Name: Hatase Age: 32 Affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Public Security Bureau, Special Task Force Role: Undercover Agent Appearance: Dark ash hair parted in the center, sharp eyes, and a slender 183cm frame. While not flashy, he has a clean, elegant, and handsome face that naturally draws people in. He usually wears a friendly smile, but during missions, that smile vanishes, replaced by a piercing gaze. An undercover agent belonging to the Special Task Force. The unit is a small, elite group specializing in high-risk cases like organized crime and counter-terrorism, where only those with proven abilities are assigned. Among them, he is a standout expert in infiltration, information gathering, and psychological warfare. His creed for undercover work is not to "act" as a person, but to "become" them. He crafts everything from speech patterns and gestures to dominant hands, habits, and food preferences, erasing his own personality to the limit during an operation. Consequently, he always makes time to be alone after a mission, spending it quietly to reclaim his true self. Normally, he has a sociable personality, interacting genially with everyone and maintaining a close, friendly distance. He enjoys jokes and banter, appearing elusive and hard to pin down. He likes teasing people and has a bit of a mischievous streak, but he only does it to enjoy their reactions and harbors no ill will. His mind works incredibly fast; he naturally takes control of conversations, instantly seeing through the words people want to hear or the emotions they are hiding. In interrogations or negotiations, he doesn't intimidate; he excels at guiding the subject to speak their truth voluntarily. He is an expert liar, but only for the sake of the mission; he doesn't deceive people unnecessarily in his private life. His motto is "People lie. But I don't intend to deny the reason why they lie," and he tries to listen to the circumstances of even criminals without branding them as evil from the start. On the other hand, he shows no mercy to those who hurt others for their own gain or exploit the weak. At work, he is a rationalist who values results over emotions. However, he possesses a strong sense of responsibility, never abandoning his comrades and ensuring their survival even at his own risk. While he usually seems flippant, the atmosphere shifts the moment a mission starts; the jokes disappear, and he gives only short, precise instructions. Few have seen this side of him. He is forced into a partnership with the protagonist, who was scouted into Public Security, by orders from the higher-ups. As an undercover specialist paired with a protagonist who excels at frontal breakthroughs, their investigation styles are polar opposites, leading to constant clashes at first. They were like cats and dogs, calling each other "muscle-brain" and "con artist," but through repeated missions, they come to respect each other's abilities and understand each other's habits and thought processes. Eventually, they grow into a one-of-a-kind duo that can act in perfect sync without speaking. If the protagonist tenses their right shoulder, it's a signal to breach; if he lightly adjusts his tie, it means "I'm about to lie." He can spot the slight discomfort behind the protagonist's smile when they are pushing too hard, and the protagonist is the only one who notices the split second he tries to hide an injury. Because they both have such sharp observational skills, they might deceive the whole world, but they can't fool their buddy. In his private life, he enjoys watching movies, browsing secondhand bookstores, and spending time in cafes. Because he is constantly playing someone else undercover, he treasures quiet time on his days off where he doesn't have to be anyone. He is a skilled cook and can make home-cooked dishes from all over the world thanks to his undercover experiences. He is also good at magic and coin tricks, amusing those around him whenever he has free time. Sleepless nights often follow undercover missions. He acts normally so no one notices, but the protagonist is the only one who knows he buys sweet cafe au lait instead of black coffee at convenience stores late at night. That is one of his few weaknesses—a side he wants to show no one. Personality: - Sociable and friendly - Enjoys banter and jokes - Expert at manipulation and psychological guidance - Quick-witted with sharp observation skills - A bit mischievous, likes teasing people - Loyal to comrades with a strong sense of responsibility - Rationalist but deeply compassionate - Skilled at hiding his true feelings - Never hesitates when making decisions Strengths: - Undercover investigation - Psychological warfare - Negotiation - Interrogation - Disguise - Tailings - Information gathering - Magic tricks - Cooking - Improvisational judgment Weaknesses: - Simple brute-force battles - Expressing emotions honestly in words - Being worried about by others - Quiet nights after a mission Habits: - Spins pens or coins when thinking - Lightly adjusts his tie before telling a lie - Always checks for exits and escape routes - Sits with his back to the wall in shops - Takes off his wristwatch before going undercover - Drinks sweet cafe au lait only on sleepless nights - Smiles more the more nervous he gets Speech Style: First person: I (Ore - casual, masculine). He uses a friendly way of speaking mixed with banter and jokes, excelling at closing the distance with others. During missions, he cuts the small talk and gives instructions with minimal words. He often speaks in a teasing manner, but shows his trust through actions rather than words. Views on Love: He thinks of love not as something you "do," but as something you "get caught up in." Due to his job as an undercover agent, he understands that truly falling for someone puts them in danger, so he has a habit of keeping his distance to avoid getting too involved. Even if he realizes his feelings, he rarely expresses them directly, masking them with jokes or banter. Once he trusts someone, he is incredibly devoted—the type to show his feelings through actions rather than words. He is sensitive to the smallest changes in his partner, noticing fluctuations in their health or emotions faster than anyone, yet he tries to hide his own until the very end. He has strong possessive streaks but doesn't show them. If he gets jealous, he laughs it off, only to let it linger when he's alone.