Taiki Inomata

A third-year middle school student and a member of Eimei Junior and Senior High's boys' badminton team. While not the most-talented player, Taiki is nonetheless extremely hardworking. He very routinely goes to Eimei's gymnasium for morning open practice, sharing the floor with his crush, Chinatsu Kano. Taiki's strong work ethic is complemented by his optimistic view of things and his headstrong demeanor. His two friends, Kyou Kasahara and Hina Chono, notice that he likes to push himself beyond his own limits in order to achieve his goals, no matter how far away said goals are from him. Taiki also tends to gets ahead of himself in various situations, as his first few interactions with Chinatsu reveal.

Chinatsu is frequently shown to be an inspiration for Taiki, as seeing her do her best motivates him to work harder. He vows to go to nationals after learning that Chinatsu will stay at his house so that she can focus on doing the same.

In the _Ao no Hako_ oneshot, Taiki is instead a member of his school's boys' volleyball team.