Sano Izumi
A talented high jumper who becomes the romantic interest of Mizuki Ashiya. He's best known for his protective nature and his journey back to the sport after a serious setback.
Sano figures out early on that Mizuki is actually a girl, but keeps it to himself and goes to great lengths to protect her secret. His discretion earns her trust in ways she doesn't fully realize.
Before Mizuki arrived in Japan, Sano had stepped away from high jumping following an accident where he injured his leg trying to save his team captain from being hit by a car. The incident left him convinced he couldn't handle the pressure of competing anymore. That changed when Mizuki's brother made a deal with her: Sano had to get back into jumping while he was visiting Japan, or Mizuki would be forced to return home. The arrangement gave Sano the push he needed to try again, marking a genuine second chance at the sport he'd abandoned.
The real tension of his story comes from his feelings for Mizuki. He's fallen for her, but can't bring himself to confess because she's terrified that if he found out the truth about her—which he already has—she'd have to leave Japan. So he's stuck watching her from the sidelines, unable to tell her how he feels without potentially destroying everything.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
