High Street

High Street *(ハイ街 "Hai-Machi")* is a key location in *Heartbreaker: The Visual Novel*.

It is a shopping strip in West Sanseto, where the player is able to purchase items & services as they obtain money. Special events may also be witnessed here at certain times. It currently contains 26 locations the player can visit. In later builds of the game, shopkeepers will have side-stories that can be viewed by selecting "Talk".

High Street is divided into four quadrants: Northwest, Northeast, West, and East.

Most locations do not yet have a purpose, but all will be used for something when the game is done.

## High Street [West]

**Kansai Bank & Post *[関西銀行と郵便局]***

The bank is the oldest still-operating business in Sanseto, having been established in 1798. It is combined with the post office as one building, and uses a separate counter for either service. Most small mail in Sanseto is handled through here, with two other branches in the North & South districts.

The bank teller is Rei Hirofuku *(寛福零)*. She is a straightforward, professional, no-nonsense young woman with no time for anyone's mischief or incompetence, and is not afraid to make that clear. Unfortunately for her, she's so dry with her sarcasm that it often comes across as politeness. Despite this behaviour, she's landed this cushy job where she is able to insult her more difficult customers to their faces all she wants, and they won't even realize. Rei also appears to not be very fond of new technology. The kanji in her surname are 寛福, meaning "zero / nil + tolerance / patience", and 零, meaning "good fortune", as in "one who has no patience but is somehow lucky".

**Mura Kenkō *[村健康 "Village Health"]***

The pharmacy distributes medicines, cosmetics, toiletries, and fills prescriptions. There are two branches of Mura Kenkō in each district of Sanseto - except for Old Sanseto only having one - for seven in total. Most of the building is taken up by the storeroom. Kouhai has considered getting a part-time job here when her siblings are older.

The pharmacist & cashier here is Afiyah Hakim *(アフィヤ・ハーキーム)*, an Egyptian immigrant who graduated the JAR programme and chose to reside permanently in Sanseto. While fluent in Japanese, her grammar can sometimes come across a bit stiff, but she is always polite, friendly and respectful. It can be inferred from her headdress that she is a Muslim to some degree.

**Ō-Inari's Bounty *[大稲荷の恵み]***

A kaiten-zushi with a rotary bar serving a variety of sushi and other rice & seafood-based dishes. One can also rent a booth for an hour.

Its head chef is Umi Shio *(師弥生)*. She has the skill of a Michelin 5-Star restaurant's head chef, so no one knows why she chooses to live in Sanseto and make sushi, when she could be making a fortune in virtually any city she wants. The kanji in her surname are 師, meaning "master", and 弥, meaning "very / extremely", and the kanji in her given name is 生, meaning "raw", referring to her mastery of preparing raw fish. However her name is a phonetic pun of "塩海" meaning "sea salt", further referenced in her default sprite artwork, itself a reference to a popular internet meme.

**Pittari *[ぴったり "Good Fit"]***

A clothing store for semi-formal and business-casual wear. Pittari has had an exclusive contract to produce all of Kareji's uniforms since the 1970s.

Makoto Sejiwa *(世辞和真)* is the cashier and part-time tailor at Pittari. Most of the time, she is a total pushover, and comes across as a bit of a suckup & saleswoman. However, she's honest to a fault, and won't tell someone "that looks great on you" if it really doesn't. If people start arguing or being difficult around her, she's known to praise both of their points or qualities for the sake of calming down the situation, and is usually able to turn both parties into customers before they leave. The kanji in her surname are 世辞和, meaning "flattery / compliment", and the kanji in her given name is 真, meaning "truth".

**Heiwa-Jōki *[平和蒸気 "Peace Vapour"]***

A spa which specializes in cosmetic treatments and massage therapy. They have booths divided by sex, although the clientele are almost exclusively female. Yagi comes here at least once a week, while Saru comes here at least once a month. The spa has a constant stream of scented vapour going inside, which can be smelled several stores away.

