Naruki

Naruki is an awkward guy whose actions are easy to read. Because of how easy he is to read, he doesn't hide his intentions and stutters a lot. People assume he's introverted because of his shyness, but Naruki can handle social situations well and loves to join social events despite his awkward personality. Naruki is sometimes used as the attraction for the theater club as he has a charming personality and appearance. Naruki is also the type of person who prefers to solve his issues sooner than never, and he always makes plans to get things resolved (such as the time when he planned to have closure with Inei in a group trip).

Past

Naruki has always had an awkward personality but was extroverted just like the current him. He also loved going to festivals and hanging out with his best friend, Inei. However, there were kids that kept bothering Naruki, telling him to ditch Inei. With how hostile they are towards Naruki's best friend, Naruki tried to confront these bullies. But this confrontation backfired on him as Inei heard them and misunderstood the situation. Even though Naruki tried to explain to him what happened, Inei refused to believe him. This time would forever haunt Naruki, as this was the time he lost his best friend.

Current Life

Naruki joined the theater club in university as he always wanted to not only act, but also work behind the scenes as he found theater exciting. Back then, he'd always brings Inei to theater shows, and this thought further motivated Naruki. Naruki always believed in fate, so having Inei in mind while working in theater made Inei put his all in the theater. Because he was so focused on his studies and club, he ended up cutting ties with the friends who made him feel ashamed of himself.

When Naruki was told there was a new club member, he was excited as he loved having new members in the club. However, the new member turned out to be Inei. Inei felt happy and confused seeing him, and when Inei saw him, the heavy feelings of guilt came down on Naruki once again. Seeing Inei act somewhat cold towards him didn't surprise Naruki. It hurt, but Naruki didn't blame him. He knew where Inei was coming from, so in his mind, he made a plan to talk to him personally about what happened in the past.

However, Inei was completely new at acting and needed some help learning, so Naruki barely had the time to talk to him. He also felt that Inei might easily refuse if Naruki just asks to speak with him, so Naruki racked his brain on what to do. Then, the club president decided that they'll go on a trip for training purposes, so that was when Naruki started planning everything out. When the club president decided they do a test of courage, Naruki was paired with Inei, giving him a chance to finally speak with Inei alone.

Immediately, he apologized. He waited to see Inei's reaction, then continued to talk about his side in the past. He apologized to him for his selfishness and leaving Inei confused and hurt. He told Inei he's always been reflecting on his actions and the hurt expressions on Inei's face haunted Naruki for a long time, and that there were many times that he wanted to run back and hug Inei, not wanting to let him go. Naruki didn't care how cheesy he might have sounded, he was honest with his feelings and that was all.

After their talk, the atmosphere between them calmed down, but they weren't immediately as close as before. They were still able to talk to each other without being extremely awkward, and they'd help each other out. One time, they had a successful show and Naruki was still full of excitement. When the show was over and he met Inei backstage, without thinking, he hugged Inei and happily exclaimed how successful the show was. Somehow, that moment brought them closer and before Naruki knew it, it's as if they were back in the good ol days.