History Characters / SlowDamageMainCharacters

The protagonist of ''Slow Damage''. For more information, refer to his [[Characters/ SlowDamageTowa character page]].

The protagonist of ''Slow Damage''. For more information, refer to his [[SlowDamageTowa character page]].

[- '''Main Characters''' | [[Characters/SlowDamageSupportingCharacters Supporting Characters]]]]-]]]

!!!'''Voiced by''': Creator/YukiOno [[note]] Credited as Santa Hīragi [[/note]]

[[quoteright:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_towa_7.png]]

->'''Age''': 26\\
'''Birthday''': March 7\\
'''Height''': 175 cm\\
'''Blood Type''': A

The main protagonist of ''Slow Damage''. He lives in his own studio on the third floor of Murase Clinic and currently works as a receptionist in the clinic. In his free time, he likes hanging out in the bar, Roost. He has the unique ability to see the auras of other human beings.

* AmnesiacHero: Towa is later revealed to have almost little to no recollection of his past besides a detail or two, though [[spoiler: it's not until Fujieda's route]] that the reason behind his memory loss is revealed.
* AmnesiaDanger: Inverted in that the danger comes from Towa ''remembering'' his past in Fujieda's route, [[spoiler: partly because his mind is at risk of breaking upon learning the truth, and partly because of what Sakaki has in store for Towa once the latter remembers everything about Maya]].
* AndIMustScream: This is Towa's fate in [[spoiler: Fujieda's (or rather, ''his own'') Madness ending. He impersonates Maya in order to distract Sakaki from killing Fujieda, but he fails to break out of character and gets so absorbed into the persona that he essentially ''becomes'' Maya, all while claiming that he's still Towa. However, the real Towa comes out for a brief moment to call out to Fujieda for help, painfully aware that he's now a prisoner in his own mind]].
* AnimalMotifs: More than one character has likened Towa to a cat, or more specifically, a stray cat. Depending on the character, the comparison is made either in a teasing way or a demeaning way.
* AntiHero: Downplayed. Towa, besides the fact that he's packed with all kinds of physical and mental trauma, prefers to mind his own business and isn't what anyone would call honorable, empathetic or virtuous, but he still has a heart and some moral scruples, and won't hesitate to protect the people he cares for when the time calls for it.
* AuraVision: Towa has the ability to see people's auras except for his own, and the way said ability is described hints that Towa might have something akin to real-life synesthesia. He is able to use this ability to tell if someone's lying to him or not, and to read and manipulate people.
* BlemishedBeauty: Towa is a near-complete dead ringer for his mother, who is described by many to be incredibly beautiful. The difference is that he has a lot of scars that extend from his face down to his legs, and they're eye-catching in both an alarming and an alluring way to many people. As aptly explained by Toono:
--> '''Toono''': Allure and disgust are two sides of the same coin. I imagine most people avert their eyes when they chance upon a freak like you, but surely not all of them. Some are subconsciously drawn to your scars. And for that matter, there are actually quite a lot of people who secretly yearn to tarnish something beautiful. If that sort of person were to see you, it would spark desire. Since you're already damaged goods, they figure they can get away with a little rough handling.
* BloodKnight: In his teenage years, while still masochistic, he also had just as much fun in beating the hell out of anyone who provoked him enough. This side of him gradually went away after the incident that cost him his eye, though said side can come back in full throttle in Madarame's route.
* BrokenBird: To sum up: the reason Towa is so detached, has an unhealthy love for pain and is eerily indifferent about his own welfare is because [[spoiler: he has been through several kinds of abuse that would make the ordeals of many other abused children seem tame by comparison]]. Even though Towa [[spoiler:has forgotten all about his childhood, the damage his past had inflicted on him run too deep that not even amnesia can help him start on a completely clean slate]].
* CallingParentsByTheirName: In the event that he [[spoiler: recalls his childhood and, consequently, Maya, the tone he uses whenever he speaks of her changes entirely]] and refuses to regard [[spoiler: her a maternal figure worthy of any filial respect]]. In the few instances he [[spoiler: addresses her as "[his] mother"]], he means it in the loosest sense possible. Otherwise, he always [[spoiler: refers to her by either her stage name or by the term "that woman"]], and both are said in a cold and hostile tone.
* CasualKink: In all good endings, Towa no longer seeks the extremes of sexual violence as he once did, although he still feels aroused whenever his scars get touched and the extent to which he still indulges in a bit of pain during sex varies from love interest to love interest. [[note]]From mildest to roughest: Taku, Fujieda, Rei and Madarame.[[/note]]
* ColorMotif: Red is Towa's signature color, and even though he cannot see it, it is also the color of his Smoke.
** Red symbolizes passion, impulse and desire, all which are connected to both Towa's hobby and what he is most motivated to paint. Red also represents lust, and Towa has become somewhat infamous for his willingness to sleep with anyone who gave him the excitement he craved, no matter who they may be.
** It is also a color commonly associated with violence and danger, both of which Towa has lived through in the past and continues to go through by now, either because of a situation outside his control or because he outwardly seeks to be given pain and suffering. Likewise, red is the color of blood, something Towa sees on a daily basis either due to his extreme masochism or because of his client's desires. Yet even then, [[spoiler:it is also a color that he subconsciously despises because of his past in the red room where he was kept prisoner and tortured day after day]].
** At the same time, red symbolizes struggle and survival, and both aspects play an important role in the true route, where the plot is mainly focused on [[spoiler:Towa confronting the demons of his past. In the end, despite nearly being overwhelmed with the despair brought forth by his horrid memories, he still strives to live on as his own person, hence defying his mother's final wish for him]].
* CompellingVoice: Played with. He can actually see hints of what people desire when he looks at them and uses that to his advantage to wrap the people he's targeting around his finger. He even muses that he's quite the scammer because of this ability.
* ConvenientlyOrphaned: Just like [[VisualNovel/LamentoBeyondTheVoid Konoe]] and [[VisualNovel/SweetPool Youji]], Towa's biological parents are already dead, with his father's death happening right at the beginning of the game. [[spoiler: The death of his ''other'' parent is intrinsically tied to Towa's past, and is part of the reason why certain memories of his childhood are always vague and fuzzy.]]
* CoveredWithScars: He has several kinds of cuts adorning his face, wrists, chest and back. Some of them are even [[SelfHarm self-inflicted]].
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:Towa suffered a lot from his childhood. He had an unstable psychopath of a mother who brought him along so he can serve customers that would brutally torture or [[RapeAsBackstory rape]] him. Every time, his mother would always attempt to comfort him with the words "It's okay", which soon turned into his TraumaButton]]. He then befriended someone who [[spoiler:tried to help him escape... only for said person to be killed on his mother's orders. Then finally, when he rejected his mother for the first time and refused to let her continue her madness, his mother was utterly enraged and even attempted to kill him. Towa pushed her in an act of self-defense, only for his mother to fall downstairs, resulting in her death]]. [[TraumaInducedAmnesia The resulting shock from the experience hit Towa so hard that he ended up forgetting about the whole thing.]]
* DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes: Downplayed. Towa can walk out during the day just fine, but he's not used to having the sunlight in his studio, as he reacts with complete discomfort when Fujieda opens the windows to let in some fresh air.
* DeadpanSnarker: Towa can be sardonic at times, and he tends to deliver his witty remarks with either a blank face or a small smirk in the same impassive tone he always talks in.
* DefrostingIceKing: Towa's edges visibly soften after getting together with Fujieda in the latter's route, and it's noticeable enough for Rei and a few other characters to point it out. The trope applies even more once he fully gets closure with his past. While he's still not the most expressive person, Towa is not as aloof as he was before, is more open with his emotions, and outwardly shows his concern for others.
* DelinquentHair: It's hard to notice at first, but the tips of his hair have a rusted-gold highlight color to it. In Madarame's route, it's revealed that he used to dye his hair blonde in the past, and will dye his hair blonde again in Madarame's Euphoria ending.
* DespairEventHorizon: After Towa [[spoiler: fully remembers Mei]], he is left completely distraught and broken by [[spoiler: the realization that an innocent life was taken away because of him]], and the guilt eats up at him to the point that he [[spoiler: tries to end it all and kill himself]].
* DissonantSerenity: Towa often remains tranquil and expressionless even in situations where one would expect him to have a bit of a reaction. However, the narration makes it clear that he is ''feeling'' some emotion even if he isn't expressing it.
* DistressedDude: Putting aside the instances where he willingly engages in an InterplayOfSexAndViolence with someone else, the number of times that Towa gets in situations where his life is endangered still can't be counted with only two hands.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Towa isn't a fan of boiled sweet beans.
* DoNotCallMePaul: [[spoiler: In the past, every time Towa would think about his real name, his mind would immediately attempt to make him forget because of the trauma linked to his identity as Haruto. In fact, being called by his real name makes Towa literally sick.]]
* EccentricArtist: Towa's main hobby is painting, and even has his own studio. However, he only paints people, mainly because people have desires that Towa can see through their auras. However, he also does not paint often, only picking up the brush when driven by an urge to do it, and he only feels the urge under ''very'' specific conditions.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: He has black hair and pale skin, which on their own is an indicator of his cool and stoic nature. But combine that with the scars marring the skin and his unhealthy love for pain-- and anyone can tell that there's just something ''off'' about Towa.
* EmotionallyTongueTied: Downplayed. Towa isn't someone who's shy with words, but he's not the kind of person anyone would expect to ever say "I love you". True enough, he never says those three words with any of his love interests after they get together. That being said, the narration does make his feelings clear, and he does get to show his affection for his lover in other ways.
* EmptyEyes: His sprites in Taku's Madness ending show that his eyes are completely blank and unfocused. This is a result of [[spoiler: his growing addiction to the drugs Taku would give him, causing his sanity and cognition to go haywire.]]
* EveryoneHasStandards:
** Towa neither hates nor likes kids in particular, but he feels sickened at the thought of children being sexually abused.
** While Towa prefers to stay uninvolved in other people's troubles, even he holds some level of disdain for [[spoiler: Rei's father. He even takes the initiative to deck the man in the face just because he's enraged at how much of a shitty person and parent the other man is.]]
** Towa has countless justifiable reasons to [[spoiler: hate his mother and refuse to acknowledge her as family]], but even he's left horrified when he remembers that [[spoiler: he caused Maya's death. This, even though it was she who attacked him first, and the fact that when he shoved her down the staircase, it was done purely in self-defense]].
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange:
** Towa grows out his hair in Taku's route and his hair color loses its bleached edges, symbolizing how Towa had changed for the better after receiving genuine and gentle affection from another person.
** In Madarame's route, Towa dyes his hair blonde the same way he once did in the past. This signifies how he has turned back into more HotBlooded and headstrong self.
* ExpositoryPronoun: The trope is used to ominous effect for Towa in Fujieda's Madness ending, [[spoiler: where Maya's influence won over and Towa ends up "becoming" her to the point that he starts to imitate her physical and verbal mannerisms. When Fujieda sees Towa again, he realizes that something is ''wrong'' when Towa [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns refers to himself]] with the feminine "''watashi''" instead of the more masculine "''ore''"]].
* EyeScream: Towa no longer has his right eye, and covers the eyelid with a medical patch. This is because [[spoiler: said eye got shot off when Towa attempted to take a shot meant for Madarame, with the bullet rupturing his eyeball]].
* ForgetsToEat: His main source of sustenance is coffee and alcohol. If he ever eats food, he only eats a very small amount, to which Rei and Taku occasionally press him to eat some more. However, it's when Towa becomes consumed with the desire to paint that he will completely neglect to eat, let alone drink, anything.
