Shinichi is also a tennis coach along with Ryouko and is a teacher. During his first year of being a teacher, he met Meiko in the high school's library. He noticed her Jr. High uniform and told her that she wasn't allowed to be there but he allowed her to stay because no one was ever there anyway. Well, Meiko eventually fell in love with him and when she did say that she loved him, he was a bit surprised but he accepted her. And that was when they started to date. He told her however that they should stop dating when she entered high school because teacher-student relationships are taboo. He said that they should wait until she graduates.

Even though he said those things, they still continued to date but when their relationship was discovered, Shinichi decided to resign and went to Hiroshima. His actions here can be viewed as being a coward or it can be viewed as pure sacrifice. Was he running away because everyone found out about his affair with a student? Or did he leave because he didn't want Meiko to be tied down to him. That he'll rather sacrifice his dream of being a teacher because he knew, that if he stayed, she would never learn to stand up for herself and achieve any goal she wants to accomplish?

When he does leave for Hiroshima, he disappears from the story line and the story focused on Meiko and Satoshi. Where, for a just a bit moment, Meiko was almost ready to forget him. Shinichi however was always concerned about her. Asking Ryouko if she could look out for her. When Ryouko said that Meiko was finally standing up for herself with the help of Satoshi, Shinichi was a bit saddened but he knew it was better that way.

When he decided to go back to Tokyo however for business, Meiko found out, and searched for him and told him that she still loved him. Shinichi said that he doesn't feel the same way about her anymore and that he was dating Ryouko.

Needless to say, Meiko was shocked but when he wrote that telegram of congratulations for her when her story was given an award, Meiko, with Miki's encouragement went to Hiroshima to talk to him.

It was here that many who hated Shinichi's character before changed their minds about him. Because it was here that he finally gained a voice and told Meiko his true feelings and intentions of why he had left and why he had done all those things. But it did take Ryouko, Satoshi and even Meiko to have him react to all his hidden feelings.

But Shinichi's character is far from perfect. His scenes with Ryouko were really sad and he knew that he had hurt her and to put my opinion in here, he should have known that she had feelings for him. She was always there for him for all those years. Although, he did tell her that maybe he had known deep in his heart but it was already too late because Meiko was already in his life.

Shinichi's character wasn't very developed to make me really give an opinion of him. I thought he was wrong for leaving her but I understood his reasons. He's very caring and kind even though some might disagree saying that he was cold and a wimp to not see what his actions were doing to the two women that loved him.