Takashi Hayashida teaches at Komahashi High School, serving as Rei Kiriyama’s homeroom teacher during the boy’s first year. An avid shogi enthusiast, he devours shogi magazines and crafts original puzzles, one achieving publication. Rei assesses his amateur rank at 2-dan. He instantly identifies Rei’s professional shogi status upon enrollment, remaining the sole faculty member aware of his pupil’s career.

Warmly proactive, he intervenes in Rei’s social isolation, offering academic and personal guidance. When Rei advances grades, Hayashida transitions to mentoring him as advisor of the studentless shogi club. He tactfully diverts colleagues’ requests for Rei’s instruction to preserve exclusive access to the prodigy’s insights.

His care extends beyond Rei: he advises during Hinata Kawamoto’s bullying crisis and aids the Kawamotos through family turmoil involving Seijiro. A summer festival sparks friendship with pro shogi player Kai Shimada, bonding over shared age and interests. Yet he privately worries about Kai’s potential romantic pursuit of Akari Kawamoto, whom he quietly admires and supports—even proposing to stabilize their household by moving in.

Aged 36 during Rei’s third year, he juggles teaching with shogi strategizing, often prioritizing gameplay refinement. Playful self-interest surfaces in tactics like hoarding shogi knowledge to monopolize Rei’s expertise. These quirks notwithstanding, he remains a steadfast pillar for Rei and the Kawamoto sisters, balancing mentorship with discreet devotion.