The cosmetic therapist at Heiwa-Jōki is Kasumi Kōbayashī *(香林霞)*, an eccentric & hyperactive young woman. She loves dolling people up and experimenting with new styles, though is oblivious to how her observations about appearances may offend people. One can hear her squealing & giggling with her friends from the other side of the street. The kanji in her surname are 香林, meaning "fragrance", and the kanji in her given name is 霞, meaning "mist", as in "fragrant mist", referring to the smell of the spa. Kasumi's surname is also a phonetic pun of 興林, which begins with "excitement / enthusiasm".

**F. Samael *[エッフ・サマエル]***

A jewellery store owned by a married pair of British immigrants, who established the store in 1982. Business was good for the first decade, but it has since dwindled, presumably because people had more money and less jewellery at that time. Yagi & Inu have bought multiple accessories from here.

F. Samael is operated by its owners, Laurence & Harriet Feinberg *(ロランス・ファインバーグ / ハリアト・ファインバーグ)*. While they may come off as overly-eager and a bit strange, they are polite & professional, having enough success to own dozens of branches back in the UR. Laurence mainly handles sales, cleaning and stock rotation, while Harriet handles appraisals, repairs and paperwork. The Feinbergs were named after Laurence Graff and Harriet Samuel.

**Shinsen-Uwagi *[新鮮上着 "Fresh Coat"]***

A humble laundrette, divided into two aisles by sex. Business has dwindled over the past year due to recent events, but it is still the most convenient option for homemakers on the go.

The laundrette's properietor is Nozoki Tomori, an eerie man in his 30s with greasy hair and a heavy stutter, who tends to struggle with boundaries, and severely unnerves anyone who makes eye contact with him. Nevertheless, nothing bad about him has ever been *proven*. The kanji in his surname are 友, meaning "friend", and 利, meaning "profit. The kanji in his given name are 覗, meaning "peep", and 気, meaning "nature / disposition".

**Senkō Morodu *[閃光戻る "Flashback"]***

A photography store owned by a chain from Kyoto, which also provides photocopying services. The Camera Club, as well as Saru and the Adventure Club, come here to buy film for their projects. Ondori also visits here regularly.

While the store's owner works in the back, the cashier is Ryōshi Hadami *(肌美猟師)*, a beautiful teenage girl who wears generic gyaru fashion. Whenever a woman enters the store, Ryōshi practically throws herself at them - Not for any personal reason, but to try recruiting them into "modelling." However, she is extremely two-faced & superficial, and her nasty side comes out when she gets turned down or disappointed. Although as long as she does her job, Ryōshi's manager doesn't particularly care what else she does. The kanji in her surname are 肌美, meaning "beautiful skin", and the kanji in her given name are 猟師, meaning "hunter", referring to her attempts to recruit beautiful women. It could also be a reference to her attempts to make *herself* more beautiful, as she clearly partakes in heavy cosmetics & tanning.

**Sera Kanamono *[世金物 "Sera Hardware"]***

One of the oldest buildings outside of Old Sanseto, the hardware store was first built by Rokuro Sera, when he was still using his forge to serve the people of Sanseto. The player can purchase a screwdriver here.

The manager & cashier is simply known by his surname Hamada *(浜)*. His given name is unknown. A former soldier who dedicates his life to upholding the legacy of Rokuro Sera, Hamada aids the citizens of Sanseto with his boundless enthusiasm & expertise in construction & tools, and strong fatherly air. The kanji in his name is 浜, which has connotations of "soldier" and "axe" fitting his history & work, but his name was originally chosen as a phonetic reference to the repairman named Hamada from The Convenience Store.

## High Street [East]

**Dingo-Dango *[ディンゴ団子]***

An internet café / bakery combo, with a popular mascot character, a dingo shaped like a stick of dango pieces. They serve coffee and a vast selection of baked goods & confectionery. Sagishi sometimes uses the internet service here. Buta has a part-time job here. Ryū greatly enjoys the coffee here.

