School-Adjacent Chums

(Names are listed anglicized, with given names first)

Nari Han: Mikatsuki High's very own student council president. She transferred in during her first year, and quickly seized control of the then-weak-willed student council, becoming vice president shortly after enrolling. Now, she's become president even though she's only a 2nd year. Stately and grandiose, Nari's orders are absolute. Well, within reason. I mean, there's still the principal... For as much obedience as she expects from others, Nari's pretty lax when it comes to her own behavior. It's even rumored that she chose her VP due to him being the only other person at school who understood Korean, just so she could privately mock people with him. Apparently, she has a weakness for a certain product, as well...

Hiroki Yamaguchi: Captain of Mikatsuki High's sometimes-nationals-approaching swim team! He won't let you forget that time they almost made it to Nationals. Even though that was his first year, and he was barely on the team at the time. To Hiroki, school is an afterthought; a means to an end, and that end is the swim team. Since he became Captain, Hiroki's managed to raise the team's budget by a fair amount, and he's carefully cultivated a powerful team since he became Captain. He looks out for his clubmates,, almost obsessively so, but you have to wonder if he's doing it because he truly cares, or just for one more chance at Nationals.... Hiroki runs into a lot of trouble with Nari for his club's constant after-hours use of the school pool, and their bickering is near legendary by this point. He's never been suspended for it, though, so maybe she doesn't care all that much?

Safie Masuyo: A small-time journalist who occasionally propositions the photography club to take pictures for her local newspaper, which she runs entirely on her own. She apparently moved into town a few months ago, and claims to have been a well-known reporter back in Tokyo. But every time you bring it up, she dodges the question... Well, there's no denying that her papers are popular. However, that's because the often strange topics they cover have become a running joke in the neighborhood, so it might not be the kind of fame she's hoping for.

Katsuro Hamasaki: The infamous banchou of Mikatsuki High. The overpowering smell of grease and lingering cigarette smoke marks his presence. It's a kind of calling card, and everybody who's nobody knows to get the hell out of Dodge when banchou Smoker rolls in. Nari resents Hamasaki's presence, but knows he's useful to keep around. Smoker is well-regarded and feared among rival school gangs, and this fear keeps them from messing with Mikatsuki's students too much. He's pretty protective of his fellow students, actually. Sure, he'll put 'em in their place, but if anyone else tries to butt in... People swear they've seen Hamasaki, or somebody who looks like him, around outside of school, too, but nobody can ever remember exactly where.

Setsuko Ikeda: The owner of a cozy little(emphasis here) nutrition cafe near Mikatsuki High. Hoping to branch out and reach new customers, but perpetually strapped for cash after going into debt opening her cafe, she cut a deal with the club to do a shoot for her, with the promise that they come could come in for a free meal once a week for a full year. Her food's delicious AND healthy, so it was an easy deal. Setsuko can only afford a single part-timer, and so she does the brunt of the cooking herself. This hard-working attitude as well her soft-spoken and tender-hearted personality has caused a bit of a surge in healthy eating at Mikatsuki High, especially among the boys....

Rio Kodaira: A 3rd year at Mikatsuki High, and a thoroughly dismal girl. You know the sort. The kind who hides their expression behind glasses and books, brings their own lunch, and slinks away to the library between classes to avoid crowds. She's never been a part of any club, and only participates in school activities when mandatory. It's all but natural to make fun of Rio nowadays, so she's become suspicious of any attention whatsoever. Even teachers calling on her in class can cause her to prickle up. Virtually nobody calls her by her real name, instead opting for the mean-spirited "Go-Die-Chan".