 ___________________________________Identity Full Name - Takaya Chihara
Nicknames - Takkun, Chi-chan (childhood nickname)
Age - 16
Gender - Male
Bloodtype - A
Year - Second-Year
Class - 2-2
Personality A Perfect Student
Always punctual, his uniform always clean and in order, his scores always among the best in not just his class but his year. He takes his studies seriously and has a genuine love for reading, so he is seldom seen without a book in his free time whether it be a study guide or a novel. He is a tidy and organized boy, and as he retains information very well he is usually the person to go to if someone has a question, though its not a natural talent. It's hard work to keep on top of the curriculum of all of his classes (including those of the cram schools he attends) and build up good study habits so much that they become routine. And of course he always brings extra supplies in for those that inevitably forget theirs...
A Known Pushover
...because everyone knows they'll be able to get whatever they need from him. Fellow students and even teachers consider Takaya to be a responsible and trustworthy person, so its not unusual that he gets roped into helping people out with various things. He does not go out of his way to volunteer, and yet things seem to fall into his lap regardless. Maybe its a weird sense of duty, or maybe he just hates to see things left unfinished, but... at the end of the day when there are still so many little things to be done before the next morning, leave it to Takaya. When its your turn to clean the classroom, just half ass it and let Takaya fix it. Got into trouble and need bailing out? Have Takaya cover for you. Have a chore you really don't want to do and can't find Isshiki-san anywhere? Just dump it on Takaya instead. He's not so naive that he would fall for a scam or let the extra work interfere with his other responsibilities, but he usually won't stand up for himself and just goes along with what others say. This includes his parents of course, as he follows the course they've charted for his life.
If he could change one thing about himself, it would certainly be...
A Prudent Young Man
...well, nevermind. What's the use of worrying about things like that when there are much more important things one could fret over?
Not that Takaya is a real worrywart or anything. Instead he is very much a "hope for the best, but prepare for the worst" type of person. The kind that brings a small umbrella in his bag even during long, dry summer days. That learned CPR and first aid but is really nervous about ever having to use it. That had a back up plan for his back plan if he doesn't get into his top choice for university. And the type of person that never leaps before he looks. He's not particularly good at lying or anything, but he has practiced his poker face and does have a few excuses ready should his deep, dark secret ever be discovered...
A Secret Identity...!
...which he doesn't actually have. No, really. Its just some harmless fun. Takaya is not a secretive person by nature, but he does have to hide one facet of himself. Something that isn't even bad - it wasn't like he was getting into fights or drinking, but one can only take so many instances of scolding or having their 'childish' things thrown away.
Takaya will tell you he is not an otaku, but he has to admit that he has... otaku-like interests. He loves games. Most any game, from MMOs to mobile games, mahjong to Monster Hunter to even Magic: The Gathering, was something Takaya was guaranteed to like. He loves anime and tokusatsu, manga and webcomics, classic literature and trashy light novels. At first he tried to completely give up his interests after he was told he shouldn't enjoy them since he wasn't a kid anymore, but nowadays he just does so on the down low. And feels guilty doing it at times. His phone is his trusty vehicle for keeping up with the latest media, and he's always watching, reading, or playing something on it when he thinks no one is looking. He keeps a few of his favorite manga volumes stashed away among his collection of 'appropriate' novels, and some collectible paraphernalia like cards and charms under notebooks in his desk drawers as if they were as heinous as pornography.
It is a rare occasion when he gets the chance to indulge or talk about his hidden interests in person, but when he does the normally mild-mannered Takaya's eyes light up, and he becomes more passionate in his speech and mannerisms.
Character Relationships Osanai Suzuka
"..."
Isshiki Mikako
"..."
Fuji Eikichi
"..."
Morioka Haruto
"..."
Shinomiya Koharu
"..."
Arashiyama Junko
"..."
