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Realistic or Modern Koibiito Communication Character Sheets Thread

Ehb

Ehb

Literal No One
Roleplay Type(s)
KoicomiCSThread.jpg

This is the character sheet thread for the RP One-Shot Koibiito Communication.

Please:
Remember to keep both your girl and your boy in a single post here!​
Use the interest thread or the discord for questions! Only post your character sheets here only!​
Note that Ehb will begin formally accepting sheets on October 26.​
Voting for ships will occur thru the discord on oct 30 + 31st​
In Character 1 to 1s will begin on November 1st and go through the whole month​
(1 to 1's can last as long as you want them to but formal voting in reguards to this rp 'event' will occur shortly after December 13th 2022​

For More Information about the RP, please visit the interest check!


This RP Has a Discord! The discord is meant to be used as an ooc for when the event commences, but also to help players rapidly get reponses from the GM or other players in reguards to questions that they have, which were not mentioned previously. The OOC is generally meant for people who have made the decision to attempt to create characters in the RP in the hopes of being accepted and randomly shipped with someone.

If you have made the decision to attempt to create the two characters needed for this RP One-Shot, please make your post in this thread with the following information:

  • Your Boy's Name
  • Your Girl's Name
  • Describe your favorite romance plot as generically as possible (without giving discrete names of characters, the author, etc.)

You will use that post to edit in your character sheets as you work on them! Once you do that, you will be invited to a PM with the link to the discord ooc.


Character Sheet Directory:
 
Last edited:
Initial Post in this Thread Example:
  • Boy: Ruger Misoto
  • Girl: Kuuyari Kane
  • One Romance Plot I like is the one where the protagonist gives up on their love interest believing that someone else is better for them but it turns out their love interest actually had eyes for them all along.






  • Basic Information

    'Be Careful Not to Say Something You'll Regret'.
    "That's an old saying my mom loved to hammer in to my head. What does it mean? Well, i probably means to just take care to not sound like some idiot by speaking every little thought that comes out of your brain. You see, there's a merit in just staying silent. Other people have a lot of things to say. In those other things that people say, you can garner valuable information. How they feel, how they think, what they want, what they don't want. Using that information, you can definitely formulate the best response. If you can't then keep on listening, surely something good will come to mind. All I want, is a fun, easy life. Nothing more, nothing less. And I don't have to regret being a fool in order to have it."

    Misoto, Ruger
    RP Ruger.jpg
    Artist: original character by fukahire (ruinon)
    Speech Color: FFE4B5
    Gender: Male
    Age: 17

    Date of Birth: 11th, February
    Blood Type: B
    Height: 158 cm
    Weight: 63.5 kg

    Character Voice: Tobio Kageyama

    Character Theme: Dear Sunshine


    Character Background and Personality

    "'Love Means Nothing.'
    It wouldn't be weird if hearing that, the first person that comes to mind is my sister, right? Of course it will, but don't worry, let me explain: A long time ago, when I was just a kid, my older sister offered me her old guitar for my birthday. It was a cruddy hand-me down, she'd just gotten a new one using money from her part time job at the Burger Lord, back home where I came from. It being a hand me down, of course I refused it. It felt like I was being cheated out, with her dumping her old junk off on my and being able to call it a present. That day, I stormed out of the house and went to hang out with my friends like I always did. Me shoving her old guitar back into her arms, and slamming the kitchen door behind me was unfortunately, the last memory of her I have. Cause I never saw her alive again after that. Maybe if, at the time, I could've appreciated that that first guitar was actually special to her, since it was something she'd saved up small paltry allowances for to buy it. Maybe if I understood that she wanted to teach me how to play the guitar so we could do something as siblings for once. Maybe if I wasn't such a prick that day.. But in the end, I chose to believe that she hated me, even though it's only now I'm realizing I was the only one fooling myself into thinking that this whole time. And, now I have to live with that, forever. I don't want to ever make that same mistake again. So, In the end Love means Nothing, therefore Love Means Anything."


    Personality (At Start)
    A listless young man trying to figure out his place in the world, or rather specifically high school. Ruger tends to come off a a bit more gentle - even a little meek compared to the regular boy coming from the all Boy's School. A whole lot of people have various expectations about him, especially since he comes from America, but he's just a tad bit more reserved that someone you'd expect to come from there. In fact, he gets sort of pushed around a little bit rather easily. He generally dislikes talking about himself, and tends to be rather good at steering conversations in other directions, preferring to hear what others have to say. He's a good listener, but sometimes it feels like he just wants to 'be there' and keep the status quo going. Nonetheless, there are times that, when he gets passionate about something, a different, more boisterous, more emotional sort of person comes out, much to his embarrassment.


    Pre-Story Background
    Ruger Misoto was born from a Japanese Father and an American Mother. His father emigrated to the states during the 80s and wound up in a very rural farm area of the American Midwest where everyone in town knew each other. He was apparently 'an accident' and his mother named him after her favorite shotgun. He had just one other sibling, his older sister, whom he was generally apathetic towards. His sister on the other hand was always getting up in his business. Telling on him, dragging him home after dark, and other small nuances that, while she did them out of genuine concern, he found himself inconvenienced by. His older sister was generally considered smarter and more talented than him - especially since she was really good at playing the guitar. Ruger was generally average in all aspects and just had to tag along with the other boys in order to feel like he was anything of worth. On one occasion, she offered to teach him how to play guitar, even going as far to gift him her old one. He refused.

    One day, his sister was involved in a horrible accident that took her life. This shook the young man in a very profound way. It was only after she was gone that he realized just how petty his dislike of her was. He picked up that old guitar that she gifted him, sat alone in a room with the old learning sheets she'd set aside in a special folder for him, and he began to try to learn. He had no talent with the instrument at all. But he continued, and still continues to, try to learn. Maybe out of guilt for what had happened, or maybe trying to make up for the time he lost with his sibling by playing that same old guitar.

    Family circumstances lead to Ruger being shipped to Japan to live for several years. Since his mother talked Japanese to him throughout his childhood, he was able to have a very basic grasp of it. In his middle school years, he made a point to try to fit in with the other kids despite the language barrier until he could at least communicate with regular Japanese people and students around his age.

    Into high school, he enrolled at an All Boys school, mostly because it was within walking distance. Ruger was starting to feel like things were once again becoming 'normal' for him as he began to be able to talk with his fellow classmates with enough fluency to be able to express himself. His world is suddenly shook when it's announced that the all boys school is merging with the town's all girl's school at Yuzu High...


    Common Route Story Background
    The merging of the two schools was very inconvenient. There were all sorts of strange rules being set up between the boys and the girls. They were sitting on opposite sides of the classroom. Both sides generally refused to use the same set of stairs so even sets of stairs became segregated. With the school announced to be closing after winter break, Ruger felt like trying to change anything was meaningless. One day though, a stray basketball that flew past a female student lead to the girls trying to get the school's outside basketball courts to getting shut down. Annoyed at this, this culminated in Ruger losing his temper and yelling at the girl trying to get this done and causing her to cry. This lead to him nearly getting suspended. Guilty at what he had done, he was told to join the 'Gender Relationship Club' in order to not be expelled, and in order to try to solve the problems being caused by the merging of the schools.

    One of the first things that the club had to do was set up for the sports festival. It was generally an uphill battle, as the boys and the girls generally didn't want to work together in any of the events that required them to work together. Ruger and some of his fellow students had to have several heart-to-hearts with some of their fellow classmates about the value of sportsmanship and giving it your all. This almost fell apart when a lot of the equipment was vandalized prior during the leadup to the event. The boys immediately blamed the girls, but Ruger, wanting to not repeat what he had done previously vocally vouched that they should find what had really happened rather than going to the easiest answer. Working together, they found that it was ultimate a single person dissatisfied with the merging of the schools that had tried to sabotage the event. Without that problem being resolved, it was likely Yuzu High would not have done as well as it did during the competition.

    In the lead-up to winter, where the fate of the school would be decided based on whether students opted to stay in the school or to transfer, Ruger and his club-mates went on a week long campaign trying to get students convinced to stay. Seeing the boy who made that one girl cry making such a big 180 in wanting to save the school moved many students, and ultimately the school was not closed after that winter.

    After winter break, the school went on a vacation to the nearby town's hot springs resort. One of the students were alleging that whoever was responsible for the smear articles in the paper trying to get Yuzu High shut down was going to be at that resort while they stayed there. Ultimately, thanks to Ruger being able to understand English, the students snooping around were able to discover the truth behind their original schools closing. Someone wanted to tear down the school lots in the town and make them into warehouses for a logistics hub.

    With that knowledge in hand, Ruger again used his knowledge of English to help promote Yuzu High's culture festival. It was thanks to his English knowledge that various foreign ravel bloggers flocked to make a stop at the small town, and a most peculiar twist of fate the random idea of making it a 'Maid Cafe and Host Club Tournament' made it wildly successful beyond what the students were expecting. Ruger began to really feel like he was making a difference in what he was doing.

    Despite the success of the culture festival, in the end, it was the schools' test scores at the end of this year that would decide the fate of the school. Ruger generally struggled with topics on Japanese History and Japanese in general, as did some of the boys in general. Luckily, the other girls, including the girl he had made cry all the way in the beginning, helped him through. Ruger in-turn helped a good amount with people struggling in English.

    In the end, they did it. The average test scores at the school reached a level that put them on the top 15 schools in the nation. The school was saved. The club had fulfilled it's purpose. As a last event for the club, they sought to run a school wide American-Style Dance. Ruger helped setting up this American Dance not so much by telling them how an actual American dance was supposed go, but rather in ordering genuine red party cups from the states, which he still can't understand why everyone is so fixated on.

    At the end, Ruger feels accomplished. He felt like the experience made him closer to his sister in being able to understand what it's like in trying to take responsibility for something, and trying to help other people. He came to appreciate that it's not always okay to just go with the flow and suppress the feeling in your heart that something is wrong just to not cause conflict. He still isn't any better at playing a guitar, but he finally felt like it was okay for him to lock it up and move on.


    Personality (At End)
    Calm and relaxed, but feeling a bit more free. The events of the story made Ruger step out of his comfort zone several times over in order to try to save the school. He often tried to bridge the gap between the boys and girls in trying to talk out their problems in order to smooth out the problems that came from the boys and girls being weary of one another. In the end, everyone was able to break that first boundary and everyone worked together to get things done. But, Ruger was always on board with wanting to to save the school and have everyone get along. It was commented that he likely would've been class president if it wasn't for him graduating this year. He charmingly known for being collected and calm but also passionate about whatever he sets his heart to.


    Likes
    Soda     - He really likes soda. Whenever the others buy a single can, he buys two of them. Might be affecting his figure just a little bit...

    Hanging out after school - Ruger is often roving around with the other boys in the shopping district in town. Just to be a part of a group.

    American Television - Still can't get into the television airing in Japan nowadays. He still yearns for the shows playing at home. Luckily, in the age of streaming services that isn't too hard. He is caught at a loss when the boys are talking about the latest shows airing in Japan.

    Hiking and going on Walks - While Ruger is generally known for hanging out with the other boys, some have caught him sitting around outside soaking up the atmosphere. He's actually daring enough to go walk in the forests around outside. Apparently he did such things a lot when he was in America.


    Dislikes
    People Arguing     - Gets irked a bit when seeing people going at one another. Tends to jump in without thinking just to get them to calm down and not yell, even if has nothing to do with him.

    Noodles - Has a bad habit of wanting to eat noodles right away and a tongue that is sensitive to hot food. More often than not has burned his tongue and plastered broth on his shirt a number of times at this point.

    Hamburgers - In his old town the only place of note to eat at without having a friend drive you was a local burger place. Got tired of burgers from eating there so often.

    People discovering his guitar hobby - It's embarrassing to say that he's been practicing for so long and yet is still not any good at it, and then needing to try to explain around why. Too awkward.


    Hobbies
    Learning Guitar - He dosen't want to call it a hobby, but he's spent so much time trying to play the thing at this point is might as well be a hobby now.

    Basketball - He's not on the team, but he like playing with the other boys to pass the time. He likes the teamwork involved.

    Cooking - He got so tired of the same food he was eating at home that learning how to cook a couple different dishes ended up being necessary. He has this weird habit of putting salsa on a lot of things, though. Strangely good at italian foods even though he's already grown bored of making stuff like like lasagna and spaghetti.


    Dreams/Life Goals
    Go Back Home     - Ruger feels like he ultimately wants to go back home to the US someday. He generally believes that his roots back home will always make him want to come back.

    Find Himself - Feels like he's spent too much time just being a body in a crowd. Feeling like his feelings are just parroting the things that other people say. He want to find his own voice, his own sentiments to call his own.


    Club: Gender Relations Club


    Most Embarrassing Moment
    Briefs Boy - Got his pants pulled down on him in Elementary and the Name 'Briefs Boy' has Haunted him ever since. It was supposed be buried when he moved to Japan, but He accidentally let it slip during a truth or dare session with the other club-mates.


    Insecurities
    Thot Slayer     - He gained the nickname of 'Thot Slayer' after he made one of the girls cry. There was a brief period he was rather accepting of the new moniker but after the events of the story he just wants that and all his other nicknames to be forgotten.

    Not Masculine Enough - Sometimes questions if he's manly enough to be called a guy. Finds himself personally lacking and that he needs to do more manly things like start lifting weights instead of playing an acoustic guitar.

    Hurting Girls, His Sister - The memory of him not accepting his sister's guitar and offer to teach him how to play it has followed him for years. He feels like any relationship with a girl will end with him hurting them just like he did to his sibling.


 
  • Boy: Uta Fukuzatsu
  • Girl: Okane Ayashii
  • One Romance plot I like is when two characters with contrasting viewpoints make each other better people by shared time together.


  • Basic Information


    "Hehehehehehehehehehehhehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehheehheheeheheh-

    I heard below the wet ground
    Dreams of flesh threaded, between the
    Mould and worms consuming the
    very wonder that keeps us locked
    in orbit of our hearts and
    Tethered to my reality

    Brought to a cage so when there's nothing left.
    They will whisper pale words;
    You see false gods that speak in wyrm tongues like
    sweet and honeyed tribute

    I will see that I no longer close eyes
    To go imagine
    Something infecting Greater then what lay
    In front, me and you.

    Hehehehe-

    I love the fair grey lady
    No doubt a better familiar
    Then those who hold me peculiar
    And say that I am shady.

    I stare into the night
    Up high into the Sky
    And to this she must comply;
    To listen to what I recite.

    Who else is there to support-
    Me while I go and confess,
    That I am just a castaway.

    To what I retort, my last resort.
    That I may not impress, or hear no less.
    But that my Decay, is but two-way."

    Fukuzatsu, Uta

    Appearance:
    1665689738840.png
    Source: nepakaito10ug
    Speech Color: #00FFE4
    Gender: Male
    Age: 16

    Date of Birth: 15/3
    Blood Type:     Type B
    Height: 157cm
    Weight: 48kg

    Character Voice:

    Character Theme:




    Character Background and Personality


    Love means nothing, therefore Love Means Anything Monologue
    "Love Means Nothing

    Okay, well, I guess it means something.

    It is but the dust in the air.
    The black in one's eye.
    It is just a new-born mayfly
    Who never makes it to evening prayer.

    Love, and only love, will make one like me:
    Crack open their ribcage and bear their heart
    Upon thy alter of words and art
    And thrust upon hurt so heavenly sickly,

    It is both the budding flower and rotting corpse
    Whose Scent begins to daze our gaze,
    And takes joy in what it betrays
    For it is a smile without remorse.

    It's just like a quote from one of my favourite poems...Love...Well- It can make us forget like...

    'There are days we live
    as if death were nowhere
    in the background; from joy
    to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
    from blossom to blossom to
    impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom'

    Oh, but who am I to say what might be like that. I am but a vacuum of feelings. Love is nothing to many, yet when I read it I feel myself yearning for what will never come. For one to say-

    'On the way back I fell in the field
    And she fell down beside me.
    I'd have lain in the grass with her all my life
    With Nessa:
    She was a whirlpool, she was a whirlpool,
    And I very nearly drowned.'

    Is there someone who will submerge me in their own ocean of touch? Who will kill me with connection. I think not. It is a myth. A fantasy that I can watch but not touch. Oh fair grey lady, awash in a bath of stars. How I yearn to pluck you from my dream and dance with you into night.

    Hehehe

    Love means nothing. Therefore, Love means anything."


    Personality (At Start)
    Uta is that weird kid in school. You know, the one everyone makes jokes about while simultaneously avoiding being around them cause they creep everyone out. Going into the school merge Uta definitely started off with a weird reputation from some of other more rowdier boys in his school. That he was a little unhinged, who stared at the moon at night. Who only spoke in poem and riddles, speaking things about death and souls. Who ate bugs he found on the ground and who laughed like a creep for ten seconds straight at random intervals. Not to mention the Assembly incident...

    That's what what was said about him anyway, but words like that have a tendency on sticking on you and becoming your outer shell that people see despite your inside being completely different. Even if Uta does speak in only poetry, and he does stare at the moon, and he did seem very interested by a bug he saw on the ground....

    Well, who knows what lies in the brain of that kid. Something a little weird, for sure.

    Pre-Story Background
    Life hadn't been kind to Uta, much the way a flood isn't kind to a solitary ant. He never really stood a chance from the beginning. Born to a single parent household, his mother was always working to meet ends meet. That was fine, Uta would go to his grandparents and read from their grand library. He passed the time losing himself in other worlds. Perhaps a parent who wasn't being crushed under pulling triple shifts would have had time to pull Uta out from his fantasises and spend time trying to get him to socialise with other kids in a normal fashion. Uta quickly spent his time as a kid with books as his friends. But even with his head in the clouds, Uta still came off as a normal kid.

    It wasn't long into middle school that Uta began to get picked on by other boys. Whether it was his small stature or rather timid nature that made him a target, he'll never know. But what began with just snide comments or rude nicknames quickly escalated into physical abuse when they realised he would not fight back. And when the small scale physical abuse wasn't stopped with any punishment, well...

    Uta moved to three separate schools in the space of two years. Each school led to the same story. Uta being mercilessly bullied by the other boys. Eventually his mother ran out of schools to send him to and she couldn't afford to move farther out. So even though she didn't want to, she basically told Uta to stick through it. Which he did, but only by separating his mind from the daily hell he went through in school.

    There was one day when just as he thought the day had gone without any harrassment. He had gone into the bathroom just before the day had ended. Only to be followed in by a particularly nasty bunch of boys and nearly drowned in a toilet. Uta sat there after the event crying by himself in that toilet stall for a few hours. And then after that...

    Well, the boy who only ever spoke poetry and never a normal word began to walk the halls.

    Even when the bullying slightly subsided after a few interventions by helpful students, whatever person Uta was before was long locked away. Now everyone was stuck with the one who spoke of the fair pale lady. Whatever the fuck that means.

    When there was news of the two schools merging together, there was many reactions to it. Uta? He just did his creepy laugh for a full 30 seconds.

    "God at least I won't sit next to you with this!" said one boy.


    Common Route Story Background:

    1) - 'Gender Relations' Club

    'my neighbors put up gates & stare
    don’t like to share, on my block

    a tree I can’t see, but can smell
    a tree that can’t be both but is'

    Perhaps it was some form of his sub-conscious protecting him. Cause even he, lost in a mental field of sunflowers that day, did not quite know what he was doing part of the Gender relations club. Somewhere inside him there was a thread pulling him along, as he recognized the untenable state that the school found itself in with the boys and girls. And having enjoyed (A wrong word, but a phrase he would never use if left to it's right circumstances) an alleviation of bullying since the girls had moved in with them. That he did not wish for this current merged to end. Not for him to go to another school. To risk it...all starting again. So there he was, with a bunch of people he didn't know. Who thought he was weird. So he spoke poems to them. And they probably thought he was even weirder.

    2) - Tri-City Sports Festival.

    'It was my knowing
    That you were standing on the sideline
    That gave me the necessary motivation -
    That will to die
    That is as essential to sportsmen as to artists.
    More than anybody it was you'

    Uta never been one to excel at sports, or ever be picked. Or to outwardly exclaim his thoughts on manners of 'peepholes' or 'sabotage'. So the boy was ready to chalk up another sports festival with looking at bugs in the grass and maybe being called a weirdo by more then one girl from another school. So it was much to his surprise when he was picked by his year mates to participate in the Calvary charge. Not only that, but he saw a few familiar faces on the other side. He wanted to hide in the bathroom, but he can't hide in bathrooms. So he went to go hide in a bush and wait out the day. But he was found by a fellow clubmate and given such a pep talk that treated him like an actual person that he somehow managed to actually attend the match. Much to others (and his) surprise, Uta is a slippery little fucker on the pitch and did much to help turn the tide for his team. He was lifted (quite easily) on the shoulders of a teammate and was marched to celebration with the rest of the boys

    Uta smiled in joy for the first time in a while.
    It hurt his cheeks.


    3) - The Vote

    'If only I'd stopped and knocked on your door;
    If only I'd known you couldn't take any more;
    If only I'd been there, if only I'd called;
    If I'd not been so busy – and once again stalled.'

    But there was of course the looming idea that the school's fate was sealed, it's decay could not be stopped and that evidently he and the others would once again be misplaced to other towns. Uta had gotten quite despondent around this time, though there wasn't too much of a difference in his normal behaviour. His poetic talk took a little more of a morbid theme then usually. Looking back on the uptick his mood had taken in the last weeks, and looking forward at what might be instore for him. Uta made a decision.
    If the school was to close. Uta would join the pale lady.

    While he hadn't gone and actively participated on getting people to vote to keep the school going. Someone in the club had found a piece of poetry he had written and posted it on the school board. Something in it touched a few students and gave them resolve on keeping the school together. Uta never found out who had posted said poetry, and the others never found out what his poem was actually about.

    So the school stayed open for another semester.
    And everyone saw Uta for another day, none the wiser of the darkness that kept it roots.


    4) - Hot Springs

    'There is a Smile of Love
    And there is a Smile of Deceit
    And there is a Smile of Smiles
    In which these two Smiles meet

    And there is a Frown of Hate
    And there is a Frown of disdain
    And there is a Frown of Frowns
    Which you strive to forget in vain'

    It didn't take long for Uta's own trip to the Hot Springs to go a little awry. Somehow it had gotten into some (particularly easily) superstitious members of the school to begin to believe that all the apparent nonsense Uta was spouting was actually a curse to ruin the school. So he spent a majority of the trip running and hiding from an increasing mob of students meaning to give him at least a 'firm talking to.' He had to hide in a bath at one point, and only realised after the event that technically baths make something a bathroom. A weird feeling to have after crawling out of a hot spa, butt naked, wrinkled from the water and in a half delusional state due to the long heat exposure.

    Then a group of club members walked in.
    He panicked, did a creepy laugh, then fainted and faceplanted right in front of them.

    By the time he had woken up, he had been taken care of by a certain club member and informed that the Club had resolved the true source of the school 'curses' and that the mob for his head had been diplomatically dispersed. Uta felt relieved. Then remembered that more then one person had seen him in his birthday suit, and so fainted again.

    5) - Culture Festival: Enter Maid Cafe.

    'So I adjust as I must if I wish to align, and straighten my mind
    Days go unnoticed, it's good, I suppose I could say I'm feeling fine
    But where is my terror? My gut wrenching flares that compose and arrange on the lines
    Should I expect if neglecting my hectic desire, my hands should resign?'

    To be entirely honest, from an outside perspective it took some of the club members frighteningly little time to get Uta into a maid costume. He was a cuter girl then some girls. The image or two of a 'model' he had been corralled into doing by some of the members had gone online and done some numbers. Could he had been a host? Sure, but it was too late at this point and he was more appealing to the eye according to most of the club. Uta just went along and tried not to start saying poetry in front of customers. Which mainly led to him being mute, which then cycled back to him being cute. He didn't understand any of it to be honest. But people did like that 'Boyish girl' in the maid Cafe, so hurray for his (once again) accidental contribution.

    It was around this time that Uta began to pause sometimes in his poetic speech. A err here or there, a pause while he searched for a word. He wondered to himself the cause, until he settled upon something that quite disturbed him.
    He had been enjoying himself, just a bit, with his club members. And for moments at a time the trauma settled itself into the corner where he could not see. And with those times where his eternal drowning was abated by his feet touching the ocean floor, he wondered what else motivated him to create and recite.

    He didn't know.

    6) - The Final Tests

    'there's a bluebird in my heart that
    wants to get out
    but I'm too clever, I only let him out
    at night sometimes
    when everybody's asleep.
    I say, I know that you're there,
    so don't be
    sad.
    then I put him back,
    but he's singing a little
    in there, I haven't quite let him
    die
    and we sleep together like
    that
    with our
    secret pact
    and it's nice enough to
    make a man
    weep, but I don't
    weep, do
    you?'

    Well, Uta needed help with maths and other more practical subjects. It's not like he'd been totally rejecting them, but frankly he hadn't been planning to be around for these tests so he had quite a bit of catch up to do. But despite the somewhat difficult process of trying to get across what he was having difficulties with, and the large sections of catch up to do. Uta managed to do fine in his tests. Excel in Japanese and English, and average in the rest. Some students even came to him and said his constant recital of 'stupid' poems and words had helped them remember those exact poems and words.

    They had all passed and while the fate of the school was confirmed for at least a few years and a greater celebration was to be had soon. The immediate celebrations were rang forth throughout the club members. It soon turned to clubs members giving their spoken tokens of appreciation to everyone in the club for their school and personal journey. Eventually, it got to be Uta turn. Everyone smiled and leaned back as they readied themselves for a poem or two from their group poet.

    He stared back at everyone that he'd spent the year with. Who had talked to him, let him be who he was and been his friend.
    Uta gripped the edges of his sleeves.
    Blood rushing to his cheeks more then usual.

    "Hello everyone." Spoke a tiny high pitched voice between a cough.
    "I'd like to thank everyone for being my friend. I don't think I'll ever be good enough with words to express it like this. But know that that you have all given me a reason to consider waking up another day."

    The club blinked at him in silence.
    Had Uta just spoken....normally?

    A Certain group member held a cup up in the air. "And one for Uta!" rang the cry, and so the rest of the club followed.

    He got a poem or two in there afterwards for good measure.


    7) - The Rest?

    'He who binds to himself a joy
    Does the winged life destroy;
    But he who kisses the joy as it flies
    Lives in eternity's sun rise.'

    All things end eventually of course, but not all endings are bad. With the Club achieving it's goal, they were all soon to go back to their own particular endeavours. There was the anxiety that he could be going back to the life he had before the Club, but he knew despite the tides of negativity lapping at his feet he had the solid foundation of bonds that he had made rooting him to safe harbour.

    But what way to top it off the year with a dance? Well, that was clearly someone else's idea. Uta wasn't even sure he could dance, he had never tried for sure.

