Horuda Umetsu

48

Horuda Umetsu has been bullied at every school she has ever attended, from kindergarten to high school. She has always been considered "weird" by the other children; while some thought that she was merely awkward and gloomy, others felt that she was outright creepy and scary. Strangely, nobody has ever been able to articulate exactly *why* they perceive her in this way; the only explanation offered by the other children is that they dislike her because of "the vibe she gives off." Despite many attempts to forge bonds with other people, Horuda has never been able to succeed at making a friend - not once in her entire life. She gradually began to feel that her "fate" was to be alone and to be mistreated by others, and so, she eventually decided that her wisest course of action was to spend her time as far away from other people as possible. Unfortunately, her preference for solitude has only reinforced her status as "weird and creepy" in the eyes of others. Horuda has attracted the attention of Akademi's bullies, who have nicknamed her "Horuda Puresu" - a term that is meant to sound like the word "Placeholder." The implication is that she has no intrinsic worth or value, and is nothing more than a "background decoration," temporarily occupying a blank space that will eventually be occupied by someone more worthwhile. It's a basic and childish insult, but it's one that directly strikes at her deepest insecurities.