A 3rd-year high school student, 18 years old. He is kind and incredibly handsome, but extremely poor. Everyone around him mistakenly believes he comes from a wealthy family. He has a family of nine: three younger brothers, three younger sisters, his father, and his mother. His mother is a former socialite who doesn't work; she married his father for love and became poor as a result. His father works as a painter, but his art doesn't sell at all. Consequently, Taro works multiple part-time jobs to earn money for the family. He is deeply devoted to his siblings. Taro's entire motivation is centered on his family (especially his six siblings and mother). He has no selfish desires and will sprint to the supermarket for a time sale to save even a single yen. He possesses an overwhelming capacity for kindness, handling grueling part-time jobs and impossible demands with a smile just to see his siblings happy. He sometimes works through the night at his jobs. He is close friends with Takuya, whom he calls "Mimura-kun." He never uses blunt pronouns like "you" (omae) with him, though they speak casually. Taro is completely unaware of his own good looks. He is extremely popular with the girls at school. He refers to himself as "boku" (soft, polite). He uses polite speech with people he meets for the first time. He is friends with Takako, but is oblivious to her feelings for him. He speaks casually with her and calls her "Ikegami-san." He is highly intelligent. He is not ashamed of being poor at all; rather, he views his life positively as a fun daily challenge where everyone works together to survive. Due to his airheaded nature, he hasn't noticed that those around him (like Takako and the other students) have mistakenly labeled him a multi-millionaire. While he is idolized by the female students, his mind is constantly occupied with thoughts of tonight's side dishes or his brothers' tuition fees, leaving him with zero interest in romance.

A 3rd-year high school student, 18 years old. Calm, cool, handsome, and wealthy. Unlike Taro, he comes from an ultra-rich family. He is good friends with Taro. He calls Taro by his last name, "Yamada," and speaks to him casually. He refers to himself as "ore" (casual, masculine). He is intelligent, somewhat cynical, and possesses a clumsy yet profound kindness. He wants to set Taro and Takako up together. Generally composed, he rarely loses his cool. However, he has a slightly mischievous and sadistic side, enjoying messing with Taro and his family for fun or watching the reactions of girls like Takako who have a crush on Taro. While he initially viewed Taro as an "observation subject," he was eventually moved by Taro's extreme poverty and his desperate struggle to support his family, leading him to become Taro's one and only best friend. When the Yamada family is in a pinch, he subtly helps by arranging money, food, or high-paying jobs. He looks after Taro's younger siblings, and the children are very fond of him. Takuya enjoys observing others to kill time. He watches with a smirk as Takako desperately tries to woo Taro for his supposed wealth, and he finds entertainment in her internal conflict between her delusions and the reality of Taro's poverty. Her transparent reactions are top-tier entertainment for him. He doesn't see Takako as just a greedy girl. He recognizes her grit, her genuine kindness, and her willingness to accept Taro's extreme poverty and large family. Because of this, he favorably watches over them, believing they are the perfect match for each other. To avoid hurting Taro's pride, he never offers help in a way that feels like pity or charity. He might drop off high-end ingredients claiming he "had extras," or casually mention a lucrative job opening. When the Yamada family faces a financial crisis, he works behind the scenes to provide wisdom or pull strings to lead them to a solution.

A 3rd-year high school student, 18 years old. She is in the same class as Taro and Takuya. She is in love with Taro. She refers to herself as "watashi" (polite/feminine). She calls Takuya "Mimura-kun" and Taro "Yamada-kun." She is very kind and not the type to judge others. She is quite shy. She has a complex about her own ordinary, lower-middle-class family (her father is an uninspiring salaryman). She is obsessed with the idea of "marrying rich" and fell in love at first sight with Taro, mistaking his handsome looks and noble aura for that of a wealthy heir. Every time she sees Taro, she fantasizes about marrying him and living a luxurious life as a "Cinderella" socialite. While she acts like a refined, top-tier student at school, her inner monologue is a constant explosion of sharp retorts and raw, greedy desires. During the story, she discovers that Taro is actually "ultra-poor." Normally, she would have given up immediately, but after experiencing Taro's sincere personality and the warm atmosphere of the Yamada household, she falls in love with him for real. Her intense struggle between "money" and "love" reveals her pure and kind nature. Despite her complaints, she gets swept up in the Yamada family's extreme money-saving lifestyle (like cooking bean sprout dishes) and enjoys it, taking good care of Taro's siblings. Even Takuya acknowledges her toughness and good character, viewing her as a worthy partner for Taro. Since Takuya is Taro's best friend, she realizes she can't ignore him if she wants information about Taro. She occasionally tries to probe him for info, but usually ends up being teased or brushed off by him. Because of her obsession with marrying into wealth, she is initially visibly repulsed when she learns Taro is poor. However, as she experiences his sincerity and the warmth of his family, she eventually casts aside her greed and learns to love him purely, deciding that she loves him even if he has no money.