Kusama Saizo

Kusama Saizo is a student studying to become a pharmacist. He lives in a boarding house and studies hard in order to get into university.

## Appearance

Saizo has unkempt, long brown hair that's tied up into a ponytail with his bangs falling over his forehead. He has green eyes and a pale complexion. He wears a green kimono and a cream-coloured button-up undershirt. Within the game, his facial expressions are often that of fear, surprise or sadness.

During the Special Story, he wears the TOKKOH uniform for a moment with a forest green banded policeman cap and the button up coat, implying that the uniform Saizo was wearing could have been Mitsuru's spare.

## Personality

Saizo can be perceived as somewhat timid and weak as well as quiet. He is often wary regarding TOKKOH officers as shown when he runs from Tetsu and is wary upon meeting Naoya. Saizo is extremely studious, often researching and studying herbs as he intended to become a pharmacist so that he could help people by giving them medicine.

## Background

Ever since Saizo was a child, he enjoyed studying herbs and helping others when he was given the opportunity to do so. Upon realising this, he decided that he wanted to become a pharmacist.

## The Prison Boys

After having been framed as a rebel, Saizo is sent to 12-story prison and ends up in a basement where Nagi and Tetsu attempt to gain his trust after realising that Saizo had known Naoya before his death as he had exclaimed 'Mr Saeki' upon seeing Nagi. After presenting Naoya's suicide note, he perceives it as Naoya's handwriting and explains he had met Naoya in a bookstore.

Saizo, although wary of Naoya's TOKKOH uniform, spoke to Naoya when prompted to do so. Naoya had requested for him to investigate Hades grass and did so. Saizo who enjoyed studying plants was also intrigued by Hades grass as he'd never seen it before. However, during his research, he was sent a letter that instructed him to destroy all his research, the plant and all the other materials he had used to conduct research. Not knowing the purpose of the note, he destroyed the materials as he was instructed to do so and then was framed as a rebel. It is later revealed that Yamato and Kyouji were part of the investigation.

The day after he is brought to 12-Story Prison, it was claimed that he was executed much to Tetsu and Nagi's regret as they were unable to save him as they had promised to do so. All TOKKOH members had stated that an execution had never happened so suddenly so they were all very surprised but didn't care too much about the matter. While Saizo's death is continuously mentioned within the story, this is not the case.

As revealed in his Special Story, Saizo realises that he may have been used by Naoya but he didn't mind as Naoya seemed like an earnest, honest person and can't bring himself to hate him. Proclaiming that he wants to live and be saved, he's approached by a TOKKOH officer holding a body and fears for his life, believing he is to be tortured for information with the body being a corpse to set an example. However, it's revealed to be Mitsuru who had taken a beaten rebel. Mitsuru aids in Saizo's escape from 12-Story Prison by making Saizo wear a spare TOKKOH uniform and making the beaten rebel wear Saizo's clothes.

After they escape, Mitsuru demands the uniform back and gives Saizo new clothes and presents him with a large amount of money to move to a place where no one knows him as he can't remain around Asakusa and can't return to his hometown either. Saizo asks for the name of his saviour and Mitsuru reluctantly reveals his name then claims he's weak, saying how he wanted one person to remember him, implying that if he ever dies, Saizo will at least remember his name.

As instructed to do so, Saizo does move somewhere else and hears about the Kanto earthquake and becomes determined to go back and visit his friends back in Asakusa one day.

## Character Gallery Card 2

> "Speaking of Taisho period, you can't think about it without military gear, Hakama, Apron and Shosei-Style that involves wearing blouses under kimono. So designs preceded the story. I made him as a main character but eventually he could only play an active role only in the last half and wasn't that noticeable. Now I regret it because I should have let him be more active. Shosei is a staple of the story about Taisho period, but do you know what Shosei is? Originally, it meant 'A person who studies hard' though, people generally think it's a person who stays with someone to go university or a high school. Saizo Kusama came to Tokyo to study pharmacy and has stayed in a shoddy house. If the student was really smart and lucky, the house owner would pay the school fees for him/her. You can read about what happened to Saizo after he got arrested in Special Short Stories. Please check it out!"
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