Masato Hijirikawa, eldest scion of the Hijirikawa Financial Group, carries the weight of legacy forged through a childhood steeped in austerity and tradition. His formal dynamic with his father revolves solely around succession plans, leaving personal aspirations like music confined to clandestine piano sessions taught by the family butler—a solitary refuge from emotional detachment.

A winter encounter reshapes his trajectory: observing Haruka Nanami’s heartfelt park performance of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” ignites his rebellion. He enrolls at Saotome Academy as an idol, framing music as both escape and declaration of autonomy. At the academy, he channels his guarded empathy into guiding Haruka through stage fright, intertwining her rediscovery of piano with candid glimpses of his own struggles.

Tensions with Ren Jinguji, heir to a rival conglomerate, crackle with layered history. Once childhood allies united by tedium at galas, their adulthood rift pits Masato’s disciplined artistry against Ren’s nonchalant virtuosity. Clashes over musical philosophy mask mutual recognition of their gilded-cage existences, thawing sporadically into uneasy truces built on unacknowledged parallels.

Obligation and vulnerability duel within him as he navigates Saotome’s world. He coaches peers like Otoya Ittoki in lyricism despite initial hesitance, tolerates the nickname “Masa” with dry amusement, and stitches meticulous needlework in private—a tactile counterpoint to his public composure. His father’s conditional one-year approval of his idol career fuels compositions such as “Knocking on the Mind,” where restrained melodies articulate suppressed sentiments.

Through collaborations and bonds, particularly with Haruka, his armor of tradition develops fractures—allowing camaraderie and creative exchange to seep through without eroding his core principles. Each step toward self-expression becomes a negotiation between inherited duty and hard-won authenticity.