Otojirō Kawakami is an actor and political activist often facing arrest for his activities. To fund his acting troupe, he dons the alias Otoyakko and works as a cross-dressing geisha. His stage name blends "sound" (音) with "guy" or "servant" (奴), while his given name Otojirō combines "sound" (音), "two" (二), and "son" (郎). His surname Kawakami means "upstream" or "upper reaches of a river" (川上). He encounters Mei Ayazuki fleeing the Rokumeikan and shelters her at his geisha lodging for about a month. Later, he invites her to train as a geisha at his okiya. His masculine personality contrasts sharply with his profession, and he frequently assumes a protective, brotherly role towards younger individuals. Mei discovers his biological gender when his wig slips off after he returns home disheveled. He maintains professional ties with several historical figures, frequently appropriating plays written by young scriptwriter Kyōka Izumi without permission. He also collaborates with figures like Ogai Mori, Yakumo Koizumi, and Otojiro Kawakami, working together on events such as a beauty contest where the winner earns a dance with Mei. His narrative explores his intense dedication to acting. During rehearsals for a play about a water goddess risking her village's flooding to meet her lover, he becomes so dangerously immersed in his character that he nearly loses himself. Mei intervenes to halt this absorption. In positive narrative outcomes, he achieves theatrical success and invites Mei to join his mobile theatre group as they pursue international recognition in America.