cruel person<\/em>. The one and only thing that she cares about is her own personal gratification. Nothing else matters to her, especially not the thoughts and feelings of other people. She doesn't use any form of rationalization to convince herself that she is justified in harming others; the pure enjoyment she gets from doing so is reason enough.<\/p>\n\nWith that said, Hoshiko understands the importance of keeping her urges and actions secret from others, so she has mastered the art of being a social chameleon and pretending to be a normal, well-adjusted person. It is only when she is alone with a victim that her true, sadistic nature is revealed. The other bullies are the only people that she feels comfortable being \"her true self\" around.<\/p>\n\n
When Hoshiko and the rest of the bullies are ganging up on a victim, Hoshiko often tries to convince the other bullies to do things like burn their victim with lit cigarettes. The other bullies always have to talk her out of it. If Hoshiko was the boss instead of Musume, each of their victims would have permanent scars.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/bullies-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/bullies.png","name":"Group"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/daughter-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/daughter.png","name":"Musume"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/candy-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/candy.png","name":"Kashiko"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/flower-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/flower.png","name":"Hana"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/heart-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/heart.png","name":"Kokoro"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/star-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/star.png","name":"Hoshiko"}]},{"name":"Delinquents","role":"Group","status":"Active","personality":"Tough","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Compassion","description":"
Yandere Simulator's story takes place during Ayano's 2nd year at Akademi. During the previous year, there were five students at Akademi who were subjected to severe bullying. The school faculty was informed about the bullying, but none of the victims were able to provide concrete evidence that the bullying had been taking place, so the faculty refused to take action. The bullying eventually became so severe that the victims were considering a suicide pact. However, before this could take place, the victims witnessed something extraordinary that saved them from a self-destructive path.<\/p>\n\n
One day, outside of the entrance to the school, the bullied victims witnessed one of their fellow students - Osoro Shidesu - single-handedly fight off a group of violent aggressors from another school. Against all odds, Osoro actually managed to defeat all of her opponents, despite their superior numbers. Instantly, Osoro became an icon to them - a physical embodiment of the idea that a single person can stand against a group of tormentors and prevail. From that day forward, the bullied victims idolized Osoro.<\/p>\n\n
Osoro had demonstrated that violence was a viable solution to their problems, and that a fearsome reputation would keep their enemies away. The five bullied students began imitating Osoro; they started acting gruff, unfriendly, and standoffish, exactly like her. They dyed their hair blonde, just like hers. They styled their hair to give themselves the appearances of rebellious punks, and began carrying long, blunt objects at all times. They began showing up late to class, disrespecting faculty members, and so forth.<\/p>\n\n
Those five boys were originally targeted by bullies because they were the meekest students at school - and now they had become the exact opposite. Needless to say, the bullying stopped...but at a cost. The rest of the students at school began to fear them and avoid them, referring to them as \"the delinquents.\" This was exactly what they wanted; they'd much rather be feared and hated than be bullied and victimized. However, the faculty and the headmaster began to view them as a growing problem.<\/p>\n\n
The headmaster refused to accept the presence of delinquents at a prestigious school like Akademi. In a faculty meeting, he announced that he was going to expel them all, including Osoro, purely for being a negative influence. However, the guidance counselor stopped him. She regretted not stepping in and taking action while they were being bullied, and insisted on being given a chance to reform the delinquents, rather than simply expelling them without trying anything else first.<\/p>\n\n
The guidance counselor and the headmaster were able to reach an agreement: the faculty and the student council will tolerate the delinquents' behavior for a period of 10 weeks, and give the counselor a chance to reform them. However, this arrangement comes at a cost: if the counselor is unable to reform the delinquents within 10 weeks, she will be dismissed from the school.<\/p>\n\n
The counselor recognized that it would be difficult to reform the delinquents while their biggest influence - Osoro - was still present at school. The next time that Osoro slipped up, the counselor expelled her for a period of 8 weeks.<\/p>\n\n
Will the counselor be able to reform the delinquents before the deadline? Only time will tell.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/delinquents-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/delinquents.png","name":"Group"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eye-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eye.png","name":"Umeji"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/cheek-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/cheek.png","name":"Hokuto"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/forehead-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/forehead.png","name":"Gaku"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/nose-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/nose.png","name":"Hayanari"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/mouth-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/mouth.png","name":"Dairoku"}]},{"name":"Student Council","role":"Authority","status":"Active","personality":"Strict","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"?????","description":"
Megami Saikou, the Student Council President, strives for excellence in all things. She settles for nothing less than the best, so has put together a student council comprised of the most elite students in school.<\/p>\n\n
Kuroko Kamenaga was the school's previous student council president. She was defeated by Megami in the most recent student council election. However, Megami acknowledged that Kuroko was the second-best person for the job, and offered her the role of vice president. Kuroko accepted the offer.<\/p>\n\n
While Megami is absent from school, Kuroko is in charge of Megami's presidential duties. In short, Kuroko fills the role of student council president while Megami is gone. Kuroko is known for being formal at all times, which is reflected in the way she stands, walks and speaks.<\/p>\n\n
Akane Toriyasu is the Secretary of the student council. She's known for her gentle and friendly personality, but is also known for being a bit of an airhead - which makes it a mystery why Megami decided to appoint her to the Student Council.<\/p>\n\n
As one of the most beautiful girls in school, Akane has a very large number of male admirers. often, her presence alone is enough to diffuse a troublesome situation. Perhaps this may be part of the reason why Megami decided to include her on the Student Council.<\/p>\n\n
Aoi Ryugoku is the Enforcer of the Student Council. That means her job is to maintain peace throughout the school. She is a very physically imposing person, so it's no mystery why Megami chose her for this position. However, she's been known to take her job a little too seriously.<\/p>\n\n
There are a handful of students at school who hide one of their eyes for some personal reason, but Aoi is currently the only student who is 100% confirmed to actually be missing an eye. As of now, there are only two students at school who know how Aoi lost her eye.<\/p>\n\n
Shiromi Torayoshi is the treasurer of the student council. She's a peculiar young woman whose intentions are never clear. She is known for smiling at almost every hour of the day, in every type of situation, which is unsettling to some students.<\/p>\n\n
Shiromi is an enigma; very few students know anything about her. Just about the only thing that anyone knows for certain is that she is very eccentric, and takes pleasure in performing harmless pranks on other students.<\/p>\n\n
Megami has reason to believe that there is \"a dangerous person\" on school grounds, so she has warned the Student Council to be extremely cautious over the next 10 weeks, and has authorized them to carry pepper spray on school grounds. As a result of Megami's warning, the Student Council are much more alert than other students, and will bust out a can of pepper spray at the slightest sign that their lives may be in danger.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/council-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/council.png","name":"Council"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/goddess-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/goddess.png","name":"President"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/turtle-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/turtle.png","name":"Vice President"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/bird-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/bird.png","name":"Secretary"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/dragon-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/dragon.png","name":"Enforcer"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/tiger-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/tiger.png","name":"Treasurer"}]},{"name":"Midori","role":"Student","status":"Alive","personality":"Inquisitive","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Herself","description":"
A very curious and inquisitive girl.<\/p>\n\n
She has gained a reputation for constantly asking foolish questions, which can often irritate her teachers and fellow classmates.<\/p>\n\n
Claims that she is a video game character who can see beyond the fourth wall of the game she's in, but has given up trying to convince people to believe her.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Other"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/green-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/green.png","name":"Normal"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/green-text-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/green-text.png","name":"Texting"}]},{"name":"Mae Kunahito","role":"Guidance Counselor","status":"Faculty","personality":"Strict Disciplinarian","appearance":"1989","weakness":"None","description":"
Mae Kunahito is the mother of Genka Kunahito.<\/p>\n\n
Mae served as the guidance counselor at Akademi for 30 years. During that time, she provided invaluable guidance to countless young men and women who were struggling with various difficulties in their lives.<\/p>\n\n
As a result of making a meaningful impact on the lives of innumerable people, she made countless connections across a wide range of different industries, and gained a certain degree of fame and recognition for excellence in her field.<\/p>\n\n
As a result of her prestigious reputation, it was very common for academic institutions to ask her to host seminars on the subject of assisting and advising students about academic and personal decisions.<\/p>\n\n
Her accomplishments left a very strong impression on her daughter, who frequently compared herself to her own mother, and gradually developed an insecurity complex, fearing that she would never be able to match up to her widely-respected parent.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Faculty","Eighties"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/counselor-mom-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/counselor-mom.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Jokichi Yudasei","role":"Student","status":"Single","personality":"Ladies' Man","appearance":"1989","weakness":"Money and Gravure Idols","description":"
Jokichi Yudasei is a charming and flirtatious young man who has become quite popular among the female population of Akademi.<\/p>\n\n
His dashing good looks and charisma are enough to capture the heart of almost any young woman.<\/p>\n\n
Even though he gives off the aura of a playboy or a ladies' man, he's actually quite inexperienced with women.<\/p>\n\n
Tired of being single, he's on the prowl and looking for Ms. Right.<\/p>\n\n
However, it seems that every time he gets close to a girl, an unexpected event suddenly removes the girl from his life...<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Senpai","Eighties"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/father-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/father.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Kaguya Wakaizumi","role":"Senpai's New Friend","status":"Rival","personality":"Cutesy","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Rejection","description":"
Kaguya is a a bubbly and cheerful girl who loves to make new friends.<\/p>\n\n
She spends most of her time in the school plaza chatting with a group of students that have been nicknamed \"The Rainbow Girls\" because every one of them has differently-colored hair.<\/p>\n\n
With her unique bright pink hair, Kaguya is hoping that she can become the latest addition to the rainbow crew.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-1-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-1.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Moeko Rakuyona","role":"Senpai's New Friend","status":"Rival","personality":"Tomboy","appearance":"Week 2","weakness":"Fire","description":"
Moeko is a spunky tomboy who feels more comfortable around boys than girls, and tends to spend most of her time hanging out with guys.<\/p>\n\n
She has an insecurity complex regarding males; she constantly feels the need to \"prove herself\" to the men around her, and show them that girls can be just as tough as boys.<\/p>\n\n
She is rumored to have a secret ''dangerous'' hobby that she could get in a lot of trouble for, but nobody has been able to prove the accusation yet...<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-2-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-2.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Honami Hodoshima","role":"School Librarian","status":"Rival","personality":"Shy Bookworm","appearance":"Week 3","weakness":"Heavy Objects","description":"
Honami is a shy and nerdy girl who spends nearly all of her time reading books.<\/p>\n\n
She loves reading more than anything else, and has volunteered to be the school's librarian.<\/p>\n\n
She is extremely timid and has a very difficult time with social interactions, often stuttering and failing to finish her sentences properly.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-3-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-3.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Sumiko Tachibana","role":"Up-And-Coming Athlete","status":"Rival","personality":"Health-Conscious","appearance":"Week 4","weakness":"Unhealthy Food","description":"
Sumiko is a sporty girl who is training hard to be a career athlete.<\/p>\n\n
She's extremely serious about eating healthy and getting lots of exercise.<\/p>\n\n
Known to go to great lengths to attempt to convince others to adopt her own lifestyle choices.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-4-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-4.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Ritsuko Chikanari","role":"Senpai's New Friend","status":"Rival","personality":"Rich Snob","appearance":"Week 5","weakness":"Water","description":"
Ritsuko is a snobby rich girl from one of Japan's wealthiest families. Her father is the founder and CEO of Chikanari Heavy Industries, which is known for supplying Saikou Corp with many of the materials needed for their electronic products.<\/p>\n\n
It's an \"open secret\" that she has absolutely no intention whatsoever of getting a proper education at Akademi, and is only attending the school in order to attain the prestigious title of being an Akademi graduate.<\/p>\n\n
She spends her days sunbathing at the school pool instead of studying. Her \"I don't care what anyone thinks\" attitude has earned her a degree of respect from her peers, and a small number of girls are now beginning to act exactly like her, sunbathing at the pool alongside her.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-5-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-5.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Ai Doruyashi","role":"Up-And-Coming Idol","status":"Rival","personality":"Genki Girl","appearance":"Week 6","weakness":"Electricity","description":"
A friendly and energetic girl who dreams of becoming a pop star one day.<\/p>\n\n
She is fully dedicated to her dream of being an idol, and is always seeking experiences that will inspire her to write the lyrics for her next song.<\/p>\n\n
She's so serious about becoming a singer that she has set up a stage in the school gym and spends most of her time there rehearsing her performances, with help from some girls from the Light Music Club.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-6-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-6.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Teiko Nabatasai","role":"Top Student","status":"Rival","personality":"Studious","appearance":"Week 7","weakness":"False Accusations","description":"
Teiko is Akademi's top student; the smartest girl in school.<\/p>\n\n
She is known for achieving perfect scores on every test and obtaining flawless grades in every school subject.<\/p>\n\n
Her prodigical intelligence is widely recognized, and she is sometimes invited to universities in foreign countries to give speeches about various academic subjects.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-7-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-7.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Komako Funakoshi","role":"Senpai's New Friend","status":"Rival","personality":"Yamato Nadeshiko","appearance":"Week 8","weakness":"Gossip","description":"
Komako is an elegant and beautiful young woman who is considered to be the most popular girl at Akademi.<\/p>\n\n
She is considered to embody all of the traits that are associated with the \"ideal Japanese wife\" - being kind, gentle, graceful, humble, patient, virtuous, respectful, benevolent, honest, charitable, faithful, etc.<\/p>\n\n
She is constantly surrounded by girls who want to learn how to be more like her, and boys who want to admire her.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-8-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-8.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Chigusa Busujima","role":"Gravure Idol","status":"Rival","personality":"Coy and Flirtatious","appearance":"Week 9","weakness":"Boys","description":"
Chigusa is an exceptionally attractive girl who has risen to minor stardom as a \"gravure idol.\"<\/p>\n\n
Despite the fact that she only started her career very recently, she has already been featured in numerous magazines and has become very well-known amongst the young men of Japan.<\/p>\n\n
She has countless male admirers at school who follow her nearly everywhere she goes, unable to resist admiring her beauty for as long as they can.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-9-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-9.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Sonoko Sakanoue","role":"Junior Detective","status":"Rival","personality":"Serious","appearance":"Week 10","weakness":"?????","description":"
From 1985 to 1988, police were perplexed by a string of seemingly unsolvable murders taking place in Tokyo. After each murder, the police received an anonymous letter from a man who claimed responsibility for the crimes, and spelled the name of his next victim using a complicated cipher.<\/p>\n\n
Eventually, the police started releasing the killer's letters to the public in the hopes that someone would be able to solve the killer's cipher and decode the name of his next victim. While attending Akademi in 1988, Sonoko Sakanoue started studying the killer's cipher as a hobby.<\/p>\n\n
After many long nights, Sonoko cracked the code and figured out the killer's cipher. She was then able to warn the police who the killer was planning to kill next. After this, the police acknowledged her as a prodigy who could potentially help them solve the case, and formally requested her assistance with the investigation, even granting her access to the crime scenes and evidence.<\/p>\n\n
Sonoko discovered several new clues and put together some puzzle pieces that the police weren't able to figure out on their own, which eventually led to the arrest of the serial killer. If it wasn't for her help, the killer might have taken dozens of lives before he was eventually caught.<\/p>\n\n
Once her accomplishments were announced to the public, Sonoko instantly became a national celebrity, and was interviewed by countless talk shows and magazines.<\/p>\n\n
The primary reason to attend Akademi is to further one's changes of a successful career. However, Sonoko's accomplishments had already done more for her future career than Akademi ever could, so remaining at Akademi was pointless. Sonoko withdrew from the school without graduating and launched directly into a career as a junior detective. Over the course of the next 12 months, she would help the police solve numerous high-profile crimes.<\/p>\n\n
One day, while investigating a crime, Sonoko encountered an investigative journalist who provided her with information that helped her solve the case. Sonoko was so impressed with the journalist's investigative abilities that she asked him to take her as his apprentice.<\/p>\n\n
Sonoko and the journalist worked together as a crime-solving duo, leading to the arrests of numerous criminals. The journalist preferred to stay out of the spotlight, willfully letting Sonoko take all the credit.<\/p>\n\n
One day, Sonoko's mentor asked her to return to Akademi - but not to finish her education. He wanted her to investigate the possibility that a serial killer was present at Akademi, killing any girl who attempted to get close to a specific boy.<\/p>\n\n
Sonoko accepted the job, and has come up with a plan to determine whether or not anyone is sabotaging the boy's love life...<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Eighties","Rivals"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-10-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/eighties-10.png","name":""}]},{"name":"Kiyoko Tatsuhara","role":"Bodyguard","status":"Active","personality":"Hot-Blooded","appearance":"?????","weakness":"?????","description":"
Several years ago, Kiyoko Tatsuhara was a student at Akademi. Because of her strong sense of justice - and her tall, muscular build - the Student Council President identified her as a perfect candidate for the role of \"Enforcer\" on the Student Council. She eagerly accepted the position, and for the next three years, Kiyoko worked tirelessly to make Akademi a safe and peaceful place.<\/p>\n\n
Although the primary purpose of Akademi is to be an educational institution, it also serves a secondary purpose for the organization that funds it - Saikou Corp. The premise of \"an elite school for gifted young prodigies\" provides Saikou Corp with a convenient way to gather talented people in one location where they can be observed and judged. If Saikou Corp determines that a student has exceptional skills and would be an indispensable employee, they are invited to join the company immediately after graduation. Many young men and women with genius-level intellect have been recruited into Saikou Corp this way.<\/p>\n\n
However, intelligence is not the only metric that a student is judged by. Kiyoko's grades were lower than most, but her personal values, physical stature, and years of experience keeping Akademi safe made her a prime candidate to become a security guard at Saikou Corp.<\/p>\n\n
