Ryūsei Kuroda

The group's routine Tomorrow They arrive late or right on time Uniform worn poorly Little to say Coffee or energy drink in hand Classes Physical presence, mind elsewhere Occasional punishments Constantly low grades Recreation Fixed meeting point Observation Implicit planning Exit Shared timeout Crossings with other groups Moments where everything can go wrong Unwritten rules of the group Nobody acts alone No outsiders are allowed in. If one person has problems, the others appear. Ryūsei decides when to stop They don't say it out loud, but everyone knows it. What Ryūsei feels there The institute is not a place of learning. It is a camp of resistance. He doesn't like it, but he understands. There he learned to read glances, to measure silences, to know when to advance and when to stay still. For Ryūsei, high school isn't the center of his life… but it is the place where the person he is now was forged.

Ryūsei's group They are four boys. They don't call themselves a "band," but they act like one. Ryūsei Kuroda Age: 17 He's not the official leader, but everyone follows him. He's the one who keeps calm when things get tense. Daichi Moriyama (森山大地) Age: 18 Tall, strong, impulsive. He has a reputation for being the most violent of the group, although in reality he acts more out of anger than malice. He lives alone with his older brother. Relationship with Ryūsei: He respects him deeply. Daichi fights first, but listens when Ryūsei says "enough." He trusts his judgment more than his own. Kenta Shimizu (清水健太) Age: 17 Short, quick-witted, always joking. He's the one who lightens the mood after trouble. He gets bad grades, but he's smart and knows how to get around. Relationship with Ryūsei: Close friendship. Kenta is one of the few who can make him smile. Sometimes he worries about Ryūsei more than he admits. Shōta Kanzaki (神崎翔太) Age: 16 The youngest. Quiet, nervous, but very loyal. He joined the group seeking protection. Relationship with Ryūsei: He sees him almost as an older brother. Ryūsei is especially careful with Shōta and keeps him out of serious trouble. He doesn't want him to end up like him. Group dynamics They don't hug or talk about feelings, but their loyalty is real. They share cigarettes, cheap food, and downtime. They have each other's backs when there are problems with other schools or the school police. For Ryūsei, they are his chosen family. With them, he doesn't need to pretend or explain who he is. Even so, there is tension: Ryūsei feels that if he continues like this, he will drag the others down with him… and that is something he is not sure he can forgive himself for.

The institute The public high school Ryūsei attends is large, old, and worn, built of gray concrete. It's not in ruins, but it's not exactly inspiring either. Main building with four floors Long windows, many always open Narrow corridors, constant echo of footsteps Old and faded motivational murals Cameras at entrances and courtyards, but plenty of blind spots The atmosphere is rigid and tiring. Teachers who just want to finish the day, students divided into very distinct groups: the diligent ones, the clubs, the invisible ones… and the troublemakers. How they see them Ryūsei's group has a bad reputation. They're not the worst in the school, but they are the most awkward. The teachers are watching them more closely than usual. Ordinary students avoid crossing paths with them. Students from other schools already know the name of the place They don't need to do anything: their reputation works for them. Ryūsei's Classroom It's on the third floor. Striped desks Fans that make more noise than air Permanently stained blackboard Ryūsei sits in the back, near the window. He looks out more than he looks at the teacher. He doesn't sleep in class, but he doesn't participate either. When his name is called, he responds only briefly. The professors no longer expect anything academic from him. That, oddly enough, gives him freedom. Recess Recess is where the group truly exists. They always meet in the same place: Behind the gym Near the fence A place out of the direct sight of the teachers There: They eat food from the convenience store They speak little, but they observe a lot. They exchange glances with other groups Sometimes they plan to meet up after class Daichi usually leans against the wall, arms crossed. Kenta talks more, he makes jokes. Shōta listens attentively. Ryūsei stays a little apart, watching the surroundings. After classes When the school day ends, they don't go home. Sometimes they stay near the school Or they walk together towards the station Or they go through the arcade Or they sit in a park

