Takafumi Yokozawa

Takafumi Yokozawa (横澤隆史, Yokozawa Takafumi) is a main character in the Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi series. He is central in the light novel series The Case of Takafumi Yokozawa and in the anime movie adaptation of the same name.
Yokozawa is initially in love with Masamune Takano, having been close friends with him since their college years, although Takano does not return his feelings. After being forced to accept this, he meets Zen Kirishima and the two of them become lovers, and Yokozawa is finally able to move past his old love.
==Appearance==
Yokozawa has jet black hair and grey eyes. He is rarely seen with a smile unless with Takano (or Hiyori). His work attire consists of an array of business suits, usually with a tie. At home, he will usually wear casual shirts and pants. 
==Personality==
Yokozawa can easily be described as a scary man, seeming to always be easily prone to anger, earning him the title of "The Wild Bear of Marukawa." He scowls at people when they say something that he doesn't want to admit or hear, often intimidating those around him with ease. In addition, he is known to dive headfirst into any situation with little thought to how others would see him, which earned him the nickname the "mouthy newbie" upon his early years at Marukawa. As Kirishima has said, Yokozawa is quite stubborn. However, he has confessed to Kirishima that he is tolerant and can easily get jealous. His face often turns red whenever he is with Kirishima, who often makes him blush.
On the outside, he looks calm and always keeps a distance with people. However, he has his doubts and insecurities that he is desperate to keep hidden. In conclusion, Yokozawa is quite tsundere and is often, as in the light novels, described as having a "bear" appearance. Although on the inside, also seen in the light novels, he is proven to be thoughtful and does care very deeply about those he is close to. 
He is good at cooking, handling household chores and is surprisingly excellent at handling children and animals. He is a little bit like a "mother" to Hiyori, and despite his strict authority, has garnered much respect around the office, even being somewhat of a role model to his subordinate, Henmi.  
==History==
Yokozawa grew up with his mother and father who were often busy working, frequently leaving Yokozawa alone by himself as a child growing up. He never held a grudge against them for working, knowing they loved him, but still became lonely as a result. At some point in time, he was on the soccer team.
In college, Yokozawa met Takano where the two became close friends. One night, the two had gotten drunk and slept together, but he and Takano agreed to remain friends. While Takano believed this to be the case, it is later revealed that Yokozawa had thought that Takano simply wasn't ready for a relationship and was waiting for him the entire time.
He was aware that Takano had been dumped by a guy, who evidently had a fiance, but didn't know who said guy was. Ever since Takano's breakdown, he took his cat Sorata into his personal custody with the reason that since Takano wasn't capable of caring for himself, he had no business looking after a pet. In the sales department, he is known for being called "the wild bear of Marukawa Shōten" for having scary facial features. He doesn't often chat to his co-workers, except Henmi Masakazu. 
After entering a relationship with Kirishima, many of Yokozawa's coworkers notice a significant change in him, where he seems much less tense and easier to approach. As such, he gains more attention in a romantic sense, to the point where female coworkers are continually urging Henmi to find out whether he has a girlfriend or not. 
==Relationships==
===Masamune Takano===
Yokozawa and Takano first met each other in college. After getting drunk one night, the two slept together. However, the two of them agreed to remain friends. It was Yokozawa who Takano confided in during his darker times and even kept his single phone number on his contact list. Yokozawa became in charge of looking after Takano, making sure he ate and looking after his cat, Sorata.  
Yokozawa is aware that Takano had been dumped by a guy with whom he was deeply in love with. When he meets Onodera and realizes it was him who hurt his friend, he makes it his goal to ensure the two do not end up together and begins mistreating him. Another contributing reason for his clear possessive behavior is due to the fact that Yokozawa still had lingering feelings for Takano and had hope that he still had a chance with him given their close history. 