Saisho Saikou put a lot of time, money, and effort into shaping his children and grandchildren into exactly the type of people he wanted them to be, and did not wish to see his hard work destroyed due to a family member suffering a premature death. He developed a solution that was cruel, yet effective; he forced his grandchildren - Megami and Kencho - to live under very abnormal circumstances: once a day, they would experience a fake \"assassination attempt.\" On a daily basis, a random Saikou employee - sometimes a janitor, sometimes a chairman - would be given the task of \"stabbing\" Megami or Kencho with a fake knife. If the \"assassin\" could succeed, they would be awarded with the equivalent of one million USD. These circumstances gradually trained the two children to suspect deception and betrayal from everyone they encountered. Over the years, Kencho has \"died\" ten times. Megami has never \"died\" once.<\/p>\n\n
After Kiyoko graduated from Akademi, Saikou Corp immediately attempted to recruit her, and invited her to visit their corporate headquarters to have a tour of the building that she would potentially be working in. During this tour, Kiyoko witnessed a young Megami being approached by a janitor holding a \"knife.\" Immediately, Kiyoko leapt into action and subdued the janitor, breaking several of his bones in the process.<\/p>\n\n
Saikou Corp's Chief Security Officer immediately decided that Kiyoko should not become a security guard working for Saikou Corp; instead, he suggested that Kiyoko should become one of Megami's personal bodyguards.<\/p>\n\n
Kiyoko accepted the offer, and - after a period of \"Close Protection Training\" - became a member of Megami's security detail. Over the next few years, her work ethic impressed Megami numerous times, which eventually earned her a prestigious honor: Megami decided that Kiyoko should be promoted from being a mere bodyguard to being the leader of her entire security detail.<\/p>\n\n
As of now, in 202X, Kiyoko is in charge of every critical task related to protecting Megami's life: planning and coordination, risk assessment, team management, monitoring and surveillance, protocol enforcement, and anything else that she deems necessary to keep the heiress' life safe.<\/p>\n\n
Megami has always insisted that neither Kiyoko nor any of her bodyguards should be present at Akademi; she would not want a team of bodyguards to disrupt the school atmosphere. She currently has no plans to permit Kiyoko anywhere near Akademi...<\/p>\n\n
...however, plans can always change.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberrydreamer","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/gold-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/gold.png","name":"202X"}]},{"name":"Rokuda Loans","role":"Potential Tool","status":"Alive","personality":"Shady","appearance":"Week 3","weakness":"Daughter","description":"
Rokuda Loans is a money-lending business headquartered in Shisuta Town. The business was founded sometime in the 1990s by Mr. Rokuda. The business specializes in both personal loans and business loans, and has clients in multiple towns and cities.<\/p>\n\n
Mr. Rokuda loans money at extremely high interest rates, and often uses threats of violence to collect debts. His interest rates are well above the established legal rate, but legal loopholes are used to avoid encountering problems with law enforcement. He is commonly referred to as a \"Loan Shark\" - pronounced as \"Ronshaku\" in Japanese - which has caused some people to refer to his business as \"Ronshaku Loans\" rather than its proper name.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\nHis shady business practices have made him a tremendous amount of money, but have also caused many people to develop strong personal grudges against him. To protect himself, Mr. Rokuda employs several bodyguards. To enforce his threats of violence, most of his employees are physically intimidating men who are willing - sometimes even eager <\/em>- to engage in various kinds of illegal activities on behalf of their boss. These men are referred to as his \"henchmen\" and sometimes as his \"goons.\"<\/p>\n\nTwo of these henchmen have proven themselves to be indespensible to the operation of Rokuda Loans, each of whom have different methods of extracting money from uncooperative clients. One of them - nicknamed \"The Weasel\" - derives sadistic pleasure from using violence to wring money out of anyone who owes money to Mr. Rokuda. The other - nicknamed \"The Snake\" - specializes in using psychological and emotional manipulation to trick people into doing whatever is in Mr. Rokuda's best interest.<\/p>\n\n
Mr. Rokuda spends much of his money buying expensive gifts for his daughter, Mutsumi Rokuda. Showering his daughter with gifts has turned her into a spoiled and entitled brat, but he is blind to her true nature and can only see her as his precious and perfect little daughter.<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberryart","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/trio-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/trio.png","name":"Rokuda Loans"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/shark-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/shark.png","name":"Mr. Rokuda"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/weasel-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/weasel.png","name":"Goon #1"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/snake-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/snake.png","name":"Goon #2"}]},{"name":"Basu Sisters","role":"?????","status":"?????","personality":"?????","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"?????","description":"
Sakyu Basu and her younger half-sister, Inkyu Basu, are a pair of young women who recently enrolled in Akademi. Their scores on the entrance exam were exceptionally high, as if they possessed knowledge far beyond their apparent ages. However, after classes began, their academic performance dropped to an average level, as if they were attempting to avoid drawing attention to themselves.<\/p>\n\n
Sakyu's calm and mature nature contrasts greatly against the energetic and childlike behavior of her younger sister. Although both young women are friendly enough when approached by others, they usually keep to themselves, preferring each other's company above anything else. Despite their friendly demeanor, there are many students at Akademi who feel inexplicably intimidated by them.<\/p>\n\n
When asked why they chose to attend Akademi, they always provide the same answer: \"We're looking for something.\" This woefully short reply is far too vague to adequately satisfy the curiosity of anyone who wants to learn more about them. However, no matter how much they are begged to elaborate, they refuse to say anything more about their intentions at Akademi.<\/p>\n\n
It may be worth noting that, on one occasion, when asked why she chose to attend Akademi, Inkyu misspoke. Instead of giving the usual answer - \"We're looking for something\" - she instead said something else:<\/p>\n\n
\"We're looking for someone.\"<\/p>","illustrator":"Anonymous","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/succubus-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/succubus.png","name":"Sakyu Basu"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/vampire-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/vampire.png","name":"Inkyu Basu"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/succubus-portrait-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/succubus-portrait.png","name":"Sakyu Portrait"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/vampire-portrait-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/vampire-portrait.png","name":"Inkyu Portrait"}]},{"name":"Cousin","role":"Mentor","status":"Already Won","personality":"Smug and Sadistic","appearance":"?????","weakness":"Arrogance","description":"
Ayano's mother, Ryoba, has a sister who found her Senpai in the year 1994.<\/p>\n\n
Most Aishi choose to start a family very soon after finding their Senpai. Ryoba and her sister are two noteworthy exceptions; both of them waited more than a decade before they finally decided to have children.<\/p>\n\n
Ayano's cousin was born one year before her. She has already found her Senpai and entered a relationship with him. She has extensive knowledge about how to commit murder and get away with it - moreso than most other Aishi.<\/p>\n\n
The first woman to be born with the Aishi Condition lived in the early 1800s. She was nearly emotionless, and was almost completely apathetic; more like a statue or a doll than a living being. However, with each new generation, the Aishi Condition weakens and becomes a lesser version of what it originally was. Each new generation of Aishi has a greater capacity to feel emotions and develop a personality. As the years pass, each new generation of Aishi is less like the original.<\/p>\n\n
The one exception to this is Ayano, who is the first Aishi in centuries to experience the Aishi Condition almost as acutely as her ancestor from the 1800s. She does not express emotions or demonstrate a personality unless it's necessary to do so in order to \"fit in\" with the rest of society. Some of Ryoba's family members have theorized that this is because Ryoba waited so long to have children. However, that theory cannot possibly be correct, because there is a strong piece of counter-evidence: Ayano's cousin.<\/p>\n\n
Ayano's cousin is from the same \"generation\" as Ayano, and her mother also waited many years to give birth. However, Ayano's cousin has a very distinct personality, and is extremely expressive. This debunks the theory that an Aishi who waits a long time to have children is dooming their offspring to experience a stronger version of the Aishi Condition.<\/p>\n\n
Her extraordinary expertise in getting away with crimes has caused her to develop a very high opinion of herself and her abilities. When in the company of other Aishi, she will often brag about her skills and boast about the many murders and other felonies that she will never be found guilty of. (Some of her family members find her smug and snarky personality to be distasteful, but they still respect her accomplishments.)<\/p>\n\n
Ayano's cousin developed a strong interest in fashion, and will often mix-and-match elements of goth, punk, and emo fashion styles. She cannot feel comfortable without at least two colors of fingernail polish, three accessories around her neck, four belts somewhere on her body, and five chains incorporated into her outfit. She rejects all colors that are not black, red, or pink. Symmetry bores her to death.<\/p>\n\n
Although most members of the Aishi family are murderers, many of them will only consider taking the life of another human being if it's necessary in order to prevent someone from taking their Senpai away from them. However, Ayano's cousin is different; she has a sadistic streak, and has been known to kill for personal reasons, rather than out of necessity. She does not respond well when she is treated with disrespect; people who are rude towards her often become the victims of very unfortunate \"accidents.\"<\/p>\n\n
When she is not spending time with her Senpai, she enjoys visiting other Aishi and giving them unsolicited criticism and advice. On many occasions, she has offered to train Ayano in the ways of murder. In the past, Ayano has always declined these offers. However, now that Ayano has met her Senpai, there is a possibility that she will contact her cousin and request her advice in the future...<\/p>","illustrator":"Mulberry","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/mulberrydreamer","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/cousin-jacket-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/cousin-jacket.png","name":"Jacket"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/cousin-pink-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/cousin-pink.png","name":"No Jacket"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/cousin-black-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/cousin-black.png","name":"All Black"}]},{"name":"Kokona Haruka","role":"Test Dummy","status":"Alive","personality":"Social Butterfly","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Provocation","description":"
Kokona Haruka is a cheerful and friendly young woman who participates in the Drama Club at Akademi.<\/p>\n\n
She is known around school for her eagerness to help others in need. If the Cooking Club needs someone to taste-test a new dish, she is the first to raise her hand. If the Science Club needs a test subject for their latest dangerous experiment, she volunteers without hesitation. This has led a few students to give her unflattering nicknames such as \"test dummy\" and \"guinea pig,\" but she doesn't really see this as anything to be ashamed of.<\/p>\n\n
There was once a point in time when she had a crush on Taro Yamada, but it was short-lived; she realized that the two of them had nothing in common, and moved on. It is very fortunate that she did not decide to pursue him; if she had remained interested in him, her life would have been in grave danger the following year, when Ayano developed an infatuation with Taro.<\/p>\n\n
Kokona joined the Drama Club because of her deep admiration for the club's leader, Kizana Sunobu. (This admiration runs so deep that Kokona is willing to tolerate or outright ignore Kizana's numerous personality flaws.) Kokona's \"twin drill\" hairstyle was inspired by Kizana, who often styles her hair into very large ringlets.<\/p>\n\n
Kizana chooses to style her hair differently every day of the week, rather than commit to one hairstyle. She does not feel offended that Kokona has chosen to use one of her hairstyles - however, Kizana values originality and creativity, so she feels that Kokona should develop her own original style rather than imitate what she sees others doing.<\/p>\n\n
Kokona enjoys stageplays immensely, and has begun writing a play of her own - a story about a serial killer. Despite the fact that Kokona is a very bubbly and lighthearted person, her serial killer play is actually quite dark and morbid, which surprised her fellow clubmembers a lot. Kizana considers Kokona's play to be distasteful, and has strongly discouraged her from pursuing it.<\/p>\n\n
Because of her cheery attitude, nobody would ever guess that there are numerous problems in Kokona's life; her father is in debt to a loan shark, and the amount of money he owes is astronomical. In an attempt to help her father, Kokona has recently begun to participate in \"enjo k\u014dsai\" - the practice of dating older men in exchange for money and gifts. She gives the money she earns to her father.<\/p>\n\n
Kokona is completely unaware that one of the other students at school is actually the daughter of the loan shark that is extorting her father. Despite her friendly nature, Kokona feels such intense anger towards that loan shark that - if manipulated or provoked in the right way - it's entirely possible that she could be convinced to harm or even kill the daughter of that loan shark...<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/kokona-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/kokona.png","name":"Kokona"}]},{"name":"Dozuki Aishi","role":"Neglectful Mother","status":"Alive","personality":"Selfish","appearance":"1989","weakness":"Hard Work","description":"
Dozuki Aishi was born in 1950 to a pair of extremely wealthy parents. Dozuki's mother worked a highly-demanding job that required her to frequently travel overseas for long periods of time, which caused her to be absent for most of Dozuki's childhood. Dozuki's mother tried to compensate for her lengthy absences by spoiling her daughter as much as possible whenever she had the opportunity; she showered Dozuki with gifts and praise as often as possible, and never said \"no\" to anything that her daughter requested. As a result, Dozuki developed into a very spoiled young woman who was accustomed to having everything she wanted handed to her on a silver platter without ever working for it.<\/p>\n\n
Like all other members of her bloodline, Dozuki is afflicted with the \"Aishi Condition,\" a disorder which causes her to feel a perpetual sensation of emptiness, as if something crucial is missing from her life. In 1967, while attending high school, Dozuki came into physical contact with a young man whose presence could mysteriously alleviate the symptoms of her condition. Dubbing this young man her \"Senpai,\" Dozuki was determined to turn him into her lifelong companion - however, there were other girls vying for his attention, and Dozuki had no experience with romance. It appeared as though wooing this young man would require hard work, which Dozuki was firmly opposed to.<\/p>\n\n
As usual, Dozuki went crying to her mother and begged her for a solution. By this point in time, Dozuki's mother had retired from her highly-demanding job, and could afford to spend all of her time (and vast fortune) doting on her daughter. She decided that the most efficient way to fulfill Dozuki's needs was to kidnap her Senpai, break his spirit, and turn him into a sort of \"pet.\" To accomplish this, she would need two things: time and privacy. After considering all of her options, she ultimately reached the conclusion that the only way to accomplish her goal in complete secrecy would require an addition to her house: a basement.<\/p>\n\n
In Japan, homes typically do not have basements due to earthquake concerns, flooding risks, and cultural preferences. Dozuki did not wish for local authorities to be aware that she was adding a basement to her home - since it would only be used for illegal purposes and could be a liability for her in the event of a police investigation - and so it was constructed in complete secrecy with the assistance of foreigners who were paid handsomely to stay silent about what they were building. Despite the numerous difficulties in accomplishing this task, the basement was constructed within a year's time. Immediately after its completion, Dozuki's Senpai was kidnapped and imprisoned there.<\/p>\n\n
During the 1800s, one of Dozuki's ancestors discovered a torture technique that could \"break\" a person mentally. The technique does not involve physical pain; it would be most accurate to describe it as a form of hypnosis. The Aishi hypnotizes the victim into thinking that they are experiencing various types of extreme physical torture; having their fingernails torn out, having every bone in their body broken one by one, having their organs removed from their torso, being lit on fire, being drowned, etc. In reality, absolutely nothing is happening to the victim. However, in the victim's mind, they are undergoing all of the most physically painful experiences imaginable.
\n
\nThroughout this process, the Aishi is also doing something else - giving the victim hope that they can escape, and then yanking the hope away. The cycle of providing hope and squashing hope gradually conditions the victim to believe that there is no reason to consider resistance or imagine a better future. Once the victim is completely convinced that there is no hope, and that their life is already over, their mind enters a \"malleable\" state where they can be re-shaped into anything their captor wishes for them to be - even a pet. This is exactly what Dozuki did to her Senpai; she deliberately transformed him into a shell of a man with no will of his own - a \"mind-broken slave.\"<\/p>\n\n
With her mind-broken \"husband\" at her side, Dozuki's easy life continued as before; she lived as selfishly as possible, relied on her doting mother for all of her needs, and never worked a day in her life. In 1971, she gave birth to her first daughter, Ryoba. Dozuki had absolutely no interest in childrearing, and let her mother and husband raise the child, while doing only the bare minimum amount of work that was required of her. In 1976, she gave birth for the second and last time. Ryoba, who resented her mother for being lazy and selfish, and did not want to see her grandmother's workload increase, took it upon herself to care for her younger sister.<\/p>\n\n
For many years, Dozuki, her mother, her father, her husband, and her two daughters all lived under the same roof. However, once Ryoba found her own \"Senpai\" and eventually brought him into their home, Dozuki decided that the house had become too crowded, and that it was time for a change. However, instead of simply kicking Ryoba and her soulmate out of the house, Dozuki decided to relocate to Tokyo. She - along with her parents, husband, and daughter - moved out of Buraza Town, leaving Ryoba and her Senpai alone together in their old house. Now residing in Tokyo, Dozuki continues to live comfortably and selfishly, with her elderly mother still taking care of all her needs.<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/grandma-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/grandma.png","name":"1989"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/grandma-young-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/grandma-young.png","name":"1968"}]},{"name":"Sureibu Aishi","role":"Grandfather","status":"Alive","personality":"Mind-Broken","appearance":"1989","weakness":"Psychological Torture","description":"
The husband of Dozuki Aishi and the father of Ryoba Aishi.<\/p>\n\n
Once a cheerful and energetic young man, he was kidnapped by Kataba Aishi and psychologically tortured by Dozuki Aishi until his psyche was completely shattered. This process turned him into an empty shell of a human being; he no longer exhibits a personality or shows any signs of independent thought.<\/p>\n\n
He exists as \"living medication\" whose purpose is to alleviate the symptoms of Dozuki's Aishi Condition. Closer to a statue than a living being, he generally does not perform any type of action unless instructed to do so, including eating and sleeping.<\/p>\n\n
To explain his state of being, Dozuki told his parents and acquaintances that he had sustained a brain injury that had left him in a nearly vegetative state shortly after their wedding. She claims to be his \"caretaker,\" but, in reality, she only does the bare minimum to sustain his existence, thinking of him more like a pet than a human being.<\/p>\n\n
He has never held a job, as his wealthy mother-in-law provides for him and his wife. When his mother-in-law eventually passes away, he will become her replacement, and will care for his wife in the same way that his mother-in-law has been doing.<\/p>\n\n
His daughter, Ryoba, feels immense pity for him. Because she would never wish to be married to someone who exists in such a tragic state, she swore from a young age that she would never mind-break her own Senpai, as her mother did.<\/p>\n\n
At some point, Dozuki began referring to him as \"Slave\" - or, \"Sureibu\" - instead of his real name. Eventually, she literally forgot <\/em><\/strong>his real name, choosing to address him as \"Sureibu\" forevermore.<\/p>\n\nRyoba, like most women in the Aishi bloodline, inherited the hair color of her mother. However, Ryoba's sister inherited the hair color of her father.<\/p>","illustrator":"Anonymous","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Senpai"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/grandpa-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/grandpa.png","name":"1989"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/grandpa-young-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/grandpa-young.png","name":"1968"}]},{"name":"Sutemi Okada","role":"Stalker","status":"Alive","personality":"Obsessive","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Moving out and getting a job","description":"
Sutemi Okada is a hikkikomori - a social recluse who refuses to pursue employment or education, and spends his days playing video games and watching anime. His parents reluctantly permit him to live in their house as a freeloader, partially because they know he would never survive if they kicked him out, and partially because they feel responsible for his shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n
Sutemi's darkest secret is that he is physically attracted to his own biological sister. She is not aware of his feelings, but she still finds him repulsive anyway, because of his inability to socialize normally. She strongly prefers to avoid him whenever possible, which isn't difficult, because he usually spends entire weeks secluded inside of his bedroom, only leaving to use the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n
Because he knows that his sister is off-limits to him, he has directed his feelings towards a popular anime character named \"Magical Girl Pretty Miyuki\" who physically resembles his sister. What began as an appreciation of the character slowly grew into an extreme hyperfixation, and then eventually developed into a psychotic obsession; he even converted his entire room into a \"shrine\" to Miyuki.<\/p>\n\n
One day, during a trip to obtain some new Miyuki merchandise - one of the only circumstances that could ever cause him to leave his house - he witnessed Osana Najimi, a young woman attending the nearby Akademi Academy, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Miyuki. He saw her as a \"portal\" through which Miyuki could enter the real world; a way to make his \"waifu\" become real and tangible.<\/p>\n\n