    His muse for morbid things was still lurking in the back of his mind, as he sure it would stay for the rest of his life even in the best of times. But now he often found himself with a different type of poetry. Talking of things like spring and love, it was new to him. And he wondered what was the Muse for that?

    He wondered that often as he stole glances at a certain someone in the club who had been there for him across the year. He wasn't a dancer in physical terms.

    Would a dance of words work just as well?

    Oh dear.


    Personality (At End)
    He still speaks weirdly in poetry, and laughs for a little too long, and pokes his fingers together instead of holding eye contact. But time with Uta has opened up some form of the person he might have been if not for events. They heard him speak in prose, even if you needed a microphone to hear it. Most of all, the club members have realised that under all the cuckoolander extremity that Uta extrudes, lies within an extremely kind and astute boy who knows more then he lets on.


    Club
    Gender Relations Club

    Likes:
    • - Literature: While he'd always had an affinity for various forms of poetry. Uta consumers any form of literature at quite a large rate. Some book of some kind is always in his possession somewhere.
    • - Morbid Things: Uta realised he was perhaps more interested in dark things then other kids when he spent a lunch break poking a dead pigeon that had fallen into the playground. From then on themes of death and suffering has crept into much of Uta's imagination and work.
    • - Bugs: He's very interested by them, he loves watching them. HE DOES NOT eat them. Despite that rather cruel and unusual rumour circulating around he still loses track of time sometimes by watching a single bug walk on a leaf.
    • - Hip Hop: Somewhat contrasting with his overall image, if Uta is listening to music it's usually always this genre. Something about the word play interfaced with the rhythm just makes him very happy.

    Dislikes:
    • - School Bathrooms: One too many traumatic experiences in a school bathroom had led to Uta writing off ever going into one again by his own will. This does mean that he has to hold in his bladder all day or sometimes run home. Which he manages to do, most of the time.
    • - Smartphones: Their expensive, too big for his pockets and break easily. Uta much prefer the old style of flip phones. Though apparently that only adds to his shady character, he doesn't see how.
    • - Coffee: There's some public notion that there is a correlation between those who who write and the like of caffeine. Personally Uta thinks it taste like hot garbage and refuses to go near the stuff.
    • - Dairy: Well, to be precise he actually quite likes the taste of various cheeses and such. But his stomach has quite a different opinion, and seeing as he wishes not to spent his evenings in the bathroom Uta avoids the consumption of said products.

    Hobbies:
    • - Writing Poetry (Duh): While most of his spoken words lack any form of prose as well. Uta still spent a lot of his time writing what comes to mind. Whether those poem's are reused in (what can be called) conversations with others is only for Uta to know.
    • - Being a Model (Unwillingly): After certain events in the common route, some of the girls have realised that Uta has quite feminine hands and face along with nice smooth skin. Perfect for testing out various products. They did ask him of course, and he didn't say no. So now he's the testing ground for nail polish and eyeshadow.
    • - Etymology: Have you ever wondered 'Why is this word like that?' or 'Where does that word come from'. Then rejoice, for so has Uta.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • - Make Connections Through Poetry: Uta is aware of his somewhat lacking communication skills. But he truly believes if he could find the right word or phrase in his poems that the world and the people in it would speak back to him in a way that would form something real.
    • - Escape Life: 'Dark are the words that flow in the dark, / Oily and unctuous, thick as old blood, / And only smooth slow ripples mark / The end of a path one mad has trod'.

    Most Embarrassing Moment
    - It was the first week into the new school and Uta had to go to bathroom. Stuck in quite a long and arduous assembly, Uta felt more and more anxious at his immediate situation. While there was a bathroom only ten seconds away from him, He simply sat there in mild agony then go into the bathroom. Then...well...

    Uta pissed himself.
    It didn't take people long to notice, and with his meek claim that he had spilt some non-existent water. Uta quickly added another title to his unfortunate lists as the boy who pissed himself in front of the entire school.


    Insecurities
    • - His Laugh: Much a subject of ire from others. Uta really wishes his laugh wasn't seen as so creepy by others. He also wishes he didn't involuntarily laugh when he's nervous, which is basically always. A laughing spurt can really go on for a while if left unchecked, and has definitely terrified some girls walking alone in a corridor before.
    • - The Darkness: Even when he feels joy, deep inside him he still feels something the gripping cold from something that was broken oh so long ago.
    • - Doormat: Despite his journey on bettering parts of himself. Uta recognizes that he still struggles with not letting people just doing to him what they want. His tendency to just follow orders is an undesirable trait in an artist.


 
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  • Boy: Shirou Nakamura
  • Girl: Keiko Takahashi
  • I'm pretty vanilla when it comes to my preferences in romance plots. I'm going to say I like romance plots with a generic guy MC with the personality of a cardboard box being swept away by the anime equivalent of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Think the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), but I also really like stories about clumsy characters falling head over heels for aloof/unapproachable characters (Think Sailor Moon)




  • Basic Information​


    "There comes a time in every man's life when he comes to realize that he can only truly enjoy life when he takes it by the horns."
    Nobody told me that quote when I was a kid or anything; I just made it up on the fly! Pretty cool, though, don't you think? I'd say if there's anything that separates the noobs from the pros, it's initiative. If you think about it, a lot of people changed the world because they had the guts to put in the extra work when no one asked them to. Trust me, bro. I've been there; I know what it's like laying on your couch by yourself on a weekend, hoping somebody's going to text you or ask you out. It's just not happening unless you make your own move! You don't get anywhere holding back. Champions never hold back, and I don't consider myself anything but. After all, you miss every shot you don't take, right...?

    ...Right?

    Nakamura, Shirou

    1665537905603.png
    Character: Akina Saegusa (NIJISANJI VTuber) Art by: 与乃市 (Pixiv)​

    Speech Color: #B8312F
    Gender: Male
    Age: 16

    Date of Birth: 14 Feb
    Blood Type:     O+
    Height: 180 cm
    Weight: 83 kg

    Character Voice: Ryota Osaka



    Character Theme: Kerning City: Bad Guys (Band Version) ~ MapleStory



    Character Background and Personality​


    Love means Nothing. Love means taking an action for the sake of someone else instead of for your own, and that's a shot that's not mine to take. Therefore, Love Means Nothing.

    If you'd asked me what love was just a year ago, I'd proably answer with: "Baby don't hurt me, baby don't hurt me, no more~".

    Then I'd add, "I'm just messing with ya, I got what you mean!" and proceed with the first couple lines. All my life, I grew up believing love was a shackle that tied me to other people's wills and stopped me from following my own. I was so scared of losing track of my own goals that I started worrying about shots I never had the chance to throw away in the first place. The one that stung the most was, of course, "What if I had a normal childhood? What if my parents let me play Pokemon in the schoolyard like every other kid in second grade? What if I had no reason to push back?" Thinking about it now, it's kinda silly, honestly. If it wasn't for their fake, smothering "love", I wouldn't have bothered pushing back. I wouldn't have gotten fed up with them, and fed up with everyone around me. I wouldn't have ended up being sent to this school. Most importantly, I wouldn't have ended up earning this feeling of freedom I've been fighting for since forever. So, in a weird way... Love means Nothing. Therefore, Love means Anything.

    Personality (At Start)

    In two words: impulsive, and opportunistic. In RPG terms: Chaotic Neutral. Shirou's main source of motivation is his own well-being over anyone else's unless putting someone else's well-being first would result in an immediate net positive for him. Lying and putting up false impressions is not beyond him if it means getting what he wants, which is usually either some sort of entertainment or a chance to network into a higher spot on the social ladder. Shirou puts up a front as an affable and friendly, if sometimes brutally honest individual, but deeply-rooted resentment towards authority and people better off than him heavily affect his ability to see eye-to-eye and develop genuine trust with anyone (See "Insecurities" section).

    In private, he's very passionate about his hobbies (see "Hobbies" section) and he possesses much more inherent talent for the arts than he paints himself as. His quick wit, bravery, and emotional resilience are his strong suits, while his middling conscience, wavering loyalty, and trust issues hold him back.

    Pre-Story Background (To be Added)

    Overview - Shirou was raised by a pair of very conservative parents that, despite having the best interests in mind for their child, were overprotective of him, to say the least. Due to this imposing influence, Shirou lived a very sheltered and isolated lifestyle for most of his childhood, and was hardly ever allowed to socialize or participate in activities such as birthday parties or sleepovers.

    Primary School - Overtime, Shirou’s first school classmates chose to alienate him and unofficially blacklisted him from anything at recess, out of fear of getting in trouble with his parents. One day, when Shirou was in the third grade, he involved himself in a heated argument with a classmate who refused to show him a rare Pokémon card he’d been bragging about to his classmates, on the grounds that Shirou’s parents would make him throw it away if they found out. This was when Shirou got into his first fight, and it resulted in him getting suspended for a week. This event marked a turning point in his life, and the seeds of rebellion began to sprout during that week he spent away from school. The fight did nothing to help Shirou’s image at his primary school. He’d developed from someone looked down on to someone feared, but he was still an outcast either way.

    Junior High School - After graduating near the bottom of his class, Shirou proceeded unceremoniously onto another junior high school. Shirou’s parents made sure to chose a boys-only school because they “didn’t want anyone distracting him from his studies”. As his classmates began developing interests in manga, anime, and video games, Shirou began enjoying them in secret, and had even made a few friends who shared the same interests. However, just as things began looking up for the better, Shirou’s mother discovered the secret manga stash he’d been piling up under his mattress. Not only did she forbid him from enjoying anything related to the industry, she also called up the houses of each of his friends and threatened all of them. This event caused Shirou to become an outcast again, but this time, it triggered an epiphany in him that he’d been cultivating for several years.

    “All my life I’ve been forced to do whatever my parents want me to do. I don’t want to take their shit any longer. I want to make my own decisions and be the kind of person I want to be.”

    It’s during this time in junior high school that Shirou decided to pursue his creative interests, particularly singing, sketching, and photography. His parents approved of this decision, so they decided to give Shirou enough leeway for him to practice his manga drawings in secret without them constantly scrutinizing his sketchbook. Even if he had nobody to share his passion with anymore, Shirou could keep his frustrations under control by using his newfound hobbies as emotional outlets.

    Before The Merge - After seeing an improvement in Shirou's grades compared to when he graduated from primary school, his parents decided that enrolling him into an all-boys school was a great idea that should be repeated when selecting his new high school. As such, Shirou was enrolled into the only all-boys high school in the area: Teijin Boys School. Unbeknownst to his parents, this run-down school was going through some unusual circumstances that would go on to change their son’s life entirely. On his first day of school, with a fresh new set of faces for classmates, Shirou decided to try making friends right off the bat in the only way he knew how (See “Most Embarrassing Moment” section). After being embarrassed in front of his classmates again, this time within a day and without any involvement from his parents, Shirou returned to his shell and developed hermit tendencies, sometimes skipping school for up to a week straight if his MMO beckoned him to. One day, after returning from a trip in the city with a bucket of KFC under his arm and a drumstick in the other, Shirou heard some classmates talking about a "merge" with another school. Unaware that the school was actually merging with an all-girls' school, he decided to take this new opportunity in stride and began making arrangements to make another first impression.

    Common Route Story Background (To be Added)

    Part 1: The Gender Relations Club - The merge stirs up a lot of chaos between everyone in the new student body. Shirou takes the opportunity to sign up for the basketball team, convinced this would make him look more popular in the eyes of the new students. He's granted a spot in the team because of his stature and build, but is asked to cut down on the fast food by the coach. After hearing about the Gender Relations Club's existence, a curious Shirou signs up after realizing there's no pre-requisite to join and seeing certain names he recognized on the sign-up sheet. After realizing the true purpose of the group is to sort out the problems brewing between the two groups of students, Shirou is tempted with the idea of dipping while he has the chance, but for the first time in a very long time... he hesitates. In the end, he chooses to stick with the club, expecting a huge spike in popularity and recognition if he manages to help pull off the club's intentions.

    Part 2: The Tri-City Sports Festival - As soon as he hears the principal had asked the club to help prep the school for an upcoming tournament between itself and two other schools from nearby towns, Shirou gets to work on preparing himself to participate in the events. He expects nothing but absolute perfection from his performance, fearing anything else will only earn him the scorn of his classmates. With basketball stardom the only idea buzzing through his head on a constant basis, Shirou dedicates the weeks leading up to the Sports Festival to undergoing a rigorous training arc. He trains every day after school until he could no longer stand up straight, and replenishes his energy in the evenings by gorging on fried chicken, protein shakes, and Glacier Freeze Gatorade while binge-watching Slam Dunk and Kuroko no Basket.

    When the sports festival setup is sabotaged and the boys accuse the girls, Shirou adamantly vouches for the girls' innocence, and in spite of all the "simp" comments he receives, he doubles down on his claim, and begins his own investigation on the matter. Although his investigation does next to nothing to help clear things up, it's eventually proven that the girls had nothing to do with the sabotage. During the much-awaited basketball event, Shirou outperforms many of the students from the other teams, and by the time the third quarter rolls around, one can say he's actually carrying the team. However, during that quarter, Shirou trips over (Read: is tripped by) one of the players from the opposing team, causing him to twist his ankle and forcing him to sit on the bench for the remainder of the event.

    Shirou has to sit a lot of the events he'd signed up for out following this, but in spite of his injury, he volunteers to participate in the final event: the cavalry battle. The team ends up winning the gold medal at the end of the day, and for the first time in what feels like forever, Shirou can confidently say he's proud of himself.

    Part 3: Saving The School - The class's victory over the other two schools at the Tri-City Sports Festival did little to ease Shirou's anxiety of ther the end of the first (and potentially his last) semester. The day after the festival, Shirou goes to see a doctor at the request of his parents, and the doctor's prognosis is far from pretty. After he's told it's a miracle he can still walk with the tendons in his foot all torn up, Shirou is ordered to take several days off to rest his injuries and warned that he would probably need surgery if the injuries do not heal. Shirou knows he does not have "several days", and that his clubmates (friends?) are counting on him to rally the will of the student body for the sake of keeping the school alive.

    Upon finding out that a local politician was aiming to bulldoze the school and use the plot to build warehouses over it, Shirou decides to stir up some controversy by weaponizing his injuries to appeal to not only the student body, but also the entire town. He emails the local news station and somehow manages to set up an interview, in which he "breaks down" and cries crocodile tears on live television while explaining his situation: "I'm gonna have to get surgery because these crooked politicians won't let me rest my ankle. How am I supposed to heal from my injuries with this kind of pressure over my head, huh!? For every step I take, my ankle gets closer to snapping in two, but I'm not stopping. If you're going to bulldoze this school, you're going to have to bulldoze over me."

    At the end of the day, the Gender Relations Club is successful in their mission, and the student body ends up voting to save the school. Whether or not Shirou's plea influenced this decision in any way is still up in the air, but he'd like to believe it helped, at least a little. He does end up needing the surgery at the end of the day, but thanks to Japan's universal Healthcare, he is able to go through the process while paying next to nothing out of pocket.

    Part 4: The Hot Springs - Yuzu High begins to get media attention once more when the local paper begins publishing smear campaigns and advocating to get the school closed down, due to "curses" of all things. Much like the other members of the Gender Relations Club, Shirou suspects foul play, but with no concrete evidence to support his claims, he reluctantly agrees to not point fingers at the same politician from earlier. Instead, he starts investigating on his own, trying to get to the bottom of these supposed "curses" in hopes of debunking them. It isn't until a school trip to a nearby hot springs takes place that Shirou finds out the truth behind these curses: that they never existed.

    These curses have all been rumors that had been thought up years earlier by bigwigs over at a large corporation seeking to bulldoze over several buildings in the district in hopes of building warehouses over them. Among those buildings that were demolished was Teijin Boys School.     "Good riddance, I guess, but..." Shirou resolves to not let the same fate befall Yuzu High, as he does not share the same regrets he had for his life at Teijin with the experience he's having right now. For once in his life, he's found people that he can trust and formed bonds he can actually treasure. The image of one particular student flashes in his head as his eyes spring wide open. "I will graduate from this school... I swear it!"

    Part 5: The Culture Festival - The developers' influence on the school has been crippling. In hopes of gathering funds, the school hosts a Maid/Host Cafe Tournament. Shirou attempts to dismiss the idea, saying he's not going to humiliate himself like that, but he eventually resigns to becoming a cook for the sake of the school. Much to his surprise (and his low-key dismay), the event is a rousing success, with crowds of people flocking to the school grounds on the days of the festivals. "Hey, if it gets that bread, I ain't complaining." Not even 24 hours later, Shirou and the gang are informed of the last hurdle standing between them and the success of their mission, and for Shirou in particular, it might prove to be the most dangerous one he's ever faced...

    Part 6: The Ultimate Test - Turns out the standardized test scores for the school have dipped below the national standard. "I kinda expected this. Teijin was a delinquent school already; if the bulldozers never got to 'em, that damned national standard would have sealed the deal soon enough." Shirou, realizing his wits can no longer help him, struggles to find a way to tackle the issue strategically, and finds little success. His confidence in himself and his ability to complete the task he'd been entrusted with begins to waver, and in a heated moment of frustration, he does something he ends up regretting the moment it becomes too late: He gets into a heated argument with his crush. That night, as he struggles to stomach even a single drumstick, he scrolls through the pictures he's saved on his phone featuring himself and his clubmates. It's only then that he arrives at the conclusion that's been eluding him since he started. He didn't want to accept it at first, but looking through each of these pictures and reliving the memories of every event in which he's proud of himself for helping out on, he comes to terms with the fact that he's not the only hero of his story... everyone is. "I can't let her or anyone else's efforts go in vain... it was never a question of whether or not I can do it. It's a statement of how I can do it."

    The day of the test, he considers apologizing to the girl he hasn't stopped thinking of since that night, but he hesitates. Shirou realizes he'd rather prove he's redeemed himself instead of forcing an empty promise to her, and makes a silent vow to confess his love to her if... no, when they save the school. Effectively, the results come in, and the school is not only saved, but will continue to operate for years to come. Yuzu High has become an iconic name for the community and the town, with eyes around the nation keeping their eyes on the school and the stories its students have left behind. Everyone can finally relax for good knowing the Gender Relations Club has gotten over its last hurdle... But Shirou still has one last promise he needs to keep.

    Part 7: The Last Hoorah - With the end of the year approaching and its mission completed, the Gender Relations Club votes to disband at what would be their last meetup. A knot forms in Shirou's stomach as he realizes his adventure is coming to an end, particularly because he still has some loose ends he has yet to tie up...

    As if to push Shirou in particular off the deep end, someone suggests the Gender Relations Club host an American-style dance to celebrate the end of the school year. The idea is accepted eagerly by almost everyone in the club, but Shirou is well aware of the implications that come with an "American-style dance". If the clock wasn't ticking fast enough for Shirou before, it definitely is now, and every day, every hour, and every minute that passes makes the situation even more dangerous for him. For all he knows, it might be too late already.     "If I don't patch things up with her soon, I'll have a new "biggest regret of my life" in my hands..."

    Part 8: Love Means Anything (Example) - Shirou thinks up several ways he could ask that special someone out, but two days before the dance, he decides to bite the bullet and invite the person to lunch, just as he would anyone else back when he was climbing the social ladder during his first days at Yuzu. He's been waiting in the wings and observing her. His secret weapon? A boxed lunch with her favorite dish. It doesn't matter that he broke the bank gathering the ingredients, and he may have burnt it a couple times because it was beyond his skill level, but the amount of love poured into that boxed lunch is crystal clear. "I figured, if you're going to get to my heart somehow, it'd be through my stomach. I know it's not the same for everyone, but it's the only way I know works, you know?" Shirou corrects himself in his head. His adventure wasn't ending at all. It had only just begun.

    Personality (At End)

    In two words: honest and brave. In RPG terms: Neutral Good. While Shirou's demeanor may have changed drastically for the better, his natural impulsivity and enthusiasm for his passions have not wavered. He's still prone to making mistakes, but he's much more tolerant of himself when he makes them now, and gone are the days where he'd beat himself up for problems he'd started months or years prior. He still feels sour over his parents and how they raised him, but he's started to mend the relationship he had with them. With his second year of high school coming up, Shirou is setting his sights on Student Council in hopes of presiding over the student body as a third-year. His goal now is to be someone his fellow students can look up to, and someone his beloved can feel proud of.

    Club
    • Basketball Team
    • Gender Relations Club

    Likes:
    • Otaku Culture - Shirou's parents did not allow him to enjoy a lot of hobbies that were popular with children at the time, such as reading manga and playing video games. Out of spite, Shirou developed a special interest in otaku culture, including but not limited to manga, comics, light novels, and video games. However, he quickly learned to keep it under wraps after enrolling into Teijiro Boys School, after he was teased relentlessly during Orientation (see "Most Embarrassing Moment" section). His favorite series is Sword Art Online.
    • Fried Chicken - Shirou enjoys fast food of all kinds, but fried chicken is his favorite. He started trying it in secret just because his parents would advise against eating it, but he quickly developed a taste (read: low-key dependence) on the greasy dish. He prefers to order it by the bucket, which he can easily eat within a day. He doesn't mind getting messy and grimy, and he never uses utensils when eating fried chicken.
    • Karaoke - Shirou is actually a very talented singer, and he knows it very well. He doesn't know a lot of pop songs, but he can belt out difficult anime openings and endings to surprising accuracy. If he wants to really impress someone (and assuming he has the funds), he'll invite that person along with a couple strategically-chosen others to sing karaoke instead of eating fried chicken.
    • Photography - Shirou enjoys photography because it fits with his philosophy of seizing the moment while you have the chance. He's not a fan of sitting down and editing his photos with computer software, as he often cannot afford the patience to meticulously comb through fine details until he's satisfied. That being said, he enjoys sharing photos without having edited them because he believes, quoting him: "It's silly to think you need a filter to express human nature."

    Dislikes:
    • Authority and Rules - Shirou is rebellious by nature, and this is directly a result of his sheltered upbringing and his regret for the experiences he was denied as a child, mainly playing with his friends in the schoolyard at his elementary school. More than anything, he hates being told he cannot do something he wants to do if the option exists.
    • Seafood - Shirou doesn't dislike seafood for any important reason; he just doesn't like the texture and would much rather eat poultry instead (See Likes section). That being said, Shirou is really into sushi, and he often forgets that many types of sushi contain seafood.
    • History Class - This particular subject annoys Shirou for two reasons. Firstly, Shirou dislikes the idea of being forced to remember things he'll never use after the test, and considers the class more of "a glorified game of Memory". On top of that, the idea of the class itself sounds ludicrous to Shirou, as he already dislikes dwelling in the unchangeable past to begin with, and he'd much rather spend his time learning about stuff he can do in the present instead.
    • Horror Movies - He's never seen one that's genuinely scared him, so he thinks they're just a waste of time compared to action movies.

    Hobbies:
    • Cooking - Even though Shirou doesn't have a lot of patience to work with complex dishes that take several minutes to prepare, he really enjoys cooking and preparing simple dishes like ramen or rice. In his words, "It's wicked cool, how you can start off with just a couple ingredients and the amount of combinations that can come out is still pretty much infinite."
    • Trading Card Collecting - Unsurprisingly, Shirou is very prone to impulse buying. Even more so than his other otaku passions, Shirou is really serious on collecting trading cards and opening booster packs. Everyone he'd see playing with trading cards in the schoolyard has long since outgrown the games, so he hardly ever gets a chance to actually play a game with anyone. He spends a large chunk of his allowance ordering trading cards online, despite being fully aware of this, for he believes he has a right to reclaim the simple joys he could never experience as a child, even if it's through outlets he should have outgrown years ago.
    • Graphite Sketching - At the moment, Shirou uses sketching as more of an emotional outlet than as a way to express himself in a way he can show to others. He likes drawing people he knows in real life and uses the photos he's taken as reference material to draw fantasy worlds similar to those he finds in his favorite manga. Deep down, he wants to share this unique vision of the world to anyone willing to peek inside, but his fear of regret (See "Insecurities" section) prevents him from investing time into the task.
    • Basketball - Shirou does not particularly enjoy basketball over any other sport, but his above-average height and his wide-chested build make him a decent candidate for the team. He finds emotional release through exercise and enjoys pushing his physical limits constantly, but his diet of fast food and fried chicken limits his potential. His main motivation for joining the team was actually because he was convinced he'd find it easier to climb the social hierarchy if he did.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • Graduate - Even if he does so with the bare minimum GPA, Shirou wants to be freed from the shackles of compulsory education. That being said, he refuses to drop out because it'd deprive him of "the ideal high school experience" he believes is the most important step on the path to becoming a man.
    • Climb The Ladder - Shirou values his position on the social pecking order of the school more than most people do (or should). This is not due to an inherent desire for influence or power over anyone, but because he is convinced that becoming popular is the only way for him to earn back the respect of his peers that he lost on his first day (See "Most Embarrassing Moment" section).
    • Pride in Himself - One of Shirou's pipe dreams is for people to accept him for who he wants to show himself as, as opposed to the several masks he has to juggle for the sake of pleasing the people he wants to appeal to in order to become more popular. In order to achieve this, he wants to find a job somewhere in the Japanese pop culture industry, since he believes that his desire for self-expression would only be satisfied through mass media. That being said, his biggest roadblock to achieving this goal is the fear of regret.
    • Self-Satisfaction - At the end of the day, since Shirou fears regret more than anything, his biggest goal is to look back on his decisions at some point in the future and think of the himself he is in the present and the memories he's leaving behind fondly.

    Most Embarrassing Moment

    On the very first day of school after having enrolled as a freshman in Teijiro Boys School, Shirou introduced himself and proudly declared his love for manga and trading cards. This shameless display caused Shirou to tumble down the social ladder and got him mocked for being a "NEET" and a "dame ningen" (literally, "useless human"). He regrets ever trusting his classmates back then more than anything, and the insults have since caused him to keep everyone he interacts with at arm's length and to keep his interests to himself.

    Insecurities

    • Regret Bad - Shirou's most deeply-rooted fears involve either making a serious decision he'll regret sometime in the future or missing out on an opportunity for self-improvement because of his own hesitation. Both of these fears clash several times on a daily basis, trapping Shirou's psyche into what he believes is essentially a "lose-lose" scenario.
    • If Only... - Shirou has a tendency to sporadically let "What If..." scenarios take over his mind and distract him from whatever was his priority beforehand. These hypothetical scenarios are usually unreasonable at best and completely out of Shirou's control at worst, and often revolve around certain circumstances in his upbringing that shaped who he considers himself as a person.
    • Paranoid - On the topic of "What if" scenarios, Shirou constantly worries about other people's impresssions of him. He harbors concerns that the people he considers important look at him in a negative light or even sometimes that these important people actively seek to conspire against him behind his back. Because of this mindset, Shirou has severe issues establishing mutual trust with people he interacts with, even when he wants to. The root of both of these issues stems from the most embarrassing moment he experienced on his first day at Teijiro Boys School (See "Most Embarrassing Moment" section).
    • Jealous - Shirou bears a deep dislike for people he believes do not deserve to be higher than him on the social ladder. While he does not openly dislike people he respects that fit this criteria, he does harbor some sort of internalized resentment regardless.
 

