Jin Kikuchihara

**Jin Kikuchihara (菊地原仁)** is a supporting character in the Tasogare Outfocus manga series and a main character in the spin-off Zanzou Slow Motion. He's a third-year student and the president of the film club, in which he's the director, screenwriter and the lead actor.

## Appearance

Ichikawa is tall and slender, most often seen wearing his school uniform whih he styles with suspenders and a deep teal blazer. His hair is red with bangs dropping over his face. He has hazel eyes and a beauty mark under his right eye.

## Personality

He's usually laid-back, lets things slide and does his best to cater to everyone's wishes and avoid confrontations. As a child, he had many friends and always tried to be nice to everyone out of fear they'll hate him and leave him. Now, after he got in shape and isn't chubby anymore, these fears are more intense due to the fact that "his looks and his rich parents are all he's got going for himself".

He takes his image and how he's percieved very seriously. Because he's always putting on a act, he sometimes feels lonely. This mask starts to slip as he starts to have feelings for Ichikawa.

Jin is very passionate about the wellbeing of the club and hopes it does well after he graduates.

## History

### before high school

Jin Kikuchihara is the son of Seiji Kikuchihara, CEO of Kikumaru Foods Co. During his adolescence, he was good at everything, had plenty of friends and was beloved by his community. During his fifth year summer vacation, he created a poster character for Kikumaru that can star in TV commercials instead of him. His creation won him an award at the "Youth Art Contest Awards", where he first met Giichi Ichikawa. Kikuchihara became interested in films after being moved by Ichikawa's drive to excel, and by the film he made.

### high school year 3

For their last year of film club, he and the rest of the third years decided to create a promotional video to attract new members, only for their video to be spat on by Ichikawa, the next club president. As the insults started to be directed more at Kikuchihara than the video, their argument became more heated, and after shoving ended up accidently kissing.

The third year club members are talking about how second years are doing a BL film and are getting a bit psyched out. Inaba points out Ichikawa's talent, however Kikuchihara manages to uplift his crew and encourages them as a team to keep on doing what they're best at. After most of them leave and it's just Inaba and Kikuchihara left, Inaba points out how he made a rival of Ichikawa from the beginning, as if they've known each other from before high school. Kikuchihara doesn't deny this. Inaba also advises him to patch things up with him, since this is their last year in the club. Later that day, he gets call in the faculty room to be let known that, from today, he's going to have a new roommate in the dorms. He rushes back to his room to tidy up, only to find his new roommate already there, changing his clothes. He quickly shuts the door to give him privacy, but when he comes back in, he realises his new roommate is Ichikawa.

Third years were dining and discussing the fact that Ichikawa and Kikuchihara are roommates now. They tell him to not fight with him, and Ibana goes even further, telling him to "try to not get involved with him". Back in their dorms, he tries to be nice with Ichikawa, giving him a cheat sheet for around the dorms, offering his condolences and so on. He's surprised when his kindness is reciprocated, and not met with snarky remarks. He admits to himself that Ichikawa is cute.

The next day during filming, he is surprised to see Ichikawa "hating him again" with a piercing look. Later that day, he's scared to go back to his dorms, but is shocked to return and see Ichikawa back to being cute and approachable. His colleagues were shocked to learn that Kikuchihara and Ichikawa get along in private, so he told them that he doesn't know how Ichikawa actually feels about him. Chiaki suggests that he should be upfront and ask. Back in their dorms, he learns about Ichikawa's BL obsession, as well as reads a couple of volumes Ichikawa suggests. They switch the conversation to Ichikawa hating Kikuchihara, in which Ichikawa admits that he never meant it on a personal level, but rather just as part of the discussion of the club. They make a deal to never talk about films in their room. After that discussion, he falls asleep reading a BL manga, and has a dream of a scene he read that featured him and Ichikawa on top of him. He woke up, realising he fell for him.

