He is the sixth member of the Hakone Academy Bicycle Club for the second Inter High, said to have done exceptionally well in Hakone's F-Group selection race, and is the second first-year to ever make Hakone Academy's Inter High line-up. For several of his background appearances, Yuto's face is concealed by a festival mask.
42nd Summer Inter High[]
Shortly before the start of the Inter High, Yuto fell asleep on the bus and no one bothered to wake him up. Once he's awake, he takes his time warming up on the rollers, much to his senior's frustration as the race is about to start. When an exasperated second-year, Takadajou, fetches him, he mentions that Yuto had previously fallen asleep and missed a magazine interview, which his seniors had to cover for by making up the excuse he was on medical leave. Yuto seems nonchalant, munching a stamina bar, and tells Takadajou not to bother removing the bike on the rollers, because it's just one he borrowed. His true bike is not an Anchor brand, but a Cervélo. All the while, although his mask is removed, Yuto's face is kept strategically hidden.
Once Yuto joins the rest of his team, Kuroda Yukinari scolds him for being late and insults the girlish festival mask that Yuto has been wearing all the time, likening him to a girl excited she received a mask at a festival. Yuto nonchalantly quips that would be cute, but he's got "a bit of a girlish desire", and adds that he likes the mask so much, he has three more like it. Kuroda asks if he's a girl in love now, but tells him to get moving.
Izumida encourages him more politely, reminding Yuto of how much he stated he wanted to participate in the Inter High. At this moment, Yuto's face and family name is finally revealed, and he smiles. He thinks the Inter High has an incredible atmosphere, and goes on to ask Izumida what it was like riding with his brother, Shinkai Hayato, last year. Izumida describes the elder Shinkai as fast and beautiful. Yuto muses over it, and states he wouldn't know, even though they are always near each other; they haven't ridden together much, because while his brother is a sprinter, Yuto is a climber.
Day 1[]
As the pack of riders begins parading through the start of the Inter High, Manami Sangaku rides ahead to Sohoku, who is leading the pack as last year's victors, to make a promise to race with Onoda Sakamichi. Once he returns, Yuto wonders if that was a good idea, as their captain, Izumida Touichirou, instructed Yuto, not Manami, to challenge Onoda if the boy went after the mountain checkpoint. Manami laughs it off because Yuto's only saying that because hasn't ridden with Onoda yet, and adds that they hadn't decided a specific time or place, but Onoda always keeps his promises, no matter how small. Yuto appears perplexed. However, Onoda is not the Sohoku member to go after the mountain checkpoint, so Yuto remains with his team.
Day 2[]
Before the start of Day 2, after Hakone Academy gathers together and dons all the number tags they won the previous day to an amazed crowd, Yuto is seen ignoring the fans in favor of watching as Onoda inadvertently spills all the contents of his bag across the ground, several of which are anime merchandise. As Naruko and Imaizumi help Onoda scramble to pick everything up, Yuto reflects on how Onoda, though competing for the first time, won lasts year's Inter High and was thus dubbed King of the Mountain, thinking he seems too unsuspecting for the title. According to him, it's said that many are not prepared for the easily flustered boy when they meet Onoda after hearing the legend of the previous Inter High's "King", which Yuto accepts as true. One of the anime capsule toys rolls to Yuto's feet, and as Onoda tries to retrieve it, their gazes meet.
Onoda is startled to see an unfamiliar "handsome" stranger staring at him. Yuto suddenly (and inaccurately) imitates his brother's famous "Bang!" pose, explaining that it's his brother's way of declaring he'll definitely defeat an opponent, and that his brother is Shinkai Hayato. It takes Onoda a minute, but he recalls Hakone Academy's previous number four, and is subsequently amazed that both brothers are cyclists.
Yuto returns Onoda's caspule toy to him and introduces himself properly, stating that the only reason he entered the Inter High was to compete with Onoda, not that the other members of his team are aware. The previous day, had Onoda been sent out to take the mountain, Yuto would have been allowed to go after him. He's disappointed that wasn't the case, and claims it was tiring pretending all day that he wasn't interested in Onoda.
Because Hakone Academy won Day 1, Yuto says they probably won't be as defensive, and asks if Onoda has time in his schedule - because he wants to have a showdown between just the two of them. Onoda is startled, and Yuto demands an answer, if it is yes.