Aihara

> "*You're bolder than I thought, Hachiouji!*"
> ― Aihara to Senpai[source]
>
>

**Aihara** (相原, *Aihara*) is a background character of the *Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro* manga series. He is a high school student and schoolmate of Senpai at Kainan Art Preparation School as well as a member of its "Triumvirate" alongside Hashimoto and Machida, whom later become known as the "Big Four" after Senpai join them.

His first name is currently unknown.

## Appearance

Aihara is an average-stature high schooler with a well proportioned physique, a boyish chin, delicate features and short, straight, brown hair falling on his forhead in a fringe. Aihara has light complexion, thin eyebrows, large expressive brown eyes and a prominent canine on the left side of his mouth. He's almos always seen sporting a relaxed and laid down look on his face. Just like Hashimoto, he is quite a flirty boy and has an eye for the ladies.

He has a liking for simple-style clothing, colored shirts or t-shirts, long bermuda pants and sneakers.

## Personality

Aihara is a calm and friendly individual, albeit very curious and prone to talk about other people and arguments that catch his attention, as he's the one who inquires his friends about what they think of Senpai. He doesn't seem to be a competitive guy, due to be perfectly happy about getting third place in his cram school's evaluation; also, he is very open to change his mind about other people if needed, being quite pleased to find out Senpai was a more passionate person than he first thought, and often acting as peacemaker when Machida lose her temper, even to the point to sometimes physically hold her. Just like Hashimoto, he is quite a flirty boy and has an eye for the ladies.

Despite seeming a ittle more patient about the nickname given to them by the school than his friends, Aihara still doesn't like being referred to as "Triumvirate", but apparently enjoy "Big Four" a bit more. A popular and well-liked individual, he has lot of friends who eagerly would model for him even with little-to-no forewarning; also he has great perception skills.

## Biography

### Early life

Aihara was born in Hayama, Kanagawa, where he became a student at an unknown high school, developing an interest for art and eventually joining the courses of Kainan Art Preparation School for at least a couple of years, becoming one of the top students, and getting the nickname of "Kainan Arts Oil Painting Triumvirate" alongside Hashimoto and Machida.

Aihara also got acquainted with Sana Sunomiya when the latter was attending Kainan while at her last year of high school.

### Story arcs

#### Kainan's Big Four

Somewhat in August before Kainan's mock exam, he gained once again the third place in the cram school's evauation; later, he discussed about the course's newcomer, Senpai, calling him an amateur for joining it so late in his school career. The following day, wanting to step out of his confort zone, Senpai approached Machida for advices, and eventualy befriend the whole "Triumvirate", walking home with them at the end of the day. However, seeing the four, Nagatoro get jealous of Machida and step in thanking them for looking after the boy, right before being introduced to them as his kōhai. As the pair walk away Aihara and Hashimoto commented on Nagatoro being Senpai's girlfriend.

The following day, due to Senpai's improving scores and friendship with the Triumvirate, the teacher declared that from that moment on they would have been the school's "Big Four". As they shared drink to celebrate the moment, Hashimoto and Aihara asked Senpai about his girlfriend, prompting him to admit Nagatoro was not; right at that moment the girl came into the room - having been paying a visit to him - and is visibly sad to confirm his statement. Both Hashimoto and Aihara got flirty with Nagatoro, immediately causing Machida to scold them due to being close to their entrance exams, which she considered a matter of pass or fail and to whom she had thrown away everything else. Afterward, they witnessed Senpai confess that he simply can't throw everything away for it and declared his intention to beat her at their upcoming entrance exam.

As Machida lashed out, both he and Hashimoto ineffectively tried to calm her telling her mock exams aren't a competition. Then, as Kainan's teachers entered the room explaining they need a new person to be the model for the rough sketch portion of the first day of mock exam, Aihara suggested to ask one of is friend; but is more than pleased when they asked Nagatoro and she accepted. Then, after Senpai asked worried if she would have had to pose in the nude and the teacher replied it would be a crime due to the girl being underage, Aihara and Hashimoto quickly deduced that the girl did pose naked for their classmate before. Shortly after, they watch astonished as Machida proposed a bet to Senpai: the loser would have had to model in the nude for the winner.