* FormerTeenRebel: Towa was a lot more HotBlooded and belligerent dDuring his time in the Takasato-gumi. While he was not the type to pick fights, he could easily be provoked into exchanging fists, and he also used to enjoy doling out pain as much as he did receiving it.
* FragileSpeedster: He's nowhere near the likes of Rei or Madarame in terms of fighting skill, but Towa can still land a hit just as well as he can take one. Though even with his high pain threshold, his low stamina and overall poor physical condition makes him highly susceptible to getting knocked out after he gets beaten up badly enough.
* FreakOut: The more Towa [[spoiler:digs deeper into his past]], the more emotionally unstable he becomes, and it gets bad enough that he often suffers spontaneous outbursts of unhinged emotion. It reaches its peak when he [[spoiler:finally recovers his memories about both Maya and Mei]], and he begins screaming almost nonstop as the memories come flooding back to his mind.
* FunctionalAddict: Towa ingests nicotine and alcohol far more often than he does actual food and water, and he completely neglects his health once he gets into the zone as the artist ''euphoria''. Nonetheless, provided he's not too mentally stressed, he's able to do his job as a receptionist just fine even if he isn't the most punctual worker around.
* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:His real name is Haruto Sakuragi]], though he would rather not have anything to do with that name. [[spoiler: Any time he even tries to remember his real name, his mind would immediately repress it.]]
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: He frequently smokes to the point that Rei nags him for pulling out a cigarette when he and Taku come over for dinner. Taku even remarks that Towa is quite the heavy smoker. In all of the Euphoria endings, Towa cuts back on the habit, though he still smokes from time to time.
* HatesTheirParent: After Towa [[spoiler:remembers his past and what his mother was really like, every time he thinks of her or speaks of her]], it is with a measure of dread but mostly of contempt. [[spoiler:His confrontation with Sakaki even has him confirm outright that he despises her, and for a very good reason.]]
* HatingOnMonday: Towa isn't too fond of the month of December, although he doesn't know why. It's revealed in Fujieda's route that this is because December [[spoiler:is the month Maya died]], and anything related to that event is something his mind is actively trying to forget.
* HeManWomanHater: Downplayed. Towa doesn't ''despise'' women, per se, but he generally feels uncomfortable in their presence and can't feel relaxed around them like he does with men. There are a few women that he can have a civil interaction with, however.
* HemoErotic: Rough treatment aside, another easy way to turn Towa on during sex is to cut him and make him bleed. It's only in Madarame's endings that he retains this specific type of lust, as he gets aroused whenever he tastes or smells blood.
* HeroicBSOD: After Towa [[spoiler:recovers his memories]], he undergoes a near-complete breakdown and spends a few hours in a state of depression, then goes on a self-destructive rampage where [[spoiler: he lets himself get beaten up and violated right before he attempts to burn himself alive]].
* HiddenDepths: Towa has surprisingly beautiful handwriting, something Rei comments on when Towa has to write an impromptu sign for the clinic.
* HouseHusband: After Towa and Fujieda get together, Towa is the one who looks after the house whenever Fujieda is out for work and takes care of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry.
* IAmNotMyFather: The climax of Fujieda's route reveals that [[spoiler: Maya's final wish was to have Towa molded into another version of her. In the good ending, Towa refuses to let this happen, resolving that he is own person and not a copy of his mother.]]
* IAmNotPretty: Towa rarely, if at all, comments on his appearance. The one time he does is when Fujieda comments on how bad he looks due to the recent injuries he sustained, to which Towa misunderstood his statement and casually replies that he always looked unsightly. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, he's visibly embarrassed when Fujieda tells him that he's beautiful.
* TheInsomniac: He sleeps and wakes at ''very'' irregular hours, and he's only able to get any sleep at all thanks to some hypnotics prescribed by Taku. Even then, he always has trouble waking up on time before his shift at the clinic starts.
* InterruptedSuicide: [[spoiler:After Towa tells Fujieda about his past and what happened to Mei, Towa falls into a state of depression. Believing that Mei's death isn't worth his own life, he attempts to [[DrivenToSuicide end it all]] by [[KillItWithFire burning himself in his studio]]. Had Fujieda not arrived in time, Towa would have already kicked the bucket]].
* JerkassHasAPoint: He oftentimes acts harsh with Taku in the latter's route, but more often than not, his curt behavior isn't uncalled for especially when he reminds Taku that whether he likes it or not, his troubles ended up getting Towa involved. Likewise, he calls out Taku for being irresolute yet again in the ''After Story'' drama CD and sugarcoats nothing when he points out how Taku's been vacillating in many matters; thus inadvertently making things worse. However harsh Towa's words were, they're also what helps Taku properly reflect and resolve to be more decisive.
* KickTheSonOfABitch:
** In this case, it's actually [[spoiler: the son who dishes it out on the bitch herself. While matricide is often seen as a terrible crime, Maya was a mother no child should ever have, and every single physical and mental scar that Towa carries can be traced back to her abuse, be it of the direct or indirect kind]]. Therefore, it's hard not to side with Towa when [[spoiler: he -- albeit unintentionally -- pushed his mother down the stairs, with the injuries she sustained from the fall eventually claiming her life]].
** A more direct example of the trope happens in the Euphoria ending of Fujieda's route. [[spoiler: Towa defiantly tells Sakaki that he will never become Maya before throwing away her pocket watch, causing Sakaki to go after it and inadvertently die by falling down the stairs-- thus meeting the same end that Maya did]]. While it was not necessarily Towa's intention to have that happen, no one's admonishing him for it either since by then, [[spoiler: Towa, Fujieda and the player already know about Sakaki's true colors]].
* LackOfEmpathy: Zigzagged. By Towa's own admission, he is apathetic to everything and everyone around him and doesn't have much in the way of emotion. There are even a few times where he gets called out for his tendency to remain stone-faced even in a situation where someone's physical or emotional well-being is compromised. However, Towa ''can'' feel compassion, even if he's not the most expressive about it.
* LikeParentUnlikeChild: Zigzagged. Towa may have inherited his mother's looks and his persuasion skills are due to what she taught him, but deep down, they are ''not'' the same. Maya [[spoiler: manipulated and murdered with no remorse, found herself incapable of expressing a healthy and normal kind of love until the very end and died lonely and unfulfilled]]. On the other hand, Towa [[spoiler: is capable of feeling empathy and can learn to genuinely love and be loved by someone, with all of his good endings having him find that particular someone, thus ensuring that he will never be alone or abandoned]].
* LivingLieDetector: Towa's ability to see the auras, or the "Smoke", of other people allows him to perceive how they're really feeling and whether they're being honest with him or not.
* LonelyRichKid: Towa grew up in an opulent mansion where his mother also ran her business, which was an extremely lucrative one. [[spoiler: However, the kind of environment Towa was raised in [[FriendlessBackground didn't allow him to have any friends or even just a group of people he could feel at ease with]]. The one time he managed to make a friend, said friend was also tragically taken away from him.]]
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: In Taku's good ending, Towa grows out his hair, and [[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G25zEnd71dM/YELdymMeh8I/AAAAAAAAEOM/GQATwqd8h08wrrvTxLfNN0-Jz9c2cZxyACLcBGAsYHQ/s1276/Screenshot_202.png he looks absolutely lovely with it]].
* MadeOfIron: Zigzagged. His exposure to being cut and mauled multiple times have left him with an extremely high pain threshold. However, he's not the most physically active person around and this, combined with his tendency to eat as little food as possible, makes it easier than usual for him to get exhausted.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: Because of Towa's proclivity for pain, his reactions amount to no more than a flinch or a weak grunt or gasp whenever he gets punched, cut, or stabbed. The only time he ever ''exclaims'' in pain is when his arm gets brutally snapped in Taku's route.
* MarkOfShame: Subverted. Even after [[spoiler: remembering Maya and how he got some of the scars on his body]], Towa still chooses to see his scars as his own mark and not his mother's.
* MasterActor: Tying in with his ability to manipulate and charm people, Towa can put up a convincing façade if he needs to.
* MeaningfulName:
** Towa's name is derived from the phrase "''daredemo'' '''''towa'''''''zu''", which essentially means that he'll hook up with anyone no matter who they may be.
** Towa's artist name is ''euphoria''. "Euphoria" means the experience (or effect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. This can explain his personality, as he only reacts strongly to things that he finds interesting.
* MenCantKeepHouse: His studio is cluttered and messy, with the smell of oil paints always permeating the room.
* MiseryBuildsCharacter: Deconstructed. Almost everything about why Towa's personality and proclivities are the way they are has something to do with [[spoiler: the abuse that he was subjected to in his childhood, resulting in his masochism and his tendency to indulge himself in many kinds of destructive and violent vices as both a coping mechanism and a means of self-castigation]]. When Towa [[spoiler: remembers his past in full in the GoldenEnding, he briefly falls into despair but soon resolves to live on and refuses to conform to what his mother wanted for him]], and [[spoiler:both Fujieda and Taku commend him for overcoming his trauma]].
* TheMisophonic: Inverted. Towa isn't one for talking and he's not fond of being in loud spaces, but he hates it even more if there is no noise whatsoever filling the room. His aversion to complete silence is strongly implied to [[spoiler: have something to do with his traumatic childhood]].
* MrFanservice: It comes with the territory of being a Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] protagonist, but there are a lot of official artwork that feature Towa in provocative or outright explicit poses.
* MustHaveNicotine: He smokes a lot, to the point he pretty much says that if he could, he'd live off of just tobacco.
--> '''Towa''': Cigarettes are my food and water.\\
'''Taku''': No, you still need ''actual'' food and water. Otherwise you'll kick the bucket early.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** After he remembers his past, he's devastated to realize that he [[spoiler: has been replicating his mother's actions of having others enact their twisted desires on him]], even though that is precisely [[spoiler: the same experience that left him with all sorts of deep-seated trauma]].
** Even though he [[spoiler: detests Maya for everything she had done to him]], the memory of him [[spoiler: pushing his mother down to her death]] is still horrifying enough for his mind to repress it. When recalls that incident, his first reaction is to scream in terror.
* NayTheist: Downplayed. Towa isn't into religion, but he also isn't against it either, and only shrugs off the idea by remarking that whether his prayers are sincere or not, if God exists, he's bound to hear and acknowledge it anyway.
* NiceToTheWaiter: Anytime Towa would buy snacks at ''Tajima's'', he will always tell the owner to keep the change.
* NightmareFetishist: Given what he does as ''euphoria'', it comes with the territory that he finds himself just as captivated and intrigued as his models are with regards to their truest desires, no matter how morbid and twisted that desire may be, especially if pain is involved.
* NoSocialSkills: Subverted. Towa is asocial, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't know his way around a conversation. He's more observant than he appears and he has a good understanding of human behavior, and his skills in persuasion allow him to know the right thing to say depending on who he's speaking to.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Towa's indifferent personality makes him come across as the kind of person who wouldn't really care what happens around him. However, Towa uses his apathetic demeanor to his advantage when he's plotting something in the long run while making people think that he's too disinterested to even do such a thing.
* ObliviousToLove: Towa fails to notice Taku and Rei's growing feelings for him in their respective routes until they outright spell it out to him.
* AnOddPlaceToSleep: Towa prefers to sleep on the couch even though there's a bed on his studio. This is mainly because the couch is closer to the door so he doesn't want to waste the effort of walking a few more steps to the bed.
* OnlyOneName: Towa is introduced without a family name. If he ever needs to use a surname, Towa uses Taku's last name as an alias. [[spoiler: It's soon revealed in Fujieda's route that his legal name is Haruto Sakuragi, but Towa doesn't want to be involved with that identity ever again and still prefers to go by his current name.]]