Sakamoto Ryuuichi
"..." | Physical Description
There is nothing particularly interesting about how Takaya looks. He stands around 172cm tall, which is decidedly average among his male peers. His brown hair and eyes are a little lighter than usual, but not striking at all when compared to bleached blondes and redheads. He is not an athlete, but he eats well - which makes his body type pretty average too. He wears a pair of simple glasses, but so does about 20% of his class.
Once, in middle school, a group of girls stole his glasses to see if he would have a shoujo-style transformation and actually turn out to be handsome. The results were inconclusive.
Takaya does not stand out, and he is more than fine with that.
Even outside of school it is very clear that Takaya is a student in the way he dresses. His parents still insist on buying his clothing for him, and so his free days are spent in slacks, sweaters, and button downs. He really likes sweat pants, but would never be caught outside of the house in them. If it was up to him, he might choose something different... maybe a graphic tee shirt for once.
Personal Story
The Chiharas have always been a rather traditional family of well-mannered and meticulous people. Strict, but not to the point of abuse. Both of Takaya's parents are like that, and their own parents, and so on. Takashi and Narumi had no complaints when they were arranged to be married, moved to Kumoriyama when Takashi was promoted to be manager of new department store branches opening on the island, and bore a single son. They were very particular in choosing a name for their son, hoping to raise him to be a confident, proud, and successful person.
...so far it hasn't worked out exactly like that, but not for lack of trying on any of their parts. Takaya's included.
Takaya was an introverted child, but he didn't have much trouble making friends for the simple fact that he loved what most other kids did. Games, television, movies, manga. Connecting with others was as simple as talking about what happened on Sunday morning's episode of Super Sentai. It was only the growing up part that made things difficult. Where was that mysterious line that everyone else could see but him, that cut off point where it was no longer acceptable to have hobbies like anime and online games? What made a deck of Vanguard cards so much more immature than standard French-suit playing cards? Why was manga more juvenile than a novel?
Takaya grew up early not out of necessity, but obligation. If his parents told him to abandon those childish things and focus on the future instead, then as a humble only son what else could he do but oblige? It seemed he lost a lot of the things that really made him happy. His interests tossed to the side, and his friends from back then fading out from each other's lives for one reason or another. Part of the latter was surely his fault, as he was left with a lot less time for getting together and hanging out.
Since then, Takaya has focused on his studies and -as his parents put it- his potential. Throughout middle school and his first year of high school, he was consistently at or near the top of his year's academic rankings. After being pushed by his family to be part of student councils since his first year in middle school (it looks good on university applications), he's continued the trend and has now taken up the position of student council treasurer going into his second year of high school. For two nights a week he attends a cram school in the city's center, and on Saturday mornings he takes a ferry to the mainland to attend yet another cram school.
...although what his parents and peers don't know is that those Saturday classes are only three hours long at best, and he spends more time in the bigger city using his allowance on playing games at internet cafes, reading comics at book stores, and participating in matches at card shops. He doesn't intend anyone to find out, and since he's still on track to be able to attend some of Japan's more prestigious universities, it should be fine to indulge a little bit... right? He already regrets not joining Kumoriyama Private High's gaming club in his first year, especially after the club's disbanding when the mostly third year members graduated.
The rest of his high school career is looking to be the same humdrum. He's seemed to have convinced himself that he's fine with it, but really, he'd be lying if he said he wouldn't welcome something to shake things up just a little bit...
Other Information He is saving up money to buy a gaming console as soon as he moves out of his parents' home.
He has an online presence that is much more enthusiastic than he normally is in his day to day life. He leaves comments on message boards and under videos, chats with many other fans of his favorite media, and has even tried his hand at writing web novels before.
He doesn't have a favorite genre, though if pressed he might say he leans towards dramas and fantasies. He enjoys and keeps up with the full demographic spectrum when he can, from kodomomuke to josei media. He really loves a good story, but finds a simple plot can be just as good as an in-depth one. For games he considers the actual gameplay a far more important factor, but those that blend mechanics with story are best.
He really admires people that aren't afraid to be themselves and silently roots for them when he sees them. If he had a 'type' then it would probably be... someone warm and authentic.
His dialogue hexcode is #E5BFB0. |