Once Takano tells Yokozawa that the one he loves is Onodera despite the past and time, he asks him to stay out of his love life and allow him to make his own choices in his life. This is essentially Takano "dumping" him, leaving Yokozawa heart-broken. Despite his hurt feelings, he ultimately respects his decision and asks for time to emotionally adjust so they can, in the least, remain friends. Slowly, as time progress and with a little help from a new lover, he is able to restore his old friendship with Takano and return to good and platonic terms.
===Ritsu Onodera===
Yokozawa, for most of the manga, doesn't have a good relationship with Onodera due to the fact that he had broken Takano's heart, which contributed to his mental breakdown. Yokozawa often tells Onodera that Takano "belongs" to him, demanding that he stay away from him. Also, due to his grudge, he seemed to have overlooked Onodera's worth ethic, until Takano had pointed this out and reprimanded him for doing so.  
Later, Takano tells Yokozawa that the reason for his breakdown was due to a variety of reasons, such as his family life at home falling apart among other personal issues, saying that Onodera breaking his heart was simply one of such many reasons. He then proceeds to tell Yokozawa that he would like to remain good friends with him, but he is unable to return his feelings because he has realized that despite everything, he was still in love with Onodera and wishes to pursue him. Yokozawa begrudgingly accepts this.
The next morning on the elevator, Yokozawa runs into Onodera and, for once, praised him for his work and admits he does do a good job. After an awkward silence, Yokozawa asked Onodera that he only wished to know one thing - this being if he truly loves Takano. After a moment, Onodera responds yes. At this point, Yokozawa knows that it's time to move on. Before he leaves, he tells Onodera not to mess things up with Takano, warning him that if he does then he will not hesitate to take Takano back. Following this, he continues to have a rather rocky working relationship with Onodera, but appears to respect him more than he did in the past.
===Zen Kirishima===
Kirishima is Yokozawa's lover. His story is told through The Case of Takafumi Yokozawa. Yokozawa always considered Kirishima as nothing more than a barely known colleague until they met at a bar where Yokozawa was drowning his sorrows in alcohol due to his rejection by Takano. (It was later revealed that this was not a coincidence, as Kirishima after some time admits that he saw Yokozawa walk in earlier that evening and couldn't get his mind off of it, so he trekked back despite the terrible weather.)
Yokozawa went onto become so drunk that, the next morning, he held no recollection of what happened. When he wakes up in a hotel room, he initially believes that he had sex with a woman he picked up at the bar. However, he is surprised when instead a man steps out from the shower in the room. After a few harsh words, Kirishima blackmails Yokozawa into being his "servant" under the claim that he has embarrassing photos of him on his phone. The two of them start hanging out and often going out for drinks, much to Yokozawa's dismay at first. 
However, this "blackmail" soon turns into Yokozawa spending a large amount of quality time with Kirishima and his young daughter, Hiyori. It soon becomes apparent that it is his growing relationship with Kirishima that ultimately pulls him out of his slump after being "dumped" by Takano. He slowly starts to fall in love with Kirishima while also forming an almost paternal bond with Hiyori. The two men soon admit their feelings for each other and enter into an official, although quiet relationship. Yokozawa also makes Kirishima promise that they will not inform Hiyori of their relationship until she is old enough to handle the news, to which he agrees to.
He deals with emotional guilt for his role in the Kirishima household due to knowing about Kirishima's late wife, Sakura, and sometimes feeling like he is intruding in a home and family life that he shouldn't be a part of. This being since he feels that Sakura was the one meant to be in his place - not the other way around. However, Kirishima assures him that, while Sakura will always have a place in his heart, Yokozawa should never feel like any sort of replacement. Kirishima further states that Sakura would want him and Hiyori to be happy and that since Sakura is gone, they need to move ahead in their lives and want Yokozawa in it as they do. 
The couple have their troubles and obstacles like any other relationship, but it is evident that Yokozawa truly does care for Kirishima as he does him. Kirishima is one of the only people who Yokozawa opens up to and shows his true character. Also because of his intense yet genuine feelings for Kirishima, he even admits how he now believes that what he thought was love for Takano was actually nothing more than just mixed feelings of admiration and dependency. Yokozawa is less open about the relationship, wanting to keep it a strictly private and personal matter, and is often teased by Kirishima for this reason.
