Ite Hagiwara

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A 22-year-old college dropout with poor social skills and a peculiar appearance, **Ite** **Hagiwara** works as a baker at his mother's bakery, Soul Baker bakery. Unable to pick a passion to prioritise, he currently juggles baking various desserts, skateboarding, fabric painting, and occasionally playing in Eloi's band.

He's the main protagonist of Hollow and Idle.

## Appearance

Ite has a fair complexion and three moles: one under his bottom lip, one by the right corner of his left eye, and the last is under his left eyebrow. His relatives often joke that the right side of his face must be hideous.

He has a messy jellyfish haircut coloured two different shades of purple, with the front half dyed iris and gradating into a viola purple. To commemorate his mother and grandmother, Ite has kept and maintained a long rat tail his original hair colour (black). It becomes useful when tying his hair into a bun when baking.

Ite also has heterochromia, with his right eye being dark grey and the left coloured hot pink, and two long eyelashes protruding from the sides. He often appears to be slyly smiling with sleepy eyes; compared to a fox by the many customers he serves or whoever happens to catch sight of him. Unfortunately, his face usually fails to accurately portray whatever he's feeling. (e.g., polite smile appears as sly, or flirtatious)

Ite's wardrobe consists of mostly casual, simplistic clothing. He doesn't mind accessories, but also doesn't prefer it. You'll know he's running errands or working at the bakery if he appears in a jumper — bonus points if it's a turtleneck — and black jeans. If he's wearing baggy sweatpants or jeans and an oversized graphic hoodie, he's not doing anything in particular, or merely partaking in one of his many hobbies (e.g., skateboarding) at the time.

## Personality

Contrary to his playful expression, Ite is quite shy with poor social skills. Often speedily overtalking and stuttering, or remaining silent at times when a reply is expected in conversation.

He is ambitious and knowledgeable in the many things he likes, but struggles to retain information and maintain focus, often making small mistakes like misreading measuring equipment despite being a baker for such a long time. Mistakes like this can deeply offend customers, though there are chances of customers ignoring the blunder or feeling unreasonably insulted due to Ite's charming fox expression; often misunderstanding him to be mischievous and purposeful in serving incorrect orders or radiantly enamouring.

## Etymology

Ite's name is a variant of the name "Ide/a" or a short form of "Itege" - a sovereign title hailing from Ethiopia. The name "Ite" represents "work"; "labour"; "industrious one"; chosen in hopes of furthering his mother's bakery's success. Learning these foreign, prosperous meanings from her husband while on the hospital bed chose her to agree on this name without doing research, until searches two years later presented that "Ite" was also a feminine name meaning "wise woman", "virgin" (he has since stayed true this meaning), and other terms such as "sister".

In Igbo, "Ite" also means pot. This definition is an inside joke between Ite and his mother.

## History

### Early years

As a child, Ite often appeared confused and indifferent to his surroundings. In reality, he was merely slow to processing things. His hair grew unnaturally fast, which intensely irked other parents, and was a deep, pitch black, frightening other children when paired with his dull expressions and heterochromia. By 5, Taii Hagiwara opened her bakery, 'Soul Baker Bakery', somehow, but continued to struggle immensely with expenses and overbearing workload, as her husband often avoided working and would provide her useless excuses that she would reluctantly accept.

Previously, there was a routine Ite's grandmother abided by in order to check on her children and grandchildren: every 3 years, for 3 years, she is to live with one of her five children - in order of eldest to youngest - to observe their financial and familial situation. The routine has stayed consistent and was supposed to be followed for a long time, but it was broken upon moving in with her final daughter, Taii, and her 6-year-old son, Ite.

At just 5, Ite's father, Haruto Hagiwara, suddenly disappeared from the family, taking his guitar, money, and his son's favourite coat despite the size difference. He cut all contact with his relatives and has been assumed missing since. This gave children at school another reason to exclude and avoid Ite, and his social skills barely developed as a result. Ite spent the rest of his school years performing averagely and being alone.

By the age of 9, Ite was able to aid his mother and grandmother in their work. He would endure toils of a school day to quickly pace home and serve customers until the bakery closed, then practice skateboarding at night behind the shop. He eventually taught himself to skate within a year and became interested in fabric painting as he discovered graphic hoodies and tees, simultaneously becoming more involved in the baking process of working at Taii's bakery than serving customers, as his long hair and heterochromia deterred passersby.

Eventually starting high school, Ite learned to arrive at school wearing a man-bun and grey contacts to lessen negative attention. His face became excellent in conveying the opposite of his sincere emotions and Ite maintained the reputation of a cold student with a possible delinquent past by refusing interactions with his classmates and quickly trudging home as soon as school ended. He noticed no one and no one noticed him.

Every day remained the same until the ages 16-17, when Taii began paying Ite for his extensive contribution to the bakery, as it gained an average following, and she hired a more youthful courier to deliver her goods. Coincidentally, the new employee attended Ite's high school as well, and Taii assumed his wild appearance would somehow attract more customers. Named Eloi, he was also intended to serve as Ite's first ever friend.

Despite their poor first impressions, Ite would see Eloi almost everyday, both at the bakery and now at school. Eloi conversed with Ite whenever they met and Ite greatly admired the boy's clothing style, ambitions, and explosive personality. They soon grew to be best friends and Eloi encouraged Ite to do more with his looks, such as dyeing and cutting his hair. Unsurprisingly, Eloi was Ite's gay-awakening, and he gradually grew feelings for his classmate. They're still present to this day.

A year later, Taii's bakery suffered a month-long attack from a loan shark who was looking for Haruto, her husband, to repay loan debts. He had pinned his location there in hopes that Taii would have the sufficient money. On the very first occasion, Taii had left the shop in the hands of Ite to meet up with someone. Though it was temporarily closed to undergo certain changes, Ite was at the counter when a brick suddenly smashed through the windows, and he remained there until the attacking mob discovered him and demanded Haruto's whereabouts. Ite explained his father's estrangement and that he and his mother by no means had enough money to repay debts they didn't owe, to which the gang disbelieved him and continued destroying the shop. Ite remained unharmed by their hands, but could only muster enough courage to call Eloi for support.

## Family

Both of Ite's parents are Japanese. Currently, Ite lives with his mother, Taii Hagiwara, and his grandmother, Kimi, as an only child.

## Gallery

For Ite's gallery, please go to Ite/Gallery.