Sutemi stalked Osana until he had followed her all the way to her home. Desperate to interact with her, but unwilling to do so in person, he contacted the information broker known as \"Info-chan\" and paid her generously for Osana's phone number. Once he had it, he texted her incessantly, professing his love for her. Osana was disturbed by these messages, and commanded him to stop - to no avail.<\/p>\n\n
A few days later, while spying on Osana's home, Sutemi noticed her pet kitten through a window. The sight of the animal inspired him to design a twisted plan to \"kidnap\" Osana's cat and force her to obey his commands in exchange for the feline's safety. The following day, he successfully snuck into her house through an unlocked window, stole the cat, and took it back to his home in a pet carrier.<\/p>\n\n
With the cat safely in his possession, Sutemi is confident that he can convince Osana to meet with him, whereupon he will romance her, convince her to move in with him, and dress her in Miyuki cosplay for eternity. However, he has no idea how to care for a cat, no plan if Osana refuses to cooperate, and no clue how he is going to keep any of this a secret from his parents.<\/p>\n\n
He is completely incapable of perceiving the numerous flaws with his short-sighted plan, and only time will tell what fate will befall him...<\/p>","illustrator":"RaineBeau","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/stalker-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/stalker.png","name":"Stalker"}]},{"name":"Rei Ando","role":"Bakery Owner","status":"Alive","personality":"Competitive","appearance":"Week 2","weakness":"Her Own Arrogance","description":"
Rei Ando, the owner of the Dark Delights bakery, is obsessed with the gothic lolita aesthetic, and incorporates it into every aspect of her life. She is so committed to the gothic style that she personally designed and handcrafted an entire wardrobe of gothic outfits for herself, and is completely unwilling to wear anything else.<\/p>\n\n
Her life's goal is to achieve global renown by establishing the world's most successful chain of gothic-themed bakery-caf\u00e9s. Currently, five are operating throughout Japan. Rei as meticulously designed every aspect of her caf\u00e9 chain, from the color scheme to the devilish mascot character to the smallest details of the gothic decor.<\/p>\n\n
Rei's obsession with pursuing of fame and fortune gradually caused her to develop several dark traits; she is ruthlessly self-centered, fiercely competitive, and prone to furious outbursts when things don't go her way. Whenever she opens a new bakery, Rei ensures its success through dubious means, secretly sabotaging nearby bakeries to steal their customers or force them out of business altogether.<\/p>\n\n
Rei's husband, Minato, is a gentle soul who disapproves of his wife's underhanded tactics, but reluctantly participates in them anyway, driven by love and a fear of losing her. Rei insists on orchestrating every detail of her world with an unyielding grip, and to this end, she has even designed and handcrafted every outfit in her husband's wardrobe.<\/p>\n\n
Because she strives for elegance in all areas of life, she is ashamed of her name - \"Rei Ando\" - because it is common and plain. Deeming her birth name far too mundane, she legally adopted a more \"beautiful\" name, and designed a fantastical persona to go along with it; while in her bakery, she is always in-character as \"Reisende von Anderer Welt,\" carrying the formal title of \"Die Prinzessin der Dunklen Freuden.\"<\/p>","illustrator":"RaineBeau","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/owner-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/owner.png","name":"Owner"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/baker-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/baker.png","name":"Baker"}]},{"name":"Horuda Umetsu","role":"Tool","status":"Alive","personality":"Fragile","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Bullying","description":"
Horuda Umetsu has been bullied at every school she has ever attended, from kindergarten to high school. She has always been considered \"weird\" by the other children; while some thought that she was merely awkward and gloomy, others felt that she was outright creepy and scary. Strangely, nobody has ever been able to articulate exactly *why* they perceive her in this way; the only explanation offered by the other children is that they dislike her because of \"the vibe she gives off.\"<\/p>\n\n
Despite many attempts to forge bonds with other people, Horuda has never been able to succeed at making a friend - not once in her entire life. She gradually began to feel that her \"fate\" was to be alone and to be mistreated by others, and so, she eventually decided that her wisest course of action was to spend her time as far away from other people as possible. Unfortunately, her preference for solitude has only reinforced her status as \"weird and creepy\" in the eyes of others.<\/p>\n\n
A lifetime of being mistreated by others has severely impacted her mental health; she is often preoccupied with very dark thoughts, such as, \"All the people who treat me badly should just die!\" and \"I wish I could kill all of the people who have made me suffer!\" Recently, she has begun to use artwork as an outlet for these thoughts, often sketching very morbid drawings of herself torturing and murdering the people who have tormented her in various bloody and gruesome ways.<\/p>\n\n
Some people are more \"fragile\" than others - just a gentle push away from shattering into a million pieces. When someone is convinced that they have lost everything, and have nothing left to lose, they lose all reason to continue clinging to life; their mind becomes occupied by a single thought: \"Why don't I just track down the person who made my life so miserable, kill them, and then kill myself?\" This thought occupies their mind every waking hour - eating away at them until there is nothing left.<\/p>\n\n
Horuda has attracted the attention of Akademi's bullies, who have nicknamed her \"Horuda Puresu\" - a term that is meant to sound like the word \"Placeholder.\" The implication is that she has no intrinsic worth or value, and is nothing more than a \"background decoration,\" temporarily occupying a blank space that will eventually be occupied by someone more worthwhile. It's a basic and childish insult, but it's one that directly strikes at her deepest insecurities.<\/p>\n\n
If Horuda's reputation drops any further, she will be targeted by Akademi's bullies - and, although she might not show it outwardly, she would then develop a burning desire to find and kill the person responsible for damaging her reputation. Under those circumstances, this seemingly timid and docile girl could be transformed into a \"guided missile\" determined to take violent revenge on the person whom she views as responsible for her suffering...and then self-destruct.<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/fragile-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/fragile.png","name":"Fragile"}]},{"name":"Bankotsuko","role":"Ramen Shop Owner","status":"Alive","personality":"Enigmatic","appearance":"Week -79,572","weakness":"Enchanted Weaponry","description":"
There is no shortage of books in the world that seek to enthrall the reader with fantastical stories of supernatural beings. These books are widely regarded as fairy tales for the entertainment of small children. But, on rare occasion, one might discover a book which emphatically insists that the beings from these stories are not inventions of human imagination, but truly did exist.<\/p>\n\n
This type of book - often at the cost of the author's credibility and reputation - makes the outlandish claim that mankind once shared the world with a wide variety of supernatural creatures who existed in significant numbers. However, these creatures could only subsist on human flesh, making co-existence impossible. Thus, the creatures were hunted down, nearly to complete extinction.<\/p>\n\n
Because these supernatural creatures disintegrated upon death, no credible physical evidence of their existence remains, aside from a small number of contemporary paintings that allegedly depict these creatures, and written accounts of supposed encounters with these creatures - all of which have long been debunked and discredited by academic communities.<\/p>\n\n
And yet, despite the dubious nature of these claims, there are those who choose to believe them. \"Occult Researchers\" - existing in small numbers, shunned by the rest of society - dedicate their lives to seeking empirical evidence of demons, ghosts, succubi, vampires, zombies, and any other type of supernatural being that is regarded as fictional by the rest of society.<\/p>\n\n
According to the legends that these researchers believe, these supernatural beings posed such a threat to mankind that grand academies were built to teach young men and women the skills they would need to slay monsters - including, by some accounts, actual magic spells. As usual, there is no physical evidence to support the notion that these \"monster slayer academies\" truly existed.<\/p>\n\n
Supposedly, Japan was once terrorized by paranormal beasts known as \"Oni\" until the 1800s, when a pair of elite monster slayers from the west arrived in Japan through supernatural means, and became almost single-handedly responsible for wiping out the entire monster population. This claim is not taken seriously by the Occult Research community, who have found countless holes in the story.<\/p>\n\n
Regardless of what is true or untrue, there is a portion of the population - however small - who remains convinced that supernatural creatures not only exist, but sometimes walk among us, masquerading as humans. Succubi and vampires - the most humanoid of all supernatural beings - have the highest chance of escaping notice...if one chooses to believe in such things in the first place.<\/p>\n\n
It is said that the only way to identify a non-human is to examine their pupils for unusual shapes...but, with the rising popularity of Saikou-brand cosmetic contact lenses, it is increasingly common for people to display unusually shaped pupils, thus making it unconventional to attempt to \"identify a supernatural being\" by simply pointing out the shape of a person's pupils.<\/p>\n\n
Supernatural beings do not show signs of aging after reaching maturity. If a person does not appear to age a day over the course of multiple decades, this could be seen as strong evidence that they are not human. Consequently, any supernatural being that is living in human society while masquerading as a human usually does not stay in one place for an extended period of time.<\/p>\n\n
However, there are exceptions. Occasionally, a supernatural being will find a place in the world where they feel so comfortable that they don't want to leave, despite the risk of eventually being identified as a non-human. These beings are usually benign; capable of subsisting without taking human life or causing harm to humans, and thus able to survive in human society without issue.<\/p>\n\n
And then, of course, there are even rarer exceptions - beings who possess the ability to use magic to charm humans into thinking, \"There's absolutely nothing weird about the fact that the lady who runs the ramen restaurant has remained the same age for the past 40 years. Nothing weird at all. She probably just dyes her hair and has an excellent skincare routine.\"<\/p>\n\n
Even rarer still are the beings who openly demonstrate their magic to humans, and yet are never identified as non-human. After all, can you really prove - beyond a reasonable doubt - that the ramen you got from that mysterious lady is what gave you a dream where you saw the memories of your ancestors? No, you can't; there isn't any empirical evidence...<\/p>\n\n
...and that's why Bankotsuko has managed to live for 1,525 years without being identified as a non-human.<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/ramen-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/ramen.png","name":"Ramen Shop Owner"}]},{"name":"Kataba Aishi","role":"Doting Mother","status":"Alive","personality":"Devoted","appearance":"1989","weakness":"Criminal Record","description":"
Born in 1930, Kataba grew up in Imperial Japan, where her childhood was shaped by militaristic propaganda, extreme nationalism, and the devastation of World War II. She was 15 when the war ended, and the post-war years of her life were dominated by poverty, hunger, and disillusionment with her government and nation.<\/p>\n\n
In 1948, at the age of 18, Kataba became obsessed with a young man at her high school. She desired a relationship with him but faced competition from ten other girls who were also pursuing him. After using various methods \u2014 including lethal ones \u2014 to eliminate those ten girls, she confessed to the young man she loved, who accepted her feelings. However, her joy would be short-lived.<\/p>\n\n
With the war over, the United States' focus had shifted to their rising tensions with the Soviet Union, marking the beginning of the Cold War. Japan \u2014 given its geographic location and economic potential \u2014 was seen as a crucial ally in the region. The U.S. sought to ensure stability in the region and prevent hostile influences from gaining ground. For this reason \u2014 and many others \u2014 the United States maintained a presence in Japan in the post-war years.<\/p>\n\n
American intelligence agencies \u2014 especially the newly-formed \"Central Intelligence Agency\" \u2014 assisted Japanese police in investigating the mysterious deaths and disappearances of high school girls in Kataba's neighborhood. Their investigation eventually led them to identify Kataba as the serial killer they had been pursuing. However, before facing trial, she was offered a deal.<\/p>\n\n
During their investigation into Kataba's murders, the CIA had become genuinely impressed with her remarkable talent for committing various types of crimes while leaving almost no traces of her actions. The agency even started to perceive Kataba as a perfect example of the type of agent they needed for covert operations.<\/p>\n\n
After being caught, Kataba was offered a pardon for her crimes as long as she agreed to work as a \"deniable asset\" for the CIA \u2014 undertaking missions as a spy, an assassin, or whatever else the situation called for. Backed into a corner, with no way out and with very limited options, Kataba reluctantly agreed, under the condition that she would be allowed to continue seeing the young man she loved, and that he would be provided with the wealth necessary to live a comfortable life.<\/p>\n\n
After her recruitment, Kataba underwent extensive training from both Japan's intelligence apparatus and the CIA. She was taught new combat skills, as well as techniques for surveillance, counter-intelligence, sabotage, and covert assassination. Her natural abilities as a serial killer were refined and honed until she was a living weapon in the service of her new handlers.<\/p>\n\n
Kataba was deployed in regions of strategic importance, carrying out high-risk operations to ensure that stability in the region remained unthreatened. As a woman, she leveraged gender stereotypes to her advantage, going undercover in ways that male agents couldn't. When needed, she acted as a seductress, but always stayed loyal to her husband, who was patiently waiting for her back in Japan.<\/p>\n\n
Her missions included assassinations, espionage, and sabotage. She eliminated targets deemed a threat to her employers, dismantled hostile networks, and collected intelligence on foreign military operations. She did not enjoy doing dirty work for the CIA, but after experiencing the horrors of war firsthand throughout her childhood, she was determined to do everything in her power to maintain stability in the region and prevent the flames of war from re-igniting once more.<\/p>\n\n
She gave birth to a daughter in 1950, but due to the need to constantly visit other countries for long periods of time, she was absent for much of her daughter's early childhood. She was deathly afraid that her daughter would never be able to develop any love for her, and attempted to compensate for her long absences by spoiling her daughter rotten at every opportunity she had.<\/p>\n\n
By the early '60s, Kataba's age was beginning to catch up with her. She knew that her career was nearing its end. After training her successors \u2014 and one final mission in 1964 \u2014 she was allowed to retire. After that last mission, she was granted a full pardon for her crimes in the '40s, and was also paid enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life.<\/p>\n\n
She has never spoken about what her final mission entailed, but sometimes jokes that she \"saved the world from nuclear annihilation in the '60s.\" She laughs heartily whenever she tells this joke...but, sometimes, she can be seen staring off into the distance with a melancholy expression on her face, as if she is thinking about sacrifices made by herself \u2014 and others \u2014 many long years ago.<\/p>\n\n
Given her violent history and dark past, the CIA considered Kataba to be at high risk of becoming a liability once she no longer worked for them. Shortly after her retirement, a sniper was dispatched to kill her \u2014 but, as he aimed his crosshairs through Kataba's bedroom window, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Kataba standing right behind him.<\/p>\n\n
\"You can tell your bosses that they don't have to worry about me.\"<\/p>\n\n
After this, there were no further attempts on her life.<\/p>\n\n
She has lived in peace since then, content to spend her days relaxing with her husband and doting on her daughter \u2014 no matter how old she becomes.<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/great-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/great.png","name":"1989"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/great-agent-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/great-agent.png","name":"1950s"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/great-young-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/great-young.png","name":"1948"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/great-young-bloody-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/great-young-bloody.png","name":"Bloody"}]},{"name":"Torahiko Aishi","role":"Great Grandpa","status":"Alive","personality":"Troubled","appearance":"Behind A Door","weakness":"Naivet\u00e9","description":"
His house on fire. His parents' corpses. His little sister slowly starving to death.<\/p>\n\n
Burned into his mind forever.<\/p>\n\n
After the war ended, Torahiko - like thousands of other war orphans - was picked up by Japanese relief workers and taken to a temporary shelter. It was a repurposed school building, crowded with children exactly like himself - sick, malnourished, and traumatized by two years of hell on earth.<\/p>\n\n
Japan's Ministry of Education began a post-war education program that aimed to re-enroll orphans and war-displaced youth back into the school system. When Torahiko turned 16, he was granted placement in a public high school, along with temporary housing.<\/p>\n\n
During his third year of high school, just as he was beginning to recover from the things he had seen and experienced during WW2, some of his female classmates began to mysteriously disappear. It wasn't long before people began whispering rumors of a serial killer at school.<\/p>\n\n
Shortly after the graduation ceremony, one of his former classmates - Kataba Aishi - suddenly confessed her love to him with a long, heartfelt speech. She poured her heart out to him as if her life depended on it. Apparently, he meant the world to her.<\/p>\n\n
He was deeply moved; three years ago, when he was wailing with despair while cradling his little sister's corpse, he never could have imagined that, one day, he would actually have a chance at a happy life. He accepted her confession without a second thought.<\/p>\n\n
However, his happiness would be extremely short-lived. Only a few days after Kataba's confession, Torahiko found himself in a police station, being interrogated by a detective - and a foreign man who was apparently working for a branch of the United States government.<\/p>\n\n
It turned out that the rumors of a serial killer were true - and Kataba Aishi was the culprit. Supposedly, Kataba had been murdering any girl who expressed even the slightest interest in dating Torahiko. This revelation shook Torahiko almost as much as any experience from WW2 had.<\/p>\n\n
The police wanted to know if Torahiko was complicit in Kataba's crimes, or if he had been completely unaware of her true nature as a bloodthirsty monster. He denied any knowledge or connection to her murders - but the one thing he refused to do was call that girl a \"monster.\"<\/p>\n\n
Kataba was almost the same age as him; they had both lived through the same time period. The same war. He presumed that she had also watched her loved ones die, and experienced things that no human should ever have to. He figured that she, like him, had nightmares about these memories every night.<\/p>\n\n
\"She's not a monster. She went through the same hell that I went through, except she came out even more broken than I did. The war shaped her into something dark and violent, but she doesn't need to be demonized. She needs help. She needs...me.\"<\/p>\n\n
Torahiko begged them to be lenient with her; begged them to somehow give her a chance to atone for what she had done. But, was it even possible? Was it possible to \"atone\" for killing 10 innocent young women whose only crime was having feelings for someone at their school?<\/p>\n\n
Satisfied that Torahiko had nothing to do with Kataba's crimes, the police let him go. But, he found it impossible to focus; he was able only to think of Kataba, and to wonder what her fate would be. He couldn't think of her as a villain; he could only see her as a victim.<\/p>\n\n
Fortunately, he would not have to wait long to be reunited with her. Just a few days later, he answered a knock at his door to find Kataba standing there, smiling happily, as if nothing was amiss. Torahiko was overjoyed, but puzzled - why would the police allow a killer to walk free?<\/p>\n\n
\"The Americans offered me a deal, darling,\" Kataba said. \"They want me to use my unique skills to help them keep this region of the world safe. To prevent the fires of war from re-igniting. In exchange, they'll pardon my actions, and make sure that the two of us live comfortably.\"<\/p>\n\n
It really was the best possible outcome. Kataba was free, and had been given an opportunity to atone for her actions - and, somehow, his own security was included in the agreement. Torahiko felt as though he must be the luckiest man in the world.<\/p>\n\n
Years of trauma had robbed Torahiko of the ability to feel optimism for the future - but Kataba, overflowing with love and devotion to him, was like a shining beacon of light in a world of darkness. She made him feel as if there really was hope for life to get better.<\/p>\n\n
Torahiko eagerly pledged to devote his life to her; to love her, to forgive her for what she had done in the past, to support her journey to atone for her sins, and to help her heal from her war trauma.<\/p>\n\n
\"...huh...? ...oh, yeah...war trauma...right...\"<\/p>\n\n
They married. They had a child. Kataba underwent mysterious training that Torahiko wasn't allowed to know much about. Something was strange about their child. Kataba spent weeks overseas. Something was strange about their child. Kataba spent months overseas. Something was...<\/p>\n\n
...something was strange about their child.<\/p>\n\n
It was clear that she wasn't normal. It was obvious that she had some sort of condition. Doctors couldn't explain it. It didn't match any disorder that they were aware of. Kataba didn't seem to care. She simply insisted that she would love her daughter, no matter what.<\/p>\n\n
For years, Kataba avoided telling Torahiko the truth. She could easily predict how he would react. But, eventually, it was impossible to continue keeping it a secret from him. She knew that his reaction would only be worse the longer she forced him to wait, so, one day, she finally told him.<\/p>\n\n
He reacted exactly the way she expected.<\/p>\n\n
\"It runs in the family? You became a serial killer because of a genetic condition? It wasn't the result of trauma from the war? It was never possible to 'heal' you or 'fix' you? You've always been broken? You were fated to become something dark and violent from the very day you were BORN?\"<\/p>\n\n
\"...AND OUR DAUGHTER IS, TOO?\"<\/p>\n\n
Outrage. Despair. His life was a lie. The person he trusted the most had withheld important knowledge from him - knowledge that fundamentally reshaped his understanding of her. Knowledge that would have made him choose a different course in life, if only he had known it sooner.<\/p>\n\n
