souma ritsu

Age: 21–22
Ritsu was born under the curse of the monkey sign. As far back as he can remember, his parents always had to apologize for everything he did, making him very uncertain about himself. He feels that every day, he is stealing the world's air by merely breathing.
He discovered that dressing like a girl made him feel more comfortable, but this only gave his parents more reasons to apologize. Since he looks so much like a girl, Tooru initially mistook him for one until he accidentally transformed. Somehow, Tooru convinced him that he does have a reason to live; he just hasn't found it yet. Shigure enjoys playing with Ritsu's insecurities and gullibility, similar to how he treats his editor, Mitsuru. When they meet, they realize they share this trait.
Natsuki Takaya derived his name from the eighth month, odakaritsuki or "rice harvest month," which corresponds to the month of the monkey in the traditional Japanese calendar. In her author's notes, Takaya mentioned regretting how small a role Ritsu played in the main story.