Name: Hiroke Maribara
Nickname: "Everybody calls me Hiro, so I guess that's my nickname."
Age: 16 1/2
Gender: Male "I hope it's not that hard to tell."
Role: Boy number 9
Romantic Interest:
Height: 5'7" "At least I'm not the shortest guy of the group, right?"
Weight: 122lbs "It's not all that easy to gain weight when you're sick all the time, heh.."
Nationality: Japanese "My grandma was an American, though."
Job: Unemployed "I'd like to get a job, but my aunt says I'm not healthy enough."
Grade: 1st Year "I had to start school a little late.."
:Oddities:
Hiro is a very frail and weak individual. Ever since he was born he's constantly had to deal with a constant illness. Sixteen years and not once does he ever remember feeling completely well. Because of this he has to sit out in P.E. and even has trouble walking a mile without feeling like he is going to pass out. He carries an inhaler with him at all times due to his occasional coughing fits, but he doesn't really like using it and often times even refuses to use it unless he absolutely has to. Since he's incapable of exorcising much without exerting himself, he has little to no muscle and his body is pretty thin and weak as well.
:Personality:
Hiroke can be a little timid around strangers, but is more or less a very friendly and open person. He isn't too shy and is surprisingly rather talkative when around his friends or his family. He's the one who almost always has a smile on his face and seems to much enjoy the company of others. It saddens him to see his friends upset or stressed and will do whatever he can to cheer them up. He's a fantastic listener, someone you can rant to for hours without hearing a complaint or getting a judgmental reply. He might not be capable of doing much, but he offers his help whenever and most would say that he always knows exactly what to say or do at exactly the right time. He's always complimenting his friends, though not nearly as much as An does, and tries his best to keep them smiling and in a good mood. Out of his group of friends, Hiro could be considered the positive one who never gets upset. No one has ever seen him express anger before and despite his condition he always seems to be smiling. He's extremely polite and respectful as well, normally asking permission before doing something and often apologizing for things he isn't even responsible for.
Because he started school a little late and would often have to skip class on days where he was too sick to get out of bed, his grades aren't the best, but they are still passing and he's always asking his teachers if he could do any make up work to bring his grades up. He doesn't really like having to ask for help from his friends since he'd think it to be bothersome, but now and then if he needs help he isn't afraid to ask for it and sometimes visits Jaemin for extra tutoring after school. His aunt is always telling him not to over exert himself, but he isn't necessarily a fan of getting extra treatment just because he's sickly. That's another thing some might notice about him. Although he may be naturally sweet and for the most part does what he's told, he also has his stubborn side. When it comes to him being ill, he refuses to accept aid from anyone unless he doesn't have another choice. No, he doesn't tell you to piss off if he feels dizzy and you offer him a shoulder to lean on, but he'll more than likely tell you that he's alright and pushes on whether he feels better or not.
Then, there is the Hiroke behind the facade of cheery smiles and optimism. Yes, I'm sure you've heard it all before about how easy it is to hide sadness behind a smile. Well, Hiro really is no different, except he's so good at pretending to be happy that he even fools himself sometimes. Still, there is always that knowledge in the back of all his happy thoughts that he'll never truly be happy. In all honesty, despite how accepting he may seem of himself, he despises his sickly health and fragile body. It seems like no matter what he does he'll never be able to do what healthier people his age are able to do. Being with his friends kind of helps, but when he's with them he still has to put on a happy face like everything is alright. It's not like he dislikes them for being healthier, in fact he's glad that they don't have to deal with it, but he still can't help but envy them. Dealing with years of being told that he can't play, do sports, or even get a job eventually takes it's toll on your self-esteem. The worst part for him is that he knows it's true. He's very incapable of doing a lot of things that other people are able to do all because of his health and it really makes him angry at himself. Of course, he'd never be brave enough to admit to any of this out loud. After all, he's the only one at fault for being too weak. Or at least that's the way he sees it. Either way, he's just going to continue fooling people, and maybe even his own self for a while with his perfectly happy, yet thoroughly forced smile.
Likes:
β His Friends "They all mean the World to me!"
β Small, furry animals"I just can't help but find them to be adorable."
β Early Mornings "Sunrises are pretty and it's always nice and quiet."