He didn't want to speak to her. He didn't even want to look at her. But, that wasn't an option. She had proven that she was willing to kill to keep him to herself...and a foreign government had shaped her into something even more deadly than she was to begin with. Leaving her was not an option.<\/p>\n\n
He was trapped.<\/p>\n\n
But, there was more to it than just that. Somehow, he still loved her. Somehow, he still loved his daughter. Somehow, he refused to believe Kataba was a lost cause, even if, by her own admission, she was genetically pre-destined to kill innocent people for selfish reasons.<\/p>\n\n
He was simply too committed to her to try to leave her. (As if that was even an option in the first place.)<\/p>\n\n
It took many years...but, gradually, he reluctantly made peace with the true nature of his wife. He did his best to force himself to perceive her as a loving and devoted woman who provided him with an easy and comfortable life, instead of seeing her for what she truly was: a monster.<\/p>\n\n
He grew to accept her.<\/p>\n\n
Or, at the very least, to tolerate her.<\/p>","illustrator":"Yr","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Senpai"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/great-grandpa-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/great-grandpa.png","name":"1948"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/great-grandpa-eighties-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/great-grandpa-eighties.png","name":"1989"}]},{"name":"Ui Tunesu","role":"Witness","status":"Alive","personality":"Vigilant","appearance":"1989","weakness":"Paranoia","description":"
During Ui's final year of high school, a series of mysterious incidents plagued her school.<\/p>\n\n
Students would return from P.E. class to discover that an unknown vandal had tampered with their belongings. In some cases, the vandal had poured water, dirt, or mud all over a student's possessions. In other cases, the student's belongings were completely destroyed, or outright missing. There seemed to be no pattern whatsoever to the vandalism; as far as anyone could tell, students were being targeted at random.<\/p>\n\n
For over a month, this mysterious vandal terrorized the school, creating an atmosphere of tension and fear. But, eventually, a girl stepped forward and confessed that she was the culprit. She explained that she had been blackmailed by another girl at school, and that the girl had commanded her to vandalize the belongings of specific students. Apparently, the blackmailer had once been a victim of merciless bullying, and these instances of vandalism were the girl's way of getting revenge on the students who had bullied her.<\/p>\n\n
The vandal was none other than Ui's best friend. This was a massive shock to Ui, who had not detected even the slightest clue that her closest companion was connected to the vandalism. She also hadn't realized that one of the girls in her class was being bullied, or noticed that all of the victims of the vandalism actually did have something in common with one another. In retrospect, she felt that the vandal's identity should have been obvious to her from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n
This incident affected Ui dramatically. She couldn't help but wonder if she could have prevented the entire incident by simply being more observant. If only she had paid closer attention to her best friend, she would have realized what was going on, and would have intervened before the situation had a chance to escalate so drastically. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, almost as if the entire situation had been her fault.<\/p>\n\n
From that day onward, Ui swore to never allow a similar incident escape her notice. She became an extremely vigilant young woman, constantly on the lookout for potential warning signs that a hidden crisis was secretly underway. This earned her a reputation as a nosy girl who is utterly incapable of minding her own business - some students have even begun to refer to her by the mocking nickname of \"Witness-chan.\"<\/p>\n\n
However, none of this bothers her in the slightest. As long as she can prevent even a single person from being traumatized or hurt, she doesn't care how others might judge her.<\/p>","illustrator":"Yandere-Chan","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Eighties"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/witness-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/witness.png","name":"Ui"}]},{"name":"Azebiki Aishi","role":"Mentor","status":"Alive","personality":"Studious","appearance":"Family Gatherings","weakness":"Still Missing the Last Puzzle Piece","description":"
Azebiki Aishi was born in 1910. Like every member of her bloodline, she suffered from the \"Aishi Condition,\" which caused her to perpetually feel a sensation of being \"empty\" inside, as if some crucial part of her was missing. She was told by her mother that, one day, she would meet a special person whose presence would dispel that \"hollow\" sensation, and allow her to experience life the same way that normal people do.<\/p>\n\n
Unlike most Aishi, however, Azebiki was not content to say, \"Oh well, I guess that's just the way things are...\" and patiently wait for the day when she would meet the person who would fix her. Instead, she dedicated her youth to the pursuit of knowledge, and sought a complete understanding of the Aishi Condition - its origin, how it worked, and whether or not it would ever be possible to find a \"cure.\"<\/p>\n\n
Azebiki sought out as many of her relatives as possible and asked them countless questions about their shared condition. \"How would you describe the way you felt before you met your loved one, and how you felt afterwards?\" \"How old were you when you met the person who made your hollow sensation go away?\" \"Do you still feel the condition as sharply today as you did in the past?\" \"Was there ever a member of our bloodline who did not have this condition?\"<\/p>\n\n
Azebiki's thorough research established several facts:<\/p>\n\n
\n\t- The Aishi Condition was weakening slightly with each new generation; the Aishi who were born more recently were less hollow and numb than her oldest ancestors.<\/li>\n\t
- An Aishi's lover is always someone older than themself, even if it was only by one day. This caused Azebiki to use the word \"Senpai\" to refer to any person who alleviates the symptoms of the Aishi Condition.<\/li>\n\t
- With each year spent in the presence of a Senpai, the symptoms of the Aishi Condition gradually weakened. Theoretically, an Aishi would no longer be reliant on their Senpai after a specific number of years had passed.<\/li>\n\t
- It was impossible to trace the Aishi family history farther back than 1800. Apparently, the Aishi born that year was abandoned as a baby and adopted by an infertile couple who yearned to start a family, making the Aishi family history prior to 1800 completely unknowable.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
At this point in history, superstition prevailed over science, and most Aishi referred to their condition as a \"curse,\" believing it to be supernatural in origin. However, no living Aishi could explain *why* their bloodline had been cursed, nor if there was any way to break the curse. Azebiki was extremely reluctant to ever refer to the condition with the word \"curse,\" strongly believing that it would be much more appropriate to categorize the Aishi Condition as a hereditary disease.<\/p>\n\n
Azebiki was obsessed with fully understanding biological inheritance; dominant traits, recessive traits, and the idea of \"genes,\" which was a relatively new concept at that point in history. Unfortunately, because the nature of DNA would not be discovered until 1953 (and the human genome would not be mapped until decades later), Azebiki was doomed to spend most of her life without the puzzle pieces needed to fully comprehend the field of genetics.<\/p>\n\n
Because Azebiki lacked the ability to categorically disprove the notion that her condition was a curse, and also lacked the ability to empirically prove that it was a disease, she chose to dedicate equal amounts of time to researching both science *and* the occult, two fields which could not be further removed from one another. She read a library's worth of scientific literature, and also spent countless hours researching tales of supernatural beings who wielded magic power.<\/p>\n\n
Upon hearing claims that Japan had once been plagued by supernatural entities, she sought evidence, which lead her to stories of \"monster slayers\" who had driven these entities to extinction in the early 1800s, which lead her to claims that these monster slayers had hailed from a foreign land, which lead her to tales of foreign creatures that sucked blood, ate dreams, and somehow feasted on love itself. However, she was never able to decisively validate these wild stories and fairy tales.<\/p>\n\n
She eventually met her \"Senpai\" at age 18 in 1928. She strongly resisted the urge to murder the other women who pursued him, wishing to \"prove\" to herself that she was not a slave to her hereditary condition - but, like most of her relatives, she eventually succumbed to the desire to spill the blood of anyone standing between herself and her loved one. She killed with incredible efficiency; her unmatched intelligence made her one of the most cunning Aishi to ever live.<\/p>\n\n
Although she lived through World War 2, she did not participate in it in any substantial way. (Her younger sister *did* participate in the war...but that story will be told separately.)<\/p>\n\n
Azebiki has lived a remarkably long life; despite being born in 1910, she is still alive in modern day. At over 110 years of age, she is the oldest living Aishi, and is recognized as one of the oldest living human beings in the world. Her wits have not dulled with time, and, at Aishi family gatherings, she is a fountain of information, always extremely eager to share her knowledge with younger Aishi who seek to understand their condition.<\/p>\n\n
Azebiki has expressed an intense fascination with Ayano, who appears to be an \"exception\" to some of the \"rules\" of the Aishi Condition. For example, Ayano appears to suffer from the condition more acutely than any of her living relatives, which defies the belief that the condition lessens with each generation. Azebiki has examined Ayano thoroughly, and has described her from being \"different from any other Aishi I have ever studied,\" but has never been able to articulate the reason why.<\/p>\n\n
Her Senpai passed away decades ago. Despite spending most of her life relying on him as \"medicine\" to \"alleviate the symptoms\" of her \"hereditary disease,\" she doesn't seem to be negatively impacted by his absence from her life. Younger Aishi who are extremely dependent on their Senpai are shocked that Azebiki is able to function - emotionally or physically - without her Senpai's presence. Whenever she is questioned about this, she launches into a long diatribe filled with numbers:<\/p>\n\n
\"By my calculations, our Condition gets 5% weaker with each generation. Presuming that our earliest known ancestor - the one who was born in 1800 - felt the Condition at 100%, and presuming that I am her great-great-great-great-grandchild, this would mean that I was born with only 70% of the Condition's original potency. I spent 70 years with my Senpai before he died, and I felt as though my Condition was lessening by about 1% each year. In other words...I've been at 0% for a while now. I'm cured.\"<\/p>\n\n
Most Aishi find it difficult to follow along with her words when she rattles off numbers and percentages like this. Some of them choose to dismiss her words as the babbling of a senile old woman. Others are simply appalled by the way she reduces her deceased husband to a mathematical equation. Nonetheless, all Aishi treat her with respect, acknowledging her long years of research into their shared condition.<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/scholar-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/scholar.png","name":"1928"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/scholar-bloody-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/scholar-bloody.png","name":"Bloody"}]},{"name":"Hodaka Aishi","role":"Ancestor","status":"Dead","personality":"Bookworm","appearance":"The Past","weakness":"Na\u00efvet\u00e9","description":"
Hodaka was born in 1910 to a very wealthy family. However, he had no interest in inheriting the family business; he wanted to be a scholar, instead.<\/p>\n\n
From early childhood onwards, he was obsessed with books and knowledge, and was always reading voraciously instead of playing with other children. Because he rarely engaged in any sort of sports, he grew up to be a frail and clumsy young man - and, because he never avoided group activities whenever possible, he was quite socially awkward, as well.<\/p>\n\n
Towards the end of his time in high school, numerous girls began expressing interest in him. He was flattered by this attention, because he always thought that a shy bookworm like himself would never be attractive to girls. He was too naive to realize that all of these girls only wanted him for his money; they were hoping to marry into his wealthy family and live an easy life coasting off of his family's fortune.<\/p>\n\n
However, this attention did not last for long. One by one, misfortune began to befall the girls who had been expressing interest towards him. One of them was arrested for a crime. Another was expelled. One girl actually stopped attending school altogether after embarrassing rumors began to circulate about her.<\/p>\n\n
Eventually, he realized that *every single girl* who had ever attempted to court him had met with a terrible fate. He started to fear that he was cursed. When one of his classmates - a girl just as bookish as him, named Azebiki - began to express an interest in him, he cautioned her to stay away, insisting that he was bad luck, and that if she got close to him, she would only be hurt.<\/p>\n\n
Azebiki refused to heed his warning. She insisted that she would pay any price to stay by his side, even if he *was* cursed. These words pierced his heart like Cupid's arrow, and he developed feelings for her almost immediately. Before long, the two of them entered a relationship, and to Hodaka's relief, it seemed like his streak of bad luck was finally over.<\/p>\n\n
He was quite fascinated to learn this girl's family history. Apparently, her ancestors had been famous for producing high-quality textiles, fabrics, and clothing, and her family name had once carried great prestige. However, exactly like him, she was not interested in inheriting the family business, and was instead intrigued by the study of something called \"genetics\" - a new field of biological research.<\/p>\n\n
Hodaka was fascinated by the similarities between himself and this girl - bookish, from a rich family, interested in pursuing their own dreams rather than carrying on their family's legacy - and it only made him fall more deeply in love with her. He pledged to spend the rest of his life by her side, helping her achieve her goals and advance the study of genetics as far as possible.<\/p>\n\n
He passed away in 1998, at the age of 88, after 70 years of marriage to Azebiki. On his deathbed, as he felt himself fading away, he gripped his wife's hand with what little strength he had left, and weakly whispered to her words of gratitude for seven decades of love.<\/p>\n\n
His wife, however, seemed distracted - present physically, but not mentally. As she stared off into space, he thought he heard her say, \"That's strange. I don't feel it anymore. I think my theory was correct.\"<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\nBut, before he could ask her to explain herself, the darkness took him.<\/p>","illustrator":"Liu Hua","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Senpai"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/bookish-senpai-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/bookish-senpai.png","name":"1928"}]},{"name":"Kenko Sukoyaka","role":"Cooking Club Member","status":"Alive","personality":"Friendly","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Carrots","description":"
Kenko Sukoyaka is a member of the Cooking Club at Akademi. He is deeply committed to maintaining a healthy diet, and is always eager to passionately share the numerous benefits of nutritional food whenever the opportunity arises. Although it can sometimes pain him to see his fellow clubmembers and classmates eating sweets and junk food, he respects the lifestyle choices of others, and never judges people for their dietary habits.<\/p>\n\n
Although he is a nice, friendly, and positive person, he has a reputation for being a little bit eccentric. Among all of the healthy and nutritious types of food that he is enthusiastic about, he appears to be especially passionate about carrots specifically. In fact, he seems to be absolutely fixated on them. He has been overheard asking if anyone can provide him with \"128 carrots,\" insisting that any more or less would be an unacceptable number.<\/p>\n\n
When asked to explain exactly why he needed such a large quantity of carrots, he explained that he had recently begun working as a food supplier for farm animals, and was in charge of supplying a farmer with food for his livestock. However, the next time someone asked him the same question, he stated that he needed the carrots for an avant-garde art project. And, when someone else asked him for clarification, he said something about a science experiment to determine whether or not carrots maintained their nutritional value after being frozen and thawed for varying lengths of time.<\/p>\n\n
Because of his inconsistent replies, nobody is entirely sure what the truth is, what he *really* needs that number of carrots for, or why he feels a need to hide his true intentions. This has led to many wild theories, ranging from \"He enjoys swimming naked in a giant swimming pool full of carrots\" to \"He is holding someone prisoner in his basement and is forcing them to eat carrots.\" Perhaps no-one will ever know the truth aside from Kenko himself.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":[],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/carrot-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/carrot.png","name":"202X"}]},{"name":"Mai Wakahara","role":"Student","status":"Alive","personality":"Cutesy","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Gacha Games with Daily Log-In Bonuses","description":"
Mai Wakahara is one of the female students who attends Akademi. She is pursuing what she refers to as an \"anime aesthetic\" - in short, she wants to look like more like an \"anime character\" than a real person. To achieve this goal, she has never cut her hair, wears special contact lenses that cycle through a variety of colors, and adopts cutesy mannerisms that are commonly seen in anime.<\/p>\n\n
Some of her peers think it is \"cringe\" that she is deliberately trying to make herself look like an anime character, while other students think that she ranks among the most beautiful girls in school. A few students have begun to refer to her by a cutesy nickname - \"Mai Waifu\" - rather than her real name. Some of them say it as a compliment, while others use this nickname in a mocking way.<\/p>\n\n
Because she is obsessed with anime and video games, it was only natural that she chose to join the school's unofficial Gaming Club. When informed that every member of the club was required to wear a red bandana, she chose to fashion the bandana into something resembling a hair ribbon, and wear it on the back of her head. The Gaming Club leader begrudgingly admitted, \"Eh, I guess that counts...\"<\/p>\n\n
She spends most of her time playing an augmented reality gacha game that she is addicted to - the Magical Girl Pretty Miyuki mobile game. She considers herself to be good friends with Midori, Pippi, and Ryuto, and she is often seen together with them. She also plays an MMORPG with \"daily boss raids\" that she participates in with the rest of the Gaming Club.<\/p>","illustrator":"Liu Hua","illustratorUrl":"","groups":[],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/waifu-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/waifu.png","name":"202X"}]},{"name":"Reiichi Tanaami","role":"Student Council President","status":"Alive","personality":"Cold","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Nothing","description":"
Reiichi Tanaami is the student council president of Akademi in 1989.<\/p>\n\n
In 1971, Reiichi's father - a rich and successful businessman - met with Saisho Saikou to discuss a potential business deal. After their meeting had concluded, Mr. Tanaami mentioned to Mr. Saikou that his wife was going to give birth to a child soon, and asked for parenting advice. Mr. Saikou thought long and hard about it, and then confided something in Mr. Tanaami - he was quite concerned with how his company would continue to operate after his death, and had been putting serious thought into the right way to raise his children in order to ensure that they would be worthy of inheriting and running his business.<\/p>\n\n
Mr. Saikou explained that he had recently been considering the prospect of trying out an unorthodox parenting technique: raising a child with the intention of stripping them of all emotions, and conditioning them to possess all of the traits that would transform them into the \"Perfect CEO\" - a worthy heir to Saikou Corp. While most people would have considered this to be child abuse, Mr. Tanaami was, instead, fascinated by what he was hearing. He idolized Mr. Saikou, and listened carefully to his every word. He left that meeting with a complete understanding of the \"Saikou Childrearing Technique\" and the intention to put it into action.<\/p>\n\n
From the moment that Reiichi was old enough to understand words, Mr. Tanaami subjected his son a rigorous upbringing designed to eliminate emotional vulnerability and cultivate the traits of \"the perfect human being\" - unwavering discipline, analytical thinking, and ruthless efficiency. Every aspect of his daily life was tailored to develop the traits of an ideal leader: charisma, intelligence, and ambition. By the time he reached adolescence, Reiichi had become a prodigy with a genius IQ and skills far beyond his age. With that said, he often unsettled people - although he was undeniably competent, he was utterly devoid of emotion, seeming more like a robot than a person.<\/p>\n\n
In 1987, he enrolled in Akademi Academy, and ran for the position of Student Council president. He lost the election to Ichiko Saikou, and lost again in 1988. However, Ichiko recognized his brilliance, and made him the Vice President of the Student Council; someone that she trusted as her right-hand man. When she graduated in March of 1989, Reiichi became the school's new student council president. He ran the school with the precision and control of a corporate executive, earning both admiration and fear from his peers. In the summer of 1989, there was no student council election; nobody wanted to run against a machine like Reiichi, whose victory was a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n\n
Mr. Tanaami was overjoyed with Reiichi's success, and was eagerly looking forward to the day when Reiichi would join him in operating the family business - but that day would never come. The very moment that Reiichi graduated from Akademi, he was offered a job at Saikou Corp - which he immediately accepted.<\/p>\n\n
\"How dare you?!\" His father demanded. \"I raised you! How can you run off and join some other company instead of joining the family business?! How can you abandon your own flesh and blood?!\"<\/p>\n\n
As always, Reiichi responded without a flicker of emotion appearing on his face: \"I'm doing exactly what you instructed me to do: I am pursuing the highest station I can rise to in life. I cannot accomplish that if I work for you.\"<\/p>\n\n
Mr. Tanaami's heart sank as he realized something: He had raised the perfect businessman, but he had not raised a son.<\/p>\n\n
Later in life, Reiichi met a woman while working for Saikou Corp - a brilliant and compassionate strategist whose calm presence and genuine warmth slowly broke through the icy walls he had built around himself. Their bond gradually deepened, and in time, Reiichi did something he never believed he would ever do: he proposed marriage. The two of them were wed in a private ceremony, and a few years later, welcomed children into the world. Determined not to repeat the mistakes of his own father, Reiichi vowed to raise them with love and empathy, wishing to create something that he never had before: a true family.<\/p>\n\n
