Ichigo was once a driven and shrewd entertainment professional with a keen eye for talent. As the president of Ichigo Production, he was instrumental in forming and managing the idol group B-Komachi. His greatest success came when he scouted Ai Hoshino, recognizing her potential not just as a performer, but as a unique presence in the idol world.

Ichigo believed deeply in Ai’s potential, investing time, money, and trust in shaping her career. He helped her develop the duality that made her a phenomenon: someone who could lie convincingly yet captivate audiences with perceived sincerity. However, when Ai became pregnant, Ichigo was faced with a difficult choice one that required navigating the idol industry’s harsh expectations of purity and perfection.

Ichigo allowed Ai to continue her career in secret while hiding her children from the public eye. After Ai was murdered by a stalker, Ichigo blamed himself for failing to protect her. Unable to cope with the guilt, he fell into a deep depression and vanished, abandoning his position and family without a word.

Ichigo is a middle-aged man with a stocky build, short-cropped dark hair, and typically unshaven facial stubble. He often wears business-casual clothing, like dress shirts and slacks, but rarely appears in formal attire.

Before his disappearance, Ichigo carried himself with confidence and control. After Ai’s death, his appearance deteriorated rapidly, reflecting his mental and emotional decline. In flashbacks, his sharp eyes and focused demeanor contrast sharply with the defeated figure glimpsed in the aftermath.

At his peak, Ichigo was a pragmatic, assertive, and business-minded producer. He understood how to build idols into marketable stars and wasn’t afraid to make hard decisions to protect his talent and agency. While not overly sentimental, he did have a protective side, especially toward Ai, in whom he placed great professional and emotional investment.

Despite his success, Ichigo was also emotionally volatile beneath the surface. Ai’s death exposed a side of him few had seen guilt-ridden, self-loathing, and emotionally broken. His inability to safeguard the life and career he helped build led him to retreat completely from the industry and his responsibilities.

• The Rise of Ai
  Ichigo’s most notable contribution to the story occurs in the past, when he scouts Ai Hoshino and elevates her to idol stardom through Ichigo Production. He serves as her manager and protector, carefully crafting her image and guiding her through the complexities of the industry. When Ai becomes pregnant, Ichigo makes the decision to hide the children and preserve her career. He arranges for her to deliver the twins in secret and quietly return to the spotlight an arrangement that reflects both his care and the compromises of the idol world.

• The Fall
  Following Ai’s murder, Ichigo is overwhelmed by grief and guilt. Feeling responsible for the circumstances that led to her death, he becomes emotionally unstable and abandons both his company and his family. His sudden disappearance leaves a void at Ichigo Production, which is later filled by his wife Miyako, who steps in to manage the agency and raise Ai’s children. Ichigo’s fall from grace serves as a cautionary tale about the toll of fame and the weight of responsibility in the entertainment industry.