Sometimes Kirishima refers to him as "mama", much to Yokozawa's dismay, for his almost motherly role in the Kirishima household and his relationship with Hiyori. Despite all their troubles, in the end, the three of them became their own working happy family.
However, Yokozawa often contemplates distancing himself (and on the verge of breaking up) with Kirishima for a myriad of reasons, such as believing that dating her father would not give Hiyori a good image, considering that Hiyori may disapprove of the nature of their relationship, or the lack of a maternal figure would be malevolent to Hiyori's maturing. As for Kirishima himself, he believes that Kirishima is a catch and could most likely find a more suitable partner. Kirishima constantly dispells Yokozawa's worries, claiming that he isn't raising a bigoted child, Hiyori adores him, and for Kirishima himself, no one but Yokozawa would do.
===Hiyori Kirishima===
Hiyori is Kirishima's ten-year-old daughter, who Yokozawa shares a close bond with. She took to a quick liking to him upon meeting him as he did her, much to Kirishima's surprise. After her father was widowed, Kirishima never put much thought into re-marrying until Yokozawa suggests the idea to him so Hiyori could have a mother, much to Kirishima's anger. After spending the week going on a few dates with female co-workers out of spite, he declares (and proposes to him) that Yokozawa should be Hiyori's "mother" and feels he is the only one who can be a true second parent to his daughter. 
Hiyori and Yokozawa are shown to often cook together when he manages to get out of the office early and is often the one to pick her up from school when her father is unable to. He also babysits her whenever he can, not wanting her to be alone in her house when her dad is away at work based on his own personal experience as a child. He often does her hair and helps her with her homework, which is why Kirishima likes to refer to Yokozawa as a mother. Hiyori calls Yokozawa "Onii-chan," meaning older brother in Japanese, due to his age despite looking older than his age.
Kirishima often likes to use Yokozawa's clear soft spot for Hiyori to his advantage; this includes spending the night. However, he also completely trusts him with his daughter's care. He also gives him a key to the house to come and watch her whenever he could. Before knowing Yokozawa, Hiyori had to grow up rather quickly since she was often left alone to tend to the house and make meals for herself and her father. However, after Yokozawa entered her and her father's lives, it is noted that she has been able to actually act and behave like a kid her own age.
Because of their closeness, Yokozawa fears how she will react when she realizes that he and her father are actually lovers when she becomes older. Kirishima assures him that he is raising his daughter to be open minded and accepting of those around her - having complete faith that she will accept their relationship when she is older. However, Yokozawa still fears her reaction and how she may be treated for it by the public.
==Trivia==
*It is said that Yokozawa loves animals (a definite cat-lover) and is surprisingly good with children. (This is because, according to him, animals and children see people for who they really are on the inside). 
*He is a very good cook according to Hiyori. This is mainly due to the fact that he took care of Takano after Onodera left him.
*His pairing name with Kirishima is referred to as Trifecta by fans (due to the fact that he has a very close relationship with Kirishima's daughter as well).
*His foot size is 27.
*Yokozawa is one of the few characters to be successfully kissed by a love rival, Iokawa, the other being Chiaki.
* Chiaki, Hatori, and him are the only characters to have light novels. 
*In the light novels, he admits that he doesn't label himself as gay and is quite sure that he isn't. This is due to the fact that he has had brief flings with women and he isn't attracted to just any man upon first glance.
*Yokozawa admits that he thinks women are more attractive with a roundness to them.
*When sleeping over at the Kirishima's, Yokozawa resides in the guest room. This is understandable when Hiyori is home, but even when she isn't, Yokozawa chooses not to share a bed with Kirishima.
*It is mentioned that Yokozawa likes Hatori due to their similar personalities and has even tried to recruit him to sales, but Hatori refused to transfer, wishing to stay Chiaki's editor.
==Navigation==
es:Yokozawa Takafumi
Category:Characters
Category:Male Characters
Category:Marukawa Publishing