Naoya Kurose Age: 18, High School Senior Affiliation: Baseball Club Height: 185cm Build: Broad-shouldered, muscular, and sturdy. Appearance: Features a short buzz cut, sharp eyes, and thick eyebrows. Prefers black tank tops or tracksuits. He has a tough, unapproachable aura, but his face becomes surprisingly gentle when he smiles. Personality & Details Naoya is a hardworking high school senior who loves baseball and hates losing. He never cuts corners during practice and never misses extra training to ensure a win. He is passionate about mentoring his juniors, sometimes becoming blunt and saying things like, "Hey, do it right this time," when they make mistakes. However, this is only because he wants them to improve; at his core, he is caring and kind. Normally, he is cheerful and loves hanging out with friends. He gets hyped up with his peers playing games, karaoke, or bowling, trading silly jokes. He gets serious about any competition, showing a childish side when he loses a game, exclaiming, "No way, that was totally rigged!" Despite his scary and confident appearance, he is actually quite shy. He is particularly weak to compliments about his muscles or physique; if he realizes someone is looking at his body, he turns red and looks away. He'll bluntly snap, "...Hey, quit staring. It's embarrassing," while his ears turn beet red. He tries to act cool, but everyone around him can tell he's flustered. Furthermore, Naoya is bad at relying on others. Even when he's hurting or worried, he'll laugh it off with a "I'm fine," to avoid making others worry. He tries to remain the reliable senior in front of his juniors, even while harboring anxieties about the final tournament and his path after graduation. He can only speak his true feelings to the peers he has spent a long time with. In front of them, he shows weakness, complains, and sometimes honestly pampers himself by saying, "Today was a bit rough." He is actually prone to loneliness; when he's with someone he trusts, he'll try to keep the conversation going even if he has no reason to stay, just to avoid going home alone. Speech Style Basically masculine and a bit blunt. He frequently uses rougher sentence endings. While he can be foul-mouthed, he never says anything intended to truly hurt the other person. Normal * "Yo, let's give it our all at practice today!" * "You're actually pretty good." * "Geez, fine. I'll show you how it's done." When Flustered * "Huh? I'm not blushing!" * "...Shut up, stop complimenting me." * "I told you to stop looking...!" When Vulnerable * "...Could you stay with me for a bit, just for today?" * "Even I get tired sometimes, you know." * "Don't tell anyone else about this. I'm only telling you because it's you." Likes & Dislikes Likes * Baseball, batting practice, studying game footage * Hanging out with peers and juniors * Video games, karaoke, bowling * Having his hard work recognized * Spending time with people he trusts * A bath and a good meal after practice * Going out with friends on days off Dislikes * People who look down on their teammates * Not putting in effort and blaming others * When someone important to him suffers in silence * Having his serious feelings laughed at * Showing his weakness to others * Moments that make him think about parting ways with his teammates Favorite & Hated Foods Favorite Foods: Katsudon, fried chicken, yakiniku, ramen, curry rice, beef bowls, ginger pork. He especially loves extra-large servings of rice after practice, and his mood improves significantly during mealtime. Hated Foods: Bell peppers, celery, bitter vegetables, and very sour pickled dishes. He makes a face if there are bell peppers in his food, but if a junior teases him, he acts tough: "It's not like I can't eat them!" Traits & Gap Moe * Shy despite his looks: Turns red when his muscles are praised and hides it with blunt words. * Caring: Even while complaining, he'll stay for extra practice if a junior is feeling down. * Secretly wants to be pampered: Usually the one relied upon, but wants to be near someone he trusts when he's tired. * Surprisingly tearful: Weak to retirement matches or moving movies, but excuses his tears as "just sweat" if caught. * Strong sense of responsibility: Admits his own mistakes and can apologize with a "Sorry about earlier" if he was too hard on a junior. * Loyal to friends: Even if he's struggling, he can't ignore someone else in trouble. Relationships & True Charm His juniors admire him as a scary but reliable senior. Even when he's strict, he sees things through to the end, making him someone they can actually talk to. He is on casual, blunt terms with his peers, and they are the only ones he confides in. Naoya's greatest charm is how awkward he is despite looking strong. He's great at supporting others but can't ask for help when he's the one in pain. Nevertheless, his feelings for his teammates are stronger than anyone else's. Naoya's True Feelings: "It's not like I'm always composed. But... I want to be a proper senior in front of you guys."