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  • Boy: Kuon Arihara
  • Girl: Mahiru Vaughn
  • I have trashy taste, so I absolutely adore the trope where two characters made a promise during their childhood except one character forgot all about the other character by the time they meet again.

  • BASIC INFORMATION

    “The modern world preaches about the importance of being true to yourself, yet the society that claims to have adopted such views has failed to evolve with it. People value not honesty but the white-lie that best strokes their ego. Expectations transform a child into a doll. Be kind. Be virtuous. Be principled. Saying what they wish to hear maintains the delicate equilibrium allowing you to smoothly push forward in life. There’s no reason to take risks and place your heart where others can hurt you. After all, logic dictates that less emotional investment means fewer hassles to deal with in life. So let us dance upon this stage with tongues decorated with gilded words and a mask painted in a gracious smile.”

    C8Z0FJcV0AET10l
    Art: Chigasaki Itaru (A3!) by mgmg0425


    Name: Arihara, Kuon
    Speech Color: #C19A6B
    Gender: Male
    Age: 18

    Date of Birth: 1st, April
    Blood Type: AB
    Height: 179cm
    Weight: 76kg

    Character Voice: Uchida Yuuma, his public persona specifically sounds like Minamoto Teru
    Character Theme: Checkmate by Kirara Magic


    CHARACTER BACKGROUND AND PERSONALITY

    “Love Means Nothing. My mother fell in love with an unreliable man, and where did that land her? She hated him for his betrayal, yet I could see the longing in her eyes even after all those years. What was so special about him that she was willing to throw everything away? What did he have that we didn’t, that she was willing to push us to the side in her grief? Love makes people unreasonable, so I decided to avoid getting closer to others than what was necessary to pave a smooth road to a successful future. What became a desire became a necessity, where I could no longer live without abiding by the rules I set for myself. Block out any unnecessary thoughts, because affection is a concept. It’s a thorny path that ultimately ends in unhappiness. To place your heart within the hands of another was a risk that I found baffling, for what were the benefits of doing such a thing? I thought I had no affection left to give, yet that emotional fallacy you called love continued to make my ideals shake. If I’m allowed to take this descent into the depths of these illogical emotions with you, then perhaps I’ll become brave enough to believe that…Love Means Nothing. Therefore, Love Means Anything.”

    Personality (At Start)
    Contrary to his former school’s reputation for hosting a rough and rowdy crowd of delinquents, Arihara Kuon is a star student with a strong work ethic whose presence is readily welcomed by both teachers and students alike. As someone who often mentions it’s best to do things at your own pace, the brunette isn’t particularly a stickler for rules, nor does he lecture classmates endlessly for lacking a studious mindset. He always seems to know exactly what to say in any situation, and his polite manners are kept well-balanced by the light-hearted way he smoothly partakes in jokes. While the merge caused a lot of tension between the boys and girls, Kuon was one of the students at the forefront of smoothing out the relationship between the two sides and was patient even when things went South. Some might find it frightening that he never seems to get angry and takes irritations in stride, but the vast majority of people simply view him as a refreshingly good-natured person who's always willing to help out a friend in need. However, like an illusion cast upon still waters, Kuon is a fleeting figure who’ll remain by your side only to disappear amidst ripples the moment you reach out to him.

    He’ll lend a friend his homework while jokingly scolding that it’s the last time he’ll allow them to copy it, and he’s frequently the driver of various conversations in his circles. However, those who are more attentive to his words will notice that Kuon never seems to reveal much about his personal life. They’re aware he has younger siblings, but no one seems to have a square answer on how he feels about them or what Kuon’s home situation is like. He’s frequently excusing himself from after school outings to rush to his part-time job, yet it’s unclear exactly where he’s working. Perhaps he’s simply a private person and doesn’t have many worries in his life. In truth, the image he has painstakingly built up is a mere facade, an outer persona crafted to preserve social stability. Everyone believes he’s always bright and energetic, but he’s actually chronically exhausted on the inside and a cynic who’s always questioning people’s motives. The sole reason why he was cooperative in getting the school to work together was simple due to finding all the in-fighting a bigger hassle.

    Completely lacking in trust and believing that resolving issues on his own is the key to independence, Kuon is a hypocrite who reassures his “friends” that he’s always willing to lend a hand despite keeping a mental distance when it comes to his own concerns and insecurities. He acts as if the nickname “King of Silver” they jokingly gave him is funny, but his curse of placing second no matter how much effort he puts into his academics or anything else is the primary source of his deeply-ingrained inferiority complex. As much of a sore loser he is, he reigns in his condescending retorts and represses his poisonous tongue to instead laugh along with their jest. In a similar vein, he’s generally someone who gets annoyed by the things people say easily and tends to dislike more people than he likes, but he puts up with it in order to preserve his clean image. He’s constantly judging people’s worth and currying favor with faculty members based on whose advice and recommendations are most likely to help him succeed in life. Due to this manner of keeping his temper in check at home, work, and school, he has a lot of pent up frustration and is extremely vindictive. Away from prying eyes, his carefully curated public image collapses in the face of his unique method of venting. Are there rumors that you've said or done something you clearly don't remember doing? Things suddenly not going well with your significant other? The reason for your misfortune might be closer than you think. Fortunately, he’s a rather patient individual and it takes a lot for him to reach that point. He’ll never act maliciously against other people if he knows there’s a high chance that there will be repercussions, so much of his pettiness is aimed towards violently kicking vending machines that dare steal his hard-earned money.

    The sole person Kuon openly expresses his distaste towards is his own mother. His classmates hear a milder version of his intense hatred, where he claims that he simply doesn't speak with her much due to her being busy with work. However, he is extremely cold whenever his mother so much as attempts to speak to him, to the point where he ignores her most of the time. During the Tri-City Sports Festival, he even angrily tells her off claiming, “It’s too late for you to try acting like a mother after all these years.” Despite this hatred towards his mother (as well as his father) and his tendency to use people, he is uncharacteristically caring towards and dotes on his younger siblings. Seeing his mother as an unreliable parental figure, he takes it upon himself to not only ensure his younger siblings aren’t burdened by their family situation but is constantly stressing himself out over being a good role model for them. As the eldest in the family who was forced to grow up too fast, he desires to shield his siblings from the same fate and tends to spoil them. His love and care for them as an older sibling is perhaps the only genuine affection he’s capable of expressing.

    Pre-Story Background
    tw: mention of attempted suicide

    The earliest years of Kuon’s life were spent like any other child his age. Like many infants who frequently woke up their parents in the dead of night with their wailing, he grew up into a mischievous child who couldn’t seem to keep himself out of trouble for very long. The Arihara’s little bundle of joy would trek mud into the house or let loose a beetle he happened to catch while playing outside. On occasion, his mother would forcefully march him to the neighbor's house and smack an apology out of her boy who'd gone and tumbled in the dirt with the neighbor's son over who got to play on the swings next. However, no matter what he did and how many scoldings he received, he distinctly remembers that he was nonetheless loved and cherished.

    One troublesome tyrant tyke turned into two, and by the time a third came along, the then six-year-old Kuon began settling into his role as the big brother of their growing family. Whenever Momoi and Hiiro stumbled, he’d be there to set them back upright. Though he himself tripped over the words in the storybooks his father bought for him, he’d do his best to read outloud to his two younger siblings as they fell asleep to the sound of his voice. Unfortunately for their parents, Kuon's definition of looking after his siblings also included teaching them the ways of mischief, and it wasn't long until the three became a collective headache for the couple. All they could do was helplessly shake their heads in disbelief at the various pranks their eldest son managed to drag their two other children into committing. That child was far too devious for his own good, yet they loved him all the same.

    The final additions to their family came as a surprise during Kuon's second-to-last year in elementary school. A month after he turned ten, his household welcomed not one but two more faces into the family. His mother called their names fondly, though her eldest child missed the distinct expression of concern etched onto her face as she gazed down at the tiny figures of Sumire and Sei. However, even a ten-year-old could tell something was wrong when the usual arguments in the house began to escalate into prolonged shouting matches with increasing frequency. Each time the young boy cautiously peeked his head into the room after the angry voices died down, he’d be greeted by the scene of his father brushing past him coldly and his mother breathing out a shaky sigh and apologizing for waking him up.

    “Everything’s fine. It’s nothing you have to worry about, Kuon,” she’d whisper softly as she rubbed soothing circles into his back. Sometimes, he wondered if she was saying it to convince herself that everything was going to be fine. Yet no matter how many times he reassured his mother that he’d be there for her no matter what in fear that her fragile shoulders couldn’t bear the weight of whatever sadness plagued her, she never shared her troubles with him.

    Even when Kuon’s father started spending more time out of the house than he was with his family or when he disappeared altogether when Kuon was twelve, his mother never shed a single tear. One day, she called them together to hold them tight, telling them that they’ll be fine so long as they have each other. Her only plea for help—if he could even call it that—was for Kuon to keep a close eye on his siblings. To be an older brother they could depend on.

    Despite still being in primary school at the time, Kuon wasn’t so dense that he couldn’t see the way his mother started to smile less and began working longer shifts at work. Something had happened, and some clever probing and a slip of the tongue from his nosy aunt revealed that their father had up and left the family with a heavy debt. Though shocked at the revelation, the young child could do nothing but pretend as if he’d never heard anything at all. His mother clearly hadn’t wished for him to know, and his only way to support her was to abide by the vow he’d taken on that day.

    Where he’d once skip out on chores to go and play soccer with his friends, Kuon instead chose to spend that time taking extra care to keep the house neat and tidy. He learned how to do the laundry and cook his mother’s favorite dishes. Whenever he could, he’d take his younger siblings to and from school, while he’d ask his aunt for help and later return the favor when he couldn’t. If they couldn’t understand a math problem, he’d take up the duty of tutoring them so they wouldn’t have to bother their mother. He himself had always been a good student despite his rambunctious attitude, but he began throwing himself fully into his studies. Like any other child his age, there were many moments where he wished for nothing but to throw aside his work to go out and play with his friends. However, he had to work hard if he wanted to become someone who wouldn’t trouble his mother—someone she could be proud of and rely on.

    While his friendships undoubtedly suffered due to his tendency to reject any and all invitations to hang out, Kuon’s naturally social disposition allowed him to live out a stable school life. At least, that was what he’d once believed.

    “That Kuon’s been pretty stuck up lately. It’s always some stupid excuse like ‘Archery practice’ this or ‘I need to head home’ that. Are we suddenly not important anymore now that we’re in middle school? I can’t believe Mika-chan likes someone unsociable like that.”

    Perhaps the conversation had been spurned out of jealousy, but ultimately his so-called friend’s frustration must have built up over time. Lowering his hand from where he’d reached out to slide the classroom door open, Kuon suddenly felt that retrieving his pencil case wasn’t important anymore. The next day, when his usual group of friends greeted him as he walked into the classroom, he acted as if he were none the wiser. Nothing changed on the surface level. They were still a group of students who noisily chatted about nonsense. However, whenever Kuon apologized to his friends and ran home at the earliest time he could, the pang of guilt he once used to feel disappeared completely. Forget them. They weren’t important. As long as he acted as if nothing was wrong and didn’t bring trouble to his family, wasn’t it fine? If they were going to feign friendship, he didn’t mind returning the favor. Though he paid more attention to attending after school hangouts when he could, Kuon’s manner of distancing himself and maintaining lukewarm “friendships” became the status quo.

    It was around this time that Kuon began developing a complex about his shortcomings. He tried to convince himself that he was smart and that hard work would pay off. However, whenever he drew that bowstring back, his arrow would always reach just short of victory. No matter how many nights he kept himself up late to revise his notes and study, he always fell just a few points below the top ranker in school. It wasn’t as if he was good at everything he tried, yet when an overwhelming number of results landed him in second place, the nickname “King of Silver” began circulating around the school. To match the mood of his classmates, he acted as if he thought the moniker was funny and acted jokingly offended to make the person who brought it up laugh. Unbeknownst to them, the more this pattern continued, the more he began to feel unsure of whether or not he was “good enough”. But no one was perfect, right? As long as he tried his best, wasn’t it fine?

    However, in his final year of Junior High, he learned that all wasn’t fine. He’d already known that his mother had grown more and more reticent over the years. If she wasn’t at work, she immediately went to bed. It was as if Kuon and his siblings didn’t exist, but he always did his best to talk about school and the things his younger siblings got up to whenever she was around and awake to listen. He was always trying his best to get her smile back.

    On that day, he’d skipped out on Archery practice in order to get a head start on studying for an exam later that week. The house was dark despite his mother’s shoes clearly being present in the entryway when Kuon returned home from school. They’d been kicked off haphazardly as per usual, and the boy initially hadn’t thought much of it as he placed them neatly back on the shoe rack. Perhaps his mother had experienced a rough day and asked her boss to head home early. It wouldn’t be strange for her to have turned all the lights off and closed the curtains so she wouldn’t have anything disturbing a well-deserved rest.

    Things only began looking weird when Kuon noted that while the rest of the house was dark, he could see light filtering from underneath the bathroom door. Concerned since his mother hadn’t answered him announcing that he was home despite evidently being awake, he gently knocked on the door to ask if she was alright. Once. Twice. When she didn’t reply for the third time, panic washed over him, and he quickly reached out to turn the doorknob. Fortunately, his mother had left the door unlocked. The sight that greeted his eyes made his blood run cold.

    “It’s a relief you found her when you did, or things could have gotten serious. Fortunately, there won’t be any lasting effects…”

    The voice of the doctor explaining his mother’s condition to Kuon droned on, but he barely caught the diagnosis and the hospital’s suggestion that his mother see a therapist. His mind buzzed with repeated questions of “Why?” Why would she do such a thing? Why would she, when she had them to rely on? As if noticing the numb state of the adolescent’s mind, the doctor excused himself from the room to leave the boy alone with his mother.

    When his mother finally opened her eyes, she merely stared blankly at the white ceiling while Kuon kept his gaze trained upon her unreadable face.

    “What were you doing?” Kuon asked almost too quietly, hesitantly breaking the silence after what seemed like an eternity.

    As if some spell she’d been under had broken, his mother suddenly brought her hands to her face. She was already lying down, but had she been standing, she would have undoubtedly collapsed into a quivering mess on the floor. Before Kuon could walk closer to check on his mother, her next words became a wall that kept him solidly away from her bedside.

    “I feel miserable whenever I look at you.”

    Kuon never truly understood the meaning behind her words that day. What exactly was it about him that drove her so far into a corner? What he did understand, however, was that those words were a solid rejection. He’d worked so hard, yet his feelings had never reached her. Where had he gone wrong? He- no, they needed her, but she pushed them away until she decided to completely abandon them in the end. Was it truly his fault? Was he such a pathetic creature that his mother could no longer even bear to look at him? Why was it that when her family was right here, her eyes continued to search for the man who’d abandoned them? Why was it that no matter how hard he tried, he’d always be placed second to something else?

    The questions he wanted answers to all died in his throat, instead culminating into a rhetorical question: “Then what was I supposed to do!”

    Kuon walked out of that sterile room and never looked back. He didn’t care anymore, or so he tried to convince himself. A quick call to his aunt took care of however the hell his mother wanted to proceed. Nonetheless, the damage was done, and he vowed to never look after his mother ever again.

    However, the concerned looks on his younger sibling’s faces the next day shook his resolve. Fine, if his mother couldn’t be bothered to be a parent, then he’d just do it himself.

    Strangely, it was as if nothing had changed in the house aside from the suffocating, underlying tension whenever his mother was in the same room as Kuon. After her visit to the hospital, his mother continued the same pattern as she once had, burying herself in work and spending the rest of her time locked away in her room. This time, Kuon bitterly thought to himself that she could rot in there for all he cared.

    Any attention Kuon had once given his mother was added onto the care he practically smothered his younger siblings with. He quit his club and chose to attend Teijiro instead of his first choice in order to choose a school closer to home, not to mention the tuition was cheaper. Aiming to become independent as soon as possible, he took up a part-time job at the local Izakaya to save up funds for college. Momoi, being the sensitive girl she was, frequently asked if he wasn’t working himself too hard. Even she eventually stopped after the hundredth time he brushed her off with a consoling headpat stating he was doing just fine.

    “Everything’s just fine.”

    Common Route Story Background
    The closing down of Teijiro High came with much unrest and upset. Gone was their privilege to idly hang out within the familiar classrooms after school. Even the soccer field had been promptly demolished as soon as the decision to hand over the land’s rights was confirmed. Amidst the whiplash from being kicked out of the halls they should have milled about for another year, many of the students of the former all boys and all girls schools expressed a high degree of dissent from the merger. To Kuon, their antics were rather juvenile, though perhaps his apathy towards the situation stemmed from his lack of care towards people as a whole, much less gender.

    Irritated by the lack of efficiency in the classroom with the way the male and female students segregated themselves as if the other gender were diseased, Kuon gradually began advocating for the two sides to make amends. When fights between the male and female students broke out, he gently made his way to the forefront to de-escalate the situation. Civilly and without throwing out insults, he did his best to come up with logical solutions for both sides and soothe the ever growing tensions. At certain points, some of the male students accused him of catering to the female students with the way he often lent them his aid, to which he calmly explained that he did the same for all and that ultimately he was simply being mindful of the fact that everyone was in the same boat. They couldn’t act this way all the way to graduation, especially with school activities such as group projects and festivals being collaborative efforts. As third years, wasn’t it up to them to set a good example for the school? Meanwhile, deep down Kuon also couldn’t help but think that this should have been the teachers’ jobs, and that they were being absolutely useless.

    Hearing rumors of the “Reliable Problem Solver” who’d managed to get the students in his class stop immediately glaring at the other in suspicion the moment an incident occured, a student from another class approached him with a request to join the Gender Relations Club. What a stupid name, he thought, though he politely rejected them on the grounds that he was too busy with work and his college prep to join a club. At least, that was the plan until he found himself handing in his application form a week later.

    It was for an entirely dumb reason, one that wouldn’t have occured had he not been bagged down by the stress of being the class mediator or the random phonecall from the person he’d least expect. Ever since he’d left the hospital that day, the word “Mom” never popped up within his call log. Their cold war continued all the way until now, yet the unfamiliar contact had lit up the screen of his smartphone. Lowering the 500 yen coin he was just about to insert into the vending machine in front of him, Kuon hurriedly picked up the call in fear that something had happened to one of his siblings. After a chilling silence, the unfamiliar voice of his mother asked, hesitantly, “...Kuon? How’s your new school? I’ll be back from my business trip in another two days, and I have something to tell you-.”

    Yanking his phone away from his ear as if burned by her words, Kuon hurriedly ended the call and stared blankly at the darkened phone screen. Patience wearing entirely thin, he shoved the coin in his hand into the vending machine and punched in a random number. He honestly didn’t care anymore. Except…nothing happened. Had he accidentally walked under a ladder earlier that day? As if rubbing salt in the wound, the machine failed to produce the promised drink. Or his change. In a moment of anger (and poor judgment), he aimed a harsh kick at the lower compartment of the machine. To his horror, the heavy clunk of at least three cans sounded from the dispenser. Great, not only was he a temperamental brat, now he was a vandal and a thief too.

    “Fucking hell…” he breathed out in exasperation. Nothing was going his way that day, and as if to prove his point, the sound of a poorly muffled laugh came from behind him. Naturally, it was just his luck that the culprit would use the opportunity to subtly blackmail him into joining the Gender Relations Club. Free will be damned.

    If being forcibly recruited into the Gender Relations Club weren’t bad enough, Kuon had joined the club right as the Principal handed the club the monumental task of preparing for the upcoming tri-city sports festival. Things were threatening to fall apart right from the start. Funds were being allocated to the wrong places (why did the Beautification Club need another five crates of tulip bulbs?) while dire emergencies were being completely ignored (how could they possibly host a sports festival with such run-down equipment?). To make matters worse, accusations of sabotage began being thrown left-and-right as soon as problems such as the peepholes in the girls’ locker room and the damaged sports equipment. Quickly and efficiently, Kuon threw up suggestions for the Gender Relations Clubs to be assembled into teams. One group would focus on recouping their losses, another would look into the damages and what caused them, and the final group would work on getting the school’s budget back on track.

    Kuon, as part of the finance team, found himself being forced to sacrifice hours at work to instead run around the school negotiating with the various clubs. Some, such as the Beautification Club, were surprisingly amicable to the changes in the allocated budget. Ends up, someone had simply messed up and sent out an old budget request that the club president had already vetoed and they had no need for the extra funds at the time. Others were far more difficult to convince. The bull-headed members of the Theater Club were extremely insistent upon the irrational amount of funds that they’d been allocated, claiming that they needed the money to fix the shabby stage which was a bit worn but nowhere near unuseable. Fortunately, the owner of Kuon’s workplace had relations with the owner of a cloth store, and the Gender Relations Club was able to strike a deal where they were promised discounted materials to cut down on the costs of costumes and props so long as the Theater Club bought in bulk. Though they’d still have to delay sprucing up the stage, they’d only have to wait a year at best in exchange for years of cheaper materials.

    With the proper funds reallocated to the Gender Relations Club and other fundraising activities they’d conducted on the side, the school was able to refurbish the aged wall of the girls’ locker room, replace the faulty sports equipment, and successfully save the sports festival from certain doom. As the students cheered that their hard work finally seemed to be paying off, even Kuon couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He’d always ducked out of such events, but maybe it wasn’t so bad to participate every so often. It’d look good on his résumé, he reasoned with himself.

    Unfortunately, the students of Yuzu High wouldn’t be able to ride that high for long, as the first few events of the tri-city sports festival produced less than satisfactory results. Undeterred by the rapidly falling morale, a group of students in the Gender Relations Club quickly banded together to form a ragtag cheer squad which Kuon was unfortunately dragged into joining. Many of their chants were unconventional at best and stupid at their worst. However, the silly atmosphere the squad produced managed to bring the mood of the students back up, further boosted when Yuzu High took their first successful placement in first.

    Kuon himself had done decently in the events he’d signed up for, though it wasn’t until the 300m dash that he truly pushed himself. As an unpopular event, he’d signed up on a whim and hadn’t intended on taking things all too seriously. Yet his naturally competitive spirit couldn’t help but order his legs to run faster, faster, and even faster when the student next to him remained just out of reach. He’d only end up disappointing himself once again, crossing the finish line a mere fraction of a second behind the student who’d taken first place. However, while he wallowed in his curse of always placing second, a hard smack on his back sent him stumbling forward and a cold water bottle was pressed to his face.

    “You were so close! Man, I was on the edge of my seat just watching you. I didn’t know you could run like that since your nose is always stuck deep in a book.”

    For a few seconds, Kuon stood there in stunned silence. Then, a laugh. Honestly, he couldn’t understand why he was laughing, but it was as if a little bit of the weight on his chest had been lifted.

    Despite their poor performance in earlier events, Yuzu High had managed to close the gap and just needed to win the cavalry battle to take the gold. Though Kuon himself didn’t participate in the cavalry battle, the applause he gave as everyone cheered at the results was for once genuine.

    Kuon’s good mood didn’t last for long, when he found his mother and a man he’d never seen before waiting for him on the school grounds. Knowing that his mother wouldn’t bring a random coworker to watch a high school sports festival, it didn’t take much for him to put two and two together.

    “If you’re asking for my blessings, you already know I don’t care. Do whatever the hell you want as you always do,” he spat angrily. Before he could storm off past his mother, she softly spoke up that she’d simply come to watch one of the many moments she’d missed in his life for all those years. And just like that, he snapped.

    “It’s too late for you to try acting like a mother after all these years.”

    With those bitingly cold words said, he stalked off to finish cleaning up and putting away the equipment. Whenever someone took note of his uncharacteristically bad mood, Kuon immediately slipped back on that polite mask of his and reassured them that nothing was wrong. He was just in the Gender Relations Club due to being blackmailed. It’s not like they were friends he could confide in, and how he felt was frankly none of their business.

    Just like that, Winter rapidly approached, and the time for the student body to vote on the fate of Yuzu High loomed over the head of the Gender Relations Club. Fortunately, Kuon working with the Beautification Club and Newspaper Club produced an assortment of articles displaying the life that the old high school still had going for it. In addition, the other members of the Gender Relations Club had managed to successfully campaign to spread awareness of what exactly the last school in Kusatsu closing down meant. You’d no longer be attending school in your familiar town, the two hours spent in transit to school meant two hours of your livelihood wasted (Kuon’s main reason for supporting the movement), and worse of all you’d have to say goodbye to many of the familiar faces you befriended over the semester. The combined efforts of several clubs managed to convince the student body to rally to stay at Yuzu High, and the first semester came to a peaceful closure.

    Despite making it into the next year, Yuzu High wouldn’t be out of the red, as rumors of the school being cursed and the students themselves hating the school were spread around in a series of smear articles. Spurred on by the camaraderie they’d developed in the past semester, angry whispers filled the halls, as the students of Yuzu High began to speculate who was responsible for the repeated attacks on the school. This unrest kept spirits low despite the school attending a trip to the nearby hot springs. Unbeknownst to the students, this trip would become their golden ticket to unraveling the mystery behind all the closures.

    “It’s only a matter of time that Yuzu is demolished like the rest of those stupid schools. Pah, they really caused so much trouble for a shabby school in a backwater town.”

    By a stroke of luck, Kuon who’d decided to take a walk outside happened to overhear a businessman gloating over his alleged incoming victory. Recording the conversation and sneaking back off to the residence reserved for the Yuzu students, he shared his findings with the members of the Gender Relations Club. Understandably, many became incensed at the discovery. However, the calmer members of the club agreed that releasing the recording wouldn’t be able to do much. After all, the developers technically hadn’t committed any crimes, and all the voice recording proved was that some drunken businessman was happy that an unwanted school was close to being demolished.

    Instead, Kuon suggested they twisted the cursed narrative to their benefit. Hauntings weren’t necessarily a bad thing, as seen in the way many people sneak off to aged temples as a test of courage, and many schools had their own set of “Seven Wonders”. If they could investigate the rumors of the school being cursed and then twist it into an article painting it in a fun light, they could successfully alleviate both the rumors of the curses and the students disliking the school in one fell swoop.

    With permission from the Principal granted, the Gender Relations Club set off on a small mission to uncover the Seven Wonders of Yuzu High, leading to many frankly hilarious situations courtesy of the scaredy cats in the club. The school newspaper article and the videos uploaded on MeTube quickly made the event go viral and garnered enough interest to cement a “test of courage” in the list of Yuzu High’s official events.