** Although the time needed for Towa to complete a painting varies from model to model, he never actually struggles with ''finishing'' the painting. The moment this happens, both he and the others are highly alarmed.
** Towa isn't the most enthusiastic, let alone the most punctual, about his job, but he still does his job nonetheless; hence it becomes obvious when he starts slipping up and becomes forgetful and unfocused during work hours.
** Towa may love to hurt himself, but he never seeks to ''kill'' himself, and while he doesn't wish to die, he won't resist either if death comes knocking. [[spoiler:Therefore, it says something about how much he's been put through the wringer when he decides to willingly end his own life.]]
* PastExperienceNightmare: Towa occasionally suffers from nightmares, which are hinted to be about memories that he had forgotten, although he never has a clear idea of what exactly he would be dreaming about. [[spoiler: It is only in Fujieda's route that his dreams and what they signify become clearer and clearer; with each nightmare more horrifying than the last.]]
* PeekABangs: His hair covers the right side of his eye, which is also covered with a patch.
* PhysicalScarsPsychologicalScars: Even though Towa is in disbelief about it, the scars across his face and body ''are'' an indicator that there's something troubling him deep down, even though he can't figure out or recall what kind of baggage he's carrying. It's only in Fujieda's route that Towa (and the player) will realize how his physical and his mental scars are connected, [[spoiler: and it all has something to do with what Towa was subjected to at his dear mother's behest]].
* RageBreakingPoint: When Towa was a child, he was helpless against [[spoiler: the treatment he was subjected to by his mother, and all he could do was do whatever she wanted]]. It took only until [[spoiler: Mei's death]] for him to decide that enough was enough and [[spoiler: confront Maya, refusing to follow her orders any longer]].
* RapeAsBackstory: Towa [[spoiler:was passed around by his mother to her clients. Since she was running what was essentially a DenOfIniquity, at least half of them were given the opportunity to violate him in all kinds of ways]]. This is the root cause behind his promiscuity and his propensity for painful and violent sex.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: Towa has black hair with skin so pale that it's almost white in color.
* ReallyGetsAround: He regularly hooks up with strangers. [[spoiler:It turns out that when he was a child, his mother would force him to serve her "customers", thus Towa's hypersexuality is a result of the abuse he suffered in the past.]]
* RealMenCook: He's helpless with keeping his room organized and clean, so one wouldn't expect him to know his way around a kitchen. Though it turns out, he knows how to prepare his own meals if he needs to, as he proves to cook even better than Fujieda in the latter's route.
* RealMenHateSugar: Much like Taku, Towa is not one for sweets and the mere sight of a whole plateful of them is enough to give him heartburn; although he still can help himself to a sweet pastry once in a while.
* RebelliousSpirit: According to both Rei and Madarame, Towa used to be a lot spunkier and more defiant in his youth.
* TheQuietOne: He's not one to speak much, even when around the people he's close to.
* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler: All the wounds that Towa had sustained from the various kinds of harm and torture he was forcefully subjected to in his childhood]] had left a permanent mark on his body, resulting in scars of various lengths and sizes across his body.
* SelfHarm: Towa is a masochist by nature, leading to a few scenes where he would cut himself as a means to bring himself pleasure. [[spoiler: In the true route, it's soon revealed that his masochistic tendencies are tied to a subconscious need to punish himself as much as they are an attempt from him to gain back some autonomy after having others wound him in all kinds of ways when he was still a child.]]
* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler: Although it was purely accidental, Towa nevertheless ended his mother's life.]]
* SinsOfOurFathers: In Fujieda's route, [[spoiler: it takes a while for their relationship to improve partly because Fujieda blames Towa for what happened to Mei. While Towa also feels responsible for what happened, the real culprit behind Mei's death is not him, but his mother. Fujieda admits later on that it was wrong of him to blame Towa for Maya's actions]].
* SlasherSmile: He tends to sport a wide and unsettling grin during a "euphoric session", showing how he only gets truly excited in the extreme highs of pain or of someone else's deviant passions.
* SleepingWithTheBoss: Since Towa ''is'' an employee at the clinic that Taku runs, should he end up with Taku, he technically would be engaging in a relationship with his superior.
* TheSocialExpert: Towa is far from sociable. That being said, he is uncannily good at reading people and surmising their intentions and thoughts, partly due to his ability to see their auras.
* TheStoic: Towa is not very emotive and responds to most things with a detached and cold expression-- something that other characters have even lampshaded.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: He looks exactly like his mother, albeit with shorter hair and a lot more scars on his body.
* SupportingProtagonist: The common route and the bridging chapters that lead to Taku and Rei's routes give ample focus on Towa as much as it does the people who will soon become his "clients". Once the game gets to the chapter mainly focused on the love interests, Towa begins to play the role of this trope more. While the game still progresses through his perspective, the conflict of the route is not much about him as much as it about is his love interest's; that, and the development of their relationship with Towa. [[spoiler:This trope is subverted in Fujieda's route, where Towa becomes the central focus of the plot.]]
* TheTease: Towa often takes the opportunity to rile up any of his love interests during or after sex.
* TellMeAboutMyMother: Subverted for the most part. Towa only vaguely remembers that he was raised by his mother and that she taught him how to talk to other people, but even with barely one vivid detail he could recall about her, be it her face or even her name, he never gets curious about her. [[spoiler: This is soon revealed to be from his subconscious trying to keep him from wanting to know more about his past. In Fujieda's route, he finally starts to want to know more about Maya when he realizes that she's connected to the packages that he's been receiving, but even that alone proves to be easier said than done, and it isn't just because there are barely any records left about his mother.]]
* TerseTalker: He speaks as curtly as possible, and is not one for talking if he could help it.
* ThatManIsDead: Even without his memories, Towa is fine with his current name. In fact, [[spoiler: remembering his old name as Haruto Sakuragi is enough to make Towa ill from sheer mental trauma alone, hence why he doesn't want to have anything to do with his old name]].
* TooBrokenToBreak: [[spoiler:His mother's abuse]] had left Towa completely desensitized to any other kind of cruel and dehumanizing treatment anyone else would subject him to. In fact, it's only [[spoiler:his memories of Maya and what she had done to him]] that can rattle Towa and (potentially) destroy Towa's mind past the point of repair.
* TookALevelInCheerfulness: In Fujieda's route, he becomes more spirited as he slowly begins to heal from his trauma and find love with Fujieda. Even the other characters observe that while Towa is still stoic, he's no longer as gloomy and detached as he used to be.
* TooKinkyToTorture: He likes pain to the point that he gets turned on whenever he gets hurt-- the more painful it is, the more pleasurable it is for him. [[spoiler:This can either be taken to a higher level in the bad endings, or to a lower level in the good endings.]]
* TortureIsIneffective: In the fourth ''After Story'' drama CD, [[spoiler:Towa gets taken hostage by some men who have a grudge against Fujieda]]. Any attempt they make to torment him barely fazes him, however, given that he's both engaged in and been forced to endure far worse.
* ToughLove: In Taku's route, there are occasions where Towa will not hesitate to prod and provoke Taku, or even give him the cold shoulder if needed, to get the older man to quit hemming and hawing around and to be honest with himself.
* TragicKeepsake: Played with. The pocket watch that hangs on Towa's easel was originally his mother's, [[spoiler: although Towa never realized this, nor is he even intending to keep anything in memory of her especially after he remembers just what kind of mother she was]].
* TraumaButton:
** The word "''daijobu''" makes Towa feel uneasy, and this is reflected in the game screen flickering for a brief second every time someone says it. This is because [[spoiler: his mother would always say that word to in her twisted attempt to reassure him while he is forced to endure all kinds of torture from her clients]]. In Fujieda's Euphoria ending, [[spoiler: he eventually overcomes this, even saying "I'm okay" to both deceive Sakaki and to reaffirm to himself that he has finally relinquished his mother's hold on his psyche. The ''After Story'' drama CD even reinforces this by showing that he no longer reacts negatively]] whenever the word is said in his presence.
** Even just the mere topic of [[spoiler: Towa's real name]] already has him feeling dizzy and out of breath, and actually [[spoiler: hearing it shocks him into passing out]].
* TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Towa has a unique case of synesthesia which allows him to see other people's auras, but it also causes him to see the world around him in colors different from their actual hues and shades. [[spoiler: It's strongly hinted that this is a result of his childhood trauma, since it's only in Fujieda's route that his synesthesia goes away, symbolizing how he has begun to heal from past wounds.]]
* {{Tsundere}}: If he ends up with Fujieda, Towa becomes this trope to an degree. While he's often the one who pokes fun at Fujieda due to the how serious yet awkward the man can be, he's also taken aback just as often by the man's earnestness, and he becomes embarrassed and huffy whenever Fujieda gets a bit too affectionate with him.
* TurningIntoYourParent: [[spoiler: In Fujieda's route, once Towa learns of what happened to him when he was a child and the kind of person his mother truly was, he's gutted at the fact that he ended up repeating his mother's depravities and is essentially becoming another her. It gets worse in the climax where Sakaki reveals that Maya planned for Towa to succeed her, something she meant almost ''literally''; hence Sakaki proceeds to enact Maya's plans on her behalf by mailing Towa relics of his past to spur him into recovering his memories, which Sakaki hopes will eventually mold Towa into a second iteration of Maya]].
* {{Uke}}: Just like every other Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] protagonist, Towa always bottoms whenever sex is involved. However, it's offhandedly mentioned that there were times Towa topped before, and he wasn't opposed to it if that was what the other party wanted.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: Towa was a lot more demure and innocent when he was still a child. [[spoiler: The trope takes a more sinister edge, however, when it's revealed that while he was genuinely more innocent in his younger years, said years weren't kind to him, to say the least.]]
* VillainousLegacy: In the sense that [[spoiler: Towa himself is the legacy that Maya wanted to cultivate through her teachings and abuse-- all in the hopes that in case she was no longer around, her son would adapt her ways and become her successor to continue where she left off]].
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Gender-inverted. By default, although Towa is no stranger to violence, he still draws the line at outright ''murder'', even if it's for the sake of self-defense. This is best shown in [[spoiler: his horrified response to remembering his mother's demise, [[AccidentalMurder which was by him even though it wasn't his intention]]]]. That being said, both Taku and Fujieda's routes prove that Towa will not regret taking a life, directly or indirectly, if it meant protecting his love interest.
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: In spite of Towa's sexual experience, he's a stranger to feeling ''intimate'' with another person. As such, he feels overwhelmed whenever he has sex with any of his love interests and it isn't strictly for the physical pleasure of the act. Not to mention, whenever he does sleep with others, he tends to be given the rough and brutal treatment, so being treated with gentle affection during sex isn't something he's accustomed to either, leaving him both confused and scared.
* WritersBlock:
** A sign that Towa's already-frangible mental state is getting worse is when he struggles to finish painting [[spoiler:Ikuina after their "euphoric session" in Fujieda's route and his frustrations eventually boil over, causing him to have a breakdown and violently throw things around in his room]].
** In Fujieda's Euphoria ending, [[spoiler:after Towa finishes the portrait of his chosen love interest, Towa no longer feels the desire to paint again]]. Though in the short story, Towa gradually starts taking up the brush once more, though he does it mostly as a hobby now and no longer continues his occupation as ''euphoria''.
* YoureNotMyFather: Considering what [[spoiler: his mother had put him through]], Towa only barely acknowledges the fact that [[spoiler: Maya is still his mother by virtue of them sharing the same blood]], but he otherwise [[spoiler: abhors Maya with every fiber of his being. Even gaining a better understanding of her after reading her diary does nothing to change the fact that he still holds her in contempt for how she raised him, even if he had already conquered his trauma by that point]].

