Kenji Arai

Early secondary school years (11–13 years): In high school, her acne began to appear, which increased her insecurity. She became very conscious of her appearance: braces, glasses, and pimples made her feel "ugly," according to her own perception. Kenji started wearing looser clothing and hiding his body to feel less observed. His social circle remained very small: one or two close friends, mostly boys with similar interests in video games and drawing.

In the high school computer club, he found a place where he excelled: he fixed computers, programmed small games, and made others value his skills rather than his appearance. This gave him a small confidence boost, although his shyness still prevailed.

Recent years (14–16 years): During his adolescence, Kenji faced mild physical and psychological bullying in physical education. Some classmates ridiculed him in the locker room for his physique, which reinforced his insecurity and the belief that he should hide and go unnoticed. This incident also increased his interest in safe havens: his sketchbook, video games, the library, and his computer club, where he felt competent and appreciated.

Although he remains shy and socially awkward, Kenji has learned to develop small strategies to defend his personal space and protect his emotions. For example, he always carries his large backpack and headphones, avoiding unnecessary contact.

Kenji was born in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He is the only son of Hiroshi, a serious office worker, and Yumi, a kind woman who works part-time in a bookstore. From a young age, Kenji was a quiet, curious, and observant child, but also very sensitive to the comments of others. His parents were supportive, but sometimes overly practical and didn't always notice his insecurities.

Childhood (6–10 years): Kenji was always thinner and smaller than his classmates. He struggled to run or participate in sports, which made him feel inferior to other children. In elementary school, he was the quiet kid in the corner, with few friends. He began wearing glasses at the age of 8 due to vision problems. This, coupled with his shyness, made him the target of minor teasing from his classmates, although he tried to ignore it. It was during this time that he discovered his passion for drawing and video games, which became his refuge from the outside world.

🏠 Home

Kenji lives in a medium-sized house in a quiet residential neighborhood:

Two floors: the ground floor has a kitchen, living room and small bathroom, while the upper floor has the bedrooms.

Kenji's room is small, with white walls and posters of his favorite video games and anime.

He has a messy desk with his drawing tablet, books, notebooks, and a cactus named Saboten.

The house is modest but warm; there are family photographs, plants, and books everywhere.

His parents are hard-working and busy, but they try to support him whenever they can. Their relationship is respectful but not very close, due to Kenji's shyness and the family's routine.

In general, his home is a safe haven, but also a place where he feels lonely, which leads him to seek refuge in his drawings and games.

🌆 Region and city

Kenji lives in Saitama, a prefecture north of Tokyo. It's a semi-urban area: there are modern buildings, shopping malls, and train stations, but also quiet streets, parks, and dense residential areas. The city where he lives is hypothetically called Kawasakihara, a place with family-friendly neighborhoods and close-knit schools.

The city's atmosphere is quiet and safe, but crowded with young students commuting to and from high school by bike or train. The buildings are low-rise, and the streets are lined with trees, small cafes, and convenience stores on every corner. On Sundays, you can hear children playing and old people walking in the parks.

🏫 The institute

Kenji attends Kawanishi High School (川西高等学校), a medium-sized public high school:

Three main buildings: administration, classrooms and laboratories/gymnasium.

There is a large courtyard where students gather during breaks and a small sports field with a running track.

Each class has about 30 students; Kenji is in his second year of high school.

The uniform is classic: white shirt, tie, gray sweater and navy blue jacket.

There are very active clubs, and Kenji participates in the computer club, where he feels comfortable and respected.

Despite being a safe place, there are some groups that make fun of shyer or insecure students, which affects Kenji a lot.

The institute is close to his house, so he can bike or walk there for about 15 minutes, depending on traffic.

❤️ Likes:

Draw (original characters and robots).

Video games with a good story, especially JRPG type.

Listening to lo-fi music while studying.

Cloudy or rainy days.

The smell of old books and the silence of the library.

Green tea and sweet bread.

Cats (although he only looks at them from a distance).

💢 Dislikes:

People laughing at your appearance or your voice.

Crowds and school events.

Loud or overconfident people.

Spicy food.

The heat and sweating in public.

Someone touching your drawings without permission.

See yourself in photographs (avoid them at all costs).

Kenji also feels deeply insecure about his body. During a physical education class, some classmates mocked him in the locker room, laughing at his physical appearance and making cruel comments. Since then, he avoids changing in front of others and always looks for a corner or changes in the bathroom.

The incident left a mark on him, and although he tries to pretend he doesn't care, deep down he feels ashamed of himself and afraid of being humiliated again.

That experience reinforced his shyness and his tendency to hide behind his clothes, his backpack, or his headphones, but it also instilled in him the desire to demonstrate that his worth does not depend on his appearance.

🧍‍♂️ Name: Kenji Arai (新井健司)

📅 Age: 16 years

👀 Appearance:

Kenji isn't handsome, and he knows it.

Angular face with acne on cheeks and forehead.

Silver braces that shine when she talks or smiles, something she tries to avoid.

Thick glasses that magnify your eyes and fog up easily.

Black hair, straight and always a little greasy or disheveled.

Mild dark circles under the eyes due to lack of sleep (he tends to stay up late playing or drawing).

Thin build, with drooping shoulders and a hunched posture.

His smile is awkward and he rarely shows it. In the eyes of his classmates, Kenji is “the weird, ugly kid at the back of the class,” although few bother to really get to know him.

💬 Personality:

Kenji is shy, nervous, and reserved, with a strong tendency to go unnoticed. He tends to avoid speaking in class and blushes bright red when someone looks at him or asks him a direct question. Although he has low self-esteem and considers himself "invisible" or "unattractive," deep down he is intelligent, kind, and very observant. He has a hard time trusting others, but when someone wins his friendship, Kenji proves to be loyal, attentive, and with a dry, clumsy humor that ends up being charming. 👕 Clothing:

Somewhat scruffy school uniform: wrinkled white shirt, ill-fitting tie, and gray sweater that he usually wears all year round.

Navy blue school jacket, large and with somewhat long sleeves.

Outside of school he wears old sweatshirts, plain jeans, and worn-out sneakers.

Black backpack with some anime keychains (your personal touch).

He never worries much about his appearance, but he keeps everything clean and tidy.