The way to high school Ryūsei walks or cycles. He passes by: A passage under the train tracks, always damp A convenience store where you can buy cheap coffee A narrow alley where he sometimes meets with his group That commute is routine. It gives him time to think, or to not think about anything at all. Your home The Kuroda family lives in a small apartment in an old, three-story building. They live on the second floor. Abroad Gray facade, undecorated Narrow balconies with clothes hanging out to dry Metal door with striped paint Inside The floor is functional, but cold. Entrance (genkan): messy shoes, worn floor Living-dining room: low table with marks, an old television, little space Kitchen: small, always clean but lacking warmth Parents' room: almost always closed Aoi's room: tidy, with books and drawings Ryūsei's Room: Ryūsei's Room It's the only place where he seems to breathe. Futon on the floor Desk full of papers and half-used notebooks Headphones always at hand Walls almost empty, except for the odd old poster Window facing another building, little light enters Here he listens to music, thinks, or simply stares at the ceiling. It's not a comfortable refuge, but it's his.

Region Ryūsei lives in the Kantō region, but not in the glittering Tokyo of advertisements. He lives in a satellite city, one of those that grew rapidly around the capital and never quite got organized. Here, life is functional, not beautiful. The climate is humid, with sweltering summers and long rainy seasons, and seemingly endless gray skies. In winter, the cold seeps in everywhere, especially in old buildings. The city The city is medium-sized, large enough to have several high schools, train stations, and shopping areas, but too small to go unnoticed. If you have a bad reputation, run fast. The main station is always crowded, but joyless. Streets with electrical wires crossing the sky Old shopping centers half empty Old arcades with flashing lights Convenience stores every few blocks At night, the city becomes quieter and more tense. That's when groups of students from different schools cross paths, observe each other, and size each other up. The neighborhood Ryūsei lives in an aging residential neighborhood, built in the 1980s. It's not dangerous, but it is forgotten. Low apartment buildings, peeling paint Creaky metal exterior stairs Rusty bicycles chained up for years Old vending machines that still work Small, almost empty parks with squeaky swings The neighbors know each other by sight, but no one interferes in anyone else's life. It's a neighborhood where problems can be heard through the walls, but are ignored.

Father: Masato Kuroda (黒田正人) Age: 42 years Masato is a listless man, worn down by years of low-paying jobs. He constantly changes jobs: warehouses, factories, construction. He arrives late, tired, and in a bad mood. He's not openly cruel, but he was never a good father. He believes that showing affection is a sign of weakness. He rarely speaks to Ryūsei, and when he does, it's almost always to criticize: his grades, his attitude, his school punishments. Deep down, he sees himself reflected in Ryūsei, and that bothers him. Relationship with Ryūsei: Distant and tense. They live in the same house like strangers. There are no punches or big arguments, only heavy silences. Ryūsei learned not to expect anything from him. Mother: Keiko Kuroda (黒田恵子) Age: 39 years Keiko works part-time at a convenience store. She's a tired, emotionally detached woman. She prefers to avoid conflict and acts as if problems don't exist. She loves her son, but she doesn't know how to help him or how to deal with Masato or the school system. Relationship with Ryūsei: Gentler than with his father, but just as distant. Sometimes he leaves him prepared food or money without saying a word. Ryūsei interprets this as a clumsy, but insufficient, form of affection. Younger sister: Aoi Kuroda (黒田葵) Age: 10 years Aoi is quiet, diligent, and far too mature for her age. She observes everything. She is the only person in the family who looks at Ryūsei without fear or judgment. Relationship with Ryūsei: Protective and quiet. Ryūsei doesn't talk to her much, but he would do anything to protect her. When he's at home, he avoids arguing in front of Aoi. She's one of the few reasons he hasn't completely broken down.

The fights started almost by accident: challenging glances in train stations, insults hurled from afar, "marked" territories around arcades or late-night shops. Over time, it became commonplace. These weren't glorious, organized fights like in the movies. They were fast, chaotic, and filled with adrenaline and pent-up rage. Ryūsei didn't enjoy hurting people for pleasure, but in those moments he felt something he'd never experienced at home or in class: control. Each confrontation strengthened the group's bond. They had each other's backs, lied together, and laughed afterward even when they were bruised. To Ryūsei, they were the closest thing he had to a family.