[[folder:Takuma "Taku" Murase]]
!!!'''Voiced by''': Kanehira Yamamoto [[note]] Credited as Jin Munakata [[/note]]

[[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_taku_7.png]]

->'''Age''': 46\\
'''Birthday''': September 22\\
'''Height''': 177 cm\\
'''Blood Type''': O

One of the main characters of ''Slow Damage''. He currently works as a doctor who owns the private clinic, Murase Clinic, located in District E in Shinkoumi.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Taku is well-liked by his all of his patients. Even after [[spoiler: the events of his route, where he's imprisoned after his connection to the Takasato-gumi is revealed]], his reputation among his patients remain untarnished [[spoiler: as they look forward to him reopening his clinic]].
* AngerBornOfWorry: While he's not as much of a nag as Rei, Taku also shows worry for Towa's safety and becomes more outspoken about his concerns whenever the situation escalates to Towa actually getting hurt or nearly killed. Towa even recalls one time when Taku was ''infuriated'' when Towa came to the clinic in a half-dead state after a meeting with a potential client went wrong.
* TheAtoner:
** It's all but stated out loud that Taku is highly protective of Towa not just because of [[spoiler: the trauma of losing his own mother]], but also out of guilt for [[spoiler: not realizing sooner why and how Towa would always get hurt as a child until it was too late]].
** At the end of both his and Fujieda's routes, Taku [[spoiler: turns himself in for manufacturing drugs for the Takasato-gumi]].
* BackAlleyDoctor: Played with. Taku is a legitimate doctor with the credentials and skills expected of one, though he also provides medical services for the Takasato-gumi when requested. That being said, this doesn't affect his reputation as the public has already accepted that in Shinkoumi, it is the norm for all hospitals and clinics to give aid to the Takasato-gumi if they need it.
* BadLiar: He may be good with keeping secrets, but if the part about him being a SecretKeeper gets exposed by someone else, he's immediately backed into a corner and has trouble trying to talk his way out.
* BeneathNotice: In Fujieda's route, Taku unwittingly manages to stay out of [[spoiler:Sakaki's radar even though he's actively trying to keep Towa's past hidden-- something that directly goes against Sakaki's plans]]. Instead, it's [[spoiler:Fujieda who ends up attracting the man's attention and subsequent ire]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He's a trustworthy doctor who always looks out for the people he cares about. At the same time, [[spoiler:his fears and insecurities have made way for an inner darkness that comes to the surface when he's provoked and frightened enough]].
* BigEater: While not as pronounced as Rei's, Towa observes that Taku has quite the appetite that he can still make room in his stomach for someone else's meal after finishing his own.
* BrainyBrunette: Taku's hair is more red than brown, but he still qualifies for the trope. The extras reveal that he got a high score on the college entrance examinations, and while he encountered a major setback due to personal issues affecting his behavior in class, he still managed to earn his degree, and is good enough in his course to specialize in three different medical fields (internal medicine, gastroenterology and dermatology).
* ChickMagnet: Taku has quite the number of female admirers, and in his drama CD, one of his patients even attempts to set him up with another woman, unaware that Taku is already taken by that point.
* ChildhoodFriends: Putting aside their age gap, he and Towa have known each other for a long time.

