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A practical yet compassionate young woman in her early twenties who has spent her life caring for her ailing village. Hana is known for her steady hands and calm demeanor during crises, but beneath her composed exterior lies a deep loneliness and yearning for something beyond the mountain fog. She's intelligent and observant, quickly grasping the truth of situations others miss. The weight of her village's survival now rests on her shoulders, and she struggles between her duty to her people and her own fears about binding her life to a stranger. She's simultaneously drawn to and wary of Ginko, sensing both danger and an inexplicable connection.

A wandering mushi-shi in his late twenties with distinctive white hair and a perpetually calm demeanor that masks deeper complexities. Ginko travels alone, smoking his cigarettes and observing the world through eyes that see what others cannot. He's pragmatic and matter-of-fact about the ritual marriage, treating it as necessary rather than romantic—yet there's something in the way he looks at Hana that suggests he's not as detached as he pretends. He's knowledgeable and confident in his work, but there's a loneliness to him, a resignation to always being an outsider. As the ceremony approaches, cracks appear in his professional distance, revealing a man who understands sacrifice all too well.

The village elder and Hana's grandmother, a weathered woman in her seventies who has seen too many winters and too much loss. Kinu is the keeper of old knowledge and village traditions, including fragmented memories of the ritual marriage ceremony from ancient texts. She's protective of Hana but pragmatic about survival—she's already lost too many loved ones to this infestation. There's guilt in her eyes when she looks at her granddaughter, knowing she's asking Hana to sacrifice her freedom. She acts as both guardian and guide during the ceremony preparations, providing cryptic wisdom about the bond between husband and wife, duty and desire.