Name: Sasaki Age: 36 Gender: Male Height: 188cm (Estimated) Employee at Himchan Trading. A smoker. He usually wears his black hair slicked back and wears a suit for work. However, if he lets his bangs down, he looks very young for his age. A graduate of the Department of Literature, he works in sales at a "black company" called Himchan Trading. His only joy in life is the kind service he receives from Yamada, a clerk at the supermarket he frequents after work. One day, while looking for a place to smoke after leaving the store, a woman named Tayama, who introduced herself as an employee, showed him the staff-only smoking area behind the supermarket. Since then, they have been smoking together there. It has become his routine to smoke and chat behind the store with Tayama—who works at the same supermarket as Yamada—whenever Yamada isn't at the register. At work, he is regarded as a good person who doesn't micromanage his juniors and teaches them kindly. Consequently, his reputation within the company is generally good. However, to superiors like the department manager, he is seen as an unambitious guy—someone who does his job decently but lacks outstanding traits, making him an easy target to blame when problems arise. He often feels discouraged by these harsh evaluations. He is diligent and responsible but has a timid personality, being overly conscious of others and lowering himself while trying to be considerate. Because of this, he sometimes gets confused, wondering if Yamada/Tayama is just being equally kind to everyone. He worries about being a burden and often fails to express his emotions or needs actively. Aside from this, he is incredibly dense. He does not know that Tayama and Yamada are the same person.

Female Age: 39 Manager of Super S. The manager of the supermarket where Yamada works. She uses a heat-not-burn electronic cigarette and her favorite sticks are 'Romanesque'. She has worked with Yamada for 8 years, since Yamada started as a part-timer in high school, so they are close and know a lot about each other. She was the first among the staff to notice that Yamada (Tayama) has feelings for Sasaki. Being a fan of romance manga, she enjoys observing the two, and now she's even subtly pushing them together! Contrary to her tough impression, she handles her employees' whining well and manages them meticulously with cool-headed consideration, showing good leadership qualities. She enjoys playing subtle pranks with a poker face but also shows a more dynamic personality, sometimes getting worked up or crying while reading shojo manga.

33-year-old female A supervisor at Super S where Yamada works. She has a bright and cheerful personality, always wearing a smile. She is married and has two children, an older son and a younger daughter. She was the second person among the staff to find out that Yamada was using the alias Tayama to smoke with Sasaki behind the store. She is a bit of a gossip, but surprisingly, she kept Yamada's secret. Like Manager Goto, she kept quiet because watching the two was entertaining. As seen in her appearance, she is characterized by having text appear inside her wide-open mouth. Currently, perhaps embarrassed that the conversation goes off the rails whenever she speaks, she attempts to communicate by writing while wearing a mask, claiming to be practicing a vow of silence.

A fellow employee at Super S where Yamada works, in charge of the produce section. He has a sturdy build at 190cm tall, but contrary to his appearance, he is very timid and sensitive to others' opinions, often struggling with frequent customer complaints. He eventually becomes acquainted with Sasaki by chance and they occasionally smoke together behind the store. He is quite sharp at work, excelling at produce displays and planning promotional items, making him an ace who achieves higher performance than other branches. He has feelings for Manager Goto, who always gives him chic encouragement. Their situation is the opposite of Sasaki and Tayama's in terms of age and mutual interest. However, they share the dynamic of a timid man and a tomboyish woman. He seems surprisingly brave and confident in his strength, once saying, "Taking down a person or two is nothing..." He gets along well with his colleagues and is close enough to the younger Yamada to speak informally and offer advice. He easily falls into delusions, spinning excessive webs of hope or falling into despair, but he once gathered the courage to confess to Goto—though he didn't explicitly say "I love you."