β The Beach "I can't really swim, but I can stay in the shallow area and enjoying a barbeque isn't out of the question!"
β School "My friends are there. Plus I'm not fond of being cooped up in my house all the time."
β His Family "They can be a little controlling, but I know they're just worried about me."
β Going for Walks "Well, I can't walk for a long time, but I enjoy the fresh air."
Dislikes:
β Spiders "Well, who doesn't? W-what's wrong with a guy being scared of spiders?"
β Cigarettes "The smoke always makes it hard to breath.."
β Loud music "I get headaches really easily, so constant loud noise in general is kind of bothersome."
β Spicy Food "H-how can Rokyo-san eat this with a straight face?!."
β Video Games "It's hard to keep up with the story lines. I prefer books."
β The Dark "I'm not afraid of it, but it's kind of lonely, isn't it?"
β Being sympathized over"I-I just don't want people feeling sorry for me, that's all."
Talents:
"My talents? I'm afraid I don't really have any, none worth mentioning, at least. Does good handwriting count?"
Flaws:
Hiro's sickness is a big flaw for him. At least, he considers it to be one of his flaws. He's unable to do a lot of things because of this illness which is why he doesn't really have any talents of his own. He never had the energy to take up any sports or instruments, not that he didn't try a few times only to result in him either exerting himself or have nothing to show for his efforts.
Hobbies:
> Reading "It's relaxing and I don't have to worry about tiring myself out."
> Origami "Another hobby that doesn't require much activeness, but people seem to like what I do with paper so that's what counts!"
> Chess "I'm not very good, but I still like to play. It gets my mind thinking."
Bio:
Hiroke has always been a very frail and sickly child since the day he was born. In fact, the doctors told his parents he may not even last a month. Alas, he did, but he was kept in the hospital on life support for an entire year of his life before he could be taken off the life support. After that, there were plenty of hospital scares-- his heart stopping, coughing, vomiting, and a fever that just wouldn't go away. There was nothing any doctor could do to heal the Maribara's only son. The only reason he really survived his toddler years is because his parents made enough to pay for all the medication and treatment. The two of them were traveling business people, often having to leave for days on end. This is where Hiro's aunt comes in. The Maribara's had taken temporary leave to look after their sickly child, but there was no way they could officially quite their jobs and still be capable of affording the treatment Hiroke needed. So his mother often left him in the hands of her younger sister, the only person she could ever trust with her son's life.
Of course, Hiro never resented his parents for leaving him to be raised by someone else. He loved his aunt a lot and his parents would call whenever they could to check up on him. They'd text and video chat as well and now and they always made sure to be there for the holidays, so it wasn't so bad. He more or less had a very happy childhood, aside from not having any friends and still being too sick to go to school. He was home schooled for the first twelve years of his life until, after a long discussion with his parents and aunt, he was finally allowed to go to a public school. However, this didn't last long. Barely one month had gone by when Hiro's condition took a turn for the worst and he was quickly admitted into the hospital. His parents took another leave and, after Hiro was released a few days later, they took him home to keep an eye on him. They had only been permitted two months this time, though, so it wasn't long before he had to go back to living with his aunt again. By now his aunt had started seeing someone, not that Hiro had a problem with it. He got along quite well with his aunts new boyfriend and Kenji spent a lot of time with him, though they couldn't play sports or anything together.
Within the next two years, Hiroke's illness didn't get any worse, although it didn't exactly get any better either. He'd brought up the subject of him going back to public school a few times, but his parents continued to refuse. That is until his aunt talked to his mother herself and finally convinced his mother to let Hiro go back to school again. For the first year of middle school, he was terrible at making friends. He'd never had the chance to talk to anyone before then so he was kind of awkward and nervous. However, halfway through his second year he heard a few students going on about the famous 'Group of Idiots', consisting of a strange group of friends. He didn't pay any mind to it, that is until the next year when he met a couple of these 'idiot friends' and ended up befriending them. It wasn't long before he was considered a part of their group and he ended up becoming much more social and open. His health hasn't caused him much trouble so far and, to his mothers relief, there hasn't been another accident like before since he's started school.
Other:
Hiro usually addresses those older than him as 'san' and those younger using 'chan' or 'kun'.
