Hayato

"Oi, Akio, some prissy creep is here to pick up some a’ yer clothes, an’ it ain’ Cheer for once."
Hayato is a Shopkeeper from Weeks 14 and 15 of The Reaper's Game. He is the driving force behind Riverbend, a cafe in Shibuya.
He is the brother of Akio, and moved to Shibuya at the same time as Akio's transfer. As an RGer he is currently unaware of his brother's status as a Reaper, and knows nothing of the Game.
==Appearance==
The Ichikawa brothers, despite their blood relation, actually look different enough that one would be forgiven for thinking they were unrelated. Hayato is noticeably smaller in stature than his brother, accentuated further by his slimmer fitting clothing - generally dress shirts and vests, even outside the workplace. He is a little on the pale side and his carefully-groomed two-toned hair is tied back in a ponytail at all times. He rarely smiles.
==Personality==
Hayato has a reputation for being a grouchy and abrasive person, and that's because he kind of is one, even when he's trying not to be. He has a short temper and a tendency to be frank with his opinions - which are often unfavourable, as he can be rather judgmental. Because of this he doesn't really get along well with most people, usually rubbing them the wrong way.
Despite his antisocial outward appearance, he does care a lot for the safety and well-being of other people, particularly his brother. He has a strong sense of justice and is quick to jump to the defence of anyone he believes is being treated unfairly - or, more likely, punch someone in the face if he thinks they're being a jackass.
He is kind of a workaholic, and is usually seen doing something around the shop, even if it's making himself a cup of coffee. He usually considers himself the most competent person in the room at any task and if there's a job that needs doing, he will quickly move to pick up the slack. If you need something done properly, you gotta do it yourself, right?
==History==
=== Kyoto ===
(content warning - suicide mention)
Even since childhood, Hayato was loud and outspoken. He didn't mellow out much when he started working at the Ichikawa family cafe in his teenage years, but he did display a lot of talent as a barista, and was a large contributor to keeping the shop afloat. He didn't seem to mind working long hours after school and on weekends - rather, it seemed to be the only thing he actually enjoyed doing.
His home situation could have been better, though. Outside of work he rarely associated with anyone aside from Akio, and that relationship started to deteriorate when Akio fell into depression. Hayato could tell something was wrong but neither of them were very good communicators, and Hayato was largely unable to help his brother. He caught Akio in the act of his first suicide attempt, but begrudgingly kept it a secret from their parents at Akio's request. He regrets that decision, and can't help but blame himself a little bit for Akio's mental issues, sometimes.
Hayato's concern grew when Akio abruptly left home one night, not returning nor keeping in contact for some time. He was completely unaware of Akio's death during this time, and the fact that he had been working as a Reaper. It was a bit over a year since his initial disappearance when Akio finally returned home, and Hayato was immensely relieved, albeit furious with his brother for being gone so long. His refusal to share any details about his disappearance was frustrating, but... at least he was home, right?
===Shibuya===
The brothers' time at home together again was shortlived. Akio requested that Hayato move away from Kyoto with him, and start his own business in Tokyo. It took some convincing, but Hayato eventually agreed, and the two of them left for Shibuya where Hayato would quickly establish the Riverbend cafe.
Hayato has done business with Players during two weeks of the Reaper's Game, and can't help but feel like something is off about this place. He can't quite place it, but it definitely feels like something fishy is going on. Everyone's a little too... weird. Especially his brother.
Well, at least he gets a lot more customers here. Would be nice if Akio could leave his fucking cats at home, though.
==Relationships==
===Akio===
Hayato's brother. Despite the obstacles that have come between them, Hayato still cares deeply for his Akio, and despite his gruff attitude it's noticeable in the way he talks about him. He has made efforts to be more patient with Akio in regards to his cafe job, allowing him a less intensive and more flexible work schedule. That said, he gets frustrated with Akio's cageyness a lot, and wishes he'd just spill the goddamn beans already.
===Cheer===
Now, Hayato knows that he has to at least try to be civil with his brother's (uuugh) fiance. But, god, he can't fucking stand the guy. Cheer's temperamental nature makes it not uncommon for the two of them to butt heads, and his snobbishness and flirtatiousness drive Hayato up the wall. While Hayato reluctantly accepts Cheer as being a positive force in his brother's life, he still has his concerns and often feels like he knows what's best for Akio more than Cheer does.
===Shiori===
A Riverbend employee. Hayato had never met the guy before Akio requested they hire him, but eventually agreed to let Shiori onto the payroll. He still finds Shiori's playful nature kind of grating, but at least appreciates that he is a hardworking employee. He spends a little too much time at Riverbend, honestly. Go home, Shiori.
===Kasumi===
Another (brief) Riverbend employee, though she didn't seem too excited to be there. Kasumi's bashfulness and lack of confidence made her a bit frustrating to work with, but Shiori was eager enough to help her out so Hayato just kind of dealt with it. Not that it lasted long, since she abruptly moved away again. Where does Akio find these people??
===Meira===
A weird kid who showed up at the shop a lot during Week 15. She seemed to have more interest in bothering him than actually buying food and drinks, though she at least did that. Her complete lack of tact was annoying (not that Hayato had any place to talk) but he at least tried to help her with the concerns she had over her friend's death. He's trying not to question the whole "babysitter Akio" thing too much.
===Tomoe===
A frequent customer since Week 15, and one that was trying maybe a little too hard to get into Hayato's good books. She seemed genuinely fond of his food, though (but then again, who wasn't?), and also seemed to have an uncanny knack for tracking down Rin when she got out of the back room, so Hayato certainly wasn't complaining. Still, though, he can't help but feel like she's after something...
==Trivia==
*He is a notorious coffee drinker, frequently seen with a mug in hand when he's not on the job (and even sometimes when he's on the job). He probably has an unhealthy caffeine addiction at this point.
*Blueberries are his favourite fruit. The blueberry latte sold at Riverbend is his own creation.
*He has secretly been a fan of tokusatsu, particularly the Super Sentai series, since he was a kid. Akio is the only other person who knows.
*He owned a pet rabbit as a kid. Nowadays he doesn't have much patience for animals. Particularly not cats. Particularly not Akio's cats. Why did he have to get another one, honestly?
==Gallery==
The ichikawas.png|Hayato and his brother (jesus this picture is old)
w15 riverbend advertisement.png|Ad for Week 15 of TRG, with Hayato and co. in Riverbend
day 6.png|FUCKING CAT
Category:Shopkeeper
Category:Week 14
Category:Week 15