Jirō Jō is a 1st-year economics student at Kansei University. He is the younger twin brother of Tarō Jō. He is a resident of room 201 at Chikuseisou. Joji has a yellow spiky hair. He is often seen wearing a necklace and a long sleeve shirt underneath a yellow shirt and shorts. He and his brother played soccer for three years in high school. The only two things he knows how to cook is pasta and a simple ochazuke. Originally intending to run for the sake of becoming popular with girls, he realize that running was something enjoyable in itself.

Former ace runner of Sendai Josei High School, Kakeru Kurahara is chased away from a convenience store for shoplifting. Shaking off his pursuer, he runs into Haiji Kiyose, another student from his university. Haiji is impressed by Kakeru's agility and persuades him to live in Chikusei-sou, the run-down apartment where Haiji resides along with eight other students. Having lost his entire apartment deposit at a mahjong parlor, Kakeru accepts the offer reluctantly.

However, Haiji reveals a secret during Kakeru's welcoming party: the apartment is actually the dormitory of the Kansei University Track Club. He unveils his ultimate goal of participating in the Hakone Ekiden—one of the most prominent university marathon relay races in Japan. Unfortunately, all the residents apart from Haiji and Kakeru are complete running novices. Worse still, none of the inhabitants are even remotely interested in being involved with Haiji's ridiculous plan! With only months before the deadline, will the fourth-year student be able to convince them otherwise and realize his elusive dream of running in the Hakone Ekiden?


**Height:** 173 cm (5'8")
**Agency:** Himawari Theatre Group

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Kakeru, a former elite runner at high school, is chased for stealing food. He is saved by a Kansei University student Haiji, who is also a runner. Haiji persuades Kakeru to live in the old apartment 'Chikuseisou' where he plans to team up with fellow residents to enter Hakone Ekiden Marathon, one of the most prominent university races in Japan. Kakeru soon finds out that all of the residents except for Haiji and himself are complete novices.
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<i>Note: Includes 1 extra chapter.</i>

Jirou Jou