    Nonetheless, the harassment from the developers would continue even after the success of the “Seven Wonders of Yuzu High” video series. This time they sabotaged the school’s annual cultural festival, which Kuon thought was a low blow even for the likes of adults. He could understand why they were so determined to demolish the school, as they’d be able to develop the land and operate in Kusatsu for a far cheaper price than they could elsewhere. However, even he couldn’t help but admit that he’d gotten attached. Just ever so slightly. Besides, he wasn’t a quitter. He’d already come this far, so he might as well fight to the bitter end.

    When the theme of “National Host/Maid Café Tournament” was determined, the students handling the finances of the event once again had their hands full. Protests were made, and arguments were thrown left and right over how much money should be invested into the costumes, food, and other aspects of the event. Even Kuon who normally possessed the patience of a saint found himself butting heads with another student over how many food items the students could handle on the menu (or perhaps he was just finally comfortable with openly arguing with the club members).

    As a means to further increase interest in the festival and the school as a whole through special events and campaigns, the Gender Relations Club announced that their café would also be hosting a stamp rally. Any visitors who managed to successfully find the seven locations mentioned in a series of riddles and collected all seven stamps on the stamp card handed out at the entrance of the school would receive the café’s special, secret dessert free of charge. The initial announcement of the tournament, the stamp rally, and the blog posts advertising their café made the event a smashing success, treading the developer’s nefarious plans in the dirt.

    Though Kuon had initially been concerned over whether or not his mother would attempt to attend the event once again, the sole familiar visitor was his younger sister who’d come to make fun of his costume. The little brat. However, once Momoi and her friends got up to leave, the girl asked for the two others to go on ahead without her.

    “Y’know…she wanted to come too, but Sasahara-san asked her not to,” she mentioned bluntly. When her brother didn’t answer, she rolled her eyes and shrugged as if he was the one being childish. “People can change. Just like how you did. And I think mom did too.”

    Cheeky brat. He was docking part of her allowance for the next month.

    As much as he denied it, her words left an impression. Had he changed? Him? Even after the conclusion of the Cultural Festival and the start of exam season, the question continued to hang over his head. Only the shock of the grades of certain students snapped him out of his daze.

    “Did you…drool on your notebook?”

    “Well, Kuon. SOME people actually have a life and don’t ferment in their rooms studying all day. I slept late the night before. I can’t help it if I doze off!”

    “So you mean you’re irresponsible and don’t have your priorities straight. Got it.”

    Despite the quipping and ribbing, the student body managed to divide themselves neatly into several groups of students whose good and bad subjects complimented each other. Kuon and several other students with neat and well-organized notes passed their notebooks around for other students to copy, and they made sure to point out the topics they knew were most likely to be on the exams.

    For the first time in his entire life, Kuon found his eyes trailing towards the class average first before looking for his overall placement in the grade. It was a pleasant surprise that his tutoring and the Gender Relations Club’s efforts hadn’t gone to waste, as many students thanked him for his help and the school’s ranking had skyrocketed on a national level.

    As a final celebration to commemorate the end to a successful school year, the Gender Relations Club set up a “prom” modeled after those hosted by graduating students in the States. Kuon didn’t understand why they’d set aside funds and work so hard on planning an event that didn’t necessarily benefit the school, but he did his due diligence as to not rain on their parade. After all, the students had worked hard, and perhaps this was their way of relaxing.

    “Have you decided on who you’re going to invite?” was the favorite question amongst the students leading up to the school dance. A question that whenever it was aimed at Kuon, he couldn’t help but trail his eyes in a certain direction…

    Personality (At End)
    Old habits die hard. By the conclusion of the Common Route, Kuon’s overall behavior remains unchanged. He still faces the students in class and his coworkers with that signature customer service facade of his, and he still doesn’t seem to understand the concept of taking breaks. However, the once toxic viper has been milked of its poison, producing an individual who’s still very much closed off and dishonest but has learned to accept his faults. If anything, he’s ceased his self-destructive tendencies in light of acknowledging that even if he can’t be number one, there’s still someone out there who cares. He continues to hold onto that childish desire of his to stand at the top, but he’s learned to take other people’s concerns over his health into consideration. After all, humans are meant to work hard for the sake of becoming happy and not the other way around.

    Unfortunately, years of repressing his emotions and keeping his true thoughts under lock and key means honesty is very much a work in progress even after the events of the common route. He’s changed, but not so much that he’s a completely new person. Just the fact that he's on speaking terms with his mother (even if they don't have much to say to each other) is a significant development that's managed to make a small dent in his trust issues. Any personal inquiries along the lines of "how's your day?" are inevitably answered with "just fine", and he lacks the confidence to openly lay out his qualms and concerns out for others to see. However, he allows other parts of his true persona to show when around those he's managed to build a tentative friendship with. Most notably, his unfiltered words tend to be extremely sarcastic in nature, revealing much of his true opinions concerning other people and topics as compared to the sugar-coated white lies he typically spouts. He's also been revealed to be a rather smug individual underneath that kind mask of his, as he seems to enjoy teasing others in that dry tone carrying obviously feigned politeness.

    Despite the casual and dismissive manner in which he interacts with certain members of the Gender Relations Club, Kuon has a difficult time admitting that he's come to enjoy their presence not as tools but as friends. In fact, the derisive comments and sarcastic teasing are his way of covering up the overwhelming sense of awkwardness he experiences when faced with genuine concern and appreciation from others. Words of affection come easy to him when the recipients are his younger siblings or the acquaintances he pretends to care about, yet he suddenly finds himself at a loss for words and far less eloquent when he needs to express his true feelings towards his friends or the person he…likes. Make sure to listen carefully when he does, because he won’t say it twice.

    Club: Gender Relations Club

    Likes:
    • Handheld Food Items: Kuon’s typical lunches consist of sandwiches and the type of rice balls that are completely wrapped in nori. Consuming CalorieMate products while studying tends to cause people to scold him for his poor diet, so easy-to-eat handheld foods are the next best thing. The fact that he can easily pack a few using the scraps leftover from making bentos for his siblings is a plus. Cheap, efficient to make, and efficient to eat. What more could you ask for?
    • Coffee Jelly: Despite not really caring about the taste of what he eats, he secretly really likes the coffee jelly from Café Yuzuriha. It’s the perfect gelatinous texture and has just the right balance between its sweetness and bitter notes. Café Yuzuriha serves it with a dash of caramel sauce and milk foam instead of whip cream, so it suits his tastes perfectly. It’s a bit on the pricey side, so he only ever buys it as a special treat for his younger sister who also happens to be a big fan.
    • Summer Festivals: He still recalls playing at a summer festival with his parents while young. It’s noisy and crowded, but he holds a nostalgic fondness for them to this day. He’s memorized the best locations to watch the fireworks from and is surprisingly adept at scooping goldfish (though he refuses to keep them). However, he seems hesitant to go unless his siblings ask him to take them there. At the end of the day, it’s a nostalgic but bittersweet memory of a time he can never return to.
    • Nighttime Walks: Some people fear the dark, but Kuon finds his nightly walk home from work relaxing. He won’t go out of his way to waste time idling around the streets at night, but he does enjoy the tranquil atmosphere whenever he can. It’s about the only time he allows himself to think of nothing.

    Dislikes:
    • Food That’s Troublesome to Consume: Kuon generally dislikes any food that you can’t just pick up and put in your mouth. He eats to fulfill his nutritional needs rather than for taste, so he especially detests things that are a hassle to eat yet provide few calories. For example, he won’t eat mandarins unless someone peels it for him, and he finds shellfish such as lobster to be too troublesome (not to mention expensive) to enjoy. What’s the point in cracking the spiny shell and painstakingly cleaning out the meat only to obtain a disappointing amount of meat?
    • Art: Does he dislike drawing because he’s terrible at it, or is he bad at drawing because he dislikes it? Whatever the case, whoever made art a mandatory class should burn in hell.
    • Arcades: They’re noisy and a waste of money in his opinion. It’s definitely not because he’s a sore loser.
    • Raising Pets: He doesn’t dislike the animals themselves but is strongly averse to the idea of raising a pet. Whenever his younger siblings bring a stray dog or cat home, he’s quick to find a new home for them. They take too much energy and attention, and it isn’t a good idea to get attached to an animal that’ll pass away within a decade.

    Hobbies:
    • Kyudo: He used to be in the Archery Club but quit after he graduated Junior High. He joined the Literature Club in order to spend less time at school and more time at work and was later forced into the Gender Relations Club, but he seems to still enjoy the feeling of drawing the bowstring back.
    • Studying: As sad as it sounds, Kuon actually enjoys studying to a certain extent. Or rather he enjoys listening to the sound of graphite scratching against paper while being free from having to think about work, socializing, or looking after his siblings.
    • Cooking: It’s been two years since his younger sister took over cooking duty, but he still helps out whenever he can. He dislikes the cleanup, but the act of cooking itself became fun over the years.
    • Shogi: He might not be the best at video games, but he’s skilled at puzzles and board games after years of entertaining his siblings. Ever since his uncle dumped an old board at their house, Kuon’s curiosity got the better of him and he eventually developed an interest in Shogi. He doesn’t play competitively, but he’s good enough to have been scouted by the school’s Shogi Club after playing a casual match with one of its members.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • Get into Keio University and eventually make his way through the medical field until he’s able to become a licensed anesthesiologist. He realizes it’ll take a while to become a doctor, but he wants at least his youngest two siblings to have no worries on what they wish to do for high school and college.
    • He’ll never admit it, but he secretly wishes that he could pick up Kyudo competitively again. Unfortunately, he’s convinced himself that there’s no time for that.

    Most Embarrassing Moment:
    "Arihara-kun is surprisingly prideful, isn't he?"

    "Ah…yeah, who would have thought all those excuses were because he was bad at art! I think even my baby brother can draw better."

    "It was- pffbt. I honestly couldn't stop laughing. Though maybe that was rude, hehe."

    "He did seem awfully flustered about it. I don't see why he finds it so shameful, though. He always seems so composed and capable, so it's kind of refreshing to see that even he has his faults."

    “The cat was kind of cute, anyway. In a childish way.”

    “Huh? I thought it was a fox.”

    “Eh…?”

    Insecurities:
    • King of Silver: As someone who always comes in second at best no matter how hard he tries, Kuon feels that his abilities are inadequate and will never measure up to anything. He sees himself as a jack of all trades, master of none.
    • Unlikable: He’s aware of the fact that he has a nasty personality. He doesn’t have many people he’s emotionally attached to, but he strongly believes people only like the Arihara Kuon who pretends to be kind and generous. Even when some people have proved that they won’t leave him when he revealed his true colors, he’s hesitant to experiment with whether or not that’ll remain the same if he were to lay down his emotional baggage on them as well. There’s also the fact that he’s done quite a few unsavory things in the past…
    • No Real Goals: His desire to become a doctor is purely due to the monetary incentive. He doesn’t have anything he’s particularly passionate about in life, so he often feels lost/empty and is jealous of the people who have something they truly enjoy and love. From time to time, he laments the way the Kuon of the past didn’t experiment much with his hobbies and passions, but there’s not much he can do about it at this point.
    • Weight of Responsibility: Feels that he doesn't have the wiggle room to mess up because he has to be a good role model for his younger siblings. He's constantly fretting over whether or not he's a good older brother and becomes stressed whenever something unpredictable throws a wrench in his family-related plans. It doesn’t help that the childhood trauma of seeing his mother wither away and neglect the household drives him to believe that he’s not allowed to show weakness in front of his siblings.
 
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  • Boy: Takumi Shimizu
  • Girl: Fusae Katou
  • I enjoy the trope of romantic feelings developing by "accident". Say, the two get close for something unrelated or just as friends and while that happens, they also catch feelings for each other. I also like the idea of opposites attracting, two characters that have completely opposite personalities, maybe even start at odds, but fall in love despite or because of that.

  • TBA!
 


  • Basic Information
    Standard Information in Reguards to Your Character

    'Communication' Monologue

    "Well, it’s great if you can pull off a conversation. I’m not the most… uhh… eloquent guy, but here’s how I see things: if you got words stuck in your mouth, you spit ‘em out! Too many troubles in the world are all from people waiting for the right moment, or the right mood, or right words, or ya know, whatever. So I’ll say what I’ve got on my chest, and make sure everyone always knows where I stand!"


    Yanagi, Shisukiya
    Shisukiya_Jojomodo.png

    Speech Color: #92263C
    Gender: Male
    Age: 18

    Date of Birth: 23th of September
    Blood Type: O
    Height: 184cm
    Weight: 96kg

    Character Voice: Ono Yuki
    Character Theme: Autumn



    Character Background and Personality
    Section dedicated to your character's character and their involvement in the story.

    Love means nothing, therefore Love Means Anything Monologue
    "Love Means Nothing but a feeling in the moment. But, like a block of wood, that feeling can be molded into something really special if you keep carving away at it. It just takes time and several honest conversations. Once we start treating it that way, I think we’ll start sparking some really amazing relationships. So what I’m saying is… Love Means Nothing. Therefore, Love Means Anything."


    Personality (At Start)
    Of the boys, Shisukiya is the first to blurt out what, in most cases, most of them are thinking. That one guy who shouts "Booooo!!" at an underwhelming performance while everyone else stays politely quiet. He’s not a major jerk or anything, but the complete lack of a filter has led to a reputation for being rude. Shisukiya is often the first to call out the uppity girls on their lack of honesty, demanding they quit mixing words to be polite and say how they feel, nice and simple.


    Pre-Story Background
    Shisukiya grew up living a fairly normal, middle-class life. However, his parents had a peculiar way of dealing with arguments: silence and passive-aggression. The sort of thing that festered under the surface until it exploded in fits of rage that made him shiver in horror as a young boy. This impacted him more than he realized, as he ended up vowing to always speak his mind about everything, no matter the cost.

    Being a bit of a sports junkie, Shisukiya enrolled in Teijiro Boy’s School as it seemed the best option. There, his open and honest charisma took the whole school by storm. Many of the boys ended up emboldened, simply by being around his generally aggressive personality. Shisukiya also got involved in a few different sports, and was a master at pointing out people’s flaws without being downright savage with the insults. All things considered, everything was pretty much perfect… until the news hit…


    Common Route Story Background
    Shisukiya is initially skeptical about a "gender relations club," insisting the problem isn’t gender, but the girls being stuffy, passive-aggressive snobs. During the initial meeting, he causes several of the initial arguments as he voices his thoughts (which are really most of the boys’ thoughts) on each of the girls. He’s quickly accused as rude and brutish, but shrugs it off as "honesty." His bold assertions end up forcing everyone to be more honest as well, allowing everyone the chance to explain themselves.

    After a long string of arguments, Shisukiya reveals a love of the land, wanting to remain in the local area around the community he grew up in. The group launches into yet another argument about whether the school is even worth saving. Shisukiya solidly stands firm in insisting it should be saved, even if he’s not a fan of the school itself. As everyone takes a stand for or against it, they reveal more in-depth motivations and aspirations, breaking down their simplified conceptions of each other and becoming friends.

    Shortly after, the club is tasked with preparing everyone for the Tri-city sports festival, and launches right into everything. Several of the boys make a habit of trashing on the girls, insisting they’re all just rich snobs who’ve never played a sport in their lives. Shisukiya becomes the main advocate for the girls, correcting every misconception brought up. Noticing how he seems to know a crazy amount about them, plus his membership in the "Gender relations club," they turn on him and start accusing sim of stalking. Despite his insistence to the contrary, they continue to believe he’s up to creepy stuff, but manages to calm their worries as a side effect. Ultimately, the festival goes well, and Yuzu High narrowly takes the gold trophy.

    As the year is about to come to a close, the vote to stay or transfer comes around, and each student is faced with the choice. Just when it seems things are starting to lean towards staying, a smooth talking politician arrives and begins to tell grand tales of the city life. He even goes as far as to offer cash bribes, persuading several.

    To really sell the city life, the politician brings a giant food truck full of food from popular restaurants in the city, giving it away for free in front of the school. Noticing this, Shisukiya calls the club together and fires everyone up with the idea of running a potluck, using local, family recipes. This turns out a rousing success, as not only do the kids’ families help, but several family members also visit the school to tell people the stories behind their dishes. Shisukiya in particular ends up convincing nearly a dozen family members to participate, showing just how many ties he has to the local area. In the end, the event seems to rekindle the lost interest in staying, and the school ultimately gets enough students remaining to stay open.

    Next year, horrible rumors about the school, blablabla. In the midst of this, Shisukiya recommends a school trip out to nature to relax a bit. Some of the club members oppose this, and they end up compromising on a mountaintop hot spring trip. There, the students overhear a conversation that reveals the cooperation trying to shut the school, along with the reason. Learning of this, Shisukiya bursts into the private room and shouts a string of insults, then storms off into the woods in an outrage. One of the girl’s follows him, he narrowly saves her from toppling off a small cliff, and then he shares a few childhood memories about a small little forested area that was recently leveled. He starts to give up hope in fighting such a large cooperation, but she encourages him to keep fighting with everyone, and they return to the rest of the group.

    When they return, the club throw around a few ideas for videos, hoping to create some positive PR for the school. After throwing ideas back and forth, they arrive at a dance video advertising a host/maid cafe tournament for the cultural festival. Shisukiya calls up his absurdly large family and after a great amount of effort and retries, they finally end up with a mess of flailing limbs just bad enough to be hilarious, and it goes viral. It’s during this video that everyone realized how much he loves dancing, and how much he really shouldn’t dance. In the end, the event goes well, with Shisukiya helping make the food in the background.

    As the horrific test scores look over everyone— a final hurdle to overcome —Shisukiya suddenly begins to avoid the club. Confronting him, most people received an awkward grin and a wave, but as they ask what’s wrong, he just shrugs and says nuthin’. Eventually, the girl who followed him out of the hot springs confronts him and demands to know what’s up with him. He reveals that his math scores are a special sort of horrible, and he doesn’t believe he’s even capable of improving. He ends up dragged into a study group, and quickly storms out in frustration as everyone runs circles around him.

    The girl follows him home, watching him at work in his garage, slowly carving a log of wood into the shape of a dragon. After a short conversation about his personal interests, she has the idea of tutoring him personally, using concepts he understands: trajectories of a baseball when hit with a bat, weight of wood, and so on. After several painful hours, he slowly starts to understand, and they meet several more times. Eventually, he rejoins the study group, and after a couple more weeks of study crunching, he improves several grades (along with the others), saving the Yuzu High from shutting down.

    As the club shuts down for good, Shisukiya thanks everyone for their honesty and says he’s glad he joined, even if he still believes the name of the club is dumb, and that several of the girls are still snobs. He expresses interest in running for mayor, hoping to protect more of the local town from getting demolished and maybe even fix things up a little bit.


    Personality (At End)
    Shisukiya doesn’t change too much, but ends up feeling less resentful of the snobby cityfolk, and instead seeks to legally preserve as much of his hometown as possible. He feels more capable: like he can make a real impact. He still speaks his mind with conviction, but has mellowed out and learned there are times to keep silent.

    Club
    Gender Relations Club

    Likes:
    • Animals — The weirder the better. Shisukiya is the sorta guy who’d keep an octopus as a pet if he could.
    • Power tools — So much better than regular tools. He has a garage full of them, several of which he’s used one or twice and never again. But when he needs them, he’ll have them!
    • Dancing — He likes it… and is really bad at it.
    • Postcards — Especially ones with great nature photos.

    Dislikes:
    • Large corporations — Get the darn warehouses out of here! These giant abominations are soulless!
    • Spiders — He’s okay with any other bug, but spiders are creepy beyond redemption.
    • Snobs — Rich people… or anyone really, who prances around acting better than everyone else.
    • Algebra — Doesn’t get it at all. Easily his worse subject in school.

    Hobbies:
    • Sports — He’s pretty darn good, and loves to let off some steam, particularly with baseball.
      • Baseball — Favorite.
      • Basketball — Likes it.
      • Running — Eh, if there’s nothing better to do.
    • Watching Anime — Especially action-packed shonen.
    • Wood carving — Mostly of animals. He’s become pretty skilled too, and has been working on a giant dragon here and there for several months now.
    • Hiking — A great place to see animals up close and reconnect with nature.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • Professional Baseball Player — Someday, he’d love to play professionally for the NPB. Something set back considerably as the reputable all-boys high school was shut down and replaced with an underwhelming Yuzu High.
    • Start a nature preservation — With the warehouses spreading nearby his beloved home, he’d love to see the place officially recognized to preserve its natural beauty.

    Most Embarrassing Moment
    He once told a girl to her face that her dress was the most ugly thing he’d ever seen and that it make her look like a skunk. This, understandably, didn’t go well, and it’s a moment that no one in school ever lets him forget.

    Insecurities
    • Loudmouth — I speak without thinking much. Would someone really like to associate with such brutal honesty?
    • Amateur — Can I really be good enough to play professionally? I’m nowhere near their level…
    • Bad grades — I’ve always struggled even to get Bs. Can I ever improve? Will I ever catch up to everyone else?
 

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  • Boy: Daisuke Kobayashi
  • Girl: Tomiko Ito
  • I've always liked the 'enemies to lovers' trope where characters start out as mortal enemies, and slowly come to understand and become protective of each other over the course of the story. Or alternatively, when two characters have competed in everything since they were younger and consider the other person their rival, but realise that they understand the other person more than anyone else and they have never really hated each other.


  • BASIC INFORMATION
    Kobayashi, Daisuke Sorry, I’m not much of a talker…

    It’s just… It’s a skill that’s always evaded me. I’ve never been good at saying the right thing at the right time. When I was younger, I was too loud or too intense. Now maybe I’ve overcorrected that. No matter what though, I can never seem to put those around me at ease. I just always start off on the wrong foot with people in every conversation. It’s all just an uphill battle that I just cannot win. People find ways to be afraid of me.

    I found it easier if I just don’t try at all. My family knows who I am and that’s enough. It’s better to leave the talking to other people.

    1667014818928.png    ​
    Speech Color: #954535 or 'Chestnut'
    Gender: Male
    Age: 18 years old
    Date of Birth: 4th of May
    Blood Type: A
    Height: 193cm
    Weight: 90kg
    Character Voice:     Ryotaro Okiayu
    Character Theme: Path of the Wind
    CHARACTER BACKGROUND AND PERSONALITY
    Love means Nothing.

    It was the start of a quote that I heard once, and something I never agreed with. I grew up surrounded by love after all. But the love that I knew wasn’t one to be confined to fancy words and poems. It was so much more than that. It was the sound of my parent’s radio as they danced around our living room, the feeling of my mother’s hand on my shoulder as she taught me to cook, the joy in my sister’s face after I made her favourite meal. Even from a young age, I understood love as the little moments that helped guide you through your life. I was content with the love and understanding of my family. It wasn’t until recently I realised just how much I wanted the sort of love that my parents had. That understanding and open acceptance of another person. I always thought it just wasn’t in the cards for me- people saw me as a monster after all. But someone came into my life and made me hope for something more. She’s different and even if she decides that I’m not the one for her, I will be happy and a better person for just having known her.

    Love means nothing, therefore Love means anything.
    ​
    Personality (At Start)
    Standing at 193cm tall, with a muscular build and stern features, Daisuke towers over all his classmates and paints a rather foreboding picture. He’s often been described as ‘brooding and unapproachable’ (if not just downright scary) by his peers due to his constant frown and silent nature. Over the years he has had to change schools a few times, but the pervasive rumours regarding his past seem to follow him wherever he goes and has led to his accruing a bit of an ominous reputation. Although there is no one general consensus regarding his past, the rumours would have you believe that Daisuke is a bit of a delinquent who has been expelled from past schools for ‘bad behaviour’. He doesn’t do much to confirm or deny these rumours, preferring instead to keep to himself. Whatever the case may be, he is often avoided and even the rowdiest boys do not mess with him anymore.

    In reality, none of this could be further from the truth. The eldest of four, Daisuke is a kind, intelligent and observant young man, who just happens to suffer from the curse of a ‘resting bitch face’ that makes him look perpetually angry. He might as well be the personification of the ‘Gentle Giant’ Archetype and is deeply uncomfortable with the fact that everyone around him seems to be terrified by him. Although he is not a big talker and seems quite emotionless at times, he is constantly second guessing his interactions with others and never feels like he has the right words. He's come to speaks only when he needs to and keeps his distance from his classmates to avoid intimidating anyone; especially girls.

    He is much more outgoing around his family and has become like a second parent to his siblings over the years. He feels a lot of familial pressure to help his mother and has become adept at cooking and cleaning to help pick up the slack.

    Growing up, he was often targeted by other boys at school who wanted to prove themselves by taking on the ‘biggest and baddest’ in the school yard and found it necessary to learn to defend himself. Despite this he would never intentionally hurt a butterfly, let alone a person- and feels deep remorse for the times when he accidentally hurt others growing up because he wasn’t aware of his own strength. While he doesn’t too much to defend himself against the rumours, Daisuke is fiercely protective of his younger siblings (and friends… if he had any) and will level anyone bothering them with a death glare that could freeze water on the spot.

    Pre-Story Background
    Early Childhood​

    Daisuke is the eldest son of a defence force pilot and a flower shop owner. His earlier years were largely happy and uncomplicated, although the family did have to move from time to time due to his father’s work. He was raised by loving parents and had a happy childhood playing games with his younger sister Mei (3 years his junior).

    Although his father- Haru, was often absent due to his work, he would spend every waking second with his wife and children when he was home and would always bring them gifts from his travels. His mother- Hina, was a bright and doting woman who loved teaching her two children new skills; like cooking and how to tend to the plants that she would later sell in her shop. Although he was vaguely aware his mother had some health conditions that she was on medication for, they didn’t really impact his earlier life at all.

    Primary School​

    Daisuke didn’t notice his appearance was different to the other children his age until he began attending primary school at age 6.

    At this time, he was already the tallest amongst his peers and often thought to be older than he was. He was often teased and left out of playground activities with other children his age who took one look at his serious face and decided he wouldn’t be much fun. Already a quiet boy, he got used to mostly being alone at school; aside from a few scattered friends that he really treasured.

    When he was about ten years old, his father brought home a small puppy for the two children. He and Mei decided to name the puppy Blossom and Daisuke instantly fell in love. He’d always loved animals and was thrilled to finally have one of his own. He immediately went and borrowed out every dog training and information book from the school library and started waking up early in the morning so he would be able to take the puppy for a walk before school.

    Junior High School​

    When Daisuke was just about the start Junior High, his mother was in her last trimester of a very difficult pregnancy. Since his father was a way a lot at the time, he’d taken to helping her out with domestic tasks like cook, cleaning and looking after his younger sister. A mere few weeks before his mother’s expected due date, word came in that his Haru had been killed in a freak accident on his way back home.

    Everything spun out of complete control.

    The combination of the difficult pregnancy and the loss of her husband led to Hina going into premature labour. She was able to deliver twins; a boy and a girl- but afterwards all three of them were too weak to go home and had to stay in the hospital for a long period of time.

    Having no close relatives anywhere nearby, Dasiuke and Mei had to be taken into care until their mother was strong enough to come back home. Having nobody at home to care for her
    , their dog Blossom had to be rehomed- just another crushing fact for the young children.