As of 202X, Reiichi is the Chief Operating Officer at Saikou Corp; the highest position that one can rise to without being a member of the Saikou family.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":[],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/cold-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/cold.png","name":"1989"}]},{"name":"Daisaku Aragaki","role":"Enforcer","status":"Deceased","personality":"Tough Guy","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Grief","description":"
Daisaku Aragaki grew up in a household where discipline and obedience were valued above all else. His parents constantly pressured him to conform, behave properly, and follow a rigid set of expectations. This overbearing control bred resentment in Daisaku, who began to feel suffocated by the lack of personal freedom. In an act of rebellion, he deliberately adopted a lifestyle that flew in the face of everything his parents stood for. Rejecting their ideals, he embraced the persona of a juvenile delinquent, seeing it as the ultimate form of defiance against their authority.<\/p>\n\n
After Daisaku's parents enrolled him in Akademi Academy, his rebellious tendencies only intensified. He quickly earned a reputation as the school's most notorious troublemaker, regularly challenging teachers, skipping classes, and causing all sorts of disturbances and disruptions. His antics ranged from harmless pranks to physical altercations, and he seemed to revel in the chaos he caused. Over the course of an entire school year, Daisaku made it his mission to raise hell. Some students regarded him as a symbol of defiance, while others just thought he was a terrifying menace.<\/p>\n\n
Among the many students who disapproved of Daisaku's behavior, none loathed him more than Reiichi Tanaami, the vice president of the student council. Reiichi, committed to order and discipline, viewed Daisaku as the biggest threat to the peaceful atmosphere he worked so hard to maintain within the school. The two of them quickly developed a bitter rivalry, with frequent clashes that often escalated into threats of disciplinary action. They were opposite ends of a spectrum, and both were determined to outmaneuver the other.<\/p>\n\n
In January of 1989, Daisaku's life took an unexpected turn when his girlfriend informed him she that was pregnant. The news hit him like a freight train; he was only a teenager, barely capable of managing his own life, let alone the responsibility of raising a child. The thought of becoming a teenage father forced him to confront a reality he had never prepared for: his days of rebellion and irresponsibility were numbered, and his decisions from this point forward would affect not just himself, but the future of an innocent life.<\/p>\n\n
Faced with the gravity of impending fatherhood, Daisaku began to reevaluate his lifestyle. Determined to be someone that his child could be proud of, Daisaku resolved to change. He started taking school seriously, apologized to those he had wronged, and made a sincere effort to reform. The shift was slow and difficult, but it was genuine. Everyone at school was shocked by the change in Daisaku's demeanor, and he was the topic of gossip for several weeks - but most people agreed that they strongly preferred this version of Daisaku over the previous one.<\/p>\n\n
Reiichi, who had once made it his mission to have Daisaku expelled, was initially skeptical of the change. He kept a close eye on his former rival, expecting to catch him slipping back into his old habits. But, as weeks passed, and Daisaku remained committed to self-improvement, Reiichi's perspective began to shift. He observed how Daisaku avoided conflict, helped struggling students, and even began participating in school activities. Eventually, Reiichi came to a surprising conclusion: Daisaku's transformation was real, and worthy of recognition.<\/p>\n\n
When Ichiko Saikou - the student council president - graduated from Akademi, Reiichi was promoted from vice president to president. His first action was bold and unexpected: he approached Daisaku and offered him a position on the student council - the role of \"Enforcer.\" It was a job that involved upholding school rules through direct action, and Reiichi believed Daisaku's unique combination of strength and discipline made him the ideal candidate. Daisaku accepted the role of Enforcer with pride, determined to develop into the man his unborn child needed him to be.<\/p>\n\n
As the new school year began, Daisaku took on the duty of maintaining peace and order at Akademi. His tall and muscular build and street-smart instincts proved invaluable, deterring would-be bullies and settling disputes before they could escalate. However, he didn't want to protect the school with brute force alone, so he took every opportunity to use his personal story to connect with troubled students, offering guidance rather than disciplinary action. Daisaku had once been the school's biggest problem - but, now, he was its protector.<\/p>\n\n
Upon graduating, Daisaku didn\u2019t have to search long for his next path in life. Saikou Corp, always on the lookout for individuals with a mix of the right traits to serve the company, took notice of him. Impressed by his record of exemplary behavior as Enforcer, they offered him an entry-level position within their security division. At the same time, Reiichi was also scouted by the company, albeit for a role in management. The two former rivals now found themselves working side-by-side in a professional setting where they both felt a strong mutual respect for one another.<\/p>\n\n
Over the years, Daisaku dedicated himself to his job with the same determination he had shown in turning his life around. He quickly advanced through the ranks, taking on more responsibility with each promotion. His reputation for unshakable integrity and effective leadership eventually earned him the position of Chief Security Officer, a prestigious role that placed him in charge of the safety and protection of all Saikou Corp personnel and facilities. It was a difficult position with many responsibilities that few people could handle - but Daisaku managed it without issue.<\/p>\n\n
Unfortunately, the stability that Daisaku had worked so hard to build for himself was shattered when tragedy struck in his personal life. His wife, the woman who had stood by him through thick and thin, fell gravely ill. Despite the best medical care money could buy, her condition worsened, and eventually, she passed away. The loss devastated Daisaku. The man once known for his strength now found himself battling an enemy he couldn't punch - grief. He grew distant and withdrawn, sometimes spending hours just staring blankly at a photograph of her.<\/p>\n\n
Then, one fateful day, a disaster unfolded at Saikou Corp. An armed intruder infiltrated the facility, screaming something about the company being evil, and began threatening the lives of everyone in the building. Daisaku, despite his depression, did not hesitate to act. He confronted the intruder head-on, engaging in a brutal physical altercation to protect his colleagues. In the struggle, the assailant pulled out a concealed firearm and shot Daisaku at close range. The intruder was disarmed and apprehended by the security team, but, unfortunately, Daisaku's wound was fatal.<\/p>\n\n
Daisaku collapsed, bleeding heavily. Reiichi was at his side in an instant, cradling his rival-turned-friend in his arms. Reiichi screamed out Daisaku's name and begged him not to die - an extremely rare display of emotion from a man who was normally as cold as ice. As Daisaku lay dying, his eyes locked with Reiichi's, and he spoke his final words with a faint smile:<\/p>\n\n
\"I can hear her voice...she's calling me.\"<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":[],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/tough-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/tough.png","name":"1989"}]},{"name":"Ken Kyonashima","role":"Secretary","status":"Alive","personality":"Humble","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Na\u00efvet\u00e9","description":"
Ken Kyonashima serves as the secretary of the student council at Akademi Academy in the year 1989. In this role, he supports the operations of the council and plays an important part in maintaining order and organization within the school.<\/p>\n\n
Ken is a humble and modest young man, well-liked by his peers for his easygoing nature and friendly demeanor. His warmth and charm make it effortless for him to form friendships, and he's admired for his unassuming attitude despite his natural popularity.<\/p>\n\n
Unbeknownst to him, Ken is the object of affection for dozens of female students at Akademi. Despite the many admirers who harbor secret crushes on him, Ken remains completely oblivious to their feelings, never realizing the effect he has on those around him.<\/p>\n\n
Reiichi, the student council president, saw potential in Ken\u2019s popularity and charm. Believing that having a dreamy heartthrob on the council would help keep the school's female population well-behaved, Reiichi personally invited Ken to join the student council.<\/p>\n\n
After graduating from Akademi, Ken's good looks and natural charisma led him into the entertainment industry. He began his career as a model, but quickly transitioned to acting, eventually starring in several major films. One of his most notable achievements was playing a lead role in a 1997 movie that became the highest-grossing film of all time at the moment of its release.<\/p>\n\n
Today, Ken is widely recognized across Japan as a \"Television Personality\" - he is a familiar face in Japanese mass media, frequently appearing as a guest or panelist on variety shows, where his charm and sense of humor continue to captivate audiences nationwide.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":[],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/humble-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/humble.png","name":"1989"}]},{"name":"Joze Shiuba","role":"Treasurer","status":"Alive","personality":"Friendly","appearance":"1989, Week 1","weakness":"Japanese","description":"
Joze Shiuba - real name Jos\u00e9 Silva - is the treasurer of the student council in 1989.<\/p>\n\n
Joze demonstrated a prodigious understanding of mathematics from a young age, earning him the nickname \"A Calculadora Humana\" - the Human Calculator - from his classmates. His family and peers encouraged him to attend the Olimp\u00edada Brasileira de Matem\u00e1tica - the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad - where he achieved a record number of gold medals. After this, he attended the 1988 International Mathematical Olympiad, where he scored a perfect 42\/42 points, single-handedly turning Brazil into the winning country of that year's competition.<\/p>\n\n
The Olympiad was held in Australia that year, and the experience of traveling to another country awakened something in Joze - an overwhelming desire to travel to as many countries as possible, and see as much of the world as he possibly could. Around this point in time, numerous academies and universities began to offer him scholarships; they viewed him as the type of rare, world-changing genius who only appears once or twice a century, and they were all very eager to welcome him into their facilities and see what kind of breakthroughs he could accomplish.<\/p>\n\n
One of those invitations stood out to him - a scholarship offer from the world-famous Akademi Academy. Joze had been enamored with Japanese culture and aesthetics for as long as he could remember, and had even been studying the Japanese language in his spare time. So, out of all the options available to him, he chose to attend Akademi. He immediately intensified his study of the Japanese language, determined to arrive at Akademi with enough knowledge of Japanese to excel academically.<\/p>\n\n
Upon arriving at Akademi, Joze was greeted by Reiichi Tanaami, who offered to grant him a tour of the school. When the two of them arrived in the student council room, Joze saw a stack of budget spreadsheets, and couldn't resist the urge to peek at them. Within seconds, he spotted errors and discrepancies that had slipped past the other members of the student council, and pointed them out to Reiichi. Reiichi instantly recognized the potential for Joze to become a valuable asset for the student council, and immediately offered him a position as the council's treasurer. Joze accepted.<\/p>\n\n
Joze quickly became a popular topic of discussion among the female students of Akademi; some of them were impressed by his genius mind, others thought he was charming and thoughtful, and there were also some who perceived him as mysterious and \"exotic\" merely for being foreign-born. Despite being the subject of many whispered hallway conversations and stolen glances in class, Joze seemed completely unaware of the attention, too focused on his duties and studies to notice the effect that he had on the school's female population.<\/p>\n\n
Although he succeeded in gaining enough mastery of the Japanese language to fully comprehend everything that his teachers said during class, he often became nervous and flustered the moment he had to converse in Japanese, and would often stutter and stumble his way through sentences with a mixture of Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, and even some random English. Although this embarrassed him immensely, most of his peers just thought it was really cute and endearing. He received a small amount of light teasing for his linguistic mistakes, but, overall, everyone at Akademi was quite accepting towards him.<\/p>\n\n
After graduating from Akademi, Joze continued to travel the world, alternating back and forth between visiting his family in Brazil, traveling to various countries as a tourist, and teaching mathematics at prestigious universities worldwide. As time passed, Japan quickly became just one of many countries that Joze had stepped foot in during his travels. Although he didn't remain in direct contact with most of his old acquaintances from Akademi, he did find time to attend the funeral of his former colleague, Daisaku.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":["Student Council","Eighties"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/foreign-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/foreign.png","name":"Normal"}]},{"name":"Otohiko Meichi","role":"Student","status":"Alive","personality":"Feminine","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"His Own Body","description":"
Otohiko Meichi is a student attending Akademi Academy in the year 202X. Despite his unassuming nature and delicate presence, he stands out among his peers - but not for reasons that he is proud of.<\/p>\n\n
From the time he was a toddler, Otohiko has struggled with a fragile constitution. His body has always been weak, leaving him prone to frequent illness and long recovery periods. While other children ran and played with boundless energy, Otohiko sat on the sidelines, watching from a distance with a quiet and resigned expression. His physical limitations shaped much of his early life, robbing him of most of the typical experiences of childhood.<\/p>\n\n
Due to his ongoing health issues, Otohiko is a regular visitor to the school's infirmary. Whether it's dizziness, fatigue, or a sudden bout of illness, he often finds himself needing medical attention, or simply a place to rest and regain his strength. The nurse knows him well, and treats him with kindness, having come to expect his frequent visits. The infirmary has become a second home to him, a quiet refuge where he can momentarily escape the pressures of school life.<\/p>\n\n
Otohiko's fragile health comes with another consequence; he requires more sleep than the average person, which is a trait that has created many problems in his life. Most mornings are a struggle for him; he finds it nearly impossible to wake up on time. As a result, he often stumbles into the school building mere moments before homeroom begins, looking disheveled and half-awake. His teachers and classmates have come to expect his tardiness, and many are surprised whenever he manages to arrive punctually. For Otohiko, just making it to class on time feels like an accomplishment in itself.<\/p>\n\n
Otohiko's delicate voice and soft-spoken demeanor have earned him ridicule from some of the more narrow-minded students at Akademi Academy. They mock the way he talks and moves, calling attention to his perceived femininity. Though the teasing stings, Otohiko never responds with anger. He endures it in silence, sometimes with a forced smile, trying to maintain his composure even when he feels deeply hurt. His gentle nature only fuels the mockery, making him a target for those who mistake kindness for weakness.<\/p>\n\n
In addition to his frail health and feminine mannerisms, Otohiko has a notorious reputation for being clumsy. It's not uncommon to see him tripping over his own feet, dropping books in the hallway, or accidentally knocking over stacks of supplies. His clumsiness is almost cartoonish at times; the unfortunate result of a body that seems determined to never cooperate with his intentions. Some students find it endearing, while others see it as yet another reason to mock him.<\/p>\n\n
Otohiko comes from a household where masculinity is worn like a badge of honor; his father and two older brothers are the very picture of strength and manhood, with broad shoulders, booming voices, and a commanding presence. In contrast, Otohiko is quiet, thin, and physically weak, traits that have always made him feel out-of-place among his own family. His father views him as a disappointment, frustrated by his son's inability to \"man up\" and live up to the family's standards. One of the few sources of solace in Otohiko's life is his loving mother, a gentle woman who accepts him for who he is, and is always quick to comfort him with phrases such as, \"Softness is not a flaw, but a different kind of strength.\"<\/p>","illustrator":"\"Standing\" artwork by Cherry_\u6a31\u6843 and \"Running\" artwork by Ryo Niwa(Yr)","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":[],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/girly-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/girly.png","name":"Standing"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/girly-run-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/girly-run.png","name":"Running"}]},{"name":"Kugi Aishi and Hiki Aishi","role":"Mentor","status":"Deceased","personality":"Cold \/ Warm","appearance":"Family Reunions","weakness":"Guilt \/ Sentimentality","description":"
Kugi Aishi and Hiki Aishi were twin sisters, born in 1890. They both suffered from the same hereditary condition as the rest of their bloodline - a perpetual sense of emptiness. Like a hunger that could not be sated, or a thirst that could not be quenched. Despite being twins who both lived with the same affliction, they each developed very different personalities; although Hiki was kind and gentle, Kugi was cold, and could seem almost heartless at times.<\/p>\n\n
One day, Hiki shared wonderful news with Kugi - she had fallen in love with a boy. When she was in this boy's presence, that lifelong sense of emptiness faded away, as if she had finally found an essential piece of herself that had been missing since birth. Shockingly, Kugi had similar news to share; she had also encountered a boy who alleviated the symptoms of her condition, almost as if he was \"living medicine\" designed specifically to cure her.<\/p>\n\n
It didn't take long for both of them to realize the truth: They had both fallen in love with the same boy.<\/p>\n\n
The thought of losing this boy to another girl filled Hiki with dread. If her \"rival\" was anyone else in the world, Hiki would have been willing to commit murder in order to keep him for herself. However, she couldn't bear the thought of bringing harm to her sister, who she had shared her life with since birth. Hiki was completely unwilling to give the boy away to anyone...but, if that other person was her sister, she might be willing to compromise.<\/p>\n\n
Hiki proposed the idea of sharing <\/em><\/strong>the boy. After all, the two of them were twins - physically identical. If they agreed to adopt the same hairstyle and personality whenever they interacted with the boy...then, surely, they could manufacture a situation where they could both benefit. However, Kugi was completely unlike her sister; there was not a sentimental bone in her body, and she was completely unwilling to compromise or share.<\/p>\n\nKugi slit her sister's throat before she could even process what was happening. As Kugi watched her sister bleed out on the floor, she did not feel a single ounce of sorrow - rather, all she could feel was sadistic joy. The act of securing the boy for herself brought her immense pleasure - almost more than the boy himself. She almost wished there were more girls vying for the boy's affection, so that she could experience the thrill of eliminating a rival over and over again.<\/p>\n\n
After murdering Hiki, Kugi disposed of her corpse and all evidence of the crime; it was as if it had never happened. From an outsider's perspective, it seemed as if Hiki simply disappeared one day. Her father was devastated over the sudden loss of his daughter, but her mother's reaction was quite different. She was eerily calm about her daughter's mysterious disappearance...in fact, she seemed to be merely disappointed, rather than mournful.<\/p>\n\n
Although she never outright accused Kugi of murdering Hiki, her gaze would sometimes linger on Kugi a little too long, as if she was thinking of things she wanted to say - questions she wanted to ask - yet choosing to remain silent. Perhaps her unspoken words were something that would seem alien to a normal person, yet perfectly reasonable to an Aishi. \"I know what it's like, so I can't blame you. The stronger one lived, and the weaker one died. That's all. But, I still miss her, you know?\"<\/em><\/p>\n\nJust two years later, in 1910, Kugi gave birth to her first daughter, Azebiki. She was initially overjoyed to have a \"physical manifestation\" of the love between herself and her husband - but, with the passage of time, that joy faded. In Azebiki's face and mannerisms, Kugi saw Hiki. It was almost as though her slain sister had been reincarnated. The older that Azebiki grew, the more uncomfortable Kugi became with her own daughter.<\/p>\n\n
This discomfort caused Kugi to become very distant towards Azebiki, until she was eventually doing only the bare minimum to raise her. Eventually, she began to yearn to give birth to another child, in the hopes that her second child would be nothing like the first. Eventually, her wish was granted; Kugi's second daughter - born 9 years after the first, in 1919 - was much more like herself. In fact, the girl was almost a mirror image of her mother.<\/p>\n\n
Kugi lived an unusually long life; she didn't die until 2012, at the age of 122. As a woman who had witnessed the world transition from horse-drawn carriages to smartphones, she was fascinating to her youngest relatives. At family reunions, she was always one of the most talkative Aishi, ever willing to answer questions about what the world was like \"back in the old days,\" and to share her opinions on whether the world was improving or deteriorating.<\/p>\n\n
Most Aishi regard these family reunions as priceless opportunities to obtain information they can't get anywhere else; advice from experienced serial killers on how to get away with murder without getting caught. However, Kugi excuses herself whenever the conversation turns in that direction; it appears to be the one topic that she has absolutely zero interest in discussing. When asked why, she becomes cold and evasive, and never provides a clear response.<\/p>\n\n
The only time that anyone managed to pry an answer out of her, she only said...<\/p>\n\n
\"In the heat of the moment, it feels like any price is worth paying. But...\"<\/p>\n\n
Her expression changed into something between guilt and grief, and she fell silent.<\/p>","illustrator":"KattyStarlitt","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.deviantart.com\/kattystarlitt","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/twins-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/twins.png","name":"Normal"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/twins-bloody-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/twins-bloody.png","name":"Bloody"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/kugi-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/kugi.png","name":"Kugi"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/hiki-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/hiki.png","name":"Hiki"}]},{"name":"Kanehira Aishi","role":"Ancestor","status":"Dead","personality":"Kind","appearance":"The Past","weakness":"Na\u00efvet\u00e9","description":"
