Rihito's Father

Rihito's father is a supporting character in the *Doukyuusei* series, and the protagonist of the spin-off *Sajou Rihito no Chichi to Sono Buka*. Though he frequently works abroad, he currently resides in Tokyo.

## Bio

### Appearance

Rihito's father has dark, slicked back hair that appears to show signs of greying. He has wrinkles and small irises. His default expression is a frown, even when he's not in a bad mood. Like his son, he wears glasses, though his have square frames as opposed to Rihito's circle frames.

### Personality

A stern and conservative man, Rihito's father is rarely seen smiling. During his first appearance in *Blanc*, he appears to be outspoken about his views and reacts with anger and even violence when challenged on them, though it's possible the level of these outbursts were due to heightened emotions regarding the death of his wife. He eventually shows shows some remorse for his behavior and by *Home* and *Sajou Rihito no Chichi to Sono Buka*, he appears to have mellowed out a little and is more open-minded, though he still has a ways to go. Normally, when talking to people that aren't his family, he seems to mostly keep his thoughts to himself. He has a stubborn streak, a trait his son shares.

### Background

For much of his son's childhood, Rihito's father is absent due to working overseas. These work trips appear to be very frequent, as a seemingly 3-4 year old Rihito does not seem to recognize his father in *Home* chapter 3's flashback. He would take Rihito with him overseas during long school breaks, but this only lasted until 8th grade due to Rihito's poor English skills.

His first real appearance in the series is after the death of his wife. He sternly tells Hikaru to leave the hospital room, and he slaps Rihito after he confesses that Hikaru is his romantic partner. He then berates his son for doing this in front of the deceased Kumi, and blames Hikaru and that "slacker school" for Rihito being gay and his son speaking out against him. On the day of the funeral, he apologizes for what happened but not for his words, and tells Rihito to take his rings off during the funeral. When challenged on his, he states this his own wedding ring is "different" from Rihito's. When Rihito and Hikaru run off during the funeral, Rihito's father is angry at their disruption and follows them. When Hikaru tells him they're going to get married, he says nothing, and he and Rihito do not speak again until the wedding day.

After discovering the CD Hikaru made for the late Kumi, he appears to have somewhat of a change of heart and turns up at the wedding to drop off the CD and a gift, albeit without alerting the two of his appearance. He watches the ceremony from afar, and then leaves without a word. When Rihito chases after him, he does not face his son, but thanks Hikaru for the CD and says that Kumi was grateful.

As of *Home*, he and Rihito are on speaking terms again, though they have communication issues: Rihito's father is making steps to be more understanding of his son's sexuality, however this includes making somewhat insensitive remarks such as, "When did you start being like *that?*". By the end of chapter 3, they find some common ground due to him putting in too many tea leaves when making tea, mirroring Rihito's actions in *Sotsugyousei,* and the both of them laugh, allowing Rihito to answer his previous question with "I've always liked men, ever since I can remember." His father understands, and remarks that he never even noticed. In Chapter 6, he buys the couple some quilts and a fridge for their new home.

In *Sajou Rihito no Chichi to Sono Buka*, his heart seems to be changing even more, even calling out a colleague for forcing his homophobic opinions on others. He also expresses regret for not being home and around his wife and son more often.

## Appearances

 Sajou Rihito no Chichi to Sono Buka | Major Character

## Trivia

* His given name is currently unknown.
* Though his first major appearance is in *Blanc in* 2019, he first makes a cameo in *Sotsugyousei* in 2009.

## References

1. ↑ https://ikezuyawa.tumblr.com/post/646348874937679872/timeline-of-sajou-rihito-a-bespectacled-honor