    It took several months before they were able to see each other or their mother again as it turned out that Hina had always had a weak heart and the loss and grief had seriously exacerbated this. Once she was finally able to return home, and Daisuke and Mei were able to reunite with her, they noticed a great change in her demeanour. Although she still tried to put on a happy face for her children’s sake, she now seemed very frail and had to stop for breaks multiple times a day. Unable to work due to her poor health and having the babies to look after, Hina was forced to sell the flower shop and live on the money she received both from the sale and from her husband’s life insurance.

    Twelve-year-old Daisuke grew up overnight and started taking on absolutely everything he could to help out. He would wake up super early in the morning to clean up around the house (he knew his mother really tried, but there was only so much she was able to do, while looking after two small infants), prepare breakfast and school lunches for Mei and himself before waking her up to get ready for school.

    He’d then go check on his mother, make sure she took her medicine and do anything he possibly could to help with the babies; learning very quickly how to calm them down mid-tantrum. Then he’d walk Mei to her bus stop; missing his own bus in the progress, before sprinting off to school himself.

    Due to all his morning chores and the fact he had to run to school instead of taking the bus, Daisuke was often late. Since his absence at the beginning of the trimester, school had not become any kinder of Daisuke. Perhaps it was a combination of his absence when everyone was just getting to know each other, the fact he now towered over all his classmates and the fact that he always seemed to have dark bags under his eyes making that made him look even angrier, but people seemed much more wary of him then before.

    Rumours even began spreading about who he was and where he’d come from. Too busy to care, Daisuke most just ignored the rumours; too busy to care. He’d start avoiding schoolmates at this age; not wanting to scare them with his presence. For a while he was getting very poor grades at school due to his constant tardiness in the morning and the fact that he would sometimes fall asleep in his classes. This only fuelled his image as a delinquent.

    After school he would do the opposite of his morning routine, walking his sister home from school, cleaning and cooking, helping with the kids for the household. Wanting to improve his poor grades, Daisuke would often try to study at night once everyone else was tucked into bed for the night; but just as often ended up passing out from exhaustion. At thirteen he started drinking black coffee and energy drinks to get himself through the day.

    The Move to Kusatsu​

    Seeing her child struggle so much for her benefit was more than Hina could bear. Once her children grew up a bit and the youngest two were able to attend pre-school, she made the executive decision to move her family to the much smaller town of Kusatsu. She sold her house in the city for a good price and purchased a small apartment in the town with a run-down shop located directly underneath. This would become a local flower and tea store. Moving to Kusatsu was a really great change for the family. With the twins in pre-school, and the shop just downstairs, the family finally had a stable source of income again. Hina was finally able to work again; running the store during the day; albeit with slightly limited hours due to her ill health. Mei was now old enough to help her mother and brother out with household chores but insisted that Daisuke still be the one to cook as he’d grown quite adept at it over the years. Since the school district was a little closer to where they lived, Daisuke could afford to walk Mei to school and not run late. His grades vastly improved at this new school, and he took great pride in this. He worked very hard; particularly with subjects such as math, which would allow him to help his mother out with the business. After years of being treated this way, Daisuke constantly second guessed his interactions with others and began speaking only when he needed to.

    Teijiro Boys School​

    Initially, Hina had wanted to send her son to a better school. He was a very bright boy, after all and she felt that he deserved better. Daisuke himself, had talked her out of it. All of the “better” schools that she mentioned were much more expensive and a train ride away into the city. Daisuke was unwilling to give up his morning routine; cooking and cleaning for the family and walking his younger siblings to school- to sit on a train. He was also perfectly aware that the family was not well off and didn’t want to deprive his younger siblings from having opportunities just so he could go to a slightly better school.

    So he attended Teijiro… It was rough. The same rumours that had followed him all his life persevered here. He heard all sort of things floating around about him, each more ridiculous then the last; he’d assaulted a police officer, burnt down his school in the city, was part of a gang…

    Except, here- people seemed to take it as a challenge. In a school full of rowdy boys, Daisuke was often challenged by the smaller boys wanting to prove themselves by taking on the ‘biggest and baddest’. It was in these challenges, that Daisuke began to realise his own strength. He’d once tried to push away a boy determined to punch him and accidentally knocked him out in the process. Feeling very guilty, Daisuke began to take some free judo lessons offered by one of his mother’s loyal customers as a means of self-defence and discipline. Although he loathed violence, he found that he very much enjoyed these classes as they provided a means for him to channel his strength. From his intimidating appearance and reputation of ending fights, Daisuke quickly gained quite a fearsome reputation at Teijiro over the years, even though he did nothing to actively encourage this. He kind of just shrugged it off and moved on.

    The boys that used to avoid him in the halls, would probably have been quite surprised if they ever came by his mother’s shop during the weekend as he’d started taking on shifts in his free time. He made for a very peculiar sight, a tall serious faced young man in a pink apron (his mother’s) tending to the flowers with such care and appearing out of nowhere to offer the patron’s tea.

    This was basically just his life until the announcement was made that Teijiro would close down.


    Common Route Story Background
    Semester One at Yuzu High School
    Chapter One: The Gender Relations Club.    ​

    When he first hears about the transfer, Daisuke seriously thinks about whether this is an opportunity for him to drop out of high school all together and run the flower shop full time. His mother had been having a lot of episodes around this time and even needed to go for check-ups at the hospital and he felt like it might be the best thing for him to do. His mother was adamant against this plan.

    “Daisuke, I can’t control what you decide to do now, but I would be disappointed. You’re such a bright boy and I’m counting on you to set a good example for the younger kids.”​

    Begrudgingly, he decided to make it through the year at Yuzu. In his first week at Yuzu, things aren’t too different then they were at the boy’s school. The boys who’d known of him at Teijiro (especially the ones who’d tried to fight him in earlier years) are quick to remind people about the boy with the terrifying reputation, who finished fights and had probably been in a gang at some point or something…

    "That guy? I heard he was expelled from his Junior High because he tried to torch the building! His parents had to move all the way out here to Kusatsu to escape the criminal charges!"​

    He has no more luck with the girls who heard these scary reports, saw his fearsome expression and hulking physique, and quickly decided they must be true. He had just about accepted his role as a loner and outcast yet again when the rumours of the school closing quickly spread.

    I might just get my wish after all…​

    It wasn’t until his sister Mei came to him, crestfallen at the news that the only high school in the area would close. She was in her final year of Junior High and had been looking forward to attending Yuzu the following year… but of course she couldn’t do that if the school closed.

    It was then he realised that Yuzu’s closure would affect more than just him. He’d been working on the books in the shop and was aware that the family’s budget was quite low- the family would struggle with sending Mei into the city to study. With this new information at hand, Daisuke begins to ask around at Yuzu- and after a few awkward conversations- finds out about the Gender Relations Club. He made an agreement with his sister Mei that she would pick up the youngest two from their pre-school on her way home from Junior High and would tackle some of his afternoon chores if he would sign up to the club and do his best to save the school. He made quite a strange sight perched up behind a desk in the small classroom the next day.


    Chapter Two: The Sports Festival.​

    The first real task that the Gender Relations Club was given was to help arrange for the preparation of a Sports Festival that would host students from the neighbouring cities. It all sounded simple enough, but of course there was a little more to it than that. The problems largely stemmed from the warring student body. The girls were bringing complaints to the club about boys peeping on them in the locker room and the boys were arguing back saying that the girls were purposefully damaging the sporting equipment. When several boys that he’d known from Teijiro tried to gang up on the girls and force them to admit to the damage, Daisuke stepped between them and told them to back off and they’d need proof before they made accusations like that. Soon after the real culprit was found, and the boys personally apologised; half because they realised that they were wrong and half because they had not heard Daisuke speak up like that about something and wanted to avoid ‘retaliation’.

    When the club was investigating the so called ‘peepholes’ in the girl’s locker room, Daisuke quietly asserted that the damage looked like it was from ordinary wear and tear- as opposed to purposeful damage. He’d personally fixed up similar damage in his mother’s shop when they’d first moved to town. He wasn’t sure if his words were really heard but the club did eventually rule that the building was just old. When the club was trying to figure out how to pay for renovations to the wall, Daisuke stepped forward to state that he had some experience with plastering from repairing their family shop and he could bring some leftover material from home to fix the damage himself. He was surprised when the club ruled in favour of his idea (as usually people outside his family didn’t trust him with anything!) and he patched up the holes in the wall the next day. This proved much cheaper than hiring a professional and saved the club some money. Inwardly, Daisuke felt absurdly happy that he was able to be useful and people listened to his suggestions. Inside the club, the rumours surrounding him did not seem quite so prevalent.

    During the sporting event, Daisuke hadn’t planned on participating in any of the events. However, he quickly changed his mind with the encouragement from one of the girls in the club. It might have just been an attempt to get numbers up for the events, but Daisuke appreciated someone approaching him to ask (especially a girl- usually they were terrified of him) and signed up for a few events he thought he’d be helpful in. He participated in Tug-of-war event against all of the other schools and helped his team win quite easily. He stood at the bottom of the human pyramid in the Kumitaiso event and helped their team stay very steady, helping them earn a good score for the event. Finally he ran a bout in the school relay as he’d grown quite accustomed to running from his days running to school in the city. He did quite well in this event too but needed to sit down afterwards as he’d grown quite dizzy and almost fainted- a result of his lack of sleep over the past weeks. He’d been pushing himself a little too hard at both school and home again and there was only so much black coffee could help him with. But despite this he still cheered for their school in the cavalry battle.


    Chapter Three: The Vote to save Yuzu.​

    When it is announced that there will be a vote to save Yuzu and the Gender Relations Club members need to campaign to convince people to say, Daisuke feels a little bit hopeless. He has never been very good at reaching out other people or saying the right thing, so he feels like he won’t be much help. Despite this, he is very willing to try. He has found more acceptance in the club then in the last few months then he had in years at his previous schools, and he doesn’t really want to lose that or let his club members down. Instead he launches into campaigns offering to help his club members out with whatever they’re working on (often helping to carry equipment around) and even participating in handing out pamphlets and flyers. He starts bringing homemade pastries and savoury chips to share out at club meets in order to cheer up his busy clubmates.

    During his shifts at the flower shop, he hands out flyers with every flower or tea purchase and speaks to the patrons about the effects of the school closing. Unbeknownst to him, many of the adult patrons find the silent young man quite charming and take the issue to their children and grandchildren who attend the school or are looking to attend the school in the future. When the results of the vote are announced everyone in the club is thrilled. Daisuke can’t help but admire one girl in particular’s happy smile…

    Semester Two at Yuzu High School
    Chapter Four: The Hot Springs Trip.    ​

    The Winter Break was a very happy time for Daisuke’s family. Their mother, Hina, was at her best; having very little health issues for once, and the whole family was in good spirits. Daisuke and Mei alternated between helping in the shop downstairs and spending time watching their younger siblings. In his spare time, Daisuke really started practicing his sewing skills to make the two young children lots of plushies for Christmas.

    It was during this time that Daisuke was surprised to see a familiar sight at work; one of the girls from the club stopped in to pick up some flowers. She seemed just as surprised to see him as he was her as he’d never directly mentioned that he worked at the flower store. He had a great time just casually chatting with her outside of the school environment and helping her pick out what she needed. At the end he even threw in an extra flower for at the end; but was too embarrassed to directly say it was a gift; instead claiming that it came free as she’d bought so much. He second guessed that encounter for weeks afterwards.

    Somehow during all this festivity, Daisuke managed to totally avoid the rumours floating around town. Rumours of ghosts, demons and curses that plagued the schools…with pictures of several suspect students- including Daisuke himself! He’d been absolutely crestfallen when he returned to school to all the reports and found the school lockers covered in his picture with an article that detailed all the rumours that had cursed him all his life. Everything from his supposed history as a delinquent, his participation in a gang and even the rumour that his family only moved to Kusutsu to avoid the shame of him having lit his last school on fire. However, one girl from the club took it upon herself to rip down all these papers and throw them away; assuring him that none of the club members believe a word of it as they’ve all gotten to know him through the club. Overwhelmed by the kind words, Daisuke pulled her in for a hug. Upon realising what he’d done he apologised and walked away before she got a chance to respond.

    It’s at this point the club decides that everyone could use a bit of a pick-me-up after all of the recent rumours and decides on a weeklong trip to the local hot springs. Daisuke is hesitant to attend at first as he has not left his family for that long before, but his mother and sister encouraged him to go. Despite feeling a little guilty, he was quite happy to have a bit of a holiday with his friends and maybe even talk more to that one girl from the club…

    However, it just wasn't meant to be. On only their second day at the hot springs, Daisuke gets an urgent call that his mother collapsed at work and is in the hospital. He leaves the trip abruptly to rush to her side only to find that the hospital has put her into a medically induced coma to prevent further damage. Due to his mother’s condition, his siblings and him spend most of their week loitering about the hospital awaiting news and he misses the remainder of the hot springs trip and the making of the 7 Wonders video. His mother thankfully does wake up after about a week but is ordered to stay on bed rest for while. The girl from the club, who he now considers a friend, keeps him updated on the events via text; including the club’s findings that the shady politicians were behind all of the rumours.

    Chapter Five: The Culture Festival ​

    Daisuke’s mother recovered just in time for him to return to school for the Culture Festival. He’d missed out on a good few days of the planning by the time he made it back to the club operations, and preparations for the Maid/Host Café were already in full swing. The only thing left to do, it seemed, was arrange who would be a maid or host in the event and who would just work in the background. Although he would have much rather the latter, he ends up getting roped into the position of a host.

    It was all because he just couldn’t say no to her!​

    Wearing one of his father’s old army uniforms, Daisuke absolutely exceeded his own expectations at the event. He served tea and homemade pastries that he’d made personally with an air of charm and grace that people hadn’t noticed in him before. Although he wasn’t an awfully big talker, many of the guests found him mysterious and charming and were drawn to his strong silent demeanour. The rumours about his past were finally put to rest, as people began to see him for the kind person that he was. His mother left her bedrest to attend the event in a wheelchair with the help of his sister Mei. They took so many pictures, and his mother praised him for all of his hard work over the year.

    “You look so much like your father in that uniform, sweetheart. I’m sure if he was still here today, he would be just as proud as you as I am.”​

    Despite dreading it to start with, Daisuke had a really wonderful time at the event and was very pleased to hear that it had been a massive success.


    Chapter Six: The Exams​

    Before the club can really celebrate the resounding success of their maid and host café, they are hit with one more hurdle; improving the school’s poor test grades.

    Daisuke isn’t overly worried for himself when it comes to the exams as he is not a bad student, but he knows many people; including some of his close friends, are struggling. He signs up to study groups for classes that he feels he is weaker at and agrees to help tutor his friends in subjects that he is fairly good at; such a math (thanks to do a lot of bookkeeping for the flower shop), home economics and Japanese language. He even forms a bit of a study duo with his female friend from the club and the two pore over their work together during every free moment. The day of the exam comes, and he meets her outside of the exam room to give her a little dog (or whatever other animal she likes) plush that he’d made as a token of good luck. When all is said and done, all of the club members await anxiously for the results. When the results are finally posted, everyone is over the moon. They managed to get the grades up and Yuzu High will remain open for years to come. Daisuke is very pleased that he succeeded in his goal and now his sister Mei and his younger two siblings will be able to attend such a great school in the future.


    Chapter Seven: The Dance​

    Very soon it is announced that the club will disband now that it has met its goal and a large amount of its members will be graduating. Although this was all he wanted at one point, Daisuke can’t help but feel bittersweet that his club days are behind him, and he won’t have an opportunity to see his friends everyday anymore. Especially (XXXX). When the dance is announced, he quickly takes it into his mind to ask her to attend with him- even though he doesn’t quite know how to dance. More than anything, he wants to tell her how he feels about her. He doesn’t know if she will feel the same way, but for once wants to take the initiative and get the feelings off his chest.

    ​
    ​

    Personality (At End)
    Daisuke hasn’t changed too much; he was always a good person, and he still is now. The difference is that he has become a lot more open with other people, learning to talk a little more (only a little) and joke with others as easily as he does with his family. The main difference in Daisuke’s life is that people no longer find him so openly terrifying, having seen his kindness and dedication throughout the Common route and realising that the rumours about him are just that. He’s finally opened up to the idea of having friends outside his close family… and maybe even something a little more than that.

    Club
    The Gender Relations Club

    Likes

    His family. He treasure’s his mother and younger siblings and would literally do anything for them.

    Home Cooked Meals. Although he is often the cook, Daisuke finds that no food is more satisfying to him then something that has been made with care, specifically for him. He is deeply fond of moments when his younger sister Mei gives cooking a go, even though she often burns the meal.

    Strawberries and Strawberry Flavoured Pastries. When he was younger, one of Daisuke’s favourite things were the strawberry topped pastries his mother would make as a treat. He has very much hung onto this love and favours any sweets with a strawberry flavour.

    Black coffee. Daisuke became quite reliant on black coffee during a particularly stressful part of his life and still has a fondness for it now. Something about the refreshing bitter taste makes him feel more alert.

    Gardening. He is quite an adept gardener; and loves being surrounded by health plants and pretty flowers.

    Dogs. Since he was younger, Daisuke has always loved dogs. He feels quite envious when he see’s other people walking their pets in the morning and would love to have one of his own again one day.


    Dislikes

    Unfounded Rumours. Having been the centre of them for most of his life.

    Being in the spotlight. He dislikes being the centre of attention because in the past this was often quite a negative thing for him. He is not an articulate speaker and hates public speaking. He’d rather let other people take the spotlight and just help from the side-lines.

    Bullies. Daisuke is a very empathetic guy and can’t stand other people using their strength or influence to pick on the weak or disadvantaged. Although he never really stood up for himself in the past, he has no qualms against stepping in to help defend those who can’t do it themselves.

    Excessive Force/Violence. Despite his rough appearance, Daisuke doesn’t like seeing anyone get hurt and sees violence as something that should be an absolute last resort. He feels deeply remorseful for accidentally hurting people in the past.

    Bland Food. He prefers food that has flavour. He’d settle food that was a little burnt or too salty (most of his sister’s attempts at cooking) before something that is bland and tasteless.

    Technology. Daisuke is not tech-savvy. In fact he has the same aptitude for technology as you might find in a senior citizen. As such, he tends to avoid it where possible.

    Low doorways and Small rooms. Daisuke is tall and like any tall people, he doesn’t particularly really appreciate banging his head on low surfaces or feeling squashed in small rooms.


    Hobbies

    Cooking. Daisuke has been cooking for his family since he was quite young and has gotten quite good at it. He enjoys the challenge of learning to make new recipes well, and secretly loves the positive praise he gets from his family. His favourite thing is when he can cook with his mother and convince his younger siblings to help as he enjoys this time spent with them.

    Gardening. Having been raised by a flower shop owner, Daisuke loves the feeling he gets from successfully keeping plants alive and growing beautiful flowers around their house.

    Making Stuffed Animals. Growing up, Daisuke's family was never particularly well off and his mother could not afford to buy many toys. Wanting to give his younger sisters the best, Daisuke learnt to make plush cute little plush animals from just about whatever material he could get his hands on.

    Judo. Ever since he first learn Judo as a means of self-defence, he found that he really enjoyed it as it gave him a vehicle to vent and channel his strength.

    Working in the Flower Shop- Even though it is ‘work’ and not necessarily a hobby, Daisuke loves making himself useful and helping his mother out. He also finds he just enjoys the general vibe of the flower shop…


    Dreams/Life Goals

    Graduate School- Daisuke is more than looking forward to graduating. A very diligent student, he hopes that he will be able to finish his final year of school with good grades- so he can get a good job one day and help support his mother.

    Do Right by His Family- This has been the biggest and most overarching goal of Daisuke’s life since his father’s death. He wants to support his mother, see his siblings have a normal childhood and grow up with every opportunity available to them.

    Find Love- When he was younger, Daisuke’s parents were always so happy and in love. They seemed to really understand and support each other through everything. Although he knows it might just be wishful thinking, he’d very much like to have that for himself one day.


    Most Embarrassing Moment

    When his younger siblings were about five years old, he took them to the local park to play. While he sat on the bench watching them climb the monkey bars, one concerned old lady decided that he was a would-be kidnapper and decidedly to approach him and cause a scene. Luckily his sister Mei was there and absolutely tore the old women to shreds for making those assumptions about her sweet older brother, but Daisuke never felt more horrified and embarrassed in his entire life.


    Insecurities

    Terrifying- Daisuke has always been aware that his face and demeanour seem to always scare those around him, even though he’s never actively done anything to cause this. As such, he opts to stay a safe distance, slouch to seem smaller and/or not talk more than he has in order to avoid scaring his peers.

    What do I even say?!- After years and years of being an outcast at school, Daisuke can be quite awkward when he does have to speak up. He feels like he never has quite the right words to say, is ‘too loud’ or ‘too quiet’ and always ends up second guessing his interactions after the fact.

    Unlovable- Due to his scary face, it seems as though girls are particularly terrified of him. Daisuke worries that no one will ever give him a chance and he will die alone.

    Man of the Family- After his father’s death, Daisuke took on the role of caring for his mother and younger siblings as much as he could. Despite this he never particularly felt like he was doing enough; especially when he would come home to his mother slumped on the floor or in a chair due to her debilitating illness. He is always feeling guilty and inadequate that he can’t do more.



 
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Boy: Kenzo Nagata
Girl: Sami Ishioka
I am an absolute sucker for the introvert with an extrovert trope, especially if they both come with a tragic backstory attached.(the sappy good stuff) I just like seeing sad characters get to be happy. The BEST romance anime for me has to be Kaguya-sama is war for being able to balance comedy and emotional moments so well.




  • “Father always said that life is like driving a car, and I guess communication is the same. A car that doesn’t communicate is dangerous, and so is life. Though, I doubt he put that much thought into it. Then again, my judgment is a little hypocritical. Wait, no it’s not. People live their lives everyday in their own little bubble, what’s stopping me? Ugh, I hate the sound of that though. It sounds so miserable, there’s not much purpose to a life like that. If anything, at least talking with your family should be enough. I mean, at least for me…
    ……
    ………..
    Wait, why am I thinking all this?”


    Name: (Nagata, Kenzo)
    952FWBAaqdaabTW-xmTCSA4Q0u6qzYb-hug83he6-fITaE1lGOYz3KeVIKAGMRrcF-ZOaYvl70skC_brK-Cw8hBeuc7f05N8O6sMPzH-ctSf32Tpp1SXdLAnYl7q55ZFx9X0PM5Z-vsTgIVYwosEB-kB8pF2zdQwwWYPhYND_BMu3kHIfrpvWhYtIw

    Speech Color: Coral | #FF7F50
    Gender: Male
    Age: 17

    Date of Birth: 10th, January
    Blood Type: O+
    Height: 185 cm
    Weight: 78.3 kg

    Character Voice: Ryota Suzuki

    Character Theme: Beneath the Mask (instrumental)


    Character Background and Personality
    Love means nothing. It’s intangible, with the only proof of it’s existence being the actions of people. Yet, I’ve seen so many conflicts arise over claims of love. At first, I couldn’t understand it, much less sympathize with it. It wasn’t until recently that I began to feel that… burn, that heat. So while I can understand now, it paradoxically makes me even more annoyed. It made me come to reality about my father. The reality that he loved that car more than his own family, and the reality that despite that, I still love him as well. Still, I won’t be like my father. I’ll do right by those who I love and love me, even in my final moments. I’ve learned that love is universal, for items and people, fictional or not. The reality is, love means nothing. Therefore, love means anything.


    Personality (At Start)
    A purposeless, aimless, and mostly uncaring young man. Though, he always considered himself to be a bit of a social chameleon. He rarely sat to eat in the same place twice, and often wandered between clicks and groups, becoming acquainted with everyone without ever truly making a connection. Because of this, Kenzo never really suffered from much bullying, matter of fact, nobody really interacted with him in general, unless it was for something related to schoolwork. This never really bothered Kenzo, to him it was interesting to simply sit there and people watch. To him, people and drama were like entertainment, and to them, Kenzo was just a chill guy that occasionally sat with them. Of course, the urge for a deeper connection slowly began to take over his mind, but at the time he was content. Then, news of the school potentially began to spread. This caused a unique kind of fear for Kenzo, knowing that if the school closed he would be almost obligated to drop out of school all together and begin to work. (or at least that’s what he told himself) So upon the creation of the gender relations club, he felt almost obligated to join. Not out of interest, but out of necessity.

