Maeno Aki

*“Spoiler Alert!”*This article contains **MAJOR SPOILERS**. Although all articles contain spoilers, this article will reveal **major plot twists!**

## Bio

### Relatives

Maeno Risshun (father), Maeno Shuurei (mother)

## Physical Description

### Eyes

Red

**Maeno Aki** (前野アキ), previously known as **Tsugino Haru**, is one of the main characters of *ZENO*. He wakes up as an amnesiac at the start of the game alongside the real Tsugino Haru. Due to Ushirono Fuyu rearranging his file, Maeno initially mistook his own identity to be Tsugino's.

## Personality

Maeno Aki exhibits a lively personality, equal parts excitable and irritable by circumstances. His altruistic habits cause his emotions to be easily swayed by others, bearing concern and self-sacrificing actions that extend even to those that've caused harm to him. Upon regaining his memories, Maeno is shown to harbor heavy feelings of guilt as the one who caused Ushirono Natsu's death and Tsugino Haru's ZENO condition. Additionally, being a former ZENO patient himself, Maeno is prone to experiencing relapses whenever emotionally triggered.

While under ZENO's influence, Maeno is heavily destructive. He becomes sadistic and forces Tsugino to solve deadly puzzles for Maeno's entertainment.

As shown in his flashbacks, Maeno is a psychiatric genius.

## Appearance

Maeno Aki is a young adult of short stature with red hair and light red eyes. His hair is disheveled and accompanied by uneven bangs, the lengthier side of which is constantly kept in a braid. He usually is seen wearing a white T-shirt that slips down his left shoulder along with red-and-black striped sleeves which are not connected to any other article of clothing. Black trousers with red lining and red sandals complete the look. In the Sin Branch as well as the recollection flashbacks, he also wears a white lab coat.

## Background

Maeno's parents were very loving and frequently traveled with him to help develop his talents. When he was five, their car plunged into the sea when they were on one of their trips. Maeno almost drowned, but his parents saved him, causing them to die in his place. He developed an extreme fear of the sea which prohibits him from going to the pool or even taking baths. The medical books his parents left behind were a huge part of his childhood once they passed, as he grew up reading them which resulted in him having a good knowledge of medicine as well as an extraordinary brain. For this, he was often considered a weirdo by those around him.

He became a rival and close friend to his neighbor, Ushirono Fuyu. He also befriended Fuyu's little sister, Ushirono Natsu. At eighteen, he had a ZENO onset and ate Natsu, who also had ZENO, after she forced him to do so. It cured his ZENO, but was a severe detriment to his mental well-being and relationship with Fuyu. Afterward, he was put under house arrest. Due to his skills in the medical field—being someone who specialized in psychiatry—he was considered an important person for ZENO patients and worked as a ZENO researcher. He was a highly-respected doctor and took interest in Tsugino Haru, the most calm of the ZENO patients. He often invited Tsugino to his room despite not having the authority to do so.

## Relationships

* Maeno Aki, Ushirono Fuyu, and Ushirono Natsu
* Maeno Aki, Ushirono Fuyu, and Ushirono Natsu
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### Maeno Risshun

Maeno Risshun is Maeno Aki's biological father. As Maeno loved him, they are implied to have had a good relationship. However, not much is revealed in game.

### Maeno Shuurei

Maeno Shuurei is Maeno Aki's biological mother. As Maeno loved her, they are implied to have had a good relationship. However, not much is revealed in game.

### Tsugino Haru

Initially unbeknownst to Maeno Aki himself, Tsugino Haru's first impressions were when he witnessed Maeno's cannibalism of Ushirono Natsu. This event influenced Tsugino's already skewed perception of 'love' and ultimately led to the blossoming of his ZENO condition. When later transferred into a ZENO treatment facility, Maeno Aki once again crosses paths with Tsugino Haru, who was now his patient. Through persistent friendly acts on Maeno's part, namely psychological counseling and offers of sweet treats, Tsugino warmed up to Maeno. Unfortunately, a relapse of ZENO led to Tsugino attacking Maeno, and Tsugino being placed in isolation before being switched to a different doctor's care.

### Ushirono Fuyu

Before Maeno Aki befriended the Ushirono siblings, Maeno was a reclusive kid who spent a large portion of his time reading at home. This changed when the Ushirono family became his neighbors, where Ushirono Fuyu grew to be his childhood friend as a result. After Ushirono Natsu's passing, the relationship between the two inevitably became strained. The two crossed paths later in life as work colleagues due to a shared career field in ZENO research.

### Ushirono Natsu

When Maeno Aki befriended Ushirono Fuyu, Ushirono Natsu naturally grew to be his childhood friend by extension. Despite her confession of love towards Maeno, he continues to view her as a younger sister figure. Maeno feels immense remorse over her death. In the endings where he completely regains his memories, he vows to never forget his sin of ending her life.