Shuko

> *"Little Mouse."*
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## Storyline

The Listener encounters Shuko for the first time when they bump into him and he drops his camera. He recognizes them as the "cute loser" hanging around Shiro, his former friend who he now considers boring. His superiority complex is very obvious as teases the Listener, calling them "Little Mouse" and insulting them for his own entertainment.

The conversation becomes more serious when he shows The Listener the damage to his camera. He takes his art very seriously and claims them as his assistant until they repay his debt. He shares a sample of his art with the Listener and explains that he's fascinated by the moment emotion transitions into fear, capturing that beauty in his photographs, before dragging them into the photography club room.

In the last few minutes of the audio he shares that Shiro talked about them so much he became curious to see them himself. He also knows that Kuri is interested in them despite being in a different class. This hints that he planned this encounter from the start but it's never confirmed.

The Listener is still running errands for Shuko, fetching his coffee and reorganizing his calendar six times until it's exactly the way he wants it. When Shiro enters the picture he is amused by his protective behaviour over them and exposes the delinquent's flaws: selfishness and that he needs someone to tell him what to do. He considers his former friend a rival but isn't threatened by him. As he leaves the room Kuri shows up and he sarcastically announces that the trio for his Little Mouse's affection is complete. He tries to undermine Kuri's confident but it's a no-sell and he leaves covering up his wounded pride.

Shuko makes his feelings for the Listener more obvious where he's cornered them in the photography room once more. He shows concern for their well-being and can tell that they are nervous. He offers his shoulder to cry on if they need it, reinforcing his claim that he's the only one allowed to bully them. As his property they can rely on him to take care of them and keep them in line. Though the Listener shows offense at this, he insinuates that they secretly like having their responsibilities lifted from them and letting someone else "lead the dance." He sees their pupils dilate, which can be a sign of fear or love, and challenges them to tell him which one it is but they can't. He offers (maybe threatens) to make them a model for his art so they can explore this push and pull he sees in them, implying that he would enjoy becoming closer to them.

Shiro interrupts to clash with the photographer and is ultimately unsuccessful in his "rescue" of the Listener. Shuko compares himself to Shiro, stating that he is a man of ambition with long-term goals in life with the will and means to spoil and treat the Listener the way he does because they *want* him to. He did the same with Shiro before he became "boring." The delinquent talks back, calling him a creep and a manipulator to make up for his sad life. Shuko is unfazed by this and Shiro leaves him and the Listener alone once more.

He decides that the Listener will model for him. He'll name the project "Fear and Love: A Collection" and bets on its potential to get him a photography scholarship. He tells the Listener that they can create something beautiful together if they just let him lead the dance.

The sadodere returns in "Asked Out By A Sadodere (Valentine's Day Special)". The Listener has their happy ending with Shiro but Shuko shows up after a year because he was accepted to an exclusive photography program. It's Valentine's Day and he proposes to pick up where they left off since Shiro is with his family on holiday. Based on his dialogue the Listener is disappointed to be left alone on Valentine's Day and has missed the dangerous thrill of his attention. Shuko's more than happy to make up for lost time by spoiling them with a romantic date night.

The Listener meets up with him in "Sadodere Asks You To Run Away With Him" and though Shuko calls it a date they won't call it that. He teases them as he used to, calling out their continued attraction to him and everything he represents - romance, danger, and seduction. He tells them that he has big plans for the future, one that he is willing to share with them. He knows about their conflicting feelings for him ("Love and hate are two sides of the same coin.") and considers it a compliment to know that he's been able to twist the Listener up so much.

Shuko admits that the way he treated them in school was brash and understands why they might dislike him so much but he's since then. He can tell the Listener is bored of being "good" and jumping to the beat of everyone else's drum. Instead, he can offer "one hell of a ride" if they will drop everything to run away with him. He promises to give them anything they want; whether they want to be a model for his photography or stay home to read he will always be there to keep them in line. Shuko asks if they want to do something crazy and waits for their answer.

## Personality

Shuko finds pleasure in toying with people's emotions. As a sadodere he finds it especially satisfying to create confusion and self-doubt through words alone. He's a master at manipulating social encounters with velvet ease to get what he wants, whether its the attention of a love interest or the emotional devastation of a rival.

He's passionate about photography because it allows him to disengage with the world and feeds his superiority complex. He's made photography his life's ambition. He believes that it's a cutthroat art and he infuses that into his everyday life. Other people are beneath him and even those he considers interesting enough to care about are his pets or property. He is fascinated in expressions of fear and works to recreate it in life so he can capture it in a photograph.

Shuko speaks with a laid-back, self-assured quality that rarely deviates from a bored tone. Nevertheless, he's very interested in the Listener. He considers his dominance over them the ultimate display of affection as it allows him to spoil them, protect them, and punish them all at the same time. He also appears to respect the Listener's independence, arguing that he treats them the way he does because they permit it even if they never admit it. He's convinced that the Listener is interested in the same way since they (apparently) don't resist when he teases them. He tends to speak for the Listener, putting his words in their mouth.

## Trivia

### Shuko

* He is by far the most disliked of Hollow's characters (have you seen the home page?). Hollow calls him the antagonist of the Delinquent-verse.
* Shuko's prior relationship with Shiro is unclear. There is a possibility that romantic feelings may have been involved, which was hinted at by Hollow, however nothing has been confirmed or made canonical as of yet.
* Is head of the school's photography club. This gives him more credibility with the teachers than Shiro despite their shared history, further cementing the idea that he used the delinquent as a scapegoat.
* Shuko doesn't give a damn about personal boundaries.
* Thinks fear smells like fresh cut roses with a hint of iron.
* Part of Hollow's first crossover audio with Shiro and Kuri.
* Calls the Listener "Little Mouse"
* Calls Kuri "Little Nerd"
* Hollow has said that, due to continued interest in Shuko, the last two audios were him exploring a version where The Listener was not committed to Shiro.

### The Listener

This list is in addition to those in the articles of Shiro, Kuri, and Ikari.

* They are indignant at the way Shuko treats them but doesn't do anything to stand up to him. Whether it's out of fear or because they actually like it is impossible to tell from dialogue alone.
* Blushes and gets nervous when Shuko gets too close.

### Fan Theories

* Shuko is the non-canon Secret Ending of the Delinquent-verse.
* Shuko is from a wealthy family and can afford to spoil the Listener.

## Audio References

See the **Delinquent-verse** playlist here.

1. ↑ Claimed By A Sadodere
2. ↑ Exam Prep With A Flirty Delinquent
3. ↑ Teased By A Sadodere
4. ↑  Asked Out By A Sadodere (Valentine's Day Special)
5. ↑ Sadodere Asks You To Run Away With Him