely resolve. Conversations with Coach Sakurai lay bare her turmoil over pursuing art despite familial rejection, culminating in a vulnerable moment at Rokugo Watergate where Maki and friends urge her to pause her relentless self-scrutiny.

Her bond with Maki thrives on reciprocity: they walk to school together, share meals with his friends, and exchange unfiltered advice for emotional grounding. With team manager Yuu, she forges a quiet kinship rooted in mutual outsider experiences, though their interactions sidestep explicit discussions of identity. During matches, her sardonic ritual of muttering “point-getting” pseudo-prayers often aligns with the team’s pivotal plays, treated as coincidence rather than mysticism.

Two years later, she maintains ties to the club, joining Yuu and Arashi to reunite with Maki. Her story echoes endurance through familial indifference and societal skepticism, her artistic path unresolved yet persistently pursued—a testament to quiet tenacity.