The manager & baker is Satō Mochida (餅田里). She is a seasoned baker from the village of Hinansho, who settled in Sanseto after meeting her husband in college while training to be a barista. Despite having a comfortable career and a friendly demeanour, it is suggested that Satō is unhappy with her home life, fearing for her husband's fidelity and constantly fighting with her daughter. However, she finds some relief in coaching a studious young man from Kareji to replace her at the shop one day. The kanji in her surname is 餅田, meaning "rice cake + rice field", referring to her work. The kanji in her given name is 里, meaning "village / countryside" suggesting tradition & comfort, but this name is also a phonetic pun of 砂糖, meaning "sugar", and was chosen as a reference to Satō Matsuzaka from Happy Sugar Life, despite having nothing in common with the character. It also has a phonetic similarity to 左党, meaning "drinker / wine lover", suggesting drowning one's sorrows.

**Banzen 7-Bit Coin House *[七-ビット硬貨家]***

The oldest chain of arcades in the Kansai region is Banzen's 7-Bit chain. Their name comes from their practice of having seven of everything. Kouhai loves playing games here, and Yagi & Saru sometimes comes here too. Inu only comes here with Kouhai.

Shō Tamawaru *(魂凶商)* is 7-Bit's attendant. She is eager & energetic and loves her job, but is also clumsy, and blissfully unaware that she is a constant source of bad luck for gamers - the unwitting cause of there having never been a jackpot at 7-Bit since she started working there. She is also highly germophobic, constantly sanitizing the machines & chairs to near-sterile levels. The kanji in her surname are 魂, meaning "soul", and 凶, meaning "bad luck". The kanji in her given name is 商, meaning "dealer / store", as in "a dealer of bad luck". However, her whole name is also a phonetic pun of 賜る賞, meaning "award / give a prize".

**Kankōba *[勧工場 "Bazaar"]***

Kankōba is a general store with all the essentials, from cleaning supplies to stationery to casual clothes to sporting goods. Despite having been around for over sixty years, they are at risk of going out of business because of Midori Smile.

The weekday cashier is Taro Futsūnaka (布綱可立楼). He is a grounded, friendly teenager, content with normality. He has no particular aspirations or dreams, no particular hobbies, no unusual interests or strong opinions, he's just content to live one day at a time, taking life slow & steady while enjoying time with his family & friends. Everyone seems to like Taro just as he is, and he never feels any need to impress, his baseline being "Kindness & honesty are just the default, aren't they?". The kanji in his surname are 布, meaning "cloth", 綱, meaning "headrope", and 可, meaning "passable / fair". These were chosen to deliberately make an incredibly boring name. The kanji in his given name are 立楼, with no specific meaning outside of Taro being an extremely generic name roughly equivalent to "John". However, fitting his given name, his surname is also a phonetic pun meaning "normal-middle."

**Goldilock's *[ゴルディロックス]***

A hair salon with a western name. Nezumi & Ondori get their hair done here.

Kokura Hitsuji (羊小暗) is the weekday hairdresser at Goldilock's, while an unnamed barber handles the few male clients they get at the back. While not a *bad person*, she is an unstable stresshead who has had to take one too many petty complaints from a few too many Karens, and might be on the edge of snapping if she gets just one more. The kanji in her surname is 羊, meaning "sheep", and the kanji in her given name are 小暗, meaning "little dark" - in English order, this can be inferred as "little dark sheep".

**Kazoku Mise *[家族店 "Family Shop"]***

A family-owned konbini who have all the essentials when it comes to food, mostly locally-grown ingredients. The owner is from Kyoto. Due to Midori Smile's price-gouging, Kazoku is at risk of going out of business like all the other konbini in the town. Kouhai tries to exclusively shop here. The player can purchase bleach, a bottle of Ichigon, and will later be able to use a vending machine to buy snacks here.