After Senpai accepted Machida's bet, he and Hashimoto asked the teacher if it wuoldn't be illegal and, as the latter claimed it won't due to them being legally adults, they excuse themselves for the girl's behavior telling her she was "a bit on edge" that year due to being her last chance.

On August 26th, Aihara has the mock exam and, during lunch break complimented Nagatoro for her modeling skills inviting her and Senpai to join him and Hashimoto at a curry restaurant, even joking about being impossible they weren't a couple after the pair replied they would have had homemade bentos together. Then, due to Machida getting angry for this, he and Hashimoto offered to take care of her while they had their bentos. After lunch break, he finished his sketching session and praised Senpai's painting alongside Hashimoto, also watching happily as Machida apologized to the boy fo her statements.

On the following day, he has lunch break with Machida, Hashimoto and Senpai, who explained his plan to confess to Nagatoro if he get first place just like the latter planned to share a kiss with him if winning agains Orihara. The trio playfully laugh it off as overcomplicating the matter, then they noticed the similarities between his paining styles and Sunomiya's. After the end of mock exam, when the results were published, he score the first place.

When the teacher complimented his achievement, Aihara admitted that he was encouraged by seeing the enthusiasm of the rest of the class. Then, he tried to confort Senpai alongside Hashimoto and Machida, but to no avail; however they were later joined by the Sunomiya girls, who managed to restore the boy's spirit eventually leading for them all to go cheering for Nagatoro at the tournament.

After arriving at the stadium, he and the rest of the group joined Sakura, Yoshi, Rabi-chan and Nekoba in the stand to watch Orihara's match. Deeming the latter way stronger than Nagatoro, Aihara and Hashimoto compare the dynamic between the two girls to that between Machida and the older Sunomiya; however Senpai stated that Nagatoro would have had a comeback that very same day, and thus the same would have happened for Machida on the following year's mock exam. Later at lunch break, Aihara and the whole gang rejoined the judokas deciding where to eat.

Later on he assisted at the match between Nagatoro and Orihara, where the former eventually score a full point and managed to win.

## Appearances

### *Manga*

* Chapter 128
* Chapter 129
* Chapter 130
* Chapter 131
* Chapter 132
* Chapter 133
* Chapter 134
* Chapter 135
* Chapter 137
* Chapter 138 (cameo)
* Chapter 141
* Chapter 142 (cameo)

## Trivia

* His surname is revealed in Chapter 128 to be Aihara (相原, *Aihara*), a common Japanese surname lieterally composed by the kanji for "mutual, together" (相, *ai*) and "original" (原, *hara*).
	+ His name might be a reference to Aihara Station in Tokyo prefecture.
* Given that he seem to be a few inches shorter than Senpai (176 cm) his height could be estimated as approximately 170 cm.
* Chapter 129 confirmed that he's the same grade of Senpai.
* Aihara is the third character after Rabi-chan and Shikki whose name was revealed on his first appearance.

## References

 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 129, page 15.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 6.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 129, page 16-17.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 9.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 24.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 10.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 6.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 19.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 130, page 5.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 130, page 20.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 135, page 13.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 129, page 16-17.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 7.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 129, page 15.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 130, page 7.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 130, page 15.
17. ↑ Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Official Fanbook, The Town in Which Nagatoro-san Live.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 5-6.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 7.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 134, page 8.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 9-10.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 128, page 13-24.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 129, page 14-27.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 130, page 1-23.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 131, page 5.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 132, page 1-10.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 133, page 4-11.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 134, page 3-13.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 134, page 26.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 135, page 2-26.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 137, page 15-23.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 141, page 1-22.
 Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Chapter 142, page 1.
34. ↑ Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: Official Fanbook, Main Character Introduction: Senpai.