** Orange is normally associated with warmth and calmness, both of which match Taku as he's a reliable figure who helps watch over Towa and is someone the public looks up to due to his reputation as a compassionate and friendly doctor. The aspect of warmth takes on a deeper meaning in Taku's route, where Towa reflects more on how Taku has always been a reassuring presence in his life even though he took it for granted for the longest time.
** Orange also symbolizes action and aggression-- the former of which is ironic, as one of Taku's greatest struggles is in his difficulty resolving himself to act when most needed. As for the latter aspect, Taku [[spoiler: harbors a dark side that makes him willing to resort to extreme measures when faced with the fear of losing a loved one yet again]].
** Last but not least, the color also represents doubt and deceit. If he could have it his way, he would take his own {{Dark Secret}}s to the grave-- an act which sows distrust between him and his friends. And even though [[spoiler: he means well with his actions and does care deeply for Towa, the fact remains that he lied to the other man for a long time-- all to protect Towa from the agonizing truth of his past]].
* CoveredWithScars: In his Madness ending, [[spoiler:his back becomes marred with countless wounds from whenever Towa would claw and scratch at him during sex]].
* CrazyJealousGuy: After falling in love with Towa in his route, Taku later admits with gritted teeth that he cannot stand the thought of Towa with anyone else, even expressing that [[IfICantHaveYou he's willing to kill Towa to make sure of that]]-- though he never really goes through with the threat. In fact, the admission even amuses Towa, who muses that he never expected someone like Taku to say such a thing.
* CreepyShadowedUndereyes: In his Madness ending, his eyes are described to have become hollow and sunken after he chooses to give up on his morals, reflecting the deterioration of his emotional and mental state.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:His mother became a drug addict after his father abandoned them. When they fell into poverty, Taku worked tirelessly to pay for his mother's hospitalization bills. Toono lent him a helping hand and paid his way through medical school, although his mother then got discharged and died in the streets when he wasn't paying attention, to which Taku became a delinquent for some time in his grief before getting his act together later on and becoming a doctor. However, as he had already incurred a huge debt to Toono by then, Taku is soon forced to manufacture illegal drugs for the other man, with his life on the line]].
* DeadlyDoctor: Taku becomes one in his Madness ending, as he decides to throw aside his goal of helping others and to [[spoiler:focus only on protecting Towa (in a ''very'' twisted way). With this decision, he completes making the psychedelics that Toono requested; but even after that, it's implied that Taku is still making and distributing said drugs as he often administers it to Towa and mentions how the one he just gave him is more potent than the last]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Every once in a while, Taku can make a quippy remark, usually out of exasperation towards Towa.
* DisappearedDad: Taku's parents divorced when he was in high school. Based on what he tells Towa in his route, it can be easily inferred that Taku and his father never got in touch even once after the divorce.
* DissonantSerenity: In Taku's more menacing moments, he becomes eerily calm and doesn’t raise his voice even when he’s saying disturbing things or [[spoiler: is outright attacking someone]]. In his Madness ending, [[spoiler: he never once loses his cool or show strong shifts of emotion, being completely at ease even as he discards his morality and embraces his inner demons]].
* DoctorsDisgracefulDemotion: After [[spoiler: Taku is tried and convicted for his association with Toono, both he and Towa expect that he may never be able to resume his job as a doctor again]]. However, the ''After Story'' drama CD subverts this; [[spoiler: in spite of what happened, the public is still looking forward to having him reopen his clinic. Taku is then left ruminating for a while on whether he really should go through with it given everything all the crimes he had committed, even if said crimes were done under duress]].
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Besides the fact that he's not a fan of sweet stuff, Taku also doesn't like the taste of fresh cream.
* EasilyForgiven:
** In Taku's route, Towa learns that Taku [[spoiler:implanted a webtag in him to keep better watch of him]], something that Taku later confesses to doing... and believes that he doesn't deserve to be forgiven for. But when Towa presses the older man for an honest answer, Taku relents and says that he does want to be forgiven, which Towa does after punching him in the face once.
** Averted with a vengeance in Fujieda's route when Towa finds out that Taku [[spoiler:is actively trying to keep Towa's past hidden from the latter to the point of burning the packages that contain clues about Towa's childhood]]. Towa lets Taku know how pissed he is about it, and after that, [[SilentTreatment Towa avoids talking to Taku whenever he can for a long while]]. [[spoiler:But once he finds out that Taku has some problems he can't just confide in anyone about and realizes why Taku was determined to not let Towa recover his childhood memories, he grows to understand Taku's actions and they eventually reconcile.]]
* FieryRedhead: Subverted. Taku is levelheaded and rational. While he does have his emotional moments, with a few scenes having him show outright anger, he's not someone who's temperamental and outspoken by default.
* FirstGuyWins: Taku is the first love interest introduced in the story; thus this trope applies if he is the one Towa ends up with.
* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: Towa has been Taku's patient/charge for the longest time since he's the one who would always patch up Towa's wounds and also prescribes his medicine. In his route, his concern and worry for Towa starts to make way for certain other feelings that he had not felt for Towa before.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Sakaki. Both personally knew Maya and both treat Towa as if he was their own son. Toono also hints early on that [[spoiler:both of them are keeping Towa's past a secret from the younger man]]. However, they have completely different reasons for doing so. Taku [[spoiler:keeps quiet about the truth as he wishes to protect Towa from suffering a complete breakdown and doesn't want him to be chained down by the horrors of his past]]. On the other hand, Sakaki's reasons [[spoiler:are more sinister: Sakaki ''wants'' Towa to recover his memories, but he will only do so under certain circumstances that would successfully groom Towa into becoming a second Maya]]. Their motives, in turn, show how [[spoiler:they truly regard Towa. Whether he's the chosen love interest or not, Taku always shows genuine concern for Towa's well-being, and while he does commit several questionable actions, they're done with good intentions. Meanwhile, Sakaki seems to have nothing but altruistic intentions in watching out for Towa; however, he only sees the younger man as a vessel of sorts for Maya and it's strongly implied that deep down, he resents Towa for killing her]].
** In contrast to Towa, Rei and Fujieda, Taku is the only one from the main cast who [[spoiler:had a positive relationship with at least one of his parents, in spite of his mother's complicated history with her drug addiction]]. Most of Taku's issues even stem from what he feels are [[spoiler:his failures in doing more ''for'' her, in contrast to how the other three's respective problems originate from what their parents did ''to'' them]].
* ForcedIntoEvil: [[spoiler:Taku's status as a debtor has him commit plenty of shady deeds for the Takasato-gumi, and this is before Toono invokes the large debt that Taku owes him to browbeat him into making deadly hallucinogens.]]
* FormerTeenRebel: When he was still in college, Taku began acting out and would skip classes and drink and fool around-- [[spoiler:though this was the result of him dealing through his grief after his mother's untimely death]].
* FriendToAllChildren: He's mentioned to get along with patients of all ages, and in Asakura's story, Taku often expresses worry about Hayato, the child that Asakura is looking after.
* {{Gaslighting}}: A morally-conflicting example; in Madarame's route, [[spoiler:Taku confesses to Towa that he's been giving Towa false memories of his past in an attempt to shield him from any further trauma were he to remember what his childhood was really like]].
* GrewASpine: The core of Taku's CharacterDevelopment involves him learning that he's only causing more problems for both him and everyone around him by vacillating and remaining unsure of himself. In his good ending, Taku gets over this issue enough to [[spoiler: finally settle his conflict with Toono]], but it takes until the ''After Story'' drama CD for him to fully overcome his flaw after some prodding from Towa.
* GutturalGrowler: Downplayed. Taku normally speaks in a rough and husky voice, though he starts to sound much lower and raspier when he gets ''furious'' or when his darker side manifests.
* HiddenDepths: It's mentioned in the artbook that Taku plays billiards as a hobby.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: The ''After Story'' drama CD shows that even after [[spoiler:he had already atoned for his crimes by serving time in prison]], Taku still has yet to get over his insecurities and his indecisiveness. However, when he's forced to confront himself over what he truly wants, he makes his resolve, and for good this time.
* HospitalHottie: He is a doctor and a good-looking one at that, even when he's already nearing his fifties. He's also well-regarded by patients of all ages and genders for his friendly personality.
* IfICantHaveYou: When Taku admits to Towa that he's fallen for him, he also confesses that he'd rather kill Towa than give him the chance to sleep with anyone else. Towa even lampshades the trope word-for-word when he remarks that he didn't expect Taku to be the possessive type.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: Taku has no experience with men whatsoever, something he points out to Towa. Although if he's the chosen love interest, Towa is the only one he makes an exception for.
* ImportantHaircut: He cuts his hair in his good ending. This gives him a more mature look, showing how he's grown as a person and how everything that happened until then weathered him for both the worse and the better.
* InsecureLoveInterest: One of Taku's biggest flaws is that he almost always has second thoughts. Even though he resolves to look after Towa and keep him safe, he always hesitates in how he should go about it and wavers whenever he wonders if he's doing the right thing or not. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, Taku proves that he hasn't yet completely gotten over his tendency to hesitate, as he's still left with doubts about whether [[spoiler:he should resume his job as a doctor and if he's still worthy of being Towa's partner after everything that had happened.]]