Kazoku Mise is operated by the Komura (粉群) family, originally from Kyoto, primarily the head of the household, Ienaga Komura (粉群家長). On some occasions, his wife or children may take over store duties. The kanji in the Komura family surname are 粉, meaning "flour" and 群, meaning "gathering", creating the impression of a place people gather to buy groceries. The kanji in Ienaga's given name are 家長, meaning "patriarch".

**Dai Hitto-saku *[大ヒット作]***

A movie store that sells & rents VHS tapes, and also has a music section. In recent years, they've started carrying video game cartridges, and there are rumours of new technology called "CDs" and "DVDs" catching on in some areas.

Dai Hitto-saku is handled on weekdays by its cashier Jaleel Blanc *(ジャーリール・ブランク)*, an American immigrant who moved to Japan after being enraptured by otaku culture through his teen years. He is self-taught in Japanese, and has an extensive private collection of anime & manga merchandise. However, he often struggles to fit in with the country's culture, coming on a bit too strong for most people. While his fashion is a reference to trends of the 1980s & 1990s, his name is a reference to Jaleel White, the first major voice actor of Sonic the Hedgehog.

**Sosei Flowers *[蘇生花]***

Sosei was abandoned seven years ago, after the police cornered a serial killer who committed suicide to avoid arrest. It's rumoured that something is "wrong" with this place, and so nobody has wanted to buy it since. Therefore, it has just been left to rot.

**Sekitan-Kasai Grill *[石炭火災 "Coalfire Grill"]***

Despite the name, this is a small yakiniku bar where the food is cooked on a teppanyaki grill. They do, however, use a coal-fired grill to cook skewered meat. Kouhai dislikes the heat. Tora wants to eat here.

Most duties are left to its reliable trainee chef, Daisuke Ōhara *(大腹大祐)*, while his manager watches from afar - generally because nobody else can fit behind the bar while he's in there. Despite being morbidly obese at only age 20, Daisuke is a brilliant cook with a bright & endearing personality, often engaging with customers in jovial conversation while he works. The kanji in his surname are 大腹, meaning "large belly", and the kanji in his given name are 大祐, meaning "big helper". However, his surname is also phonetically similar to 男荒, which can mean "leftovers + man", likely referring to his lack of a love life.

**Kokochiyoi-Soyokaze Sōshiki *[心地よいそよ風葬式 "Pleasant Breeze Funerals"]***

Sanseto families make funeral arrangements at this undertaker. They typically practice Buddhist funerals, but occasionally receive requests for a traditional Shinto funeral. They supposedly are preparing to include Christian rites. Tanta is afraid of this place.

The funeral director is Shen Hakaru *(**図**光紳),* a half-Taiwanese gentleman who has handled most of Sanseto's post-mortem arrangements for decades. He is known for being kind, solemn and dutiful, but is not above attempting to brighten one's mood with light humour if he feels the moment warrants it. However, it often falls flat due to his "resting grouch face". The kanji in his surname are **図**, meaning "plan", and 光, meaning "light", and the kanji in his given name is 紳, read in Mandarin as "gentleman", however his surname is phonetically similar to 墓屡, meaning "grave + often".

## High Street [Northwest]

**Shūtazu *[シューターズ "Shooters"]***

A hostess bar / nightclub combo, tucked away in a corner alley. At the door, patrons are greeted with an ordinary hostess bar (male hosts work part-time on Sundays), that presents itself as a posh, dignified establishment. For a more rowdy time, patrons can head downstairs to the nightclub in the basement for music, hard liquor and BDSM shows. It is an open secret that Shūtazu is a hotspot for drug dealing, as it is known to be owned by the Setsudanken-kai yakuza group. Yagi visits here frequently.