Kanehira was born in 1888 in a rural village. He was a kind and grounded young man with a calm demeanor that drew people to him. The nicest thing that anyone ever said to him was, \"you are like a lantern in the dark.\" This compliment was so touching to him that he remembered it for the rest of his life, and always tried to embody it by bringing warmth and comfort to the people around him.<\/p>\n\n
One day, Kanehira met the same girl twice - or, rather, he met a pair of twins: Kugi Aishi and Hiki Aishi. Despite their physical similarities, their personalities could not have been more different from one another. Kanehira found himself drawn to Hiki, the gentler of the two sisters. She was exactly the type of woman he had always dreamed of meeting and being with.<\/p>\n\n
Tragically, Hiki disappeared one day and was never seen again, which left Kanehira feeling absolutely devastated. Though he had only known her for a very short period of time, he would spend the rest of his life wondering what had happened to her, asking himself what his life would have been like with her by his side, and wondering if he could have done anything to prevent her disappearance.<\/p>\n\n
To his surprise, the one who comforted him while he was grieving was Kugi. He had expected *her* to be the one who needed consolation; after all, it was Kugi who had lost a sister, not him. However, Kugi's efforts to soften his grief were very heartwarming to him, and he gradually found himself being drawn to her.<\/p>\n\n
It helped that Kugi's physical appearance was nearly identical to Hiki's; it helped Kugi to become the \"replacement\" for Hiki in Kanehira's heart. Kanehira hated himself for thinking these thoughts, but sometimes, he pretended that Kugi was Hiki as a way of coping with Hiki's death. Of course, this was his most closely guarded secret, and something that he would absolutely never let Kugi know.<\/p>\n\n
Kanehira married Kugi in 1909, and their union was blessed with the birth of their first daughter, Azebiki, in 1910. To Kanehira, Azebiki was a source of pure joy...but Kugi did not seem to have very much love for her own child. He doted on Azebiki, trying to make up for her mother's neglect, but Kugi only seemed to grow more and more distance from Azebiki as the child aged.<\/p>\n\n
When their second daughter was born in 1919, Kanehira sensed an unsettling shift. Kugi seemed almost relieved, as though the new child was the \"true\" daughter she had been waiting for. The contrast in how Kugi treated her two children weighed heavily on him, though he rarely voiced his disapproval. Kanehira was not a man of conflict; he would rather silently endure sorrow than shatter fragile peace.<\/p>\n\n
Despite this, Kanehira never lost his love for Kugi. He long believed her coldness to be a \"defense mechanism\" to conceal vulnerabilities that she wished to keep hidden from the world. To him, she was a woman hardened by the weight of something he could not fully understand. He never suspected her true nature, nor learned about the blood that stained her hands.<\/p>","illustrator":"Edel","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Senpai"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/twin-senpai-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/twin-senpai.png","name":"1910"}]},{"name":"Kijiyose Aishi","role":"Ancestor","status":"Dead","personality":"Determined","appearance":"The Past","weakness":"Parenting","description":"
Kijiyose's mother was a phenomenally successful textile merchant who had made her family quite wealthy by selling her mother's extremely high-quality textiles. From a young age, Kijiyose grew up surrounded by the vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and luxurious fabrics that passed through their home. Her mother's keen eye for quality and business acumen had turned a small, family-run operation into one of the most respected textile businesses in all of Japan. Wealth and prestige were constants in Kijiyose's childhood, and she often watched her mother skillfully negotiate deals, charm clients, and cultivate loyalty from her customers, instilling in her a mixture of admiration, respect, and a subtle pressure to live up to the family legacy.<\/p>\n\n
Kijiyose suffered from a hereditary condition shared by everyone in her bloodline: a perpetual feeling that something was \"missing\" from her life. It was a quiet, nagging sensation that lingered even in moments of happiness or success. While other children played or daydreamed, Kijiyose often found herself staring blankly at nothing in particular, pondering an emptiness she could not name. This feeling, she was told, was passed down through her family - a sort of inherited longing that no amount of wealth, comfort, or attention could satisfy. It shaped her personality, giving her a restless energy, a curiosity about the world, and an unspoken drive to find what she instinctively knew was absent.<\/p>\n\n
According to Kijiyose's mother and every other family member who had once suffered from this condition, the feeling of \"something is missing\" would eventually go away once Kijiyose made physical contact with her soulmate. Her family spoke of it with certainty, their voices tinged with nostalgia and joy, recounting how they had felt the missing piece of their lives fall into place once they had found the right person. Kijiyose listened with rapt attention to these stories, memorizing each detail, imagining the sensation of fulfillment that awaited her. This knowledge seeded a singular purpose in her heart: to search for her destined partner tirelessly.<\/p>\n\n
Kijiyose became obsessed with the idea of seeking out her soulmate in the most efficient and optimized manner possible. She meticulously mapped out her daily routines, noting potential opportunities to meet people, calculating the most logical methods for initiating contact, and devising polite strategies for physical interaction. Her obsession was methodical and almost scientific, blending the meticulous precision she had absorbed from her mother's business acumen with a deeply personal quest. Every social encounter excited her, because it represented an opportunity to move closer to that elusive moment of \"I've found my soulmate!\" that she was waiting for.<\/p>\n\n
Kijiyose perpetually searched for polite, socially acceptable reasons to lightly touch every customer who came into her mother's textile shop, eagerly pursuing the moment when she would touch someone and realize that she had found \"the one.\" She refined her techniques over time; brushing her hand against a customer's while measuring fabric, putting her hand on a patron's shoulder while guiding them gently through draped silks, and offering reassuring touches while showing off her mother's latest merchandise, etc. Each encounter carried the thrill of possibility, each moment of contact igniting hope that the emptiness in her chest might finally dissipate. She became a master of subtlety, concealing her personal mission behind the veneer of charm and customer service, never allowing anyone to suspect that there were ulterior motives behind her subtle touches.<\/p>\n\n
Eventually, Kijiyose had touched absolutely every person living in the same town as her, and still hadn't found her soulmate. The realization left her frustrated and restless; her tireless search had yielded neither satisfaction nor revelation. The streets, shops, and marketplaces that had once seemed full of potential now felt confining and repetitive. The longing that had haunted her since childhood pressed heavier, and Kijiyose understood that if she was ever to find the one who could end her yearning, she would have to expand her search far beyond the borders of her hometown.<\/p>\n\n
Kijiyose grew frustrated with her lack of progress, and decided to become a traveling merchant in order to maximize the number of people that she came into physical contact with. She carefully planned her excursions, imagining the variety of people, faces, and lives she might encounter along the way. Each town she would visit was another experiment, another set of possibilities. She packed her mother's finest textiles into a large wicker basket, determined to combine the practicality of business with the personal mission that consumed her every thought. The idea of travel stirred both excitement and apprehension, but her desire to find her soulmate overpowered any fear of the unknown.<\/p>\n\n
With the wicker basket on her back, Kijiyose traveled to many different towns, advertising and promoting her mother's business everywhere she went. She walked long distances over mountains and through valleys, weaving her way into bustling markets and quiet villages alike. Everywhere she went, she engaged customers with enthusiasm, demonstrated fabrics with grace, and subtly employed her carefully honed methods to initiate light touches in natural ways.<\/p>\n\n
As a young woman traveling alone, Kijiyose was occasionally targeted by bandits who presumed her to be easy prey; however, she carried a hidden blade in her walking stick, and whenever someone threatened her, much blood was spilled - but it was never her own. Her family had trained her in numerous self-defense techniques that allowed her to overpower men much larger than her by using a blend of agility and cunning. Each encounter reinforced her determination and independence, sharpening her resolve to continue her search no matter the dangers. Though the world could be cruel and unpredictable, Kijiyose's heart remained steadfast, guided by the unwavering belief that somewhere ahead was the person who would complete her.<\/p>\n\n
Eventually, after a year of travel that felt more like an eternity, Kijiyose touched a merchant's hand, and suddenly felt her world fill up with color, light, and warmth. The sensation was immediate and overwhelming, washing away years of yearning and frustration in a single heartbeat. For the first time, the emptiness that had defined her existence seemed to vanish, replaced by a profound sense of belonging and recognition. It was as if the world itself had shifted, aligning to acknowledge the arrival of something long awaited. Every texture, sound, and scent seemed more vivid, and her heartbeat quickened with the certainty that she had finally found the connection she had been seeking her entire life.<\/p>\n\n
Kijiyose immediately realized that she had found her soulmate, and began to court him, fully intent on marrying him as soon as possible. At first, she found it difficult to maintain her composure in his presence - but her mother's teachings on negotiation and charm proved invaluable, helping Kijiyose navigate the delicate steps of romance with grace. It also helped that her family name - Aishi - had become so prestigious, thanks to her mother's incredibly successful business; the social standing of her family made marriage a very appealing prospect, and in what felt like almost no time at all, the two were joined together in matrimony.<\/p>\n\n
In 1890, Kijiyose gave birth to two twins that she named Kugi and Hiki. Kijiyose understood that, merely by giving birth, she was \"cursing\" her children to suffer from the same condition that she had inherited...but, she was determined to pass down her knowledge to them so that, one day, when the time came, they would have the determination necessary to pay any price to pursue their own soulmate, just as she had.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/traveler-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/traveler.png","name":"Normal"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/traveler-bloody-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/traveler-bloody.png","name":"Bloody"}]},{"name":"Oga Aishi","role":"Ancestor","status":"Dead","personality":"Businesslike","appearance":"The Past","weakness":"Greed","description":"
Oga Aishi's mother was a phenomenally skilled textile worker whose ability to weave beautiful fabrics was unparalleled. However, she lived in a quiet rural town far away from the nearest city, and her works of art were rarely seen by anyone aside from her immediate family and neighbors. It seemed as though she was destined to die in obscurity, her extraordinary gift unrecognized by the world.<\/p>\n\n
Even as a small child, Oga believed it was a terrible injustice for her mother's genius to go unseen and unappreciated. Determined to give her mother the recognition she deserved, Oga resolved to spread her mother's name and artistry far beyond their humble home.<\/p>\n\n
Her plan was simple, but clever: Oga began crafting clothing from her mother's fabrics, and offering them to travelers who passed through their town. Each garment carried not only her mother's patterns, but also Oga's hope that a countless number of eyes would behold her mother's artistry. What had once been hidden away in their home now had the potential to travel the length of Japan.<\/p>\n\n
To Oga's excitement, her plan succeeded. As more and more people beheld her mother's masterful work, word of a \"legendary weaver\" began to spread. Before long, people from distant towns and cities began to arrive, eager to purchase her extraordinary fabrics. The once-quiet village soon saw a steady stream of merchants, nobles, and common folk alike, all drawn by a desire to obtain clothing that would make them the envy of their neighbors.<\/p>\n\n
Oga soon recognized the true potential of her mother's work. It was art, but it also had the potential to be a lifeline out of poverty; a way to lift their family into prosperity and security. With this vision in mind, she formally established a business, devoting herself to ensuring her mother's creations reached as wide an audience as possible. What had begun as a daughter's heartfelt wish was now destined to become a thriving enterprise.<\/p>\n\n
As the years passed, Oga gradually developed the skills necessary to operate a business. Negotiating with merchants, securing fair prices, building reliable trade routes - she honed these skills until she eventually became as much of a master of business as her mother was of weaving. Where her mother's gift lay in thread and dye, Oga's lay in contracts and opportunities, and together, they were an unstoppable force.<\/p>\n\n
The business flourished to such an extent that the name \"Aishi\" became a mark of prestige. To wear an Aishi fabric was to wear the very manifestation of elegance and wealth upon your body. Eventually, the name \"Aishi\" carried such a positive connotation that, for generations to come, men who married into the family willingly abandoned their own surnames, adopting the surname of \"Aishi\" instead - a rare reversal of tradition that signaled just how respected the name had become.<\/p>\n\n
Yet, beneath all her accomplishments, Oga carried a heavy burden. For as long as she could remember, she had been haunted by a hollow sensation - an unshakable feeling that her life lacked some vital piece, as though her soul was incomplete. In search of distraction from these feelings, she threw herself into her work, convincing herself that her mother's recognition would serve as her purpose, a lifelong project to keep her emptiness at bay.<\/p>\n\n
Though her business grew and her wealth multiplied, the unease never faded. It lingered like a shadow...until, one ordinary day, as Oga handed a bolt of fabric to a customer and their fingers brushed together, everything changed. In the instant that she came into contact with this man, the gnawing void that had haunted her for years simply vanished, replaced with a rush of warmth and clarity. For the first time in her life, she felt whole...and it was all because of a man whose name she didn't even know.<\/p>\n\n
To Oga, there was no question: this was fate. She believed with absolute certainty that this man was her soulmate, the one destined to be her partner for life. Her devotion to him was immediate and overwhelming, and she pursued him with the same aggressive, single-minded determination she had once poured into spreading her mother's fabrics across Japan.<\/p>\n\n
The man was shocked by the speed at which this famous businesswoman had fallen for him - however, he recognized how incredibly lucky he was that a woman with an incredible amount of prestige and wealth was throwing herself at him, and saw no reason to turn her away. The two of them advanced from strangers to lovers at an incredible pace, and when she proposed marriage, he accepted without a second thought.<\/p>\n\n
In 1872, Oga bore a daughter, Kijiyose Aishi. To Oga, the child was a beautiful treasure, the representation of the love between herself and her long-awaited soulmate. Her only concern was that, one day, her child might eventually signs of experiencing the same \"hollow feeling\" that she once felt. However, should this day ever come, she was determined to throw all of her resources into helping her daughter find the person who would bring her happiness.<\/p>","illustrator":"Seina Chan","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/seinachan01110","groups":["Aishi"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/merchant-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/merchant.png","name":"Normal"}]},{"name":"Gita Yamahato","role":"Former Club President","status":"Alive","personality":"Social Butterfly","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Envy","description":"
Most of Gita's life decisions were made on a whim. Dying a green streak into her hair - choosing to learn the guitar - taking the Akademi entrance exam - establishing a music club at school - all of these things were done without a tremendous amount of thought. Her reasoning was always as simple as, \"because it looks cool,\" \"because it sounds cool,\" \"because it seems fun,\" etc.<\/p>\n\n
Most of her friends know exactly what they want to do with their lives. One wants to be a doctor, so she's going to medical school. One wants to be a lawyer, so she's going to law school. Gita, however, only applied for Akademi because she was curious to know if she could pass the entrance exam, and because her family could afford the tuition fees. She was not working towards any long-term goals.<\/p>\n\n
Gita tried not to compare herself to her friends, or to anyone else who clearly knew what they wanted from life, and were pursuing it with determination. She told herself, \"Comparison is the thief of joy! Don't compare yourself to others! Just live your life and have fun!\" But, as time passed, it was getting more and more difficult to continue using this carefree attitude without feeling guilty.<\/p>\n\n
Gita primarily only started the Light Music Club to have a place to hang out and goof around with a few friends; she was inspired to do so by another club that seemed to exist for the same purpose. It was fun, at first...just eating snacks, joking around, and half-heartedly playing instruments. However, as the months went by, Gita started to doubt herself. \"What am I *doing* with my life?\"<\/p>\n\n
One day, a new girl applied for the club - Miyuji Shan, a shy and timid girl who was like a living manifestation of social anxiety. Gita could tell that she was the type of girl who had no self-confidence and no friends, and was forcing herself to apply for a club to try and change her life for the better. Gita welcomed Miyuji into the club, fully intending to be kind and supportive towards her.<\/p>\n\n
In truth, Gita enjoyed having someone around who seemed even more lost than she was. She derived a type of satisfaction from being around someone who seemed even more pitiful than herself. It made Gita feel better about her own problems; no matter how many self-doubts she might harbor about her own life, at least there was someone out there in the world who was even more pathetic than her.<\/p>\n\n
Gita enjoyed the addition of Miyuji to her club - until the day that Miyuji changed. One day, she showed up at school with an entirely different personality, and a new appearance to match. She was now extroverted, loud, and outgoing, with a punk aesthetic complete with piercings and black lipstick. When questioned about her sudden \"metamorphosis,\" she only gave joke answers and changed the subject.<\/p>\n\n
Miyuji seemed happy and comfortable with who she was...which caused Gita to seethe with anger. \"No. You're supposed to be someone small and weak and pathetic for me to look down upon. What do you think you're doing, acting like you love yourself and love life? Stop it. Stop it right now. Go back. Go back to the way you were before!\"<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\nGita kept these thoughts to herself, forcing a smile and giving Miyuji praise for coming out of her shell. Miyuji started excitedly rambling about plans for the club - \"We should start a band! We should write a song! We should perform and invite people to watch us!\" - and it became clear - painfully clear - that Miyuji, like everyone else in Gita's life, now had a purpose to strive towards.<\/p>\n\n
In order to keep up the act of being a wise \"big sister\" who wanted the best for her friends, Gita transferred ownership of the club to Miyuji, and let her decide the new direction for the club. \"You've clearly got a dream and know what you want to do, so this club would be better off in your hands than in mine!\" It took all of Gita's willpower not to vomit while saying these words.<\/p>\n\n
Determined to keep her insecurities hidden from others and maintain the facade of a carefree girl who loves to have fun, Gita agreed to become the lead guitarist for Miyuji's new band, the \"Strawberry Thieves.\" She no longer uses the Light Music Club as a place to goof around, and now, whenever she's not doing schoolwork, she spends her time practicing guitar.<\/p>\n\n
Although even her closest friends have no idea that anything is wrong, Gita secretly hates the new status quo. She clings to a belief that Miyuji did not \"change\" or \"grow\" - she's just putting on some kind of cringey \"act\" that will eventually fall apart, putting her right back to square one and restoring the natural order back to the way it should be...with Gita above her, looking down at her.<\/p>\n\n
Until that day, though, she bides her time, practices guitar...and, occasionally, asks herself if she should be ashamed of being the type person that she's turned into.<\/p>","illustrator":"Seina Chan","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/seinachan01110","groups":["Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/guitar-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/guitar.png","name":"Normal"}]},{"name":"Beni Yoshida","role":"Advisor","status":"Alive","personality":"Gentle","appearance":"Town","weakness":"Paranoia","description":"
Beni Yoshida was born in 1960 in the Shitamachi district of Tokyo, the daughter of a quiet office clerk and a seamstress who worked from home. Her childhood was remarkably ordinary. She played with dolls, watched television dramas, and dutifully completed her schoolwork. Teachers often described her as \"polite and attentive,\" and her classmates thought of her as gentle, even kind. She never demonstrated cruelty toward animals, bullying toward peers, or any of the other traits often associated with children destined for darker futures. By all accounts, it seemed that she would live a modest, unremarkable life.<\/p>\n\n
At 18, Beni enrolled in beauty school, inspired by her mother's artistic hands and her own fascination with the power of transformation - how a new hairstyle could elevate someone's self-confidence. She thrived in her classes, earning praise for her precision and creativity. Two years later, she completed the program and passed the national beautician's license exam, officially becoming a licensed cosmetologist at age 20.<\/p>\n\n
Her first job, however, proved less glamorous than she had imagined. She worked as an assistant in a cramped, smoke-filled barber shop that was dominated by men - both in staff and clientele. The barbers treated her like little more than a broom with legs, assigning her endless sweeping, shampooing, and coffee-fetching. \"Endure it. It's valuable experience,\" she tried to tell herself.<\/p>\n\n
Among the shop's regulars was a middle-aged salaryman who delighted in bragged shamelessly about humiliating his female coworkers, cheating on his wife, and tricking younger women into compromising situations. None of what he did was technically illegal, but he was as deplorable as a man could be without breaking the law. Every time Beni saw him swagger into the shop, her hands clenched. One day, as she stood silently behind him while he boasted about abandoning a mistress who had fallen pregnant, something in her hardened. For the first time in her life, she thought: \"The world would be better without this person. And I could do something about it.\"<\/p>\n\n
When not at her workplace, she began to spend her time watching this man - outright stalking him. She noted his patterns: where he drank, what trains he caught, how often he stumbled home drunk. One rainy night, when the inebriated man staggered dangerously close to a slick, unguarded staircase at a train station, Beni provided a nudge.<\/p>\n\n
