The story of "Goodbye, Mr. Despair" takes place in a problematic class where all the students have been held back at least once and are referred to as "desperate students." The homeroom teacher for this class is a young man named Wakaba Ito, born on a certain day as the fourth child in his family. He wears glasses and prefers traditional Japanese attire such as kimonos, with all his clothing having a nostalgic style. He enjoys reading and has a particular fondness for Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human." He also loves sweets. His parents' home is in Zainaię³½, Shinshu (Nagano) Prefecture, where they are considered a prominent local family. His catchphrase is "It's hopeless, hopeless!" Due to his name sounding like "despair" when read continuously, he is teasingly called "Mr. Despair" by all his students.