* InSeriesNickname: Both Towa and Rei call him "Taku", which is a shortened version of his full name, Takuma.
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:He believes that his mother died because he wasn't there for her.]] This is also the reason for his overprotective tendencies towards Towa, as he always fears what could happen to Towa if he's not there to look after him.
* KnifeNut: The trope occurs in one memorable instance in Taku's route when [[spoiler:he attempts to kill Towa using a scalpel]].
* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: Justified; Taku ''is'' a doctor so he wears a lab coat most of the time; though he does away with the lab coat whenever he's off-duty.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Some dialogue from his route hints that while Taku has been assigned as Towa's doctor since the latter's childhood, he had no idea about [[spoiler: what was really going with his charge and why Towa would always get wounded or sick until after the accident that resulted in Maya's death and Towa's subsequent amnesia]].
--> '''Taku''': [[spoiler:When you were a kid, you were always getting hurt. And your immune system wasn't great, so you had a fever half the time. [...] So back then, I had to wonder if you had some family problems.]] There was a lot that happened after that, and... Well, you don't seem to remember, but...
--> '''Towa''': Was it really that bad?
--> '''Taku''': ''(grimly)'' [[{{Understatement}} Well... it was.]]
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: In his Madness ending, Taku is overcome with despair over the fear that if he keeps worrying about how everyone around him will get hurt, then Towa will never be safe. Therefore, [[spoiler:he decides to give up on his goal on saving lives and focus on protecting ''only'' Towa and ensuring that absolutely no one will ever be able to harm him. This also means isolating Towa from the outside world, which he now allows to be turned into a den of drug addicts and even aids Toono in doing so.]]
* TheMedic: He works as a doctor and has his own clinic called Murase Clinic.
* MenCantKeepHouse: Towa, Rei and Arimura observe that Taku's desk is always a bit of a mess, and Rei lampshades that Taku can't seem to keep his own stuff organized despite diligently cleaning up Towa's studio on a set schedule. When Towa gets to visit Taku's apartment for the first time, he notices some cluttered books and dishes. [[spoiler: This serves as a reflection of his state of mind: he's far better at fixing other's messes than he does his own.]]
* MirrorCharacter: Taku's backstory shares a few similarities with Rei's, even if their circumstances aren't exactly the same. Both were abandoned by one of their parents when they were still teenagers, and their conflicts are a result of their relationship with the other parent. [[spoiler: However, Taku deeply cared for his mother and felt guilty that he didn't do enough to protect her and prevent her death, whereas Rei is completely at odds with his father, who disapproved of his sexuality, and they kept their distance for years.]]
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Not by his choice, but [[spoiler: due to his debt with the Takasato-gumi, Taku is tasked not only with treating their injured, but also with falsifying medical documents and implanting webtags in other debtors. What's worse is that Toono is also forcing him to manufacture illegal drugs.]]
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: His mother's death]] has haunted him for a long time, as he believed that had he [[spoiler: looked after her more closely, she would have still been alive]].
* NonActionGuy: Taku is the only one among the main cast who's not much of a fighter.
* OlderThanHeLooks: Taku is already in his late forties, though it would be easy for anyone who didn't know any better to assume that he's only in his late thirties.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Rei starts to suspect that something is seriously wrong with Taku when he catches the latter snapping at a patient out of the blue, since Taku isn't known for having poor bedside manners.
** When Taku has to [[spoiler: help relieve Towa's drug-induced libido]], he's so frazzled by what just happened that he asks Towa for a cigarette, only to remember that he had already kicked the habit when Towa reminds him about it.
* ParentalSubstitute: Taku always regarded Towa like a son, especially since he knew Towa since the latter was a child. However, if Taku is the chosen love interest, their relationship goes beyond the line of a pseudo-familial bond, which leaves Taku conflicted for some time.
* PermaStubble: Towa notes that one of Taku's defining features is the stubble on his face. Instead of making him seem like a disheveled mess, however, this only adds to his "rugged but handsome" appeal that makes him popular with the ladies.
* ProperlyParanoid:
** Even though he tends to get overprotective about it, Taku has good reason to warn Towa to not go out at night, especially with the Takasato-gumi tailing him all around town. [[spoiler: When Towa refuses to listen to him, he ends up getting restrained and drugged by Toono as a threat to Taku.]]
** Taku believes that [[spoiler:Towa is better off not knowing the truth about his past because he fears that Towa will not be able to handle it well]], something that he knows is still putting it mildly. His worries do not come without reason, [[spoiler:since Towa indeed suffers a massive FreakOut and subsequent breakdown after he remembers everything and would have killed himself if it weren't for Fujieda]]. Although Taku later admits that regardless of his intentions, [[spoiler:it was wrong of him to keep Towa's past a secret]].
* RealMenHateSugar: According to the character book, Taku dislikes candy and most other sweets. The only exception is the honey toast served at Yanagawa Café.
* RealMenWearPink: He's very good at cleaning and laundry. He takes care of Towa's laundry, and even regularly washes and cleans Towa's studio.
* RecoveredAddict: Taku used to smoke but had quit for some time, and is so accustomed to Towa smoking around him that he is no longer tempted to pick up the habit of taking a drag himself.
* SecretKeeper: It's revealed in Madarame and Fujieda's routes that Taku knows a lot more about [[spoiler:the grimmer details of Towa's past]] than initially assumed, but he makes sure to never give even a hint to [[spoiler:Towa about anything involving what his childhood was really like]]. However, Taku has sympathetic reasons for keeping [[spoiler:Towa's past]] in the dark, given just [[spoiler:how much trauma Towa had suffered because of his mother]].
* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: Taku has auburn hair and hazel green eyes, and is one of the main characters of ''Slow Damage''.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:By seeing to it that Towa doesn't remember what his past was really like]], Taku ended up impeding [[spoiler:Maya's plans for her son for ''years'', even though he never realizes it. And if Fujieda's route isn't taken, Taku's interference eventually culminates in her plans going nowhere]].
* StalkerWithACrush: Played with. [[spoiler: After Towa's "euphoric session" with Asakura, Taku puts a webtag in Towa to keep track of his whereabouts just in case he gets thrown into danger again.]] That being said, the act was done out of fear and paranoia, not of obsession.
* TeamDad: He keeps Towa in check, cleans his room, is very overprotective and caring, and disapproves of Towa's more questionable hobbies.
* ThrowTheDogABone: In his good ending, he is [[spoiler: inevitably put on trial due to his involvement with Toono. However, he is let out on bail prior to his formal sentencing due to his full cooperation with the authorities, and when he is eventually imprisoned, he's only sentenced to two years and is even let out a year early due to good behavior]]. He gets a similar outcome in Fujieda's good ending.
* TragicDropout: Almost. While Taku managed to graduate and earn his doctor's license, [[spoiler: his mother's death took a huge toll on his emotional well-being, causing him to act out in all kinds of ways during his college years]].
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Gender-inverted. Among the main cast, when it comes to this trope, Taku takes the cake. He's already protective of Towa by default, often worrying about the latter's health and telling the younger man to watch himself. But in certain circumstances and with specific provocations, said protectiveness can reach disturbing levels, [[spoiler: as shown best in Taku's Madness ending]].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Taku is willing to cross a line or two to prevent [[spoiler: Towa from recovering his memories]], such as [[spoiler: burning any mail containing relics of Towa's past]]. Towa is ''not'' happy when he finds out about this, but after [[spoiler:he unveils enough truths about his childhood and learns that Taku is struggling with secrets of his own]], Towa begins to understand that even if what Taku did wasn't right, he genuinely did what he thought was in Towa's best interests.
* {{Yandere}}:
** Between all of Towa's potential love interests, Taku is the only one who openly shows a jealous streak that sometimes manifests in disturbing ways if he gets distressed enough. In his route, there's an unsettling moment where he mutters to himself about keeping Towa somewhere where no one else can get to him, and later on, [[spoiler:he attacks Towa with a scalpel in a misguided attempt to spare Towa from any further torment Toono may inflict on him]]. In his Madness ending, [[spoiler:this trope is taken to its logical conclusion when Taku confines Towa in a basement and keeps him locked up and away from the outside world out of the belief that it's the only way Towa will ever be safe]].
---> '''Taku''': I'll never let anyone kill you... You're not going anywhere. I won't let them take you from me... Never...
** It's also notable is that Taku is the only Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] love interest so far to be this trope by default, since the love interests from the previous games who also qualify only become murderously possessive under very special circumstances: either [[spoiler: they're [[VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi under the influence of a]] PsychoSerum, they're highly [[VisualNovel/SweetPool sensitive to a supernatural pheromone that's clouding their rationale]], or they [[VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder had their minds either reprogrammed or corrupted by a virus]] in their bad endings]]. By contrast, Taku [[IfICantHaveYou makes a murderous confession to Towa]] ''after'' the player has netted his good ending.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rei Izumi]]
!!!'''Voiced by''': Hiroki Goto [[note]] Credited as Ichirou Tanaka [[/note]]