The doorman is simply known as Kido *(木戸)*, a Japanese name meaning "wooden door". Whether this is his real name is unknown, but his surname is never given, either. He is a loyal member of the Setsudanken-kai yakuza; While his rank is unknown, Kido is roughly in his late-30s, has gelled black hair, and is visibly missing a finger, indicating a severe past mistake. He also wears an eyepatch, although whether he is actually missing an eye is unknown. He is seen smoking a cigarette even while working, but while he takes his job seriously, he does seem to have *some* moral code - warning Tanta in a gentlemanly tone that she probably shouldn't be at such a sordid establishment, but is welcome to send any friends or family their way.

**Midori Smile *(緑笑顔)***

Sanseto's branch of a large supermarket chain. There is a larger branch in North Sanseto, next to the train station. Midori Smile's headquarters is based in Tokyo, and they have been moving into developing / gentrifying towns. They have better prices than comparable stores, but also tend to drive small businesses to ruin. As such, many citizens refuse to shop or work here out of principle. Kouhai & Uma both share equal disdain for this type of business.

The afternoon cashier is Mei Numata *(寝股名 Numata Mei)*, an ill-tempered, impatient, disrespectful teenage girl, who constantly mutters under her breath about any customers who don't meet her standards, or inconvenience her by even coming in. She is always seen reading a magazine with an annoyed look on her face, her feet rudely resting on the counter with shoes on. The kanji in her surname are 寝 meaning "sleep" and 股 meaning "crotch/ thigh", and the kanji in her given name is 名, a counter used in seating / reservations. Both names refer to her hobbies & work - However, her name is intended as a phonetic pun of 雌犬未だ *("meinu mata")*, meaning "still a bitch."

**Turbo Burger *[ターボバーガー]***

An American restaurant chain, with branches popping up all over Japan. Specializes in the ever-popular hamburger, but also offers some options one would be likely to find at a common diner in the USA. They don't see as many customers as the Japanese restaurants, so their prices are often higher than comparable establishments. Tora is their most frequent return customer.

Its main cashier is Futaba Kigen *(機嫌二把)*, an awkward young woman who means well but simply struggles to socialize, often accidentally coming across as rude. The kanji in her surname are 機嫌 meaning "mood" or "attitude", and the kanji in her given name are 二 meaning "two" and 把, a counter used in bundles / combos. These refer to the two facets of her personality, and her work in fast food.

The chef at the back of the restaurant has no revealed name, but is a clumsy & chaotic man who is never seen, only heard.

**West Sanseto Railway Station *(西三瀬戸の鉄道駅)***

In the 1920s, Sanseto established its first rail system, which was unreliable and barely used, until the Gilded Restoration made it a more viable form of transportation between North, West and South Sanseto. Since the Crystal Miracle, it has expanded to connect to other towns & cities. The player can use this to go home after visiting High Street.

It is operated by the senior supervisor Kenshin Kubo *(献身久保)*, a tired old man with little patience for Japan's youth. Despite his somewhat curmudgeonly attitude, he is kind & polite when speaking to Tanta and many of his peers, returning manners where they are given. In keeping with his personality, Kenshin's side-story segments are mandatory & unskippable as he will simply ramble on whenever he has the chance. The kanji in his surname are 献身 meaning "dedication + long time" and the kanji in his given name are 久保 meaning "protect", referring to his lengthy career.

## High Street [Northeast]

**Sanseto University *[三瀬戸の大学}***

The university that most Kareji pupils tend to go on to, for a more advanced education. Its front courtyard is decorated with "modern art", which many trees were cut down to make room for. Some of those trees were used to make the outside benches at Kareji. Behind it is an abandoned Edo-period house at the edge of a small woodland. Ganko takes a night class here.

The secretary who works the front desk is Shizuka Sunao *(素直静夏)*, a short, quiet and shy young woman who has difficulty communicating with people. Shizuka tends to panic from stress as soon as she's given orders, but as soon as she calms down, she enters a productive "flow state" and completes her tasks quickly & efficiently, leaving her time to idly doodle on a spare piece of paper under her work. It's best to handle her in a low voice and keep the interaction brief. The kanji in her surname are 素直, meaning "meek / obedient" and the kanji in her given name are 静夏, meaning "quiet".

