Takenaka Hayato

Hayato grew up in a full house: Mom (a doctor), Dad (a computer programmer), his three-years-older brother, and himself. From a young age, Hayato showed a knack for finding ways to pull things apart to see how they work. He often felt like he was growing up in his brother's shadow, a distant second to the elder and more successful sibling. (This was far from the truth, and his parents went out of their way to encourage each of their sons to follow their own paths, but kids have skewed perspectives.) His brother was always his best friend, though, and the two would spend what free time they had hanging out.

Hayato opted to distinguish himself by being the opposite of his brother. While his brother was studios and hard-working, Hayato would only hand in the minimum amount of homework necessary to pass the class. While his brother stressed over every exam, Hayato would read the textbooks because they interested him, but would prefer to spend his time in the workshop building things. While his brother would distance himself from his classmates so he could focus on getting into medical school, Hayato would go out of his way to make as many friends as he could. Perhaps it was the lack of pressure he put on himself, but Hayato was a quick learner of almost anything, especially if it was how things work.

He sees his engineering as an art: A way to use math and physics in combination with physical media to create things that make people's lives easier or happier, even if just for a little while. He learns calculus and chemistry with the same mindset a poet learns the structure of language. Hayato will often build small contraptions or computer programs for his friends, family, and the occasional teacher. He can also do things like rewire a broken radio or repair a busted bike or the like, but that's not as interesting to him as creating. A lot of his inspiration comes from studying bigger systems such as nature and people, and he's taken up photography as a way to capture those things.