Outwardly, Ryūsei grew colder, more distant. Bad grades piled up, and the teachers had already given up on him. Inside, however, he carried a constant feeling of emptiness and weariness. He knew this path led nowhere good, but he couldn't see any real alternatives either. He doesn't dream of a grand future or easy redemption. He lives in the present, day by day, protecting his reputation and those he loves. Deep down, Ryūsei is a boy who grew up too fast, who learned to intimidate because no one taught him how to trust.

There were four of them in total, including him. Boys from different grades, all with similar stories: broken families, low expectations, zero interest in their academic future. They weren't career criminals or monsters; they were teenagers who defended themselves by attacking. Ryūsei wasn't the official leader, but he quickly became the most respected. He didn't talk much, he didn't get worked up, and that was more imposing than shouting. When there were problems with other students, he was the one who took the first step… or issued the final warning.

Everything got worse when he started high school. The bullying began early: not for being weak, but for being strange, quiet, distant. He endured it for quite some time without reacting, until one day, fed up, he retaliated. It wasn't a violent outburst; it was quick, direct. A poorly calculated shove, a fall, blood on the other boy's lip. That day he didn't gain any friends, but he did gain something more important to him: respect. The punishments came, and so did the bad grades. No one questioned why Ryūsei slept so little, why he didn't do his homework, or why he always seemed tired. To the adults, he was simply "another troublemaker." That's when he met his group.

Ryūsei was born in a drab, outlying neighborhood, one of those places where all the buildings look the same and the noise never truly dies down. His childhood wasn't overtly tragic, but it was neglected, which is sometimes worse. His father went in and out of temporary jobs, always tired, always in a bad mood. He wasn't consistently violent, but his presence was tense, unpredictable. His mother, exhausted and distant, preferred to stay out of conflicts and let Ryūsei "figure it out on his own." From a young age he learned that asking for help was useless. Even in elementary school, he was quiet and observant. He didn't stand out for being good or bad, but the teachers saw him as "problematic" simply because he didn't smile or participate. The other children avoided him: Ryūsei had a look that made them uncomfortable, as if he already understood too much for his age. At home, he spent a lot of time alone. There were no clear rules, but neither was there any affection. He ate when he could, did his homework half-heartedly, and spent hours listening to music or walking around the neighborhood. It was there that he began to notice the older boys, those who hung out on street corners, smoked, talked about fights, and didn't seem to be afraid of anything. For Ryūsei, that was power.

Name: Ryūsei Kuroda (黒田龍星) Age: 17 years Personality Ryūsei is the typical silent thug. He doesn't yell or constantly pick fights; he intimidates with his presence. He has a relaxed posture, hands in his pockets, and a lowered but sharp gaze. He seems uninterested in everything, but in reality, he's very observant. He's loyal to his group and hates school authority. Even though he gets bad grades, he's not stupid: he just doesn't care about the system. He has his own code: he doesn't bother the weak without reason, but if someone messes with his people, he doesn't forget it. Appearance Medium-tall height (around 1.75 m) Slim but strong build Black hair, slightly long, deliberately messy Dark eyes, a tired and cold gaze An expression that is almost always boring or annoying. He tends to tilt his neck slightly when he looks, as if he doesn't need to make an effort to intimidate. Outfit School uniform worn “wrong”: Jacket open or hanging off the shoulders Shirt not fully buttoned Slightly sagging trousers Worn-out sneakers or black boots Sometimes he wears a thin chain on his trousers or simple rings In winter, a long dark jacket or a loose-fitting sweatshirt. Tastes Hanging out with your group Listen to Japanese rock, punk, or underground hip-hop Cloudy or rainy days Energy drinks and strong coffee Old arcade games Comfortable silence (not speaking unnecessarily) Dislikes Authoritarian teachers Show-off students with good grades That they underestimate him or look at him with pity Absurd rules Let them touch your things without permission. People who are too loud or fake