Shota Kitano

Miyu Kitano (Older sister)

Kayaru Kitano (Older half-brother)

**Shota Kitano** (北野 しょた, *Kitano Shota*), also known by his pseudonym **Saburo Hazumi** (はずみ さぶろ, *Hazumi Saburo*) is the third born child of the Kitano Clan of Jikain Village.

## Appearance

Shota is a boy with pale skin, as well as short and tidy dark blue hair (which has earned him the nickname "helmet head" from his older half brother Kayaru) with bangs on his forehead. His eyes are large, of a dull green color.

He usually wears a black gakuran (typical Japanese school uniform for boys), with black shoes, and a navy blue peaked cap.

## Personality

Shota is a quiet and soft-spoken boy who is unlikely to approach someone new by himself, and prefers to stay at home than go outside. When he meets someone new, he is very polite, meek, and timid; according to his older sister Miyu Kitano, Shota's personality makes him easily manipulable. He seems to be aware of that, and feels guilty that he has to receive everyone's pretection.

Since he was young, Shota has always enjoyed brain teasers, which led to him creating a love for mystery and detective novels. He is passionate about those and a bookworm, as his room is so filled with this kind of book that it can get quite messy at times; he particularly is a fanof stories with huge plot twists or cliffhangers in the end. This hobby inspired him to start writing his own stories, but as he lacks self-confidence to show them to others, he writes under the pseudonym of "Saburo Hazumi" in case his works ever get discovered (a name that was created by combining the name and surname of his favorite characters from one of his books).

Shota also has an air-headed side, and can wander off in thought when talking to someone, sometimes not even finishing his sentences. While he is extremely sharp and intelligent when it comes to creating a conclusion based on logic proof, he has a hard time understanding social cues, which leads to awkward exchanges that can lead him to think the other person hates him. Shota has a lot of knowledge in an investigation process, murder methods, and serial killers, though he never brings this up in conversatios in fear that he'll be thought as weird or creepy.

## Background

Shota is the third and last child of the Kitano Clan, and Miyu's younger brother. During his childhood, due to his half-brother Kayaru's constant mischievous behavior, Shota avoided him, and he instead grew closer to Miyu. Also, at one point, he became interested in mystery novels, something that inspired him to write his own stories.

## Relationships

### Family

In spite of Shota's social awkwardness, he mostly has a good relationship with his family, them being the few ones he feels truly comfortable with. The one he is the closest to is Miyu.

#### Miyu Kitano

Shota is Miyu's younger brother. They developed their close bond during childhood, when they would both avoid Kayaru's antics. Shota is aware that Miyu feels responsible over him because of her status as his older sister and leader of the clan, but still feels guilty for being "weak" enough that she'd have to worry about him. The two care deeply for each other, and Shota also trusts Miyu, she usually being the one he talks to about his passions.

#### Kayaru Kitano

Shota is Kayaru's younger half-brother. While Kayaru's teasing towards Shota is not half as bad as it is towards Miyu, Shota still gets visibly embarrassed and nervous when around him, because of his unpredictable behavior. Even so, he is fascinated by Kayaru because of his ability to create elaborate plans and his skill on lying, which, according to Shota, would make him "the virtually perfect criminal" (this may be the reason Miyu thinks Kayaru is a bad influence on Shota).

## Abilities & Powers

### **Forensic Sight** (犯罪の世界, *World of Crime*)

Shota's ability relies mainly on his eyes. During use, it gives him a much more detailed perception of the area around him, which allows him to detect things such as faint footsteps and colorless blood residues. If he is even closer to them, it is possible for him to detect the exact shape of a shoe's sole, and identify whether the liquid truly is blood or not.