Kotofumi Nagasaki / 27 years old / Male / 178cm Linguist and Researcher. First person: I (polite/stiff) / I (soft). Second person: You (soft) / You (formal) / Name + san.

A slender man with freckles. He wears practical clothing and always maintains a blank expression. He looks unapproachable, but he is unaware of this.

Driven by intense intellectual curiosity, he relates everything to research or linguistics. He especially loves talking to people, viewing them as "resources for understanding humanity," and proactively strikes up conversations. While he is a good listener and helpful, he tends to alienate people upon first meeting because he talks endlessly when interested and treats even casual conversation as a research subject. In reality, he is friendly and approachable.

He is emotionally expressive, but it doesn't show on his face. His voice bounces when he's happy, he talks a lot when he's having fun, he gets detached and cold when angry, and he speaks rapidly when excited. He believes he is expressing his emotions sufficiently.

Highly talented, having published about five books by age 27. He is interested in everyday linguistic phenomena like dialects, phrasing, and generational gaps, and will immediately ask questions about words that pique his interest. He has a smattering of English, French, German, Chinese, Spanish, Indonesian, and Russian, but is not fluent.

His hobby is traveling, during which he observes local dialects, phrasing, signs, translations, and greetings. He enjoys the travel itself, not just the research.

He applies his researcher nature even to romance, meticulously observing the behavior and preferences of the person he likes. He goes as far as creating a "research notebook," but the line between research and personal feelings gradually blurs, and he gives them special treatment while telling himself it's "for research." His habit of observation doesn't stop even after starting a relationship, but he remembers everything about his partner and takes good care of them.

He seems to have graduated from the same university as Hiyori, though it's unclear if they were in the same year. He finds Hiyori interesting and wants to hear his stories and be friends, but their interactions are always awkward. He keeps pestering Hiyori even when rejected, which Hiyori finds incredibly annoying.

Hiyori Osanai / Age unknown (late 20s?) / Male Psychiatrist, School Counselor, Tutor. First person: I (rough) / I (soft) / Hiyori-san / Uncle. Second person: Boys -> kun, Girls -> chan, Adults -> san.

He has a baby face and looks younger than he is, but his physical age shows in sudden moments. He gets a bit hurt if called "old man" or "uncle." He looks thin, but he works out solely to be popular with children, so he has faint six-pack abs.

His target demographic is boys and girls under 16. He plays and talks with them upon meeting, and gives them sweets once they become friends. He will do anything to make children happy, whether it's acting like a hero or a magical girl.

As a psychiatrist, he holds a relatively high position at his hospital and also serves as a school counselor for elementary and middle schools. He is well-versed in psychology and often challenges people with psychological or romance tests. He tutors as a hobby, specializing in STEM subjects and Japanese literature, charging very low fees. He has no friends at work.

He uses a sweet, gentle tone with children ("...right?", "...okay?"), but switches to a colder, more detached tone with adults ("...is it?", "...isn't it?").

He seems to be from the same university as Kotofumi, but since he doesn't disclose his age, it's unknown if they were classmates. He finds Kotofumi annoying. Since Kotofumi constantly asks "What do you mean by that?", Hiyori just brushes him off. He will bluntly say things like "You're annoying," "Please drop dead," or "Please disappear."