Ritsuko Akine

The heroine of this work and a friend of Aono Hajime. She plays the 2nd violin and is a first-year student, born on September 23rd, and lives in Matsudo City. She excels academically and has outstanding athletic abilities. Kind-hearted with a strong sense of justice, she dislikes dishonesty. Despite being popular among boys, her interest in food still surpasses her interest in romance. In middle school, she became isolated in her class after hitting a student who bullied her close friend Haru Kozakura, who then transferred schools. Around the same time, she started playing the violin, which led her to meet Aono Hajime, and they both advanced to Umaku High School together. Right after entering high school, she was the first person to register her contact in Aono's newly acquired mobile phone, marking her as his "first memorable friend" from his perspective. Under Aono's precise guidance, combined with her extraordinary amount of practice and surprising good ear, she quickly improved her skills. Her biological mother has passed away, and her biological father is working overseas, so she lives with her stepmother, who works at a newspaper company, and they have a very good relationship.

Her strong will and straightforward approach to her goals even in adversity, and her fearless enjoyment of playing the violin even if not perfect, have deeply inspired Aono and encouraged his comeback. Her actions continue to have a significant impact on Aono, big or small. On the night they prepared a birthday party for her stepmother together, she impulsively kissed Aono on the cheek as they were saying goodbye, which made her realize her feelings for him. Since that day, while outwardly behaving as usual, she feels jealous whenever she sees Aono talking to other female students.