General

His full given name is Ryunosuke, but he goes by just Ryu. He's a cheerful and laid-back person, a good listener, and someone who is very passionate about his work and hobbies. He takes most things in stride and always makes an effort to look on the bright side of things. Despite wearing a lot of hoodies and active wear, he always makes sure to look stylish. He takes good care of himself, and always shows up with a fresh face and shiny hair! If he were an animal, he would be a tiger.

His story is entwined with a boy named Haruka, who he used to work together with as demon slayers in a past life. Their story didn't end well in the past, but they are both reincarnated later and given a second chance. In the modern time storyline Ryu has no recollection of his past life, but Haruka is haunted by strange dreams that seem more like distant memories.

Because Ryu died feeling content — in the arms of the person he loved, and knowing that he fulfilled his duty as a demon slayer — those feelings carried over into his next life. So when he is reincarnated, his soul is at peace, and when he meets Haru, Ryu's feelings for him return immediately.

Haru on the other hand didn't realize his feelings for Ryu in the past until Ryu died, and he lived the rest of his life filled with regret. When he is reincarnated those feelings are carried over, and because his soul is unrestful, he's plagued by nightmares about losing someone important, and a feeling of wanting to do things differently this time.​

NOTE:

Ryu started out as a Kimetsu no Yaiba fan OC! This page is for who he is as a character in modern times, but KNY-verse Ryu has his own page where you can find everything about his past life as a demon slayer.

His love interest Haru belongs to @perisceris, and you can read more about him here!

STORY

Ryu is from a wealthy family, but his parents die in a car crash when he's just a kid. Ryu survives, badly bruised, and with a deep gash on his face that eventually turns into a scar. After the accident, he is raised by his maternal grandparents, who take very good care of him. Despite a rough start, he grows up to be a positive guy who always tries to make the best of any situation.

In his early 20s he starts working as a hair stylist. One day a boy named Haru walks into his salon, and Ryu more or less falls in love right then and there. They talk a bit as Ryu does Haru's hair, and they learn that they have a friend in common; a girl named Hanabi. Haru returns to Ryu's salon a few times for hair dye upkeep, and they eventually start hanging out and becoming friends.

Ryu has his feelings for Haru figured out pretty much from the beginning, but it takes a long time for Haru to accept his. Ryu can tell that Haru has some baggage, so, while nothing can stop him from openly flirting with him from moment they meet, he waits patiently for Haru to give him the green light, or make the first move. But before that happens, Hanabi disappears, and Ryu and Haru are dragged into a word full of dark secrets and supernatural horrors.

In the end, all it takes for Haru to finally admit his feelings to himself and confess to Ryu, is his best friend getting spirited away, and Ryu getting possessed by a demon. But in the end, they get Hanabi back, defeat the demon, and start dating!

Personal

Ryu idolized his parents, and took it very hard when he lost them. He was a very cheerful and outgoing child, but after the accident he clammed up and hardly spoke for a year. It was a tough time, but with the love and support of his grandparents, he processed his grief and eventually started to come out of his shell. In the end, he became pretty much his old cheerful self again, albeit maybe a bit more thoughtful than before.

Since then things have kind of just been working out for him. He comes from money, his grandparents are really loving and coddle him a lot, he got into the hair stylist program he applied for when he graduated, and after that he got hired at an alternative hair salon that is just his style. Basically… aside from the childhood trauma he's never really had a reason to worry that much. He doesn't dwell too much on the past, and is a bit of a happy-go-lucky person.

Though he is bright and emotionally intelligent, Ryu is a bit of a himbo. He always thinks the best of people, and though strangers often tend to flirt and generally treat him with pretty boy privilege, he just thinks they’re simply nice and kind people. He’s kind of just a big golden retriever of a person.

​Visually speaking, Ryu looks… loud. His piercings and his brightly colored hair and clothes make him hard to ignore if you're in the same room. And he does like being noticed. Part of the reason behind his whole aesthetic is simply that bright colors make him happy, but part of it is also simply that he knows that life is short, and he just wants to live to the fullest. Subconsciously, there's a part of him that wants to be noticed. He doesn't need to be the center of attention, but he doesn't like being ignored.

If you don't know him, it's easy to assume that Ryu's personality is as loud as his outfits — but if you talk to him, he's actually just kind of a sweet, charming guy. He's friendly and relaxed, and his positive aura tends to put other people at ease. He's quite observant of other people’s needs, and a really good listener. All in all, he's very easy to like. And he likes being liked, to the point where he takes it childishly personal if someone doesn't seem immediately smitten by him. If someone acts openly cold or hostile towards him, it’s certain to keep him up at night wondering what he did wrong.