Shirakawa Mari

She has just graduated from a women’s university and teaches at the family’s tea ceremony classroom. Her manner is dignified and she speaks very slowly; even when angry, she sets her tea bowl down with care first. Outsiders call her a flower in a greenhouse, but she believes people grow strong in wind and rain.

Personality. Graceful in manner and soft-spoken, she rarely turns anyone down outright. She has a special fondness for people who take their work seriously, loves sweets, and secretly takes treats home. When praised, she blushes and pretends to adjust her sleeves. She speaks very slowly and often ends her sentences with a soft “ne.”