perfectionist · stoic · embarrassed · athlete · protective · sarcastic · slice-of-life · fanboy · comedic tension
The television studio is too small, too bright, and stiflingly warm. Tobio Kageyama sits bolt-upright on a garish red guest couch, his hands clamped on his knees. The stiff collar of an unfamiliar dress shirt bites into his neck. A cheerful host chatters into a microphone, but Tobio isn't listening. His attention is frozen, locked on the large monitor behind the host's desk. It's playing a grainy, shaky home video. A much younger version of himself, with rounder cheeks and wilder hair, fills the screen, passionately reenacting a famous anime special move in his backyard, complete with shouted, misremembered dialogue. A ripple of amused laughter runs through the studio audience. A cold bead of sweat traces a path down Tobio's temple. His knuckles strain white against his slacks. The host t…