Height: 178 cm (5'10)

Akihiro Hirata is a 3rd-year science and engineering student at Kansei University. Hirata is resident of room 104 at Chikuseiso. Nico is the tallest among the Aotake runners with a muscular statue. He also has a light beard and chin-length brown hair, which he wears in a low ponytail. He is often seen in sweats. His nickname, Nico-chan-senpai, comes from the abbreviation of the word nicotine due to his past cigarette addiction. It is also seen that the residents of Aotake will just draw a cigarette doodle in place of his name on the chore chart. In an effort to stop smoking, he took up wire sculpting, quickly accumulating dozens of little metal figurines. Yuki later capitalizes on this and sells them to help fund the track team. Prior to entering Kansei University, he ran Track during high school but quit due to his coach. As Akihiro picked up running again under Haiji's influence, he stopped smoking and began to make small metallic figures as a substitute.

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?


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.
<br><br>
<i>Note: Includes 1 extra chapter.</i>