Summary
Tsukuba Akihiro is a first-year student at Municipal Mizusawa High School, specifically in Class 10, where he joins the Karuta Club. A member of the Shiranami Society at the B Class level, he hails from Hokkaido and originally played Hokkaido-style Karuta until his final year of middle school. Because of this background, he entered the club with significant confidence, despite the rules differing from what he was accustomed to. He is skilled at playing second verse Karuta using both hands and joined the team with the specific goal of learning how to play first verse Karuta. Personality-wise, Tsukuba is an annoying yet endearing character who cannot be hated. Although he occasionally says things that would be inappropriate for a kohai, he deeply understands and respects the kindness of his senpais. As an older brother to three younger brothers who hold him in high regard, he has a habit of acting like a hero in their presence. His family follows the motto "Always just bump into pretty people," which leads him to admire both Chihaya and Taichi. In his spare time, he enjoys sticking his tongue out like Peko-chan and taking selfies with his phone. His favorite poem is Poem #13, which reads: "From Tsukuba's peak / Falling waters have become / Mina's still, full flow: / So my love has grown to be / Like the river's quiet deeps."