[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_rei_9.png]]
\\

->'''Age''': 25\\
'''Birthday''': April 27\\
'''Height''': 179 cm\\
'''Blood Type''': A
\\

One of the main characters of ''Slow Damage''. He works as a bartender at Roost and he mostly spends his nights in the bar with his friends. He is also a part-timer at Murase Clinic. Aside from those jobs, he also participates in Deathmatches and has gained a reputation as one of its stronger contestants.
----
* AgentPeacock: Rei is a RoseHairedSweetie and a youthful PrettyBoy who is InTouchWithHisFeminineSide. He also happens to be capable of completely trouncing someone's ass if he has to.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Downplayed. In his route, Rei reveals that he has had a crush on Towa ever since he first saw him in middle school. That being said, his crush will only blossom into a genuine affection in his route; otherwise, nothing comes out of said crush and is implied to eventually fizzle out as long as Rei isn't the chosen love interest. Case in point, Rei playfully suggests to Towa that Ikuina has a crush on him in the common route, and even openly acts as a ShipperOnDeck for Towa and Fujieda in the latter's route.
* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: Rei is introduced early on as an effeminate man, [[spoiler: though it later turns out to be more complicated than that. When he was younger, he was bullied for being "girly" due to his androgynous looks; but at the same time, his mother would ''dote'' on him for the exact same thing. Then when he came out as gay to his father, his father told him that a man who likes another man really isn't a man at all. All of this made Rei wonder if he was a woman born in a man's body, which caused him to take on feminine mannerisms to adapt to that idea. But in the climax of his route, he resolves that he's a man through and through, and his true desires]] do not necessarily define his gender identity.
* AngerBornOfWorry: He frets often about Towa due to the latter's neglect for his own well-being and often badgers Towa about doing less of smoking and drinking and more of eating.
* AppearanceAngst: Rei's inner conflict centers around [[spoiler: whether he's more of a man or a woman]]. This is also the reason he got into body modification: so that he can help others change their bodies to a form that they're most comfortable with. Yet interestingly, he never does any modifications on himself, which reflects the conflict he has over his own body.
* BabyOfTheBunch: Downplayed, since everyone in the main cast is already a full-fledged adult. Nonetheless, Rei is the youngest of the five, being 25 and thus one year younger than Towa.
* BerserkButton: The very topic of bullying quickly angers and upsets Rei, especially since [[spoiler: he personally experienced what it was like to be bullied when he was a child]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He is very tolerant and a NiceGuy to almost everyone he meets. He's also a regular participant in Deathmatches, where he's one of the top fighters.
* BigEater: Besides his SweetTooth, Rei always feels a strong craving for red meat after fighting in Deathmatches.
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: [[spoiler: Despite being an UnexpectedVirgin]], the writers confirmed during a livestream that Rei is the most well-endowed of Towa's love interests, which is notable as the other three aren't lacking either where size is concerned.
* BloodKnight: Rei becomes more fired up than ever during a Deathmatch, and he admits that he loves the feeling of his fist breaking his opponent's bones. [[spoiler:However, while Rei loves to fight, he draws the line at ''killing'' someone. This causes him to feel conflicted about himself whenever he participates in a Moneymatch, since he can't help but feel excited during the fight and yet would still horrible afterwards for the fate that awaits his defeated opponent.]]
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Kicking other people's asses is of Rei's main hobbies. That aside, however, the aspects of his personality that stand out the most is his friendly nature, how he always expresses concern for his friends to the point of nagging them if he feels it to be necessary and his eagerness to help those in need whether he personally knows them or not.
* ButNotTooForeign: Rei is half-English (courtesy of his mother) and half-Japanese (courtesy of his father).
* CharacterTics: Rei has a bad habit of biting down on his nails whenever he gets stressed.
* ColorMotif:

* SympatheticMurder: [[spoiler: While matricide is often seen as a terrible crime, Maya was a mother no child should ever have, and every single scar that Towa carries, be it physical or mental, is no thanks to her]]. Therefore, it's hard not to side with Towa when [[spoiler: he -- albeit unintentionally -- pushed his mother down the stairs, with the injuries she sustained from the fall eventually claiming her life]].

* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: Justified; Taku ''is'' a doctor, after all, so he wears a labcoat most of the time; though he does away with the labcoat whenever he's off-duty.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Downplayed. In his route, Rei reveals that he has had a crush on Towa ever since he first saw him in middle school. That being said, his crush will only blossom into a genuine affection in his route, and is never touched upon in the other routes. Case in point, Rei playfully suggests to Towa that Ikuina has a crush on him in the common route, and even openly acts as a ShipperOnDeck for Towa and Fujieda in the latter's route.

* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Not by his choice, but [[spoiler: due to his debt with the Taka

* TokenEvilTeammate: The rest of the main cast aren't lacking when it comes to having a checkered past and deep-seated issues, but their troubled side still comes with reason. Madarame, on the other hand, is the way he is just because, with no explanation behind it. The fact that he isn't burdened by anything also means he isn't tied down by morals or scruples.

* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Gender-inverted. By default, although Towa is no stranger to violence, he still draws the line at outright ''murder'', even if it's for the sake of self-defense. This is shown best in his horrified response to remembering his mother's demise, [[AccidentalMurder which was brought about by his own hands even though it wasn't his intention]]. That being said, both Taku and Fujieda's routes prove that Towa will not regret taking a life, directly or indirectly, if it meant protecting his love interest.

* DespairEventHorizon: After Towa [[spoiler: fully remembers Mei]], he is left completely distraught and broken by [[spoiler: the realization that an innocent life was taken away because of him]], and it gets bad enough that he [[spoiler: tries to end it all and kill himself]].

* LikeParentUnlikeChild: Zigzagged. Towa may have inherited his mother's looks and [[spoiler: ability to persuade other people]], but deep down, they are ''not'' the same. Maya [[spoiler: manipulated and murdered with no remorse, found herself incapable of expressing a healthy and normal kind of love until the very end and died alone]]. On the other hand, Towa [[spoiler: is capable of feeling empathy and can learn to genuinely love and be loved by someone, with all of his good endings having him find that particular someone, thus ensuring that he will never be alone or abandoned]].

* NotSoStoic: While Towa gets to see brief glimpses of the kind of person Fujieda really is like beneath his image of a ConsummateProfessional, it takes a while longer for his cold and indifferent façade to break and show just how much emotions he's bottled up over the years, all of which culminate in an AnguishedOutburst after he gets the confirmation that his sister is long dead and gone.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Downplayed. In his route, Rei reveals that he has had a crush on Towa ever since he first saw him in middle school. That being said, his crush will only blossom into a genuine affection in his route, and is never touched upon in the other routes.

* VillainProtagonist: Downplayed. While he's not an outright villain and has a score to settle with people who are far worse than him, Madarame is still anything but a good guy and is the most morally dubious character among the main cast. To add, [[spoiler:he's the only one who the other four main characters directly come into conflict with (even if briefly) in the final route]].

* BrokenBird: To sum up: the reason Towa is so detached, has an unhealthy love for pain, and is eerily indifferent about his own welfare is because [[spoiler: he has been through several kinds of abuse that would make the ordeals of many other abused children seem tame by comparison]]. Even though Towa [[spoiler:has forgotten all about it, the effect his past had on him run too deep that not even amnesia can help him start on a completely clean slate]].
* CallingParentsByTheirName: In the event that he [[spoiler: recalls his childhood and, consequently, Maya, the tone he uses whenever he speaks of her changes entirely]] and refuses to regard [[spoiler: her a maternal figure that should be respected]]. In the few instances he [[spoiler: addresses her as "[his] mother"]], he means it in the loosest sense possible. Otherwise, he always [[spoiler: refers to her by either her stage name or by the term "that woman"]], and both are said in a cold and hostile tone.

--> '''Taku''': [[spoiler:When you were a kid, you were always getting your self hurt. And your immune system wasn't great, so you had a fever half the time. [...] So back then, I had to wonder if you had some family problems.]] There was a lot that happened after that, and... Well, you don't seem to remember, but...

* LoveMakesYouCrazy: In his Madness ending, he is overcome with despair over the fear that if he keeps worrying about how everyone around him will get hurt, then Towa will never be safe. Therefore, [[spoiler:he decides to give up on his goal on saving lives and focus on protecting ''only'' Towa and ensuring that absolutely no one will ever be able to harm him. This also means isolating Towa from the outside world, which he now allows to be turned into a den of drug addicts and even aids Toono in doing so.]]

* CharacterTics: He has a bad habit of biting down on his nails whenever he gets stressed.

* TheGhost: Madarame is mentioned a few times in both Taku and Rei's routes; although he never makes an actual appearance. In-universe, many other characters refer to him as a ghost as well, since as far as everyone knows, he's supposed to be dead. Madarame even wryly lampshades this when he and Towa meet face to face for the first time in years, commenting that Towa looks like he's just seen a ghost.

* JerkassHasAPoint: He's not exactly wrong when he warns Towa that [[spoiler:Taku has been keeping secrets from him and never planned to come clean to him about it]].

** Madarame is certainly no saint, but the fact that he has a soft spot for animals shows that he's not completely heartless either.

* ManipulativeBastard: In his route, Madarame subjects Towa to multiple beatings before abruptly letting Towa go, but not without telling him that [[spoiler: Taku is hiding something from him]]. By then, Towa [[spoiler: has already started to crave for more of other man's violent treatment, and once he returns home, he feels more alienated than ever, and when he confronts Taku about the secrets he's been withholding from him, it all leads to Towa feeling like he can no longer return to his old life, thus running away to return to Madarame]]. Given Madarame's remark of "I knew you would come back eventually,", it's strongly implied that he had managed to predict ''exactly'' what would happen after Towa left.

* AntiHero: Combined with HeroicNeutral. Most of the time, Towa prefers to mind his own business and isn't what one would call honorable, empathetic or virtuous, but he still has a heart and some moral scruples, and won't hesitate to protect the people he cares for when the time calls for it.

* TragicKeepsake: Played with. The pocketwatch that hangs on Towa's easel was originally his mother's, [[spoiler: although Towa never realized this, nor is he even intending to keep anything in memory of her especially after he remembers just what kind of mother she was]].