Just the smallest nudge.<\/p>\n\n
No one saw her.<\/p>\n\n
No one suspected her.<\/p>\n\n
The authorities ruled it an accident.<\/p>\n\n
After the deed was done, a sensation washed over her. It wasn't guilt, shame, or remorse, nor was it joy or sadistic glee. Rather, it was something akin to a deep satisfaction, as though she had just removed a stubborn black stain from a pure white sheet.<\/p>\n\n
Over the next five years, she balanced her professional life - gaining skill, building clients, saving money - with a secret second life as a vigilante. She didn't kill people indiscriminately; she only cast judgement on those who were the lowest of the low: men who preyed on vulnerable women, people who exploited their power and influence to ruin the lives of others for selfish gain, and people whose immoral behavior disrupted entire communities. Tokyo police eventually noticed a pattern among the \"accidental\" deaths, and began investigating.<\/p>\n\n
A witness remembered seeing a woman near one of the crime scenes - and Beni matched the description perfectly. The police briefly interviewed her, and - although her heart was beating like a jackhammer inside of her chest - she kept her composure and provided an airtight alibi. Still, the experience of being scrutinized by the police rattled her. In fact, it outright traumatized her. The thrill of vigilantism immediately vanished, replaced by a paranoia that steadily grew more intense with time. She knew that if she wanted to live a long life outside of a prison cell, she had to stop what she was doing. In 1988, she left Tokyo and relocated to a quiet rural town, where she opened her own hair salon. To her clients and neighbors, she was just a friendly, stylish beautician - no one had any reason to suspect what lay in her past.<\/p>\n\n
A year later, in 1989, a beautiful young woman named Ryoba walked into her salon. She was unlike any client that Beni had ever seen before - not because of her appearance or grace, but rather, because of a thousand subtle details. Her eyes seemed to measure everyone in the room, as if sizing up potential threats. Her gaze lingered on a pair of scissors just a little too long. She moved calmly and slowly, in the way that a panther moves before it pounces on the poor animal that is destined to become its next meal.<\/p>\n\n
Their eyes met, and in an instant, Beni felt it: the same feeling she had once experienced when looking at herself in the mirror after a kill. She immediately recognized what Ryoba was: a kindred spirit.<\/p>\n\n
Ryoba became a regular client. Sometimes she would slip a few folded bills into Beni's palm, and in exchange, Beni would whisper advice into Ryoba's ears that nobody else could hear over the buzz of dryers and the snip of scissors. Ryoba never bragged about her deeds - but Beni could always *sense* when Ryoba had recently \"eliminated\" an \"obstacle\" from her path. They never spoken of such things directly, preferring their bond to be a silent one.<\/p>\n\n
Beni thought of Ryoba as a friend, one of the very few people who could understand her true nature. In reality, Ryoba was not a woman who desired friendship with anyone at all; it could be said that, over the course of her entire life, she had no true friends - only people who she sought to be on positive terms with so that she could use them in some way. Completely unaware of this - or, perhaps, enjoying the illusion of friendship - Beni treasured the connection that she had with Ryoba.<\/p>\n\n
Later in life, after Ryoba had become a mother, she brought her daughter to Beni's salon. The child was quiet and well-behaved - almost unnervingly so. Beni was delighted to style her hair, first putting it into a cute and playful side-pigtail, and later - after the girl grew older - a high ponytail to mirror her mother's low ponytail. But, as the years passed, it became increasingly difficult to avoid acknowledging just how...\"wrong\" this girl was.<\/p>\n\n
She was oddly apathetic and indifferent, as if she was completely devoid of emotion; more like a moving doll than a human. Gradually, she began to give Beni the same feeling that Ryoba had once given her, long ago; that feeling of meeting a kindred spirit...a person who was fully willing - and able - to take the lives of others.<\/p>\n\n
This girl disturbed Beni, and yet also stirred something in her chest: a bittersweet nostalgia for her youth, when she had performed the noble duty of cleansing the world of its filth. Those days were long gone, buried under years of ordinary haircuts and polite smiles. But, still, sometimes, when she looked into that child's unblinking eyes, Beni could feel old urges rising once again, and a voice whispering in her ear: \"You're not too old. You could return. You could cleanse once more.\"<\/p>\n\n
She only entertained these thoughts for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. \"Me? A killer? At my age? With my wrinkles and grey hair? No...my time is over. I will never take another life...<\/p>\n\n
...probably.\"<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":["Other"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/barber-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/barber.png","name":"1989"}]},{"name":"Art Club","role":"Club","status":"Open","personality":"Varies","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Eccentricity","description":"
Efude is obsessed with anime and manga, and spends all day honing her art skills in the hopes that one day she will be able to land a job somewhere in Japan's animation or comic industry. She really is not interested in any form of artwork unrelated to anime, and only became a member of the Art Club in order to have access to art supplies. Although she is a cheerful and friendly girl, she is exclusively interested in discussing anime and manga, and cannot have meaningful conversations about other topics.<\/p>\n\n
Maka is an extremely eccentric young woman whose mind is a complete mystery. She doesn't talk much, but when she does, she speaks in bizarre non-sequitur statements that appear to have no logical connection to the present moment. She is always drawing in her sketchpad, but all of her illustrations are bizarre abstract nonsense. Some of her classmates - and teachers - have questioned whether or not she may be mentally ill...but she is not underperforming in class, so her quirkiness is tolerated.<\/p>\n\n
Enpitsu is the living definition of the word \"narcissism.\" Virtually all of his free time is spent in front of a mirror admiring his own appearance. He is only interested in drawing one subject - himself - and he does not have any interest whatsoever in pursuing art for any other reason. He is not interested in socializing with others, unless the topic is himself - specifically, how beautiful he is.<\/p>\n\n
Borupen is fascinated by dark and morbid subjects, specifically death. He exclusively draws corpses, skeletons, skulls - anything and everything associated with death. This bizarre obsession makes others feel extremely uncomfortable around him, which leads to most people fearing him and avoiding him completely - but he seems perfectly fine with this, since he would prefer to be alone, brooding in a dark corner, obsessively sketching the last leaf falling from a dying tree, or something similar.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/art-club-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/art-club.png","name":"Group"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/brush-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/brush.png","name":"Efude"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/marker-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/marker.png","name":"Maka"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/pencil-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/pencil.png","name":"Enpitsu"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/pen-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/pen.png","name":"Borupen"}]},{"name":"Photography Club","role":"Club","status":"Open","personality":"Friendly","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Hard Work","description":"
Fred Jones - known in Japan by his katakana name, Fureddo Jonzu - is a young man from America who traveled to Japan to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a Japanese high school student - or, at least, to *roleplay* as a high school student at Akademi, which is a post-high school academy that deliberately resembles a high school in many ways.<\/p>\n\n
After passing Akademi's entrance exam and successfully enrolling in the school, he toured every club available, trying to decide which one to join. After a period of indecision, he eventually joined the Photography Club, because he had a passing interest in photography - but he ultimately found it boring, and longed to spend his time watching anime, reading manga, and playing video games, instead.<\/p>\n\n
When the leader of the Photography Club graduated, Fureddo became the new president - and he took the opportunity to secretly reform the club. He transformed a curtained area into a secret hiding spot where he could eat snacks and read manga in peace. The Student Council learned about this almost immediately, but decided that it wasn't worthy of disciplinary action...for the time being, at least.<\/p>\n\n
Sukubi and Rojasu are two lifelong friends who go everywhere and do everything together - especially slacking off and eating snacks. While searching for kindred spirits to discuss anime and manga with, they met Fureddo, and quickly became friends with him. Once he trusted them enough, he let him know what he was really using the Photography Clubroom for - and they joined the club the very same day.<\/p>\n\n
Dafuni was the \"idol\" of her junior high school - the queen bee, the most popular girl in school. Beruma, on the other hand, was an unpopular outcast who was often bullied. Because the two of them were polar opposites in a dozen different ways, they initially had a very low opinion of one another that nearly made them feel physical disgust at the sight of each other.<\/p>\n\n
One day, Dafuni and Beruma learned by pure chance that they both shared an extremely intense obsession with the same manga. This shared interest instantly made them forget everything that made them different from one another, and they talked for hours about the manga, developing a deep bond at a surprisingly rapid pace.<\/p>\n\n
The next day, Dafuni saw Beruma being bullied, and stood up for her. Defending a \"lame, uncool, weird\" girl like Beruma cost Dafuni a lot of \"social credibility\" - she lost her status and popularity almost instantly. However, she didn't care. \"If sticking up for your friends is uncool, then I don't want to be cool.\" These words moved Beruma to tears, and the two of them have been best friends ever since.<\/p>\n\n
Dafuni was Beruma's only friend throughout the rest of junior high and high school. Beruma's grades were always phenomenal, and Dafuni predicted a bright future for her. She suggested that Beruma apply for Akademi. Beruma said that she wouldn't apply if Dafuni wouldn't be there. Dafuni said that it was impossible - that there was no way she could possibly pass the notoriously difficult entrance exam.<\/p>\n\n
Beruma's solution was to become Dafuni's tutor. Months of late-night study sessions followed. They took the entrance exam together, and with hearts pounding, checked their results at the same time: pass. They screamed, hugged, and celebrated not just getting into Akademi, but the fact that they would be spending the next few years together.<\/p>\n\n
Dafuni cherished Beruma, but felt sad that she didn't have more friends. Beruma hated socializing with more than one person at a time, but Dafuni insisted that she would have to get over it and learn how to function in a group. So, after a lot of coaxing, Beruma agreed to join one of Akademi's clubs together with Dafuni, to gain more experience socializing with groups of people.<\/p>\n\n
From there, it was a simple question: \"Which club will be the most tolerant of us when we're gushing about our favorite manga?\" When they saw Rojasu and Sukubi hauling a bunch of snacks and manga into the Photography Clubroom, they had their answer. To Beruma's relief, the boys of the Photography club were friendly and easy to get along with. They joined the club without a second thought.<\/p>\n\n
This is how five incredibly different people all wound up in the same club - united by their bonds and by manga, rather than by any sort of love of photography. With that said, there *is* more to them than their shared hobby: they all feel a strong desire to be more like the heroes of their favorite stories. Crime-stoppers. Detectives. Mystery-solvers. Vigilantes.<\/p>\n\n
For now, the school is peaceful, so their days are casual, easygoing, and laid-back. But, if anything should happen at school that endangers the safety of the students, the Photography Club is ready to put away their manga and snacks, pick up their cameras, and track down the culprit who is disturbing the peace.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/photography-club-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/photography-club.png","name":"Photography Club"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/beruma-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/beruma.png","name":"Beruma"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/dafuni-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/dafuni.png","name":"Dafuni"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/rojasu-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/rojasu.png","name":"Rojasu"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/sukubi-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/sukubi.png","name":"Sukubi"}]},{"name":"Hanzo Aishi","role":"Senpai","status":"Dead","personality":"Compassionate","appearance":"The Past","weakness":"Conscience","description":"
Hanzo was born in 1919 in Kyoto, Japan.<\/p>\n\n
His father was a respected physician, and his mother was a teacher. His parents strongly believed that a man's contributions to the world were entirely dependent on the values he developed as a child, and so, starting from a young age, they strived to instill in him compassion, discipline, and reverence for human life.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo grew up quiet, intelligent, and empathetic. He excelled in biology, and intended to become a doctor like his father. He witnessed the gradual rise of militarism in Japan's schools: patriotic slogans, military drills, and the glorification of a large Japanese empire that constantly expanded, stretching as far as possible.<\/p>\n\n
Many of these things seemed to directly contradict the values that were taught to him from early childhood onward. Conquering other people seemed like the exact opposite of compassion. The nationalistic words of his teachers made him feel uneasy at best, and physically sick at worst - but, he understood that voicing dissent would result in punishment, and so he stayed silent.<\/p>\n\n
At 16, he began volunteering at his father's clinic, where he treated sick children, and began developed strong medical ethics that matched his strong morals. Shortly after he turned 18, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army, where his medical skills resulted in him being assigned as a combat medic.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo arrived in China in November of 1937, shortly after a city had fallen to Japanese forces. He stepped off the transport ship onto a dock thick with smoke and debris, the scent of burning timber and gunpowder hanging in the air. Buildings along the waterfront were blackened and shattered. Most civilians still in the city were only there because they were too elderly, injured, or sick to flee.<\/p>\n\n
Everywhere he looked, Hanzo felt the weight of human suffering pressing against him. He had been told that \"victory\" was something glorious, but all he could see here were broken lives. As he watched an injured civilian limping along in pain, he realized with a sinking heart that he might be the only person who could help him - but \"rendering aid to the enemy\" would be treason.<\/p>\n\n
He knew that tending to civilians would result in punishment, but his urge to heal was stronger than his fear of the penalties he might face. He slipped into a medical supply tent at the edge of the Japanese encampment and started grabbing supplies - bandages, antiseptic, etc. Every moment in that tent was a gamble; if anyone noticed what he was doing, consequences would be immediate and severe.<\/p>\n\n
Under the cover of dusk, Hanzo slipped away from the camp, keeping low and moving silently. In one alley, he found the man he had seen earlier, his leg bleeding from a jagged wound. Hanzo knelt beside him, cleaned the cut, wrapped it carefully, and bandaged it as best he could with the stolen supplies. The man's eyes widened in disbelief, then softened with relief as Hanzo finished.<\/p>\n\n
A few blocks away, he found an old woman and her grandson huddled in the remains of a half-collapsed shop. He gave them what he could spare - bandages, antiseptic - and pointed out on a map where they could find a foreign concession where missionaries and aid workers had set up a temporary refuge. They nodded mutely, too exhausted to speak, but Hanzo saw a flicker of hope in their eyes.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo returned to the Japanese encampment, exhausted but resolute. No one had noticed his theft. For the first time in his life, Hanzo realized the kind of soldier he would never be: one who followed orders blindly. He would not allow his uniform to be an excuse to trample upon the lives of other human beings.<\/p>\n\n
As Hanzo quietly slipped back among his fellow soldiers, he was relieved to see that, apparently, no one had noticed his absence; the day had been long, the men weary, and their attention was focused on the march that lay ahead. He took a seat near a group of soldiers, trying to appear as tired and indifferent as everyone else.<\/p>\n\n
An innocuous conversation began nearby. The soldiers spoke of the terrain they would cross, rivers that might need to be forded, hills and rice paddies to navigate, narrow roads that could slow their progress. Questions of practicality arose naturally: If supplies run low, can villages along the way serve as sources of food and water? Are there friendly or neutral towns where they might resupply?<\/p>\n\n
As the discussion continued, the tone shifted. The men spoke with increasing excitement about what they would take from villages: not just food, but whatever valuables they could find. Gradually, their words grew darker. One man laughed as he discussed \"disciplining\" villagers who might resist. The conversation spiraled into talk of beatings, executions, and worse. Hanzo's stomach twisted.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo had expected war to be harsh, but not cruel; he had expected his fellow soldiers to be disciplined, not openly and proudly devoid of any humanity. The more his countrymen talked, the more Hanzo came to understand the scale of what was coming: villages along the road to their destination would not simply be occupied; they would be destroyed.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo's mind raced. What could he do? He was just one medic. And yet, the more he thought about it, the more he realized what options were available to him. He could warn villages before the army arrived. He could steal supplies to aid civilians or resistance fighters. He could sabotage the army's preparations, slow them down, and give people a chance to survive.<\/p>\n\n
For the first time, a clear purpose crystallized in his mind: he would dedicate himself to saving lives wherever he could. Not every village could be reached, not every plan could be foiled - but even small acts of intervention would matter. Hanzo silently vowed to act wherever possible, every day of the march, to protect those who could not protect themselves.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo allowed himself to get a few hours of sleep, but rose before the dawn. While the other soldiers slept, he gathered some supplies and then left the encampment, heading towards the first village that the Japanese army would encounter on its march. The trek would be exhausting, but he was willing to endure the strain on his body if it meant he could save lives.<\/p>\n\n
When Hanzo reached the first village along the planned marching route, the villagers stared at him with eyes wide with fear and suspicion. He knew that if he tried to speak, they would not understand him - or worse, panic at the sound of a Japanese accent. He knew that he would have to rely on body language and hand gestures to communicate his warning to them.<\/p>\n\n
First, he took out a map that he had brought with him, and laid it out on the ground. Then, he pointed to the insignia on his uniform - the small Japanese flag stitched onto his sleeve - and then to the position of the Japanese encampment. Using his finger, he traced a line from the encampment toward the village, indicating the path of the advancing army.<\/p>\n\n
Next, Hanzo mimed firing a rifle at the villagers. He waved his arms violently, doing whatever he could do communicate the idea of danger and violence. Finally, he waved his hands back and forth in sweeping gestures, moving toward the villagers and then away, repeating the motion until they understood what he was trying to tell them: Leave. Go. Escape.<\/p>\n\n
The villagers began to speak amongst themselves. Hanzo listened carefully to their words. The word they said when they pointed to him. The word they said when they pointed in the direction of the approaching Japanese army. He pointed at the patch on his uniform, and repeated the word. The villagers seemed surprised, but nodded. He realized that this was the word for \"Japanese.\"<\/p>\n\n
It took some time, but he managed to confirm the words for \"Japanese\" \"army\" \"kill\" \"village\" and \"evacuate.\" The villagers came to understand their dire situation, and began to move swiftly, gathering their children and belongings, heading for someplace safer, far away from the route that the Japanese army would be taking.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo breathed a massive sigh of relief; now that he had learned the essential vocabulary he would need for future warnings, each subsequent village would be easier to communicate with. He realized that, even without speaking the same language, he could convey life-saving information - and, in the process, gradually pick up the words that would allow him to speak more effectively.<\/p>\n\n
However, his relief would be short-lived.<\/p>\n\n
\"What are you doing?\"<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo's blood went cold. His heart hammered as he spun around. A Japanese soldier stood there, rifle slung casually over one shoulder, cap pulled low, almost hiding his face. Hanzo swallowed hard. His first thought: \"I will be executed.\" If word of what he had done reached the officers, there would be no trial; just a bullet. He scrambled to find the words that would get him out of this situation.<\/p>\n\n
However, he quickly realized that lying would not save him. Instead, he steeled himself and spoke the truth. He knew that the Japanese army planned to commit countless atrocities in this country, and he refused to be complicit in any of it. But, just refusing to participate was not enough; he wanted to save as many lives as possible, even if it meant sabotaging his own countrymen.<\/p>\n\n
The soldier calmly listened to Hanzo's emotional speech. He tilted his head, watching him with unreadable eyes. There was no anger on his face - in fact, there was no emotion at all. Only a clinical detachment, as though Hanzo were an insect in a glass jar. After what seemed like forever, the finally soldier spoke, his tone flat and uninflected.<\/p>\n\n
\"You're going to get killed if you keep doing this,\" he said, his voice calm, as if he was merely commenting on the weather. \"...but...if you absolutely refuse to stop...I guess I'll help you. I'll...make things easier for you.\"<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo blinked, stunned. \"You...would do that?\"<\/p>\n\n
The soldier's eyes did not soften. There was no smile, no warmth - only an unnerving, calm gaze that seemed to cut straight through him. \"Yes. I refuse to let you die.\"<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo exhaled slowly, a wave of relief washing away the knot of fear in his chest. Against all odds, he had found an ally. Someone who, perhaps, shared his disgust with the path their countrymen had chosen. However, there were still a few things that he would need to know before he was completely comfortable working together with this person.<\/p>\n\n