**Naniwa Gas *[浪速ガス]***

A petrol station that imports fuel from Osaka city. They hold a monopoly on fuel imports, blocking the town from obtaining any by the sea routes. The player will later be able to use a vending machine to buy drinks here.

The proprietor & attendant is Mosuke Sonoda *(苑打猛)*, a neurotic & paranoid man in his 30s with messy hair and sunken eyes, who has watched far too many crime dramas and foreign CCTV leaks for his own good. He is always defensive, always ready for a fight, brandishing a mop in case of a robbery. However, he has never actually *been* robbed. Despite this, Mosuke is not above admitting when he's wrong, and will calm down once he realizes someone means him no harm. The kanji in his surname are 苑, meaning "imperial hunting grounds" and "打" meaning "batting", referring to his workplace being like a hunting ground, and his interest in baseball. The kanji in his given name is 猛, meaning "fierce / courageous".

**West Sanseto Archive *[西三瀬戸の図書館]***

A library, which is mostly used by middle & high school pupils studying together. Ever since the advent of the internet, it has seen less usage every year. Sagishi regularly gets her books here. In later builds, the player will be able to use the library as a primer for *Heartbreaker's* surface-level lore.

Maki Furugami *(古紙巻)* is the librarian - a mature, intimidating & strict woman, but decent & fair as long as you follow her rules. She does not care for Sagishi at all. Maki is suggested to have a passion for late-night reading, and is rumoured to chase down excessively-late returns in person, going to the physical addresses of anyone with severely-overdue books to give them a brutal earful. The kanji in her surname are 古紙, meaning "old paper" and 巻, meaning "roll", giving the impression of an ancient scroll.

**Yoi-Jidai *[良い時代 "Good Times"]***

A cozy izakaya frequented by businessmen after work. Prior to the Crystal Miracle, they couldn't afford to sell food, and were strictly an alcohol distributer. Nezumi frequents this bar on weekends, rarely on weekdays.

The owner & head server is Kenzō Ooguchi (*大口健三)*. A former sailor, known for not only being extremely generous, but also extremely loud; He can be heard shouting from the other end of High Street. Despite his patient & friendly demeanour, one should not push him, because he can absolutely handle himself in a fist fight better than most. The kanji in his surname, 大口, have a double meaning of "large entrance" - referring to the izakaya's welcoming atmosphere - and "large mouth" referring to Kenzō's extremely loud voice. The kanji in his given name are 健, meaning "strength", and "三", meaning "three". No specific meaning was implied with his given name, as it is only meant to be a phonetic pun of "Kensō", meaning "loud", but - at a stretch - one could infer a connection between strength, Sanseto, and Kenzō's past sailing career.

## Trivia

* Naniwa Gas' name comes from the name of the original location of Osaka city, and the central ward of the city.
	+ It is also coincidentally the location of several game companies' headquarters, such as SNK & Capcom.

* F. Samael is a parody of the UK jewellery store chain H. Samuel.
* Banzen 7-Bit Coin House is based on arcades by Sega, fitting the Banzen company being an in-universe stand-in for Sega.
* Kazoku Mise is a parody of FamilyMart.
* Dai Hitto-saku is a parody of Blockbuster.
* JAR (Japan Academics & Relations) is the Abyzouverse's equivalent of the JET programme.

## Notes

* As with many parts of *Heartbreaker*, several "Japanese" names in this project were chosen using not only literal or phonetic puns, but also a variety & mixture of *-on,* *-yomi,* *nanori* etc. readings for kanji that would not be typically used for names in reality, a common technique in Japanese fiction; It is important to remember that *Heartbreaker* takes place in an alternate timeline that - while closely mirroring our own - contains several differences in its fictional history. Good-faith attempts have been made to create semi-believable names (with some artistic licence for fiction & entertainment's sake), but any suggestions for better names and / or kana & kanji should be sent to: AbyzouDev@gmail.com