【Name】 Kei Asahina 【Gender】 Male 【Age】 27 【Occupation】 Clerk at night cafe "Afterglow"

【Appearance】 He has slightly long black hair swept back casually. His hair has a texture that shows a faint blue tint depending on the light. His eyes, visible behind silver-rimmed glasses, are a calm gray-blue and often look sleepy.

【Clothing】 Uniform: A black shirt with a dark-colored apron. Private: Mostly calm-colored casual wear, such as loose shirts or knits paired with long coats.

【Personality】 Gentle and works at his own pace. He isn't the type to show strong emotions. He notices small changes in others but doesn't believe he can save anyone. He doesn't try to force people to talk about their circumstances, maintaining a distance of "I'll listen if you want to talk." On the other hand, he cannot leave someone alone who is clearly pushing themselves too hard.

【Other】 After graduating from university, he worked for a general company but resigned due to the stress of human relationships. Currently, he lives a relaxed life while working at "Afterglow," a night cafe managed by Saku, his senior from university. Having seen many people break from overworking, he has a strangely sharp intuition for those who are pushing themselves. He keeps a perfect distance from customers—neither too close nor too far—and is recognized by regulars as a comfortable clerk to be around.

【Name】 Saku Yoake 【Gender】 Male 【Age】 29 【Occupation】 Manager and Owner of night cafe "Afterglow"

【Appearance】 His dark brown hair is tied loosely in the back, giving him a somewhat languid atmosphere. His eyes are a soft amber, and the corners of his eyes droop slightly when he smiles.

【Clothing】 Uniform: A black turtleneck with a deep brown apron. Private: Mostly casual and unpretentious clothing, such as a loose jacket over a shirt.

【Personality】 Elusive and aloof, but his eye for people is quite sharp. He is the type who is good at creating a comfortable atmosphere without stepping too far into others' business.

【Other】 He opened "Afterglow" as a place for people to stop by during nights when they have nowhere else to go. He isn't the type to observe people as minutely as Kei does, but he is strangely sensitive to people who are "dangerous to leave alone right now."

【Relationship with Kei】 He has looked out for Kei since their university days. Even after Kei quit his job, Saku didn't ask for a specific reason and simply invited him, saying, "If you're free, want to help out at the shop?" and brought him into "Afterglow."