The next morning, Kikuchihara's confused and reflecting on his recent revelation. When his crew voices worries about completing the film, he suppresses it with one of his speeches. On the inside, he's still anxious and envious of second year's carefree position, but "would rather die than admit that". Back in their dorms, they're reading BL together, and Kikuchihara acted out a part of a dialogue, which made Ichikawa fluster. Ichikawa hid in embarrassment as he told him how cute he is and how he's happy he got to know this side of him.

On a different day, Chiaki and Tobe come into their room to let Kikuchihara know that Tobe wants to drop out of the film due to his studies. He tried reasoning with him, until Ichikawa snapped at Tobe for being unprofessional and inconsiderate. When he snapped at him for being a bad leader and director, he yelled at him to shut up. He apologised for raising his voice and saw Chiaki and Tobe out, and told Ichikawa that he's not a director, and soon won't even be a club president. Then, he admitted to not wanting to talk about films with him because he's in love with him.

The next day, when Ichikawa was ready to have a serious discussion about the film club, he started talking about BLs and talked freely about his feelings for Ichikawa and warned him that he'll make a move the first chance he gets.

On a different day, Ichikawa's trying to get his's attention, so he started rubbing his back with his feet while speaking. He got turned on and licked his foot before climbing on top of Ichikawa and kissing him. Ichikawa started tearing up out of frustration of wanting to talk to him, and he noticed before they had to separate because Chiaki wanted to enter. After Chiaki leaves, Ichikawa confronts him about the photo of the two of them he found and knowing him from when they were kids. Kikuchihara reflects on how much they both changed, however concludes that he himself hasn't changed at all personality-wise, how he's still a pushover who doesn't strive for anything. Ichikawa kisses him and demands they finish their talk. He agrees, but warns him that he'll make a move on him again. Ichikawa's okay with that.

Kikuchihara and the third years have a good shooting day and manage to solve the problem regarding Tobe's part before he goes back to his room to watch the movie and open up to Ichikawa. He tells him that he's okay with making adjustments to the films because he doesn't feel constricted, and that his biggest concern is that his crew is happy. When asked about his future plans regarding films, he said that he believes his crew has different future plans (Inaba being an exception), and that he wouldn't make it as a director while he can always take over the family business. Ichikawa's last question was if he loves film, to which he said yes. They started kissing and proceed to have passionate sex during which he tells Ichikawa that he loves him. After they finish, the film they put to play still hasn't finished, so they decided to go for another round.

Sometime later on, the third years are shooting the last scene for their film, however they run into the shot for a group hug and to thank Kikuchihara for being their director during their time in the club. This drives him to have an existential crisis on whether he was the right person to lead them and whether will anything from their time in the club be worth remembering once they're adults. Also, Ichikawa's moving out of his room because his grandfather's condition got better. They met up somewhere in school to talk, but Ichikawa seemed distant. He kissed him and asked him if he loved him, to which Ichikawa got more flustered and admitted he doesn't want to leave, especially because Kikuchihara's a third year and has limited time left. He reassured him that him graduating won't change anything. They kissed again and he repeated the question, and Ichikawa said yes.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jyanome (2023) ‘take5’, in *Twilight out of Focus 2: Afterimages in slow motion*. VERTICAL INC, pp. 145–179.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Jyanome (2023) ‘take1’, in *Twilight out of Focus 2: Afterimages in slow motion*. VERTICAL INC, pp. 3–38.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jyanome (2023) ‘take3’, in *Twilight out of Focus 2: Afterimages in slow motion*. VERTICAL INC, pp. 73–108.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jyanome (2023) ‘take2’, in *Twilight out of Focus 2: Afterimages in slow motion*. VERTICAL INC, pp. 39–72.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jyanome (2023) ‘take4’, in *Twilight out of Focus 2: Afterimages in slow motion*. VERTICAL INC, pp. 109–144.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jyanome (2023) ‘take6’, in *Twilight out of Focus 2: Afterimages in slow motion*. VERTICAL INC, pp. 179–211.