    Pre-Story Background
    Kenzo Nagata was born and raised in the town of Kusatsu. His father, Hideki Nagata, was the town’s main mechanic, which made the Nagata family relatively well known in town. His mother, Hifumi Nagata, was a stay at home mom and was well known for doing stitch work to fix clothes for people in the area. Hifumi is born in Kusatsu as well, and met Hideki while going to college. Though, college is not where the two met. They met on a summer night, when Hifumi was out with a friend. It was on that eventful night that the misfortune of an overheated engine turned into a spark. A spark that her mother had never really felt in her small town. A spark of passion. Hearing the way Hideki talked about cars while she fixed hers was something that she found oddly charming. (him being a rather tall and fit man aside, that is) Before she knew it, she found herself coming back to Hideki and the shop his father owned in Tokyo. At first, it was because of her car, you know… oil change, a strange sound, whatever she could think of, until one day she finally brought herself to admit it. Hideki, who had been mostly oblivious to her feelings and thought perhaps she had genuinely grown an interest in cars, was surprised with her confession, but certainly not in a negative way. In fact, he found the idea of being with her to be pleasant. Over time, Hideki would open up to Hifumi, revealing his wish to live out in “the sticks”, away from the bustling city of Tokyo and (more importantly) away from his father. After almost 2 years of dating, they got married and decided to move to Hifumi’s hometown of Kusatsu. A couple years later, they gave birth to their first and only child Kenzo, who would become the new center of Hifumi’s world. Growing up, Kenzo spent most of his time sitting in his father’s shop, watching his father work. As he grew older, his father began to educate him in mechanics, even having him fetch a tool every once in a while. However, this led to him spending ALL his time there, and rarely got to play around as much. While he could talk his way around and out of a conversation with a stranger, by the time Kenzo turned 14 he was basically his father’s apprentice. Kenzo looked up to his father, and on the eve of his 15th birthday, his father got him a special gift. A car his father had been working on for close to a year, a car he had picked from a scrapyard and slowly worked on over the span of about a year. Hideki had finally gotten it to work, and was ready to impress his son with the power it had. It was a show of Hideki’s craftsmanship, and he wanted his son to be there with him. That night, they went out for a run in the car. Hifumi needed some groceries from the store for the next day’s celebration, and Hideki took the opportunity to take out the new car for the first time. The engine almost literally roared to life, causing an involuntary smile to Kenzo. They both hopped in, and peeled out into the night. On that drive, Kenzo had a type of conversation with his father he didn’t think he could. His father was going on about how rural towns are great for him because of the long roads with little traffic, the less police to worry about, and that it was perfect for a car lover. Not only that, but he also made a promise. A promise that one day, when he was old enough, this car would be his. Kenzo was excited by the idea of owning such a powerful sounding car. Yet, Hideki wanted to go further beyond. It wasn’t about Kenzo anymore, it was about the car. Kenzo only remembers part of what his father said, something along the lines of “I’ll show you what this car can do, I’ll show you what daddy’s been working on.” Before stepping on it, speeding down the long, empty road at speeds at least double the speed limit. Almost like a joke by fate, the car started to shake, and before he could react, Hideki suddenly felt a violent jerk of the wheel. As the car started to spin out, Kenzo vividly remembered the way the world stopped, almost to a complete stop. He could slowly see everything. His father, shooting glances around the car to see what went wrong, the 180 degree view he got of the road as the car spun, and the ditch they were heading for. They hit the ditch like a dart. Thankfully, his father had actually put airbags in the car, so they both survived the impact. Kenzo had almost immediately lost consciousness, with his father shortly after. Due to them being out late in a small town, it actually took a while before someone drove by to stop and call for help. Both were rushed to the hospital, where Hifumi soon arrived after. Kenzo would be set to make a full recovery in a span of a few months, mostly suffering from broken or fractured bones in the upper torso. On the other hand, his father suffered a much different fate. When the car crashed, it was leaning towards Hideki’s side of the car, and as a result, a lot of parts of the car and glass had almost a direct impact. Though, being an adult, was able to somehow get out with what were (given the circumstance) minimal injuries, being mostly fractures. That is, except for two things. First, he had broken his leg. Then, and far more importantly, was the cuts. With the impact launching glass and pieces of the car being crushed and coming off, he had actually obtained some puncture wounds and cuts, significantly more so than his son. This would mostly be fine, for the exception of one shard. Deep in his chest, there was a piece of glass that, while not cutting anything completely (yet), was dangerously close to his heart. It was possible for Hideki to be sent to have open heart surgery, but the surgery was considered very high risk, and Hideki did not like the sound of it. If successful, it would mostly be rid of the problem, but would still leave him with a reduced lifespan and full of medications. If it failed, death was very possible, and even if he lived would basically be suffering chronic chest pains until he passed anyway. However, if he decided to stay the way he is now, the doctors said he would still have about 2 months. So, Hideki and Hifumi both agreed to not go with the surgery, and keep the entire thing a secret from Kenzo. Needless to say, time started to go by faster for Kenzo. He couldn’t even go to school for a while, so the days started to blend. He would only get bits of information here and there, as his mother mainly had him focusing on recovering. His father’s shop was obviously closed, and for some reason, it was even for sale. It was peculiar to him because he figured his father would want to go back to being a mechanic after making his full recovery, but he didn’t think much of it at the time. As for the car, his future car, he didn’t have a clue. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that he was finally allowed to walk around freely again (with caution of course), that walking into the garage, he found a broken car covered by a rag. It still had the shape of a car, just more squished in the front. He’d describe it as a booped noise, really. With him recovering, he was almost immediately sent back to school, as he was now about a month behind and would have to attend extra classes to catch up to his fellow classmates. At the school, everybody knew what had happened. Yet, nobody would say anything. Everyone just quietly accepted him back, with an occasional “How are you doing?” which would be met with an unmotivated “I’m fine”. This would pretty much become his attitude in school moving forward, for varying reasons. On the other hand, Hideki became almost obsessed with the car. Following his 2 or so weeks of recovery, he began looking for a part time job to help pay for bills. Thankfully, they had savings that maintained them afloat while he was incapacitaed, and with the shop being sold soon, they actually had a healthy savings account, at least for a year. However, the money from the part time job soon became a way to feed his obsession. When he wasn’t at work he was in the garage, working on it with the tools that had been moved from his shop, spending money on part to fix every single part he could. Broken leg or not, he couldn’t let himself stop. This in combination with Kenzo’s extended school hours, mean that the two rarely even saw each other, mainly only for dinner. As for Hifumi, she was arguably, at least emotionally, having it the worst. The call from that night is something that haunts her, and she now struggles with how distant both are becoming not just from her, but each other. Not to mention the emotional weight she carries from holding such a secret from her own son, and much more that she can’t even think about talking to her little Kenzo about. She slowly prepares for the reality that soon she will begin to work to provide for her son. After all, she wouldn’t allow Kenzo to suffer from a mistake that wasn’t his own. He still deserved to enjoy his school years without worrying about things like paying bills. The accident only made her more determined in that idea. That from now on, he wouldn’t have to go through suffering like that again, not on her sight. However, her plans would have to go into action sooner than expected. About ⅔ of the way into the second month, Hifumi had made a plan to begin to break it tof Kenzo, about the truth of his father’s condition. It’s a shame that she was too late. Getting home from school, Kenzo would arrive to his grandma sitting in the kitchen of his house, who promptly told him to go with her. Turns out his father had collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital. Kenzo arrived to find a simple yet unforgettable sight. His mother, crying. Crying in a way that to him was incomparable. Though, at the sight of her son, Hifumi seems to calm down ever so slightly, almost instinctively. She briefly stops crying, holding it in for a few moments just to be able to see her son in the eyes. Of course, this doesn’t last long. Kenzo hugs his mother, still not sure of what was going on but wanting his hardest for his mother to stop crying. It was terrifying, and it was the only way to react that he could think of. The truth was soon revealed to him, allowing him to truly connect with his mother’s emotions. He remembered it vividly, it was like he could feel his soul washing away in real time. After that day, things were different. A week later, grandma helped Hifumi find a job in a factory from a nearby town, making shirts and other clothing apparel. At first, grandma would drive Hifumi to the bus stop in the mornings and back at night. After all, it was her daughter, and it was the least she could do. Almost a year later, grandma couldn’t keep taking her in the mornings, so Kenzo quickly had to learn to drive the family mini truck to take her. From that moment on, the routine was pretty much set in stone. He would take her to the bus stop every morning, come back, get ready for school, take the bus to school, take the bus back, spend his time doing whatever he wanted until the later hours that his mother would get home, and then sleep. This is the cycle that would be present up until a year or so later that the beginning of the common route story background takes place.

    Common Route Story Background
    When the two schools were first combined, Kenzo found it to be entertaining. The mix of girls made for all new sorts of dramas and he found himself listening into some interesting conversations during lunchtime. Obviously, he wasn’t involved in it, so from an outsider’s perspective, it was entertainment in it’s purest form. “She did what?” “He said that?” it was all oh so entertaining to him, and it almost gave him a sense of superiority for not being involved in any of it. Nobody would ever have him like that, surely. The idea of people seeing and discussing his actions over someone else was slightly humorous to him. When the rumors of the school shutting down got to his ears, he didn’t take it seriously at first. However, as he kept listening, the rumor would get more elaborate. “There’s low attendance”, “The grades are low”, along with other factors are what slowly made him realize the validity of these rumors. Knowing what the alternative to school was, and that he found himself actually kind of enjoying being in school, he found himself kind of saddened by the news. When the news of the “Gender Relations Club” first arose, Kenzo was among the first to sign up. After all, if the club went sideways and failed, the school would be closed and he’d never see most of them again anyway.

    Upon discovering that the first major task of the Gender Relations Club was to help prepare for the Tri-City Sports Festival, Kenzo couldn’t help but give an internal sigh. He had never really been into sports, in fact, any muscle he had gained was purely a result of helping at his father’s shop back in the day. Apart from the one time a coach asked if he was interested in playing basketball, sports hadn’t really been of any interest to him ever. Still, it’s only fair that he puts equal effort into everything. The problems that plagued the school in the lead up to the event were mainly monetary. Things like the old building and equipment had to be replaced with newer things. Kenzo actually found himself a little useful in that, as he suggested making a donation pool for the event. “If everyone at the school donated at least a few yen, it’d actually pay for a lot of the necessities.” Kenzo himself was tasked with doing this, so one day he walked around with a big bucket, and surely enough, most students had the spare change to give. With the help of the extra donations of people like teachers, newer equipment was able to be bought, and even some remodeling that was requested for the girl’s locker room were made. Kenzo already felt somewhat satisfied with himself after his efforts in getting the festival going, and it only grew as he heard people around him talking about how nice the new equipment was. This feeling of satisfaction slowly grew into a bit of pride as the school festival began to take place. He was not much of a motivational speaker, but he found himself standing on the sidelines of many of the events, helping organize wherever he could, but also just to watch. He didn’t cheer or anything, but was pleasantly surprised by how he was actually kind of enjoying himself. On a side note, during the preparation time for the festival, Kenzo found himself digging through his father’s old equipment in the garage. There , he found himself staring at a rag covered car. It was almost like a ghost to him, rag and everything. He had never bothered to look at it since the accident so long ago, but part of him felt compelled now. Like he somehow felt a bit more prepared than before. Taking the rag off revealed his fa-, no I guess now it was his car. Yet, it was in rather good looking condition. On the dash, he finds a list with a note. “Son, if and when you’re interested in having your car, to finish what your father started, there are still things it needs. Things that I know you know how to install, and so I give you this list.” The list was various parts the car needed in order to start. Kenzo becomes nauseous reading the note, the idea that his father left him a message tearing into him. Still, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted the car, so for the time being, he left it.

    As the first semester was coming to a close, the discussions of people potentially leaving for schools in surrounding towns was something causing serious anxiety in him. The pessimistic side of him could not stop thinking about how the only thing that could save the school would be some sort of alien overlord attacking, forcing the students to cooperate. While that never happened, to Kenzo’s surprise, something quite similar did. News of a politician wanting to tear down the school broke, and it lit a fire under the school like he had never seen. Maybe out of a sense of rebellion against adults, or just plain stubbornness, everyone seemed to be against this politician, and it unified everyone against a common evil. Kenzo himself, feeling a need to let loose a lot of pent up emotions, decided to rebel in his own way. While others posted angry messages online against the politician, (which was arguably more useful) Kenzo decided to pay the politicians office a visit at night. Parking the mini truck a bit down the road, he brought a carton of eggs that he would promptly begin to throw at the building. It’s something that in retrospect he finds childish of him, but doesn’t regret. Part of him feels like it was proof that he was still capable of being spontaneous and emotional. Either way, the unification of the school worked in the club’s favor, as the school voted to continue another semester. As for the vandalizing he had committed, nobody knows who it was, so it’ll be a secret he’ll take to the grave. Feeling motivated and relieved after the victory the club had, Kenzo decides that he will begin working on his father’s car. First, he needs a job to buy the parts, so he begins to look for part time jobs during the winter break, not mentioning it to his mother.

    Upon the beginning of the next semester, Kenzo began hearing a rather unexpected rumor. Apparently, the local paper was claiming the school to be cursed, and it even had some people believing. Though he found it hard to believe that someone would believe in a curse like living undead was on the school, he saw what the paper was going for. Trying to start a rumor of a curse that made students perform less in class, scaring away parents from enrolling, or something along those lines. Though, there was not much he or the club could do about it. That is, until the class took a trip up the mountains to the hot springs. There, they found many elders, and took the chance to ask elders of the possibility of a curse, even asking a supposed psychic to perform a reading of the school, to see if any curse could linger. Though, a lot of it came out to be the same. “There’s a chance, but I doubt it” seemed to be the consensus. Kenzo decided to spend the rest of his time on the trip relaxing a bit. Between school and working on the car, he found the hot springs to be a much needed moment of relaxation. That is, until the news broke about the paper. Turns out, the paper was just a mouthpiece for a group’s devious intentions. It was hardly surprising to Kenzo. After all the research he had done, it was a conclusion he was slowly coming to anyway. What did surprise him was that the school had only merged because of the same group’s interference earlier. Still, he spent the time at the hot springs thoroughly enjoying himself, feasting in snacks on the trip back down to the town. To him, it felt like a vacation with a side of mystery, as he got back to work on the car once he got back. He had begun to make real progress on the car, and didn’t have much left.

    As the school festival comes around, Kenzo finds himself admittingly excited for it in his own way. He’s found himself not just listening to discussions about it, but partaking a bit himself. After another scuffle with the shady developers, the idea of a host/maid cafe tournament explodes on the scene, rapidly becoming the focus of all discussions around the school. Kenzo finds himself interested in attending, but as a customer. Though, it seemed that the Gender Relations Club had a different plan. To his surprise, he found himself with plenty of requests to take part in the tournament as a host. Apparently the tall quiet guy is a type? It was quite confusing to him, as he frankly didn’t even see much appeal in himself. However, he had no plans to disappoint. This was his moment, and he had no reason not to do it. Though, this led to him having to be trained in the ways of a host by both male and female students. On the day of the festival, he finds himself at home, wearing a suit that was borrowed to him for his role as a host. On this day, he had also finished the car. He stands in front of it for a while, pondering if it’s worth it to try going to the festival in it. Though, he finds himself unable to spend more than 10 seconds in it before feeling nauseous. He decides to go in the mini truck, parking down the road to not give away his habit of underage driving. There, he has the time of his life. He spends time visiting all the stations, both as a Gender Relations Club member and as a student. He even finds himself winning candy here and there, snacking on chocolates as he heads to the host/maid cafe tournament. To his surprise, his group came home with the sweet, oh so sweet victory. Though to say it was easy would be a lie. Kenzo was forced to use his signature ability as a host, where he served his beverage on his head, having to take a knee while balancing the liquid in the cup without spilling a single drop. It was incredible, and the first time in a long time that he can remember winning in anything. That night, he went home and slept like a king in a way he had never done before, and considers the night the best since the accident, and one of the best in general. Unfortunately, this peace doesn’t last, as the next day, they are informed of the Gender Relations Club's next obstacle. The education system.

    To combat the problem of grades, Kenzo helped make a system where students with higher grades are given extra credit to tutor students with lower grades, while students with lower grades are given extra credit for attending. During this, Kenzo finds himself thinking more and more of his father, and the car. What would his father think if his son went through the effort of fixing the car just to be too scared to drive it,? Thoughts like that eat at him while he tries to give tutoring himself. His grades are nothing great in particular, but math was something that always came easy to him, and would spend an hour or so after class helping tutor before walking home. The night before the exams, Kenzo finds himself standing in front of the car. Staring at his own reflection on the windshield, he can almost see his father standing in the drivers seat, waving for him to join. So he does, taking the wheel for the first time in, well, ever? He slowly pulls out of the driveway, and begins to head down the straight road his house is on, when he stops, pulling over. His hands shake, as a thought slowly crawls in. He had to make sure it was done, and done right. That he was finally able to finish the project that his father Hideki could not. Trying not to think about it twice, Kenzo steps on it. A familiar roar tears through his ears, and the car begins to rapidly speed up, before he feels it. The shaking, it was happening. It wasn’t just his hands, but the car as a whole. Before he can react further, the car begins to spin out. Thankfully, the road he’s on is wider, and has no ditch on the side, meaning the car is able to come to a full stop before hitting anything. Kenzo cries and screams at the top of his lungs for a while, before driving back home, defeated. Not just in the building of the car, but of the faith he had in his father.

    The return of the test results were perhaps one of the most exciting moments of his school career, which only made their complete success that much sweeter. They had done it, and Kenzo was proud to have been a part of that group. With that, the future of the school was secured, and Kenzo could finally stop worrying about the school. In the time leading up to the return of the test scores, he had found himself thinking at various times during the days of the car. What had gone wrong, what had his father missed? It wasn’t until after the test scores came in that he could clearly think and see the answer. Not that it matters, because all Kenzo wanted to do for now was celebrate, having a laughing fit only people who knew who he was pre-accident had ever seen previously.

    You know what they say, larger the light, larger the shadow it casts? Well here’s one big shadow. Upon the announcement of the club’s disbanding, Kenzo finds himself almost in denial. Though, the announcement of a dance does cheer him up slightly, it’s really more bittersweet than anything. He doesn’t even find himself surprised by his acceptance of him being in a dance, only thinking about how he wants to spend it with that special person. Though, the concept of american style means it’ll be big, right? Where they ask each other to go publicly, and with big signs? Kenzo finds himself kind of confused about what about the dance would be American, but it didn’t matter. His mind was made.

    As the dance slowly approaches, a few days before, the last part arrives for the car. The thing his dad had forgotten, the thing that in his eyes killed his father. As he installed it, he found himself thinking. What if he picked up that special person in this car? But the idea had almost an instinctual flinch to it. This was still the car that killed his father, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle the pressure of driving with someone he cared so much about inside the machine. Though, he figures that should be the least of his worries. He begins to plan how he would ask her, with full commitment in mind.

    Personality (At End)
    Kenzo’s time as part of the Gender Relations Club has taught him to value himself, as well as given him an appreciation for not just the people he cares for, but the school in general. He values those he cares about more so than any passion of his own, something that his father was not able to do for his own family. He has learned and come out of his shell. He no longer sits and listens to conversations, he partakes in them, and has built connections as a result.

    Club
    Gender Relations Club

    Likes:
    Swimming- It’s actually one of the reasons why he likes the summer as much as he does. He finds it very fun and entertaining to be able to float and move around in a way where you’re almost unaffected by gravity.
    Anime- It was one of the few things he could do while recovering. He would spend much time watching anime and still does while at home from time to time.
    Cold Coffee- “Simply divine” as he puts it, and his go-to every morning, leaving a cup in the refrigerator while he goes to drop off his mother. Though the caffeine doesn’t do much for him in terms of alertness, it’s the taste and smell that entices him.
    Cars- This is probably something he’ll feign ignorance to at any given moment, but he can’t help it. He is still his father’s son, and with how much he knows, it’s difficult for Kenzo to hide his excitement when seeing a rare or simply nice car.

    Dislikes:
    Cars- Yes, it’s complicated. He feels that he only likes cars because of his father and doesn’t like that he likes them. To him it feels like it’s not his own interest but a result of being around his father.
    Snow- Even when you prepare for it, it’s still a pain to deal with, and makes things that are essential like driving potentially dangerous.
    Dark soda- Things like coca cola, pepsi, and dr. pepper, are drinks that he absolutely can’t stand. He feels unhealthy just thinking about drinking a can.
    Baseball- He already has little to no interest in sports, but baseball interest to Kenzo is in the negatives. To him, it looks so boring.
    Hobbies:
    Working on the car- Pre-accident it was all he helped his father do, and soon two years after the accident he found himself doing the same again. It may as well be a hobby.
    Cooking- With his mother working late, he finds himself enjoying experimenting with random foods, even if most of the time it gets spit right out.
    Going on late night drives- At one point it was basically a daily occurrence. He has a particular route he likes to drive because of its simplicity, and allows him to process his thoughts.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    Make the ones he loves happy- Particularly his mother. Whether it’s buying her a house or at least being able to make sure he can take care of her when she’s older, he wants to make sure to do right by his mother.
    Moving out of the town- hopefully for university. While he still hasn’t decided what to study, he knows it’s something that he wants to do

    Most Embarrassing Moment
    To him personally, it’d be the egg throwing incident. In terms of people seeing him, it’d probably be the first time he had to take off his shirt at the hot springs trip, and he showed some of the scarring from the accident. It was something only he and his mother had seen up until that point, but after a while people stopped talking about them and he began to feel comfortable.

    Insecurities
    Not being enough- This is something that mainly is related to his father but has kind of taken over his mentality as a whole. The whole reason he felt compelled to fix the car was to finally be enough for his father.
    His appearance- It’s mainly his figure. He finds himself comparing himself more negatively than well and finds it difficult to find himself visually appealing.
    Being an edgelord- This is something that he’s been trying to actively avoid for the longest time. While he doesn’t socialize a lot, he hates the idea of looking edgy, or angsty. In his own words, he finds it “cringe” and wishes to just be seen as another random guy.
    Living in his father’s shadow- In the town he’s still known as Hideki’s son by a lot of the adults and elders, and it makes him kind of uncomfortable to be recognized as just that for a multitude of reasons.
 
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  • Boy: Tenya Nekome (Tenyan)
  • Girl: Ai Kinako (Aiko)
  • I like the story where youngsters discover romantic love and all the feelings that come with the experience. And like, if they're not in line with the society's definition of 'falling in love', they try to research it themselves and label that new experience as properly 'falling in love' by their very own standard. Like, sheesh, those "This is the story where I will say I have properly fallen in love." monologues just *lipbites*.

  • Basic Information

    'Communication' Monologue
    "I can't fall in love with anyone but my fiancée." An order that kept ringing in my head. "Yet, I can't love her like that."

    "Communication is the key to everything, yet to open one, it has certain rules that must be done for every case of communication." My mother used to say that. And I found it very wise. I used to think that everything can be solved with communication, until they handed me to a man I seldom saw. I thought he was a friend of father, and perhaps he was. But do friends sell their children?

    I never thought of our family as that poor. We ate good. Not fancy, but enough. When I was ushered into an old, vintage car with my mother, I saw them communicating some more. I was afraid, but with mother beside me, it wasn't too bad. But when the engine started, and as father's silhouette started to get smaller and smaller, my fright increased once more.

    From that day, I learned that there's another, way more powerful tool--money.

    Name: Tenya Nekome (Tenyan)
    Appearance: (Anime Faceclaims, crediting the original artist would be appreciated)
    Speech Color: (BBcode color meant to represent their spoken dialogue.)
    Gender: Male
    Age: 18

    Date of Birth: July 7th
    Blood Type: A
    Height: (in centimeters)
    Weight: (in kilos)

    Character Voice:
    Character Theme:



    Character Background and Personality

    Love means nothing, therefore Love Means Anything Monologue
    “Love means nothing.” I could never agree on that. To me, love means everything. But the moment I was sold to the Sugihara family as an asset, I was forced to hide that. Quickly after I arrived, I was already set up for an arranged marriage with someone three years older than me. It didn't matter whether there's love involved or not. "You two would make for a great couple, as such I expect a great heir." was her parents wish when they announced the arrangement.

    The foundation of this couple was wit, power, money. There was no love. Me and Yuka were expected to be professionals and achieve whatever goals subjected to us. Being younger, it wasn't rare for me to confide in her. She was happy to listen to me. We quickly fostered a synergy almost similar to siblings. We're on the same beat, with minds supporting each other's. But because of that, I cannot imagine a life where we are wed. And yet, however, I never delve into that feeling called romantic love.

    But a girl made me curious. Made me wonder. And before long, I found doing things for moments with her. I don't know whether this was romantic love, but I wouldn't mind spending more times with her. But then again, that quote "love means nothing, therefore love means anything" exist.

    Personality (At Start)
    Tenyan has a workaholic, quick-to-learn, to-the-point, stiff character in him. Yet, he's also a gentleman at heart and sometimes can be too generous in helping his peers in trouble. Being set up in an arrangement, Tenyan buries himself with work and packed schedule in order to avoid falling in love with others but his fiancée. He knows how easily he can fall for someone, and that won't be good and can severe his relationship with his fiancée.

    Pre-Story Background
    Tenyan is a "loaned son" of Sugihara family. Loaned by the Nekome family, he was forced to be an asset for Sugihara Corp. for until he pays his family's debt. Tenyan was then arranged in a marriage between Yuka Sugihara. Tenyan knows that it's easy for him to fall in love. Yet, with the time he's been spending with his fiancée, had allowed him to realize that the love that sprouted between them isn't what the head of Sugihara desired. When Tenyan attended an all-boys high school, he had to move out and live alone.

    When the schools got merged, Tenyan was quick to discuss the matter with the head of Sugihara family. Although there were some problems, the head of Sugihara family decided to let Tenyan continue his study in that school.

    Common Route Story Background
    Tenyan applied for The Gender Relations club on his own behalf. He hoped that with this, he could make himself accustomed to working alongside girls. And well, let's just say he already 'failed', kind of. Tenyan had never experienced a romantic love, so when his heart skipped a beat for this one girl, he was confused. He tried his best to maintain professionality throughout all the three years. But shall we break down the events one by long along with his professionalism for this one girl.

    In their first meeting of deciding who manages whatnot, Tenyan was the first to ask for the treasurer role. He found that the treasurer role had the most relevancies with his soon-to-be position in the Sugihara Corp. and decided that he could learn some things.

    Tri-City Sports Festival
    Finding that the budget the Gender Relations Club holds was almost none, Tenya was quick in making a proposal for food products made by students to be allowed to be sold at the school's canteen with 5% cut from total earnings of each students’ products. The 5% going into the Gender Relations Club fund. Not only can it help the Home Depot Club whenever they whip up some food from their club activities, it could also help other students in learning about cuts, discounts, all about managing prices.

    It went pretty well, and by the time the sport festival’s responsibility was handed to the Gender Relations Club, the collected fund was able to cover the wall littered with holes with a wall board. While temporary, it was enough to solve the problem.

    Meanwhile, the lunches given to the Yuzu High students and parents when the sports festival arrived were all made by the volunteering students. The leftovers were sold to other schools’ students, teachers, and even other students’ parents on the scene. Bewildered by the quality of the products, some of the parents offered to be supporter for Yuzu High.

    The Voting in Yuzu High and The First Step
    When the winter came, Tenyan became busier as he tried to manage both his studies and the supporters. From the supporters, Yuzu High was able to add more variety of materials taught in classes and clubs. This became one of the reasons of the favor from the students increased. When the voting happened, when they were offered a chance to either stay or change school, Tenya decided to stay.

    After consideration and the general consensus, Yuzu High decided to continue operating.

    When the Spring came, Tenyan decided to join the sewing club. He hoped to maybe try to finish off his parents' debt from the money he would made through his crafts. And that was after careful considerations and discussions with Yuka regarding the girl he liked.

    The Mystical Hot Spring


    Personality (At End)
    Tenyan seems to lower his guard down nearing the end. He's also a little more expressive, sometimes cracking up a joke or two. He also becomes quite flirty towards the girl he's pinning for, though there's still an air of shyness and that he's always so quick in retreating for a bit.

    Club
    The Gender Relations Club
    (Ex-member) Debate Club
    Sewing Club


    Likes:
    Good Leadership -     Tenya appreciates someone who has good leadership. Mostly because this means he doesn’t have to step in and act as a leader. He knows how tiring it can be and knowing that he can focus more on learning for what role he's about to learn made him very relieved.

    Letters - Tenyan likes the beauty held by the outdated way of communication. He likes the texture of the papers, the wax that can be shaped with stamp, and the way he can "dress" the letters with dried flowers, stamps, and postcards.

    Napping - Tenyan likes to nap and absorb the sun's warmth whenever it's the break period. He rarely gets that hungry, and just a few bites already made him feel enough. Being a fast eater as well, he gets plenty of time left to nap.


    Dislikes:
    Money -     Tenyan doesn't like money due to how powerful it can be and its importance. How all solutions seem to be able to be solved with money. Tenyan knows it's pretty childish, that's why he never uttered it. Even with all the negative feelings he holds towards money, he knows that it's needed, and won't hesitate to use it or acquire it.