\"What is your name?\"<\/p>\n\n
The soldier hesitated, as if he needed a moment to remember what his name was. \"Private Sato.\"<\/p>\n\n
\"Why are you out here alone, so far ahead of the army? Were you planning to desert? To defect?\"<\/p>\n\n
The soldier looked away, as if searching for the truth somewhere. \"Sure. Let's go with that.\"<\/p>\n\n
Everything about this person felt off. Suspicious. Wrong. But, Hanzo didn't really have the luxury of being picky with his allies at this point in time. He chose to simply be thankful that, out of all the soldiers in the Japanese army, the one person who knew his secret was somebody who intended to help him instead of snitching on him.<\/p>\n\n
And so, the rhythm of the next month was established. By day, Hanzo marched with his unit in the endless column of men snaking through the countryside. His boots struck the dirt in unison with thousands of others. The air was filled with shouted orders, the metallic clatter of rifles, and the weary silence of men conserving their strength.<\/p>\n\n
But, in the pale gray of early morning, before his countrymen awoke, Hanzo slipped away. Sometimes with a limp, muttered excuse about checking equipment. Sometimes vanishing so quietly that no one noticed at all. In those stolen hours, he crossed fields and crept into villages that still slept under the illusion of safety.<\/p>\n\n
With a map, a handful of Chinese words, and some universally understood body language, Hanzo was able to convince numerous Chinese villages to completely evacuate long before the Japanese army arrived, ensuring their survival. And, at each village, he learned just a few more valuable Chinese words, allowing him to communicate more effectively in the future; to carry each warning farther.<\/p>\n\n
\"Private Sato\" aided Hanzo in whatever way he could. Sometimes, this was as simple as covering for him when he was absent. Other times, Sato provided valuable information, such as which villages were at greatest risk. He even provided distractions that would allow Hanzo to sneak out without being caught. His demeanor was still just as unsettling as ever, but he was an invaluable ally.<\/p>\n\n
With time, Hanzo gradually grew bolder; when he was not saving lives, he was finding ways to slow the progress of the Japanese army. At first, his sabotage was small, almost invisible: he loosened straps so packs of ammunition would fall unnoticed into the mud. He loosened a wheel just enough that it would rattle off on the march. Nobody suspected him; \"Accidents happen. It is what it is.\"<\/p>\n\n
But, as the days turned into weeks, his courage hardened. He began slashing ropes in the dead of night, scattering ammunition into the fields, and pouring precious drinking water onto the ground where no one would notice until morning. Food shortages worsened, vehicles broke down at critical moments. His acts of resistance grew into blows that truly hindered the machinery of conquest.<\/p>\n\n
Sato escalated with him. He guided Hanzo past watchful sentries with uncanny timing. He calmly offered to \"take care of\" soldiers who were growing suspicious - though Hanzo always refused, chilled by the blunt casualness in his tone. When Hanzo agonized over the danger, Sato only replied, \"Like I told you...I don't intend to let you die.\"<\/p>\n\n
One night, after nearly a month of his efforts, as Hanzo began to creep out of the Japanese encampment in the early hours of the morning, just as he had done so many times before...a rough hand grabbed his shoulder. He knew exactly what this meant. He slowly turned around, knowing exactly what he would see before he saw it: A group of soldiers, staring at him with narrowed eyes.<\/p>\n\n
\"I knew it.\"
\n\"So, it was you, after all.\"
\n\"I always thought there was something off about you.\"<\/p>\n\n
The soldier closest to him raised a fist and struck him across the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. Another kicked him in the side, and he collapsed into the dirt, gasping for air. The savage beating he received over the next few minutes was not meant to kill him; it was meant to punish and humiliate the man who had made the past month of their lives much harder than it needed to be.<\/p>\n\n
Finally, after they were satisfied with the amount of punishment they had dealt to him, they bound his hands behind his back with rope and roughly dragged him toward the center of the camp. A crowd of soldiers was gathered there, having heard that some of their comrades had finally figured out the identity of the traitor who had been sabotaging their operations over the past month.<\/p>\n\n
Just as he had once mused to himself, there really would be no trial. A commanding officer barked orders, and a small group of soldiers assembled rifles for a swift execution. Hanzo's chest tightened with a mixture of pain and fear. He tried to comfort himself with thoughts of the lives that he had saved, but when staring down the barrels of a set of rifles, terror is inevitable.<\/p>\n\n
He was forced to stand before a hastily dug trench, bruised and bloodied, rifles aimed at him. The air was cold and still. The first pale light of dawn was just beginning to creep over the horizon. Hanzo closed his eyes tightly, and attempted to picture the faces of the people he had helped in a desperate attempt to convince himself that his death was a small price to pay for their safety.<\/p>\n\n
Then,<\/p>\n\n
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!<\/p>\n\n
A sudden, deafening explosion ripped through the camp, and smoke billowed in every direction, obscuring the view of the firing squad. Hanzo lost his balance and dropped to the ground, ears ringing, heart hammering. Then, through the chaos, he heard something growing louder and louder - the roar of an engine.<\/p>\n\n
A military transport truck drove at full-speed towards Hanzo, cutting through the smoke and confusion, then skidded to a stop beside him. A person whose silhouette he vaguely recognized exited the truck, yanked him to his feet, shoved him into the vehicle, slammed the door shut, then climbed back into the driver's seat.<\/p>\n\n
\"...Sato?\"<\/p>\n\n
As always, the stone-faced soldier's hands were steady, expression calm despite the chaos he had just created. He slammed the gas pedal to the floor, tearing through the encampment at top speed. Soldiers shouted at them and raised their weapons, but the thick smoke and disorientation bought them precious seconds. They tore down a dirt road away from the camp.<\/p>\n\n
Once they were a safe distance away, Sato took the truck off-road, drove deep into a forest, came to a stop in a location where the truck would be hidden by thick brush, and turned the engine off. He removed the rope around Hanzo's wrists, freeing him and allowing him to finally sit up in his seat and catch his breath.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo turned to look at Sato, the man who had just risked his life to save him - a man who would now be branded a traitor and hunted by the Japanese military. \"Sato...why?\" he asked, voice hoarse, still in pain from the beating earlier. \"Why would you do so much for me? Why would you throw away everything for me?\"<\/p>\n\n
Sato stared directly forward for a few moments, then removed his military cap. For once, Hanzo actually got a clear look at Sato's face. His features were calm, resolute...and...feminine. Not only that, but his features were...familiar. Wait. Hanzo knew that face. He had seen that face before. Back in Japan. He knew this man. No...<\/p>\n\n
...he knew this woman.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\"Why, you ask? It's because I love you.\"<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo's mouth dropped open as he tried to absorb the revelation that was unfolding in front of him. Sato was a woman - and not just any woman; this was a classmate of his. They had gone to the same school together. This woman, who hadn't even graduated high school yet, who just rescued him from certain death, was...<\/p>\n\n
\"...Arisa Aishi, is that you?\"<\/p>\n\n
For the first time, her expression changed. \"You said my name...\" She blushed - like a shy, embarrassed schoolgirl receiving a compliment from her crush - and turned away, burying her face in her hands. It was as though she had transformed into a different person altogether. Hanzo had a thousand questions, but only enough breath to ask the most obvious one:<\/p>\n\n
\"...how? Women aren't allowed in the army.\"<\/p>\n\n
\"I...I wanted to be near you. So, when you were conscripted, I dropped out of school. I started working in a factory next to the camp where you had basic training. Just to watch you. To make sure that you were alright.\"<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo was so touched by these words that his hand flew to his chest, right over his heart. \"Arisa, that's...\" It didn't occur to him that this could be the behavior of a psychotic, obsessive stalker. He just thought that it was heartwarming. \"...that's so sweet.\"<\/p>\n\n
\"I couldn't just sit around in Kyoto, pretending life was normal, knowing that you were about to go to war, out of my sight, out of my reach. One night, I saw a boy from your unit slip out of the camp at night. He was deserting. He stripped off his uniform, left it in the dirt, ran off into the night, and never came back. The next morning, he would've been reported missing. But...his uniform was just lying there, so...I took it. His name. His place in your unit. His entire identity.\"<\/p>\n\n
\"And *nobody* noticed?\" Hanzo was in disbelief. \"What about the medical exam we all had to go through?\"<\/p>\n\n
\"The boy had already passed that exam. That's why it worked. The records said he was fit, so when I took his place, all I had to do was meet the bare minimum, and nobody thought to question it. Kept my hair short, my voice low, my head down, and I was just another face in the crowd of boys.\"<\/p>\n\n
\"...and then, you followed me all the way here?\"<\/p>\n\n
Arisa smiled faintly. \"Where else would I go? Your side is where I belong.\"<\/p>\n\n
It would take Hanzo time to process everything that had just transpired - getting caught, almost being executed, being saved by \"Sato,\" the big reveal that Sato was actually an old female classmate, and the even bigger reveal that she loved him enough to impersonate a male, join the army, and travel to China...but in the meantime, he couldn't just sit in that truck. He had to act.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo knew that the Japanese army would not give up searching for him, and that their hiding spot would eventually be discovered. He knew that they had to get as far away from the Japanese army as possible. He exited the truck, and quickly realized that he could barely walk - the savage beating he had gotten from his countrymen had nearly crippled him. But Arisa was there for him to lean on.<\/p>\n\n
After carefully studying a map of the surrounding area, Hanzo and Arisa determined the optimal place to hide out - a Chinese village that was far away from the Japanese army's path. It was possible that some of those people in that village would be people who Hanzo had encountered in the past, when warning villages to evacuate and take refuge elsewhere. Hanzo might be recognized as an ally.<\/p>\n\n
Although every step of the journey was painful - not just figuratively, but literally, because Hanzo was still recovering from that beating - they eventually made it to the Chinese village. Just as they had hoped, Hanzo saw familiar faces there. Apparently, he had become something of a local folk hero, and the villagers were happy to repay his kindness towards them by helping him recuperate.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo spent several weeks regaining his strength from the beating he had endured after being identified as a saboteur. During this time, he wrestled with an obvious question: \"What do we do now?\" Once able to walk and fight again, what options were open to him? He still abhorred the Japanese military and still wished to actively aid the Chinese, but had no long-term plan of action.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo and Arisa initially planned to simply offer labor and protection to villages on the fringes of occupied territory, but a chance encounter soon brought them into contact with a cell of the Chinese Communist Eighth Route Army. The cell, composed of peasant fighters, student revolutionaries, and a few former Japanese soldiers, saw value in Hanzo and Arisa, who were welcomed into the cell.<\/p>\n\n
The years that followed were not marked by constant combat, but by the steady rhythm of guerrilla life. Hanzo and Arisa became specialists in tasks that played to their unique skills. Hanzo, with his fluency in Japanese military procedures, provided intelligence on patrol routes, supply convoys, and garrison habits.<\/p>\n\n
Arisa, able to pass more easily as an ordinary villager, carried messages, scouted terrain, and gathered supplies. Together, they participated in carefully chosen acts of sabotage: cutting rail lines, derailing Japanese trains, or ambushing supply caravans when the risk was low and the rewards high.<\/p>\n\n
The cell survived by blending into the countryside. Months might pass with little fighting, filled instead with farming, repairing tools, drilling recruits, and moving between safe houses. When Japanese reprisals threatened a village, Hanzo and Arisa joined the fighters in dispersing to the hills, hiding in caves or forests until it was safe to return.<\/p>\n\n
By the time the war reached its conclusion in 1945, Hanzo and Arisa had spent nearly six years living among the guerrillas. They had fought only when necessary, but their intelligence work and selective sabotage operations had saved countless lives and made them respected figures within the resistance.<\/p>\n\n
With the war over, Hanzo faced a profound crossroads. Six years of life as a guerrilla fighter had taken its toll on him, and he yearned to return to civilian life...however, that there was one last thing he had to do before he could return to Japan: make sure that anyone who had committed atrocities during the war was punished for their actions.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo insisted on providing testimony to Allied and Chinese authorities. His motivations were clear: to ensure that individual soldiers, officers, and commanders who had ordered or carried out atrocities in occupied China were not allowed to escape justice. Hanzo's credibility as a Japanese defector - one who had not only deserted but actively resisted - made him a rare and valuable witness. Arisa, though less directly tied to military records, corroborated accounts of massacres, forced labor, and other crimes she had seen or heard of during her time with the guerrillas.<\/p>\n\n
They were summoned to Nanjing, where the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and subsidiary Chinese war crimes courts sought testimony from those who had firsthand knowledge of Japanese misconduct in China. Hanzo described incidents ranging from the burning of villages suspected of harboring guerrillas, to the routine execution of civilians accused of aiding resistance fighters. His ability to identify specific officers, units, and procedures was especially valuable. Arisa, drawing on her experiences in the countryside, spoke of reprisals, starvation, and the destruction of civilian livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n
The couple's testimony, though painful to recount, was incorporated into the larger body of evidence used to prosecute Japanese officers in both international and domestic Chinese trials. Some of the men Hanzo named were sentenced to prison, or were outright executed; they would never be allowed to disappear into postwar chaos and hide in the shadows, avoiding responsibility forever.<\/p>\n\n
Only after this duty was fulfilled did Hanzo and Arisa quietly return to Japan. They recognized that their role as defectors would earn them the hatred of their fellow countrymen, so they carefully constructed a cover story for themselves to hide the truth of what they had really been doing over the past 6 years.<\/p>\n\n
By blending back into ordinary society, and by carefully concealing the years they had spent abroad, they were able to live the rest of their lives as anonymous citizens in the shadows of postwar Japan. However, what Hanzo had seen during the war left him with a permanent distaste for his home country. No matter how many years passed, he was never able to forgive Japan.<\/p>\n\n
Hanzo made sure that his children and grandchildren were well aware of Japan's actions during WW2, and he cautioned them to never be blindly patriotic to their home country. This \"generational dislike for Japan\" eventually manifested in a desire to leave Japan altogether, and Hanzo's descendants would eventually move out of Japan and live in America.<\/p>","illustrator":"Edel","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Senpai"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/defector-student-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/defector-student.png","name":"Student"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/defector-guerrilla-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/defector-guerrilla.png","name":"Guerrilla"}]},{"name":"Cooking Club","role":"Club","status":"Open","personality":"Friendly","appearance":"Week 1","weakness":"Various","description":"
The Cooking Club at Akademi Academy is a diverse group of students with very different tastes and values, united by a collective appreciation for good food.<\/p>\n\n
Shoku Tsuburaya is trusted to operate the Cooking Club when the leader of the club - Amai Odayaka - is not present. As a connoisseur of good food with a very discerning palate, he dreams of becoming a world-famous 5 star chef one day.<\/p>\n\n
Kenko Sukoyaka is committed to maintaining a healthy diet, and intends to abstain from junk food for his entire life. He doesn't judge others for their dietary choices, but he evangelizes the benefits of healthy food at every opportunity.<\/p>\n\n
Seiyo Akanishi is ethnically and nationally Japanese, but is deeply fascinated with everything that comes from western countries - especially the food. He loves to use English words in everyday speech, and believes he was a cowboy in a previous life. <\/p>\n\n
Ajia Ashitomi is concerned that western culture is dominating Japan too much, and cares deeply about preserving Japanese culture. She is determined to master the art of preparing traditional Japanese cuisine.<\/p>\n\n
Saki Mayuzumi loves sweets, candy, and desserts, and dreams of becoming a \"P\u00e2tissi\u00e8re\" - someone who is trained in making pastries, desserts, and sweets. She is Kokona Haruka's best friend and closest confidant.<\/p>","illustrator":"Cherry_\u6a31\u6843","illustratorUrl":"https:\/\/www.pixiv.net\/en\/users\/113473449","groups":["Groups"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/cooking-club-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/cooking-club.png","name":"Group"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/gourmet-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/gourmet.png","name":"Shoku"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/carrot-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/carrot.png","name":"Kenko"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/westaboo-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/westaboo.png","name":"Seiyo"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/itamae-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/itamae.png","name":"Ajia"},{"url":"\/img\/characters\/patissiere-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/patissiere.png","name":"Saki"}]},{"name":"Eisaku Nonoshita","role":"Antagonist","status":"Dead","personality":"Bitter","appearance":"Abandoned Insane Asylum","weakness":"Envy and Greed","description":"
Eisaku Nonoshita was a professional photographer who had struggled financially for many years.<\/p>\n\n
One of his friends, despite possessing almost no real skill with a camera, achieved tremendous financial success by selling a \"gravure set\" - a collection of photos of a beautiful young model in a bikini. This infuriated Eisaku. \"I spent years of my life working my ass off, trying to master the art of photography, only to watch someone with inferior skills surpass me just because he took lewd pictures of some harlot?\" He felt as though his years of hardship had been robbed of all meaning.<\/p>\n\n
Bitter and disillusioned, Eisaku decided to abandon his ideals and simply copy his friend's approach. No more effort. No more artistry. Just the exploitation of young women. But, there was one problem: he didn't have enough money to hire a model. So, he devised a plan. Using the last of his savings, he paid a group of schoolgirls to spread a rumor: \"The ultimate test of courage for a girl is to spend a night in the abandoned insane asylum on the edge of town.\" He camped inside the asylum...and waited.<\/p>\n\n
His plan worked flawlessly. Shortly after midnight, a young woman crept inside the asylum. Eisaku allowed her to wander deep into the building before emerging from the shadows and blocking her path to the exit. Brandishing a knife, he ordered her to strip and let him photograph her. Terrified for her life, she complied, shivering in her underwear as the asylum echoed with the sound of his camera shutter - and his laughter, fueled by visions of the money he'd earn from selling the pictures.<\/p>\n\n
When he finished, Eisaku warned her that if she went to the police or told anyone what awaited in the asylum, he would ensure the photographs spread far and wide. Horrified by the threat of public ruin, the girl kept silent. The rumor persisted, and the next night, another unsuspecting young woman ventured into the asylum, and Eisaku repeated the process. In what felt like no time at all, he accrued enough photographs to almost completely fill a duffel bag.<\/p>\n\n
But, Eisaku would never profit from his crimes. One evening, as he waited for his next victim, the scent of smoke filled his nose. He turned to see his duffel bag engulfed in flames. After recovering from the shock of such a sight, he quickly deduced what must have happened: one of his victims had returned under the cover of darkness and set fire to his bag, destroying the photographs and ruining his plans.<\/p>\n\n
He sprinted through the asylum in a frenzy, desperate to exact punishment on the girl before she escaped, but he never even managed to catch a glimpse of her; she vanished into the night before he could take revenge. Eisaku, seething with rage, refused to leave empty-handed. He stubbornly remained in the asylum, determined to lie in wait for more victims. However, this was a decision that would prove fatal.<\/p>\n\n
Just days later, one of his victims returned, this time armed with a knife. Eisaku scoffed; he was firmly convinced that he would never be overpowered by some girl. But, the moment she lunged at him, his confidence evaporated. Her movements were practiced and precise; she fought like someone who had spent years with a blade in her hand. He realized that he had severely underestimated her, and fought back with all the strength he could muster.<\/p>\n\n
A single misstep sent Eisaku tumbling to the floor - and, within moments of his body hitting the ground, the girl pinned him and drove her knife into him again and again, stabbing until he was almost completely unrecognizable as a human being. She left him there to rot in the asylum, where he was eventually discovered by another girl who had come to test her courage. That girl reported the corpse to the police, who investigated his death and attempted to identify the killer, but never succeeded.<\/p>\n\n
After that, the asylum's reputation shifted. Few still spoke of it as a place for tests of courage. But, in time, a new rumor began to spread:<\/p>\n\n
\"Hey, I heard there's a ghost haunting the abandoned insane asylum...\"
\n\"Apparently, it's the spirit of some dude who died there in the late '80s...\"
\n\"He must have died with regrets, or in agony, or while burning with hatred...\"
\n\"If you go to the asylum after midnight, you can see him...\"
\n\"He floats through the air, covered in stab wounds, moaning in pain...\"<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\nAnd so, in 202X, the asylum has once again became a destination for young thrill-seekers eager to prove their bravery in a test of courage...<\/p>","illustrator":"Liu Hua","illustratorUrl":"","groups":["Eighties","Others"],"images":[{"url":"\/img\/characters\/photographer-full.png","thumb":"\/img\/characters\/photographer.png","name":"1989"}]}]