Relationships:
His mother and father both travel a lot for their job so he lives with his Aunt Lei and her boyfriend, Kenji.
He doesn't have any siblings, but his older cousin lives in the busier part of town and visits every once in while.
Thoughts towards Other Characters:
- Holy Evans -
"Well, I don't think Holly is a bad person, despite her sometimes arrogant personality. She's actually fun to be around once you get to know her!"
- Rebbeka Jones -
"She seems to avoid me sometimes.. I hope it's not because I've done something wrong. Then again, she's like that with almost all the boys in our group. I guess she's just not good with being around guys."
- Shiro Minami -
"Shiro is a lot of fun to be around, but she's really clumsy. I'm afraid she's going to seriously hurt herself one of these days! I wish she would be more careful.."
- Jaemin Kim -
"It's hard not to like Jaemin. He's laid back and easy to talk to, not to mention strong. Plus, he's really helpful when I need tutoring to catch up in my studies."
- Joanna English -
"Joanna never fails to make me laugh. Her energy is a little overwhelming, but not in a bad way! I mean to say it's refreshing."
- Akiyuki Kawada -
"Akiyuki is really nice. The cross-dressing was a little strange to me at first, but I learned to accept it and I actually think it's kind of interesting now. I'd be lying if I said he didn't look cute as a girl!"
- An-Ren HuΓ‘ng -
"He's so responsible! An-san is really nice and I can tell her cares about his friends by how much he talks about us. I can't say I'm fond of people referring to him as 'the idiot', though. In my opinion he's actually really cool!"
- Delan Woo -
"Ah, Delan.. Well, he's really rude and bossy..and seems to want to be the center of attention in most cases. Maybe it's just a phase he's going through? I'm sure he does really care about his friends, he's just too afraid to admit it. Otherwise he wouldn't want to be around us, right?"
- Milo Jay Tonks -
"This guy is super smart! It's incredible how he can be so...well, lazy, and still keep his grades up! His brains definitely make up for how short he is!...er..I hope that last sentence didn't sound rude.."
- Ryoko Takahashi -
"I really thought Ryoko-san was a boy at first... I still feel bad for that, but she didn't seem to be insulted, which is good. Aside from that, I think her athletic skills are amazing! I wish I could be that active.. I-I mean, sports seem to be a lot of fun! It's just too bad I can't join in. Whenever she nervous about a game she comes to talk to me. I'm glad I can at least be of some help to her."
- Kaori Yoshida -
"Kaori is kind of stubborn... Okay, really stubborn, but she's not entirely difficult to get along with! She got a nasty mouth on her, though. She should be careful with that. If she slips up her words in front of a teacher she'll be in a lot of trouble.."
- Kayama Hinamori -
"I kid of look up to Kaya-san in a way. She speaks her mind and does whatever she wants without caring about the opinions of others. Her honesty can be a little rude sometimes, but I don't think she means to be. Her eyes are really cool, just like An-sans! Her sleeping habit is a little worrisome though. Doesn't she ever get sore from napping all the time?"
- Kyo Yoshida -
"How is he so good with girls? I mean he's such a flirt, even with his friends! Of course not nearly as much as he is with strangers. Kaori-san and him don't seem to get along really well, but I can tell they really care about each other. It's funny to watch them argue, as long as they don't seriously go at each other."
- Tamika Kondo -
"Her smoking habit is a bit of a put off and I can't be around her when she's got a cigarette. I wish she would put away that habit. Not for my sake, of course! It's just not very healthy. She's still fun to be around, though! When she's not smoking, that is."
- Ana Yamaguchi -
"Ana-chan's a quiet girl, but she's kind and I think she's really sweet. She's polite and in all honesty she's probably one of my favorite people to be around. I've told her she can call me Hiro, like everyone else, but she still calls me by my surname. Not that I have a problem with that, though!"
- Emerie Granley -
"I heard she's a new student. It's been a while since the school has had any transfers, so I'm excited to get to meet her. All I really know is her name. I hope she's nice! Maybe we can be friends?"
- Ryunosuke Akura -
"Ryunosuke-san is so talented! It's nice of him to put off taking up a recording contract so he can be with his friends until graduation. He's a lot of fun to be around and it's really easy to get along with him. He's helpful too and I like that he includes me in on things without making me feel like a handicap."