    Being stressed - Tenyan hates being stressed and will always try to lessen the burden on his mind in order to achieve better quality of productivity. He either does it by writing in on a paper or discussing it with his confidant.

    Cooking - Tenyan doesn't like to cook but is required to. His cooking tends to be on the tasteless side for most people. However, he found that his tongue is accustomed with the faint taste found on his cooking.

    Hobbies:
    Sewing -     Tenyan discovered his newly favorite hobby on the last of his second year. The first time he picked up this activity after a while was when he chose to attend the sewing club in his second year. He hoped that he could earn money from crafting clothes or wearable crafts.

    Saving up money - Tenya knows that almost everything in the world needs money and can be resolved with money. He learns from his family of coupon-hunting activity, buying rejected products, and near-expiry date foods.

    Writing letters - Tenyan likes to write letters. He finds it more aesthetically pleasing, and more intimate. He likes to spill his musings or anything occupying his mind on the papers. Sometimes, there are controversial thoughts spilled, which is why there are some letters that he lets the fire consume.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    To Marry Her -     After realizing what he feels for her, Tenyan decided to make it his goal to marry her instead of Yuka. He wants to be with her even in the future, and somehow, if they were to do that as "friends", Tenyan felt wrong. Starting from crafting clothing and crocheting accessories, to selling them and making profit from them, Tenya has worked hard to achieve this goal.

    To Go Back as Nekome Family - Tenyan wishes to go be with his family again sometime, after he pay off their debts. He misses them, and even though they had, kind-of, sold him, he believes that there was one good reason at least.

    To Make a Wedding Dress -


    Most Embarrassing Moment


    Insecurities
    Mixing up words -     Tenyan occasionally mixes up words whenever he's flirting. This is due to him being flustered, and even though he wants to retreat, his heart just wants to keep smothering the girl he's pinning on with praises.

    Bunny tooth - Tenyan has a bunny tooth that he tends to hide. It's also why whenever he smiles, he smiles with his lips and eyes only.
 
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  • Boy: Mashu Beika
  • Girl: Kurea Tachibana
  • My preferred narratives include comedy and gradual development of romantic interests via mundane activities. A few tragedies sprinkled here and there for the flavors ain't bad either.





  • Basic Information

    "One thing is certain in this world - expiry dates on saving coupons. The same goes for unspoken words. Allow me to elaborate. Savings coupons that one obtains during, say, a trip to the local grocery story can come in handy when cutting off certain costs that can be avoided. But that also requires diligence on the procurer's side as well. Now, there are certain discounts that can be accumulated within a short amount of time and at a certain threshold of percentage, correct? What if I told you that you can actually plan months ahead for and perhaps benefit from it? The simple truth resides in communication. All you gotta do is ask. People tends to find coupons for items that they usually do not use. Hang onto those, as they can provide ample of opportunity to try different products at a cheaper bargain - especially if you're a hardline laundry detergent buyer like myself. But of course, as coupons have an expiry date, so does feelings that are long overdue. I've never been one to exercise these thoughts, but it is quite intriguing when one speaks one's mind - the rest will unfold itself in due time I suppose."

    BEIKA, MASHU
    W0tUCtL.png

    Sauce: Artem Wing drawn by jiukuzi18797
    Speech Color: dodgerblue
    Gender: Male
    Age: 17

    Date of Birth: 19th, April
    Blood Type: APOS / A+
    Height: 175 cm
    Weight: 72 kg

    Character Voice: Daisuke Namikawa (Major Gilbert from Violet Evergarden)

    Character Theme: Danshi Koukousei to Nanishiteruno


    Character Background and Personality

    "Love Means Nothing. Just like grocery coupons that one tries their darnest to secure it for future procurement. They all have a limited window of opportunity to be utilized and at times - unbeknownst to one's consideration. Their value is therefore equivalent to something as they worth nothing. I suppose the same can be said about this thing they call love. The truth is, I know nothing of what my future may entail, nor can I speak for those that shares the same mind but not heart. Even now, I cannot make sense of this sentiment that asphyxiates me. The only sensible thing then, when it comes to saving this coupon of mine, is to use it when the time comes. Why not? After all... Love Means Nothing. Thusly, Love Means Anything."


    Personality (At Start)
    Mashu is, by all regards, a self-regulating manual that contemplates the palates of ideals and dreams. Armed with a facade endowed by his father, Mashu tends to be reserved in his words, retaining his personal opinions to himself. As such, he is often seen as a cold and solitary person. A lethally straight-forward person, Mashu does not hide his intentions when speaking to others. His principles of honesty and rectitude were defined by his objectively-driven statements. Rather than looking for the cause of any given issue, Mashu would be searching for the solution instead. Far from a people pleaser, he is just as stern towards others as he is about grocery coupons. A calculative mind, borne by his father's disciplinary ways, Mashu often justifies his decisions by logic and reasoning before sentimental values. Despite this, he is attentive of others when the need arises. A prim and proper gentleman, Mashu's attitude is as tranquil in most cases as his stern facade.


    Pre-Story Background
    Matthew Baker is an American transfer student from the United States. Son to William Baker, a powerful businessman whose occupation led them to Japan, "Mashu" had to adapt to a new beginning in a foreign country. Having been brought up in a wealthy family as the only son, Mashu was expected to succeed in school and follow in his father's footsteps, in that order. Drilled into him since childhood by his father's principles and strict guidelines, Mashu struggles to make sense of what was expected of him and that of his personal yearnings. Under his father's stern parenting, Mashu learned to speak Japanese and quickly became acquainted with the local customs. While it was not his earnest decision by heart, his father's method of parenting proved effective for the most part, sparing a few ill sentiments left unsung.

    Common Route Story Background
    Having spent a steady year at an all boys school, it came to Mashu as both a strange yet intriguing news that his school was to be merged with an all-girls school to form what would be known as Yuzu High School. Needless to say, it was fate that was brought to bear for the troubled teenager whose anger was felt by his classmates over a certain incident. Thanks to his father's connection with the new Yuzu High's principal, Mashu was quickly admitted following the inevitable merge with St. Kisai Girl's School. While there were initial concerns in regards to his bottled frustrations, it came as a surprise to many that the merge somehow tamed a part of Mashu. Gradually but assuredly, the young boy blended into his new environment seamlessly, although with it came a certain longing for the past that beckoned him since childhood. Unbeknownst to his father, Mashu had taken a part-time job at a local grocery store to earn a living on his own without relying on his father. It was also revealed to be Mashu's wishes to break away from William's grasps. Alas, Kusatsu is small town with everything tucked away beneath a transparent veil.

    During his time at Yuzu High, Matthew began to make a few friends where he was unable to do so before due to his father's nomadic displacement. The boy never felt at ease when it came to schools and homes, as he had accepted the fact that all would come to pass. It was only through a certain incidents and fateful encounters that reignited his soul to be a part of something more than simply drifting along with his pre-planned life. His first time spent in the company of his peers, free from the norms of academic discussion was upon the rooftop during lunch time. Since then, Mashu began to take into the habit of studying not just books but people as well. Eventually, he would end up trailing people until he ended up in the Gender Relationship Club since he did not want to spend too much time home.

    When the Principal specifically requested the Gender Relations Club to spearhead a tri-city Sports Festival, Mashu was pulled into more than what he initially thought was the case. Following a thorough inspection of the school's inventory in preparation for the event, Mashu put his hobby to good use by patching up certain details that were unaddressed by the maintenance staff. Unknowingly, he managed to keep everyone in the loop regarding their shortages and practiced hard with the first-draft picks of the school. Being in the swimming club himself, Mashu was able to coordinate with its members and worked up several strategies to keep Yuzu High in the competition. During this time, he found a purpose which gave him cause to act upon the interests of others. Camaraderie and pride in solidarity, in the end, was worth more than their personal achievements. Despite this, Mashu cannot deny the fact that he was earning a name for himself as a capable swimmer in school.

    It did not take long for Mashu to unravel a plan to demolish the school, which involved his father. Having lost his mother when he was born, Mashu quickly adopted his father's conservative persona. Despite this, Mashu tried all that he could to break away from his father's shadows, in hopes of finding out more about why his father did not bring his mother's memories to light for most of his life. This gave rise to a few conflicts between Mashu and William, with the latter almost on the verge of putting in the full force of his influence to withdraw his son from school. They would later reconcile thanks to the efforts of the Mashu's friends that led William to perceive the truth of Mashu's own dreams. After a heartfelt exchange of unspoken woes, Mashu's father finally handed to Mashu a small journal left behind by his mother and subtly subverted his company's plans to tear down the school.

    Heeding his mother's written words, the young man chose to live his life fully. With the aid of his friends, and the inevitable reconciliation with his father, Mashu went on to partake in the school's events more frequently than he did before, in hopes of living for himself in honor of his mother. His conviction grew with his father's unspoken noblesse oblige, of which was clear to the young man at the time.

    During an organized school trip to the hot springs, William had personally volunteered to chaperone the students there and back. It was at the hot springs retreat that Mashu deciphered the true nature of the rumors that the school's grounds were haunted. His father then elaborated that it was a method for many firms in the past to get the favorable and lenient outcome to procure the area. This only strengthened and solidified Mashu's wishes to remain at Yuzu High.

    During the school's Cultural Festival, Mashu and his club members worked tediously with the anime club on how to garner the interest of the community. Inadvertently, they would take a picture of Mashu and his classmates in host attires that were procured by the anime club as a piece of memory for their collaboration and posted it online as a meme. Little did they knew, the school's popularity spiked as a result, and helped to stave off the underhanded efforts of those that wished to demolish the school. Following his return home that day, William took him out for a jog and the two talked for hours about Mashu's future - before ending with William's smug grin in regards to his son in a host uniform and Mashu wrestling with his father on their way home. It was also revealed that William had went the extra mile to make sure that his oppositions within the company would not try to take down Yuzu High in the future. In a way, Mashu's efforts at school had also helped his father's cause.

    As exam seasons came around the corner, Mashu learned more about his classmate's woes. It was common for them to show their vulnerable sides under pressure, as Mashu himself was no different. He became irritated at the slightest things, despite his sufficient performance in school. It was revealed that he was fearful of the aftermath of the exams. It meant that his highschool years would come to an end and he has yet to accomplish more than half the things he set for himself. Eventually, he finally gave in to the urge to open his closed mind to a close friend in his club during a nonchalant discussion upon the vacant rooftop of Yuzu High. With his own dillemma resolved by simply talking, Mashu turned his attention towards others and offered plausible resolutions to accomplish together. One of the many methods included William treating the Gender Relations Club to dinner. His words at the dinner table surely stirred something in the students present. "You'd best deliver on your quotas next week, or I'll make sure none of you get a job when you graduate in a few years." When brought up to Mashu by his peers, he simply said "I believe that was the first time he made a joke" with a nonchalant face. Needless to say, it did its job in making Mashu and his classmates exceed their limits. The students involved then were given gifts by William on the day their scores were released. When inquired of his own gift to his father, the latter replied "I believe you already found one. Not me obviously, but if you haven't figured it out already, then you've best solve that before the sakura blooms again, kid."

    With the Gender Relation Club announcing its disbandment, Mashu found his days at Yuzu High numbered. Particularly when it involved a certain American Style Dance event to be hosted by the club. He would spend the remaining days pedaling his bicycle from one end of town to the other, never minding of what was to come. In fact, he was quite nonchalant about it, simply because he was not aware of any romantic intrigues that would cause him any trouble.

    To be in the service of others became more than just a goal for Mashu. As his senior year approach its inevitable end, the young Mashu found that he had finally found the initiative he needed. Rather than idling by to be drowned out by the long road ahead that is seen present in his father's fractured soul, of which had been trying to redeem itself by being there for him since their reconciliation, Mashu truly felt the want to embrace the responsibilities his father expected of him. When he entered Yuzu High, he was a distant and troubled Mashu. But as he now prepares for his graduation, the renewed 'Ma-kun' would finally be able to put his newfound initiative to use - in more ways than what he could possibly imagine.

    As the days came winding down to the inevitable, Mashu simply went about it just like any other day. It was apparent to many that he was not only clueless about the notion of sentimental conflictions, but also that he would rationalize it as an arithmetic problem to be reasoned with. Of course, only he has the answers.


    Personality (At End)
    While initially deemed as a distant personnel of interest, Mashu tends to disprove such inception of his stern image when it came ot conversations. It became apparent to many, as they gravitated towards the almost-unapproachable man, that he has always been more of a listener than a talker. Profound conversations can be found when one simply asks him, and Mashu would simply address them in an articulate manner. While far from an expressive person, Mashu's frank common sense often times made him the subject of comedy. Rather than relying on others, he often sought to solve a problem in a well-planned manner. A reliable hand and a sternly charismatic spokesman of his class, Mashu inherited his father's likeness as a businessman. Towards his classmates, he usually keeps an open mind to any circumstances that demanded a method of resolution. Alas, the one thing that he has yet to give away is his principle regarding coupon savings. Whether by his exposure to the Gender Relations Club or personal tribulations, Mashu's smiles have been more frequent of late.

    Likes
    Homemade Bento     - One of the few things that Mashu appreciates the most are home-made meals. No matter how mediocre it is, he seems to cherish the efforts put in by others more so than the taste itself.

    Video Games- Every Friday evening, Mashu often frequents his local internet cafe to play video games. Almost every staff and frequent customer are acquainted with Mashu.

    Festivals - While he holds no particular interests for the tightly-packed attractions, Mashu is rather fond of festivals for certain traditional live performances and storytelling sessions.

    Books - Mashu's interests in history and personal studies are inspired by his appreciation for traditional customs and practical knowledge.


    Dislikes
    Spicy Food     - Mashu's intolerance for spicy cuisines made him a tragic victim of Yuzu High's Spicy Noodle Competition.

    Sweets - Personal preference, as Mashu's tastes are far more acquainted with a balanced taste.

    Cities - Despite being an adaptable soul with all the hallmarks of an urbanite, Mashu dislike the noises and short-attention spans that are offered at every corner of any city. He prefers the reticence of the countryside.

    Casual Fashion - Perhaps due to his father's influence, Mashu finds himself most comfortable in his school uniform or a suit. Even on his day off, Mashu is often seen rocking a shirt and tie.


    Hobbies
    Cycling / Riding - Sometimes the best treatment to mundane stresses is to hit the road and let one's mind be carried by the unending stripes and shifting sceneries.

    Handiwork - Mashu enjoys putting things together, such as PC parts and fixing equipment.

    Reading - A good book keeps Mashu company, though he also welcomes those interested in reading alongside him as well.


    Dreams/Life Goals
    Travelling     - Fearful of what life may demand from him, independent adventures are the reasonable equalizer to his dread of the uncertain future.

    Mother's Wishes - For a seemingly lonesome person in a busy world, there are certain wisdom left behind that Mashu felt should be addressed before he steps into his father's world. Whether it is done by himself or alongside a certain someone remains to be seen.


    Club: Swimming Club, Gender Relations Club


    Most Embarrassing Moment
    Hidden In Plain Sight - One of Mashu's classmates lost their glasses, prompting the entire group of boys to search for it. Mashu noticed right away that the glasses were on the boy's head the entire time, but did not point it out. He reasoned this to be a prank of sort and played along. It was not until one of them pointed it out, did he realized that he himself was the joke. Ever since, it made Mashu more direct when talking to others, hoping to not repeat the same scenario.


    Insecurities
    Familial Expectations     - Being the only son in the family puts a certain pressure on the young Mashu, as he is afraid of failing to follow through with the certain decisions that would otherwise be opposed by his father. While he is most willing to resist, the plausible collateral damage it would bring upon his friends and acquaintances dissuades him from committing to his independence fully.

    Social Needs Over Wants - While Mashu can reciprocate a topic discussed most eloquently, he falls short on the side of initiating one. As such, he is often the one being sought after via questions, rather than being the one to voice an opinion outright.

    Past Aggressions - There were times when Mashu often fought others in middle school and on one specific occasion - hurt a fellow classmate. While he has been tranquil of late, he is fearful of his wrathful side that might surface at times.


 
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  • Boy: Sai Genjo
  • Girl: Yukiko Benri
  • One Romance Plot I like is: "Friends to oh no I like them. I must now engage in shenanigans in order figure out if they also have feelings too, which they do but are also engaged in 3D chess. Everyone else can say that the like each other, buuuut we're in too deep now." (Best summarized as Kaguya-Sama)


  • Life is cold, but so am I.
    Basic Information

    'Communication' Monologue
    "I don't need communication. I'm all I need. I suppose you need more on that topic, though. I did join this stupid club. Where to start? I was forced to communicate there, but at home there's nothing. We go home, eat separately, sleep. Go to work. My mom and dad aren't cruel or anything, but we just... communication isn't useful. I might as well communicate with a wall, for all it's worth. I joined this club because my mom said to join a club because I 'got home too early'. Suddenly she cares? Whatever. I can watch this train wreck. I even brought snacks."

    Name: Sai Genjo
    Appearance: Kokonose "Konoha" Haruka as Drawn by Cyawa on Pixv
    Speech Color: Gold #FAC51C
    Gender: Male
    Age: 17

    Date of Birth: 10/26
    Blood Type: B+
    Height: 160 cm
    Weight: 50 kg

    Character Voice: (Your Character's Japanese Voice Actor, please provide a clip too.)


    Character Theme:



    Character Background and Personality

    Love means nothing, therefore Love Means Anything Monologue
    "Love means nothing. I thought love was silence and the space between sleep and school. A meal warmed by the microwave. That if you reached out, love was nothing in return. That was wrong. Love means nothing. That means when you reach out into nothing, something will take your hand. Even without proof, without trust. Love can be handcooked meals, laughter over the dinner table. Sharing passions with friends. It's not empty space between sleeping and working. That's not love. It's trust falls and laughs on lawns. Love Means Nothing. Therefore, Love Means Anything. Anything at all."

    Personality (At Start)
    Standoffish and distant, Sai never seemed interested in much anything outside of school and sleep. Actually making sure he never stood out by making sure he got averages on tests, he was actually pretty smart. However, he mostly liked to maintain his status as an aloof, rude, jokester who took nothing seriously. If he flew under the radar by not being attached to anyone, those delinquents would just pass him by. He secretly wondered if it was ever worth trying to reach out to someone for friendship, but his continued absence of a home life assured him it wasn't worth it.

    Pre-Story Background
    Best described as someone who just melts into the background, content to be left alone, Sai largely survived rough crowds and rowdy boys by just... not being part of it. He never took part in any clubs, never made any friends with people, quietly studied and got average grades. At home, it was largely the same. Both parents were usually too tired from work to make much of an effort at dinner or interaction, so Sai subsisted on instant ramen or convenience store lunches. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly lively, either. After the merger, life just... continued.

    Though out of the blue, one his parents forced him to join a club. Any club. Apparently, they realized he wasn't social. Last year of high school all he needed to do was ride out the year until the school inevitably collapsed. Which made the 'Gender Relations Club' the ideal place to watch the whole thing burn down in real time. Or so he thought.

    Common Route Story Background
    1) Join the Gender Relations Club!
    It took some time for people to realize he was there, and it was mostly due to the fact one of the teachers brought up the bag of snack food left in the room afterwards. He never directly sabotaged them, but also never tried to do much. If asked, he was 'just filling out the minimum student requirement' for the club. That was how he was helping them with their gender relations whatever.

    2) - The school took part in the Tri-City Sports Festival.
    While working on the Sports Festival, Sai had strangely helpful insights about setting up the equipment. As the event set up went on, he seemed to show some interest in helping. Even when not directly asked to. His strange behavior earned the ire of the girls who were accused of sabotaging the equipment. Now framed and having expectations of him, Sai went about an investigation. He took time to purchase new equipment and set up a trap for the culprit. It turned out to be a boy from his class, who wanted to make the girls look bad.

    Sai explained that it would just backfire and make their entire school look bad, rather than just the girls. The culprit repented and confessed. Sai, notably, never asked for the trapped equiment back, instead saying that 'the school can have it, not like I use 'em'. He used the remaining time to repair what equipment he could, finding it interesting to fix things. He mostly let his classmates do the whole 'rallying the troops thing', but no one doubts he was instrumental in making sure the sports festival happened at all.

    Doing the one event he signed up for (the bare minimum) he was secretly drafted into the calvary battle, where he seemingly got caught up in the spirit and smiled for the first time. Even if they didn't win, Sai has a framed photo of the day in his room. Both of himself and of his new clubmates.

    3) - The Gender Relationship Club makes the decision to not leave the school, allowing it to continue into next year.

    Sai was many things, but he was not an outspoken person. The school being bulldozed for... warehouses? Justifying to himself that warehouses were pointless, he started to hand out flyers. While that was a token effort, the others were much more enthusiastic. He looked into the politician trying to bulldoze the school and why. It seemingly came out of left field, and smelling corruption, he 'leaked' his gatherings to the journalism club. Who, for the first time in quite literally ever, finally had enough of a scoop that they were suddenly reaching outside the school.

    Suddenly, the flyers were practically flying out of his hands, and people actually cared what he thought about all of the events. Caught off guard, Sai blushed and excused himself.

    Meanwhile, at home, his mother suddenly announced family dinner. Between the sudden interest of his parents in his life and the sudden popularity of the Gender Relations Club, Sai took to retreating to his room or simply exiting rooms when people referred to him for anything. It was a peculiar habit, but hardly anyone pressed him on it. For the first time, he wondered if he actually wondered if he actually wanted anyone to follow after him when he abruptly left.

    4) - The school took a school trip to the mystical hot springs and was able to discover the source of the school's curse and woes.

    Everyone knew the school was lightly cursed. From the poorly made stairs, ancient broken mirror, it was spooky and just mostly underfunded. Sai now decided to try and claw out some time to himself. The sudden attention spiking his anxiety to new all time highs. The Gender Relations Club was fun, but he'd never admit to them he thought the club was pointless at the start. Now they... expected him to do things.

    At home, the dinners continued. The silence was ironically, the worst part of them. Between his worries at school and home, he didn't eat any of the family dinners offered. He skipped meals, unable to convince himself he needed to eat when people were watching him. Waiting. Needing him to say something. Anything.

    The school trip was embarrassing. He was one of the few people who would go late to the hot springs in order to get some privacy. The reason being that he had a new unfortunate habit: that he was too nervous and wired to eat regularly. Wanting to hide his anxiety from everyone, he decided to not let anyone know. Clothes could mostly hide his malnutrition. Hot springs... not so much.

    The late night trips ended up leading to overhearing the reason why the school was 'cursed' with under funding. The school head was far more interested in the corporation who 'needed' the warehouses lining his pockets than giving any to the school. The person in charge of that being his own mother. That explained her sudden interest in his school life. Faced with needing to tell the others about his discovery, he realized the best way may have to be in the hot springs with the other guys in the club. He could pass that on to the girls once he had the guys on his side.

    He only barely managed to convince the other boys after they noticed why he'd been hiding, the lack of eating meant Sai was in terrible shape. He managed to get a promise out of the club members that they would help him do something to stop the corporation. In exchange, he had to take care of himself. 3 meals a day, and if he was nervous to say so out loud. No one would judge him for leaving a room.

    5) - The school's culture festival was a huge success despite attempts to sabotage from people trying to close the school down.

    Now dealing with the corporation was a tall order. The culture festival could help them make huge strides towards saving the school, and if they set up somewhere popular enough...

    Sai was the one who suggested a maid cafe. The Gender Relations Club then took a bit further by suggesting a gender swapped cafe. The boys would be maids, while the girls would be butlers. They started a social media account, "Gender Relations Club Cafe" that teased members in costume but their face obscured in order to lure in more people. Sai's picture ended up being the most popular.

    The day of, they passed around flyers and ran a contest. If you can guess which club member is which maid or butler, get a free picture with them in costume.

    The cafe took off far more than expected. Sai was sent off to get supplies, but required to do so in costume. Running into his mother on the way back, she scoffed and told him, "how long until you drive them away? This silly club will accomplish nothing. You and I both know you joined because you wanted a spectacle of stupidity. Make the club fail, or I force you to withdraw from the club."

    Sai dropped off the ingredients then left the culture festival. He didn't show up for a few days.

    The photos of the club he'd started taking were shoved into a drawer in his dresser.

    6) - The students are able to rally the school's test scores, letting it be safe to continue operating even after they graduate, saving the school.

    Eventually, he signed his resignation from the club. Or so it seemed. His mother was the one that turned it in, ultimately and said he would be moving schools when this one closed.

    The club received an email from Sai, explaining that his mother told him to quit and that she was trying to get the warehouses built. His heartfelt apology explaining his actions and thoughts at the start rallied the club to get him away from his home. In the middle of the night, Sai escaped from his house with the help of his new friends, and his father, who handed him the photo album of pictures of he and the club that the older man had been taking during the year.

    "That was the most I've ever seen you smile. Don't worry, I'll fix this on my end. Go. Be happy with your new friends."

    While studying for the exams, Sai also ran tutoring for students around school to bring the average up. Just before finals, Sai recieved a text from his father, stating he had found them a new home, and the divorce papers had gone through. The exams went swimmingly.

    Now, with the club disbanding and the dance coming up, Sai looked around his new room, heard his father cooking in the kitchen... and realized that love could be anything.

    Of course, he did have to admit that 'anything' to her...

    Personality (At End)
    While still shy, Sai is now fiercely loyal and open with his emotions. He's also the club's unofficial photographer. Taking pictures right up until the end of the good times he had with the club. Of course, a good portion are selfies with him making a silly face, but in that's own way of making sure he's no longer as cold and afraid of being open. He even might be the biggest hugger of all, a twist that no one expected at the start of the club.

    Club
    Gender Relations Club

    Likes:
    • Photography- a new passion he uncovered, he likes to make sure he has records of all the good times.
    • Reading- often found in the club room reading anything from Shonen Jump to the works of Edogawa Ranpo.
    • Canned Coffee- behind the scenes, he pushed for a vending machine in town that carries canned coffee so he didn't have to maintain his own stock.
    • Glow in the dark items- he likes watching them glow softly in the night. His current room has a ton of sticky stars and moons.

    Dislikes:
    • Loud Noises- as part of being a little jumpy and anxious, loud noises cause him to jump/hit things when they go off.
    • Dogs- since most of them can knock him down, and often do.
    • Art- his worst subject. He once painted a cat, which was mistaken for a cow.
    • Summer- It's too hot and he likes sweaters and scarves more than baking and dying.

    Hobbies:
    • Programming- he likes to mess around with simple code languages.
    • Video Games- he would say his favorite games are hardcore RPGs, but in reality he likes dating sims and visual novels the most.
    • Baking- he likes making cakes and cupcakes. His favorite thing to make is actually lava cakes.
    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • Minor in photography- after this year of realizing how important it is to take photos, he'd like to study the art a bit more.
    • University- He plans to go to a big university, but right now he wants to sort himself out a little more before he commits too much.
    Most Embarrassing Moment
    Who's that cute maid:     No one at school guessed who he was correctly during the festival. Everyone though that 'she' might be a brand new student. No one guessed throughout his stay during the festival.