* LettingHerHairDown: A gender-inverted case. Rei normally ties his hair up in a high ponytail, but he does away with it in his route whenever [[spoiler: he fights in Moneymatches]]. This can symbolize he's going more than all out since he's literally fighting with his life on the line in contrast to when he would only cool off some steam in a standard Deathmatch.
* LightIsGood: Rei's aura has the brightest color among the main cast and he also has the lightest hair color. In spite of the troubles that he secretly harbors, he remains one of the more moral characters in the story, and his status as the RoseHairedSweetie is never at any point shown to be nothing more than a false front.

* MoralityPet: Downplayed. Among all of Towa's love interests, Rei is the one that he is a bit less aloof to. While Towa does get exasperated with Rei's nagging, he never rejects the other's kindness and is willing to tag along with him on occasion. Towa also doesn't protest much to being a shoulder to lean on when Rei, of all people, needs support. Even when Towa is in a horrible mood, he never snaps outright at Rei, and in the latter's route, they're never seen having a heated argument with each other. If one is to even compare Towa's interactions with Taku and Rei in their respective routes, they'll notice that it takes a lot less time for Towa to defrost towards Rei than he does with Taku, even though Towa knew the latter for much longer.

** Although Madarame isn't wrong about [[spoiler: how Taku has been keeping secrets from Towa for a long time]], his accusation can fall flat when the player remembers that Madarame himself [[spoiler: knows the same secrets that Taku knows]], yet he also chooses [[spoiler: not to tell Towa anything, regardless of his motives for keeping silent]].

* ConvenientlyOrphaned: Just like [[VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi Akira]], [[VisualNovel/LamentoBeyondTheVoid Konoe]] and [[VisualNovel/SweetPool Youji]], Towa's biological parents are already dead, with his father's death happening right at the beginning of the game. [[spoiler: His death of his ''other'' parent is intrinsically tied to Towa's past, and is part of the reason why certain memories of his childhood are always vague and fuzzy.]]

--> '''Taku''': ''(grimly)'' [[{{Understatement}} Uh... yeah.]]

* ForgetsToEat: His main source of sustenance is coffee and alcohol. If he ever eats food, it's only by a very small amount, and Rei and Taku occasionally press him to eat some more. However, it's when Towa becomes consumed with the desire to paint that he will completely neglect to eat, let alone drink, anything.

* YoureNotMyFather: Considering what [[spoiler: his mother had put him through]], Towa only barely acknowledges the fact that [[spoiler: Maya is still his mother by virtue of them sharing the same blood]]. However, he refuses to regard her [[spoiler: as a maternal figure that should be respected]], and in the few instances he [[spoiler: addresses her as "[his] mother"]], he means it in the loosest sense possible. Otherwise, he always [[spoiler: refers to her by either her stage name or by the term "that woman"]], and both are said in a cold and hostile tone.

* YoureNotMyFather: Considering what [[spoiler: his mother had put him through]], Towa only barely acknowledges the fact that [[spoiler: Maya is still his mother by virtue of them sharing the same blood]]. However, he refuses to regard her [[spoiler: as a maternal figure that should be respected]], and in the few instances he [[spoiler: addresses her as "[his] mother"]], he means it in the loosest sense possible. Otherwise, he always [[spoiler: refers to her by either her stage name or by the term "that woman"]], and both are said in a cold and hostile tone]].

* NightmareFetishist: Given what he does as ''euphoria'', it comes with the territory that he finds himself just as captivated and intrigued as his models are with regards to their deep-seated desires, no matter how morbid and twisted that desire may be, especially if pain is involved.

* GrewASpine: The core of Taku's CharacterDevelopment involves him learning that he's only causing more problems for both him and everyone around him by vacillating and remaining unsure of himself. In his good ending, Taku gets over this issue enough to [[spoiler: finally settle his conflict with Toono]], but it takes until the ''After Story'' drama CD for him to fully overcome his flaw after some prompting from Towa.

* NiceToTheWaiter: Anytime Towa would buy snacks at Tajima's, he will always tell the owner to keep the change.

* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:By seeing to it that Towa doesn't remember what his past was really like]], Taku ended up impeding [[spoiler:Maya's plans for her son for ''years'', even though he never realizes it. And if Fujieda's route isn't taken, Taku's intereeventually culminates in her plans going nowhere]].

'''Taku''': No, you still need food and water. Otherwise you'll kick the bucket early.

** In both Taku and Fujieda's Euphoria endings, [[spoiler:after Towa finishes the portrait of his chosen love interest, Towa no longer feels the desire to paint again]].

** Both the narration and Madarame himself make it clear more than once that he is not the kind of man who lets the past chain him down as he would rather focus on the here and now. That being said, Madarame [[spoiler:only wants Towa the way he used to be in the past and will not accept Towa the way he is at present]], which contradicts his core character.

* MirrorCharacter: Madarame has some similarities with [[spoiler: Maya]], of all people. Both harbor genuine love for Towa, even if that love is twisted and not of the orthodox kind, and express said love by subjecting Towa to violence, directly (in Madarame's case) or indirectly (in [[spoiler: Maya]]'s case). Both also [[spoiler: see him as the only one who can sate their loneliness and/or boredom out of the belief that he is the only one who is like them, but it is also because of this belief that they use their violent treatment to ensure that Towa fits the image that they are convinced is the best version of him and will not accept him as any other kind of person]]. As a result, they end up [[spoiler: being at odds with the people who try to help and heal Towa, with Madarame targeting Taku and Maya with Mei]], respectively. One key difference, however, is that Madarame has the restraint to [[spoiler: simply back off and leave if he thinks that Towa has changed too much for his liking, whereas Maya responded by immediately resorting to an attempt at filicide]].

* DeadlyDoctor: Taku becomes one in his Madness ending, as he decides to throw aside his goal of helping others and to [[spoiler:focus only on protecting Towa (in a ''very'' twisted way). With this decision, he completes making the psychedelics that Toono requested; but even after that, it's implied that Taku is still making and distributing said drugs as he often administers it to Towa and mentions how the one he recently gave to him is more potent than the last]].

* MirrorCharacter: Madarame has some similarities with [[spoiler: Maya]], of all people. Both harbor genuine love for Towa, even if that love is twisted and not of the orthodox kind, and express said love by subjecting Towa to violence, directly (in Madarame's case) or indirectly (in [[spoiler: Maya]]'s case). Both also [[spoiler: see him as the only one who can sate their loneliness and/or boredom out of the belief that he is the only one who is like them, but it is also because of this belief that they use their violent treatment to ensure that Towa fits the image that they are convinced is the best version of him and will not accept him as any other kind of person]]. As a result, they end up [[spoiler: being at odds with the people who try to help and heal Towa, with Madarame targeting Taku and Maya with Mei]], respectively. One key difference, however, is that Madarame has the restraint to [[spoiler: back off if he thinks that Towa has changed too much for his liking, whereas Maya responded by immediately resorting to an attempt at filicide]].

* MirrorCharacter: Madarame has some similarities with [[spoiler: Maya]], of all people. Both harbor genuine love for Towa, even if that love is twisted and not of the orthodox kind, and express said love by subjecting Towa to violence, directly (in Madarame's case) or indirectly (in [[spoiler: Maya]]'s case). Both also [[spoiler: see him as the only one who can sate their loneliness and/or boredom out of the belief that he is the only one who is like them, but it is also because of this belief that they use their violent treatment to ensure that Towa fits the image that they are convinced is the best version of him and will not accept him as any other kind of person]]. As a result, they end up [[spoiler: being at odds with the people who try to help and heal Towa, with Madarame targeting Taku and Maya with Mei]], respectively. One key difference, however, is that Madarame has the restraint to [[spoiler: back off if he thinks that Towa has changed too much for his liking, whereas Maya responded by immediately resorting to an attempt at filicide]].

* HemoErotic: Downplayed; Madarame isn't opposed to drawing some blood during sex and even gets aroused by the smell and taste of it, which he outright tells Towa. After they properly rekindle their relationship, he and Towa [[CasualKink indulge in making each other bruise and bleed from time to time]].

* {{Hypocrite}}: Although Madarame isn't wrong about [[spoiler: how Taku has been keeping secrets from Towa for a long time]], his accusation can fall flat when the player remembers that Madarame himself [[spoiler: knows the same secrets that Taku knows]], yet he also chooses [[spoiler: not to tell Towa anything, regardless of his motives for keeping silent]].
* HemoErotic: Downplayed; Madarame isn't opposed to drawing some blood during sex and even gets aroused by the taste of it. After they properly rekindle their relationship, he and Towa [[CasualKink indulge in making each other bruise and bleed from time to time]].

** To Sakaki. Both personally knew Maya and both treat Towa as if he was their own son. Toono also hints early on that [[spoiler:both of them are keeping Towa's past a secret from the younger man]]. However, they have completely different reasons for doing so. Taku [[spoiler:keeps quiet about the truth as he wishes to protect Towa from suffering a complete breakdown and doesn't want him to be chained down by the horrors of his past]]. On the other hand, Sakaki's reasons [[spoiler:are more sinister: Sakaki ''wants'' Towa to recover his memories, but he will only do so under certain circumstances that would successfully Towa into Maya's successor]]. Their motives, in turn, show how [[spoiler:they truly regard Towa. Whether he's the chosen love interest or not, Taku always shows genuine concern for Towa's well-being, and while he does commit several questionable actions, they're done with good intentions. Meanwhile, Sakaki seems to have nothing but altruistic intentions in watching out for Towa; however, he only sees the younger man as a vessel of sorts for Maya, and it's strongly implied that deep down, he resents Towa for killing her]].