Akane Ousaki's fascination with rakugo, a traditional Japanese storytelling art, began at a young age watching her father, Tooru. She would often sneak peeks behind a sliding door to observe and mimic his performances. However, Tooru's own ambitions in rakugo were thwarted when he failed to pass a crucial promotion test, leading to his expulsion from the school and an abrupt end to his career. This setback weighed heavily on Akane, who then turned her focus to pursuing rakugo herself under the guidance of Shiguma Arakawa, Tooru's former master.