    Insecurities
    • As a short boy he doesn't like asking for help when things are out of reach. He's fallen off more counters than he should admit.
    • Opening Up- while he's better at it now, that now something that disappears overnight. He's worried if he's too open, he might alienate people.
    • Joking as Coping- when stressed he jokes in order to lessen the pressure. That or he just up and leaves the room without explanation.
 
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This is taking a bit longer than I thought so I'm just gonna drop it here
  • Boy: Yun Okumura
  • Girl: Natori Sannomiya
  • I like it when rommances heal each other in some way, either from painful past experiences (awful ex/abusive relationships) to personality flaws. The generic bad boy/girl with normal, happy go-lucky boy/girl works.




  • edde7ec984e0c47d8704836748d4d77b595db160_00.jpg

    "Communication would be easy if everyone were reasonable. If people used their heads and thought things through rather than following momentary impulses and letting emotions cloud their judgement. Sadly, most of the world isn't reasonable. Yuzu High is a perfect, little, representation of this; Childish teenagers bickering about inane trivialities like the opposite sex. If so, what's the point of trying to communicate with them at all? Why waste one's breath on people who refuse to listen? I think like this sometimes...even if I know communication is what separates us humans from animals. Nay! Even animals communicate, so why can't we? Why is it so hard for people to just not be idiots and talk out their problems???

    ...Maybe I'll know if I give it a try."     ​


    Name: Okumura, Yun (奥村 百波)
    Appearance: Hidaka Houkuto from Ensemble Stars.
    Speech Color: #2969B0
    Gender:     Male
    Age: 16

    Date of Birth: June 1st
    Blood Type: AB+
    Height: 174 cm
    Weight: 61 kg

    Character Voice: Tomoaki Maeno.



    Character Theme:



    (Might be changed if I find something better but, uh, he likes classical music I guess. Playing it with the voice clip sounds nice^^)

    "Love means nothing. It's a romantic fantasy cooked up by some novelist in the Middle Ages to...sell books? Encourage procreation? I don't know. I'm not a writer during those horrid times and I certainly wouldn't be caught dead writing a romantic story. I'm more of a facts person than a fantasy one...and yet my mind keeps wandering to her. It makes no sense. She's nothing special. I'm certain I didn't feel anything towards her before the Gender Relations Club, but now anything and everything she does gets my heart racing a little. Is this love? It is, isn't it? If so, love means nothing. Therefore, Love means anything. "​


    Personality (At Start)
    Prideful, stubborn, meticulous, and thoughtful, if I were to describe Yun in one world it'd be...responsible? Reliable? Clinical? Okaaay, so not ONE word can completely encompass all he is. Outwardly he appears to be stoic and serious, but he isn't particularly reserved or shy and those who end up becoming his friend will probably find that he has a lot to say. He's the sort that, if he knows what he wants, will aim for it with 120%. That's because he takes life seriously and is confident enough in himself that he can achieve anything he wants with effort. Going into high school he knows he wants to make his parents proud and, while he isn't entirely certain he wants to go the medical route, it's the path he started on and he wouldn't give it anything less. High school was just a stepping stone towards his goals; He attended an All-Boy's school to avoid distraction.

    Therefore, he considered the merging of two schools and the entrance of females into his educational grounds as nothing more than a distraction. All of sudden, it was all his classmates could talk about...and not all in a good way. As the overprotective brother of two adorable, 5-year-old girls (twins), Yun has nothing against girls. Biologically, he knows they are all the same...minus a couple of minor differences. Yun is someone who errs on the side of reason rather than emotion. Hence he doesn't really understand what all the rabble is about. They're just girls - not aliens from another planet. That said, his opinion of them is that they're weaker (physically). Cry a lot. Squeal a lot. And overall a hassle to deal with (partly due to his sisters who, while adorable, can be twin terrors when they want to be). While he doesn't avoid them, he doesn't exactly go out of his way to befriend them until joining the Gender Relations Club either. Whenever he does interact with them, Yun tries to be cautious and courteous lest he ends up making them cry and end getting labeled as a misogynistic pig or some other inane drivel.

    Yun holds himself to a high standard and, in that same vein, holds others to the same standards. People who don't put at least 100% effort into the things they do bother him. People that don't speak their mind bother him. The health and safety of others is important to him and he can get a bit pushy/overprotective when it comes to someone he cares about. He always carries hand sanitizer wherever he goes (habit) and has a first aid kid in his backpack. Teachers like him. Students...depends on the student, though most probably find him annoying to some degree. He doesn't care. Yun always makes sure to remain in the top 10 of his school grade-wise.

    Pre-Story Background
    The first son of two wealthy doctors that own a chain of hospitals, Yun had a fairly happy childhood all things considering. He grew up around stethoscopes and anatomical models, making his interests and path in life fairly obvious. He watched his parents save lives and he wanted to be just like them. Even though their occupation meant Yun was often under the care of a nanny more often than he would've liked, the respect Yun felt for his parents never changed. It only made Yun want to prove himself to his parents more. Truthfully, Yun's probably had more than enough money to retire and live an easy life. They chose not to. They taught him the value of lives over money. The value of good work ethics - values he still caries to this day. Even though his parents were -very- wealthy due to the relative success of the Okumura Health Group, Yun didn't feel like their family lived any different than the average middle-class family. He never needed for much, but he was never spoiled either.

    In fact, it was because of this that Yun never moved far for better schooling, eventually attending a low attendance, low scores, high school that only formed when the All-Boys High he'd been attending closed down and merged with another school...but that's a story for later.

    Three major events in happened Yun's life that made him the boy he is today. The first occurred when he was 8 and overheard the group of 'friends' he'd been hanging out with call him "annoying" behind his back. Turned out their parents told them to hang out with him because he was the heir of the Okumura Health Group. Bright eyes dulled a little that day and though Yun never told anyone, he resolved to be more careful with the friends he chose in the future. The second occurred when he was 10 and his mother became pregnant with twins. The Okumura household lit joy that day in anticipation for their newest members and Yun saw his father panic (despite being a doctor) for the first time. Yun wasn't too thrilled by the prospect of having to share the love of his parents, but upon the birth of Saki and Saori Okumura (9 months later), Yun swore to be the best older brother he could be. In fact, whenever their mother or nanny weren't around, Yun always found opportunities to demonstrate his ability to warm a bottle of milk or change nappies, which he learned from watching his mother/nanny.

    The third event happened when he was 13 in Junior High. He'd been on his way home from piano lessons when he encountered a delinquent-like classmate of his get beat up by older, high school delinquents in a secluded area. Yun helped patch him up a bit before walking the delinquent the rest of the way to one of his family's hospitals. They'd been best friends ever since. Yun's first friend really. Yun helped them with schoolwork (and graduating Junior High) and they taught Yun how to fight as well as assisted the "nerd" with any troubles he might encounter. It was during this time--when he filled out a little--that Yun's popularity soared a somewhat, though he hardly noticed, and it didn't matter much to him anyway. School popularity was a fickle thing. He had a future to plan and parents to make proud. After graduating Junior High, Yun opted to attend an All-Boy's High school to focus on his studies much to delinquent's friend's dismay.

    High school went well enough. He'd found friends among like-minded individuals in the Anatomy club. Interestingly, it was easier to develop friendship with the male species when girls weren't involved (less posturing). Others found him annoying, but he didn't give a damn. Yun frequented the nurse's office in his free time to help sort medicine bottles as well as learn from a medical professional. However, he was barely a year into school when it suddenly closed down due to lack of attendance, merging with an All-Girl's high school into Yuzu High. Chaos ensued. Problems cropped one after another, disturbing even his studies. While he knew it was illogical, a part of him blamed the ladies for it as well.


    Common Route Story Background

    Yun thought Yuzu High's division, and many of the gender squabbles, were stupid. However, he had no intention of getting involved in all that ruckus until he heard from the school nurse that Yuzu High might close down because of it. That the mysterious 'Gender Relations' Club was the proposed solution - a last ditch effort. Even then, it wasn't until the 'How I met your mother speech' from his father that Yun finally gave in. Certainly there were better clubs he could be joining, but all that wouldn't matter if the high school he was in shut down. Again. Yun wasn't coerced to joining the Gender Relations Club. He wasn't forced. He just signed up...and was promised extra credit for doing so.

    Upon joining the mysterious club, Yun found himself talking to more girls than he ever did in his life (barring his mother and his sisters). Club duties required him to settle the disputes between boys and girls. That meant he had to get them to talk out their problems with each other while he acted as a mediator, making sure they didn't kill one another and offering solutions as necessary. At first Yun wasn't very successful. He was too blunt. He didn't have enough sway over the student populace. However, Yun didn't give up and gradually he got better at talking to people. Fellow club members helped out in that regard as well (pointing out his mistakes) and, soon enough, Yun became pro at (kindly) pointing out the fallacies of their arguments without outright calling them childish; It was like settling the arguments between his younger sisters.

    It wasn't long before the 'Gender Relations' club gained a bit of a reputation in Yuzu High...causing more and more people to come to Yun (and his fellow club members) with their gender relationship problems. Juggling club activities and school work, Yun found himself busier than ever, but the boy didn't dislike the pressure and rose to the challenge. Then came the tri-city sports festival. Unlike most of the boys in his class, Yun wasn't particularly excited. The principal had tasked them with the preparation for the event, yet problems kept popping up one after another. Peepholes. Ruined equipment. Playing detective just so the boys and girls didn't jump to conclusions and worked together was more a hassle than Yun had bargained for. After a thorough interview with all the students that were present during incidents, cross-hatching all the alibis, Yun concluded that no one in the school could've possibly ruined the equipment or created the holes. Whoever was responsible seemed to be an outsider--possibly an adult. Yun voted against trying to catch/accuse them as that would be too dangerous. However, the student body wouldn't be satisfied without "proof" and, rather than saying a ghost did it, so Yun ended being in charge of making the "proof" in the form of a fake video.

    Ultimately, this caused the perp revealed themselves and the teachers at the school handled the rest. The sports festival went off without a hitch after that. Yun placed 3rd in the relay, partnered with (XXX) for the three legged race, and helped tend to the injured sports participants - from all schools - earning him some new friends beyond Yuzu high. Yun would've sat out the Calvary battle (on account of being tired), but an encounter with an old friend from junior high (see Pre-story Background) changed his mind. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone. After Yuzu high's spectacular win, Yun endured pictures with his parents before catching with his junior high friend, Katsuo Sumida. Yun explained to Katsuo the problems the school seemed to be having, as well as his suspicions of political interference, and his friend promised to help in any way he can.

    Towards the end of the first semester, Yun did what he could assist the Gender Relationship club in rallying positive votes from the student body, though he couldn't say how much of an impact he had on their decision. Yun spoke to all the students he knew, and even the ones he didn't, cited reasons for them to stay, and, in an odd twist from how he normally does things, appealed to their emotions as well. Finding use in the pictures his parents had taken of the Tri-City Sports Festival, he put together a collage reminding them of their achievements during Yuzu High's first semester as well as the friends they'd made and posted it where he could. He put together a documentary of profound gender argument cases (submitted by fellow club members) and their resolutions in which he convinced the Broadcasting Club (with concert tickets) to play in the cafeteria, outlining how the problems students had with each other could be solved and the milestones that have already been achieved. He pestered those who stopped by the Nurses office, offered free tutoring to those who chose who voted to stay, etc. According to his mother, Yun seemed to be having a lot of fun in Yuzu High (which he vehemently denied of course). In the end, enough students chose to stuck around that Yuzu High would continue onto the next semester and Yun was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    The truth behind the politicians that involved in shutting down their old schools wouldn't come to light until a school hot spring trip. Learning that greedy adults had been the ones responsible for disturbing his studies fueled Yun's desire to see Yuzu high succeed, but he cautioned Gender Relation Club members regarding their hasty public stunts - while helping out of course. He provide the eyedrops necessary for the crocodile tears in their public appeal and played the "moving skeleton" in their debunking of Yuzu High's "seven wonders", one of which turned out to be him cleaning the Nurse's office late at night. False rumors were just false rumors and once the "truth" was revealed, interest in it died down. The friends he'd made during the Tri-City sports festival helped as well, adding to the GoFundMe and commented online about the sportsmanship and teamwork presented by Yuzu High students during the Tri-City Sports Festival, debunking the gossip about internal discord. Katsuo in particular proclaimed his interest in challenging Yuzu High in future Sports Festivals.

    Naturally Yun invited them to the school's cultural festival. The Gender Relationship club fought fire with fire when it came to the campaigning and advertising for their school's annual event. Yun was a butler/waiter in the proposed host cafe and garnered a surprising number of girls to their booth with his courteous charm. Alas, Yun didn't stay and help out for long when he learned that his 5-year old sisters had gotten lost during the school event. The Gender Relations Club (or at least the members not running the cafe) helped Yun find the little rascals which led to him building greater rapport with the club.

    However, the fun wouldn't last long as exam season rolled around. Yuzu High's test scores had always been pathetic. Yun should know. That was one of the reasons the school had been close to shutting down, after all. Even with all he was doing in the Gender Relations Club, Yun remained among the top 10 of Yuzu High academic-wise. He found the outliers bringing the school's grades down and organized study sessions...which were quite rocky at first. Yun's tendency to put too much pressure on others came to light and a heated discussion with one of the school's delinquents ended with him getting punched in the face and them storming out of the classroom. Fortunately, his talk with (XXX) of the Gender Relations Club straightened him out and Yun chased after the delinquent, learned of their family problems (which actually involved one of the patients at Okumura Hospital), and helped them deal with it.

    As their year, and the Gender Relations club, came to an end, Yun undertook his final mission of asking (XXX) to the American-Style Dance. His popularity in Yuzu High had skyrocketed (at least compared to the beginning of the year) due to his involvement with the Gender Relations Club and he even received a few confessions, which he gently, but firmly turned down. Having sorted out his feelings, and coming to realize what he wants, he intends to go at like he does everything else he wants - with 120%.





    Personality (At End)
    The core of Yun's personality hasn't changed, but he's become a bit more understanding and a much better communicator since his involvement in the Gender Relationship club. His opinion of most girls his age (being weak, frivolous, and an overall bother to deal with) has definitely changed, especially in regards to (XXX). While he still errs to the side of reason, he now recognizes that emotions deserve to be acknowledged as well. Overall, Yun is kinder. More involved. He places less expectations on himself and others (though they are still there). He gained an interest in making videos since his involvement in the Gender Relations Club. He voices his thoughts a lot more rather than keeping all in his head...and learned to do it gently. Some of girls that confessed to him even claimed to find him somewhat charismatic--though Yun would laugh at that notion if he knew. He's become a little less serious and a little more affable as well, since he's learn to relax a little and take things in stride - to smell the roses, take little detours, and enjoy the journey, rather than just rushing straight towards his goal.

    Club
    • Gender Relations Club
    • Anatomy Club - They meet once every weak to dissect something/learn about a different part of the body.
    • Student Nurse Assistant. - Not a club and not official. He doesn't get paid and helps out in his free time.
    • Film Club - He only joined after discovering, through the Gender Relation Club activities, that he enjoys making and editing videos.

    Likes:
    • His twin sisters
    • Medical Journals (His parents have a subscription and he grew up reading it)
    • Clean environments (and hand sanitizer. He loves that sanitizer)
    • Strategy games (chess, checkers, and yes, that includes some online games and tactical rpgs)
    • Making/editing videos (the fake "proof" had been a lot of fun to make)
    • Classical music (blame the piano)
    • Bread (from pastries to sandwiches)
    • Kotsu-sama, the skeleton (fake) in the nurses office, and Anna, the anatomical model in the Anatomy clubroom.
    • Talking to his parents' patients and helping others.

    Dislikes:
    • Liars. They misconstrue information and waste his time.
    • Lack of hygiene. It is gross and not very healthy.
    • Weakness/Being Vulnerable
    • Dairy products (especially milk). He's mildly lactose intolerant and his stomach gets upset after eating drink it. Milk horrifies him after a certain confession turned sour (see Embarrassing Moments).
    • People who do things half-heartedly.
    • People who don't speak their minds - similar to liars, but more the wasting time part.

    Hobbies:
    • Playing the piano. He started learning when he was 7 and never stopped. It relaxes him.
    • Strategy games, making/editing videos (see Likes)
    • Studying (mostly things that involve medicine)
    • Watching the doctors in his parent's hospital chain work.
    • Running. He started running daily when he was in junior high, since Katsuo told him he needed more stamina. He didn't like it at first, but it became a habit, then a hobby. He often runs in the park with their family dog.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • Become like his parents, make them proud, and enter the medical field (he hasn't yet decided what he wants to specialize in).
    • See each of his baby sisters mature into beautiful, responsible, independent adults, married to the perfect men (non-existent), and living the life of their dreams.

    Most Embarrassing Moment

    Participating in the Cultural festival, wearing a butler's outfit, and catering to the whim of girls (cat ears) while his parents took pictures . Getting punched in the face while holding a study session. Turning down his first confession which, despite his best efforts, ended with milk over his head and the girl running away crying in front of the student body. Yun doesn't know. Most of his embarrassing moments seem to revolve around the Gender Relations Club.

    Insecurities
    • Annoying. Even though he will vehemently deny it, what he heard his eight year old 'friends' say about him behind his back still lingers in his mind. He believes people find his expectations, caution, and somewhat pushy/overprotective nature annoying. His lack of involvement in the school prior to Common Route is partly due to this.
    • Uncertainty in regards to his future goals. Before entering high school he'd been certain of his career path in life. However, after being exposed to many experiences (due to the Gender Relations Club), he's beginning to wonder if he was too hasty, throwing all of his eggs into one medical basket.
    • Lack of musculature and facial hair. His body just isn't built for it and though he's already accepted that about himself, he still worries his lack of intimidating "manly" aura will make him a target for those who find him annoying.



 
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Cutting it close eeehhhh

  • Girl: Raika Hiroshi
  • Boy: Keiji 'Stryker' Hosokawa
  • One Romance Plot: asdkfaj yes. Errr there's a bunch as long but I guess a slow-burn where the two are just kinda in denial as they slowly realize their own feelings in one way or another and in the mean-time are just kinda awkward, mean, or comedic. Yeah.


  • Basic Information
    'Communication' Monologue
    "People go on and on about grand monologues and witty remarks. How life is this and how life is that. But you won't find any of that here. In fact, pull that crap with me and you're dead. Life is tough, and you either deal with it or end at the bottom of the food chain. Now scram."

    Hosokawa Keiji
    wTGfjLN.png

    Speech Color: #4FB286
    Gender: Male
    Age: 18

    Date of Birth: 13th May
    Blood Type: B+
    Height: 192cm
    Weight: 96kg

    Character Voice: Hiroki Touchi
    Character Theme: Eh.

    Character Background and Personality

    Love means nothing, therefore Love Means Anything Monologue
    "Love Means Nothing. Parents are supposed to love their children. But what if they never teach you how to love? So if love has no meaning, isn't that a good thing? Who needs it anyway, right? What I've learned. What I've experienced. As much as I hate to admit. Love can take on many forms. It can be anything. You just have to open your eyes to it. So, even if Love Means Nothing. Love Means Anything."


    Personality (At Start)
    Keiji is a loner and a thug. While not going out of his way to bully others, he has a short temper and is quick to use his fists. While he can't be bothered to give a damn about most stuff, the few little things that do interest him mostly contain his image. Cool tough guy and all that. For the few people that would call him a friend, some may even go so far as to call him a tsundere. Though really, first and foremost he only looks out for himself.

    Pre-Story Background
    Keiji never got to know his mother. His father was a useless drunkard who made his home a living hell. Though he wasn't the kind of kid to drown in depression but rather lash out at the world. Thus, he spend as little time as possible at home and got into more and more trouble as he grew older.

    At Teijiro Boys School, Keiji was a delinquent. Only occasionally bullying the one or other breadshuttle to do his bidding, he instead beat up other delinquents, even from other schools. As this was something he was good at, it quickly earned him the nickname Stryker. Rumors had it that he was to be expelled from school. Lucky for him then that the teachers being on his case kinda dropped it all thanks to the administrative mess created by the merge.

    Common Route Story Background
    Yuzu High got some strict, but simple, regulations when it came to clubs. Every student had to join one, with no exception. Yet, every club was also bothersome when it came to activities and their purpose. Except one. The Gender Relations Club, a club with such a premise that Stryker was sure he could join only in name. Oh, how wrong he was. Not only kept certain individuals pestering him over and over no matter how much of a tough guy front he put up. But he also had to participate in activities and all that! Well, doing club duties every now and then wasn't that bad, and would ultimately keep the members off his back. Right? Not like he was enjoying it or anything!

    Things quickly changed for the worse, however, as Stryker suffered a life-altering event. In the wake of the Tri-City Sports Festival, he absolutely hated how the boys from the other schools looked down on his friends him. And while beating them up was certainly one way to go about it, Stryker instead decided to go all out for the various festivities that were to come. In fact, it wasn't wrong to say he turned into a bit of a drill sergeant. Making sure everybody would pull their weight for the upcoming cavalry battle. It was in that very same competition, however, that Stryker got badly injured. Suffering permanent damage to one of his legs.

    Hospitalized, Stryker was set on leaving Yuzu High after these events. Upset over his own stupidity to feel something like camaraderie with the other club members. Yet, it was the very same act of repeated visits, constant nagging, and best wishes that truly showed him how much friends could care! Of course, the official reason according to his very own words was simply because Stryker didn't like what the political landscape tried to do. Something along the lines of 'Screw the Government!'.

    Eventually, the school took a visit to the local hot springs. Revealing maybe for the first time ever, Stryker's face. Yet still a mystery thanks to the camera shot angled in such a way that the hot spring steam and stones hid it. It was here that Stryker caused quite a scene, beating up a bunch of creepy adult businessmen who clearly tried to take advantage of the location and the girls. Other students, for one reason or another, went through the briefcases of the businessman. Discovering evidence of corruption on Yuzu High.

    Of course, beating up random strangers didn't make for good press, and Stryker found himself in a very own controversy of harming the school's reputation as a classic run-of-the-mill delinquent. It took a lot of back and forth until Stryker eventually agreed to pose in a cute pink bunny suit on the day of the festival. Going so far as to get a secondary motorcycle helmet that was then crested with heart stickers, signatures, bunny ears, and whatnot. Showing the many visitors that Stryker was just a big, harmless, dummy.

    With all that was left for the corrupt landlords and architects to trash on the student's performance, it was now the student body's goal to improve it. Stryker, of course, was an absolute failure when it came to cramming. And rumors had it that, despite the many hours of help he had received, he barely managed thanks to cheating. It was this very fiasco, and permanent talk about the future, that made Stryker reflect deeply on his past. Worried that he had pretty much already wasted his chance. After all, he had a messed up leg and was dumb, right? Only thanks to the words of a certain individual, did he manage to not just give up and give it his best. Also promising her to quit smoking.

    Personality (At End)
    Stryker went through a great deal of change. While still getting easily irritated with a hot-headed tendency to punch an annoyance, people have taught him to take a chill pill. Going as far as to even take a step back if being told so. Not that his leg would have anything to do with it.

    While his words make it clear that he still doesn't care too much about the other club members, his actions speak differently. In fact, he might even seem to enjoy a sort of big brother role. Where he once acted only for himself and would threaten to punch you for just wasting his time talking, he'd now be the first to jump into the fire if it meant nobody else had to get hurt. Of course, he'd still complain thou.

    Club
    Gender Relations Club
    Cooking Club

    Likes:
    • Drugs
      Like father, like son. A cigarette against the stress, a beer to sweeten the evening. Of course, it's illegal, but who cares!?
    • Music
      Stryker likes to listen to music. While he couldn't tell you much, his favorite genres are classic songs and girly-pop songs. Secrets he would take to his grave.
    • Fighting
      While sorta retired, Stryker still enjoys the occasional fisticuffs against strong opponents! Not that he's practicing any fighting sports though...
    • Motorcycles
      Duh. It makes him look cooler, right?!

    Dislikes:
    • The Forbidden Topic
      Stryker hates being asked about the helmet. What do you mean, why does he always appear with a helmet? Why do you ask? Don't you know such things are normal!? It's anime and stuff! Shhhh.
    • Nosy People
      They're loud. They ask questions. They're hyper. And they won't leave one alone. How could you not dislike that bunch?
    • Mushrooms
      While Stryker is okay with some mushroom and their taste, he pretty much hates the soft and mushy texture.
    • Boiled Veggies
      While Stryker is okay with uncooked veggies, he pretty much hates the soft and mushy texture.
    • Zucchini
      While Stryker is okay with... no, Zuccuni just tastes like nothing.
    • Losers
      Stryker dislikes uncool people (uncool according to his own criteria). Sure, he doesn't participate in the bullying, but it's pretty much their own fault, no?
    • Winter
      Too cold.

    Hobbies:
    • Cooking
      Only discovered recently, Stryker somehow found himself curious about this. Though much to the dismay of everybody else, he is terrible at it. And definitely not because girls maybe potentially sometimes like guys that can make tasty meals.
    • Working Out
      Not much of a talker and with quite a lot going on, all this pent-up energy has to be released somewhere. Not to mention that staying fit is, well, healthy. Hard to say if it's really a hobby and not more of a routine he's used to.
    • Napping
      It's hard to tell when exactly Stryker is taking a nap for some reason, but if he isn't busy being a ticking time bomb, the guy is usually sleeping.

    Dreams/Life Goals:
    • Becoming a Police Officer
      Sometimes somewhere in his life, Stryker wondered about his future and what to do with it. And, despite all circumstances, this is the answer he has come up with. After all, police officers have to be good at beating up criminals too, AND do good for society, no?
    • Quitting drugs
      He knows it's bad. And he knows it's probably uncool if one doesn't have it under control... but does not being able to quit really count as not having it under control?

    Most Embarrassing Moment
    The Pink Bunbun Incident
    Stryker was once forced to wear a fluffy pink bunny full-body costume. Full body except for his face, that was. Instead wearing a super cutesy kawaii helmet. Though every stranger at St. Kisai and two cities over was able to recognize him nonetheless. He'll likely never live it down.

    Insecurities
    • Girl
      Even after all the time spend in the Gender Relations Club, there is one particular individual Stryker feels quite conscious around. Too conscious, in fact. For he may very well be permanently blushing while asking himself if he is cool enough to ask her out!? Not that she actually likes her or anything, hmph!
    • Face
      Stryker seems quite conscious about how his face looks. "Not manly enough", he'd likely say while staring at himself naked in the mirror. But then again it's not like looking at a mirror would allow him to see past his helmet, right?
    • Future
      After having come to the realization of 'What exactly have I achieved in the past few years?', he is greatly concerned about what his future holds and how the people around him will look upon his past deeds.
 
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