⚸Ken 'Endo' Nescu⚸
"This world... This world isn't wrong. It just is. And even if "eventually" everything will come to naught, I'll still strive forward no matter what . . . like a centipede"
ϰ.The basics.ϰ
Given Name:
Ken
Surname:
Endo (formerly)
Nescu (currently)
Nicknames:
Kei
Gender:
Male
Age:
18
Etymology:
Ken (健): This is a common Japanese name element and means "healthy," "strong," or "fit."
Endo (遠藤): This is a surname. "En" (遠) means "distant," and "Do" (藤) means "wisteria."
but when in a more poetic sense his name can be interpreted as "the whispers of rebirth and growth" depending on how you interpret the name
ϰ.Appearance.ϰ
Height:
190cm/6'3
Weight:
216 lbs
Build:
Toned/lean
Skin Color:
Light Tan
Eye Color:
Deep blue
Hairstyle:
Tousled hair swept to one side
Hair Color:
Jet-black
Fashion:
Ken wears several different outfits, but he is usually seen wearing darker shades of clothing, not wanting to stand out too much.
Height:
190cm/6'3
Weight:
216 lbs
Build:
Toned/lean
Skin Color:
Light Tan
Eye Color:
Deep blue
Hairstyle:
Tousled hair swept to one side
Hair Color:
Jet-black
Fashion:
Ken wears several different outfits, but he is usually seen wearing darker shades of clothing, not wanting to stand out too much.
ϰ.General stuff.ϰ
Date of birth:
January 24th
Place of birth:
America
Nationality:
Japanese
Race:
Mestizo
Sexual orientation:
Straight
Religious beliefs:
N/A
Political beliefs:
N/A
ϰ.Presentation.ϰ
Appearance:
Ken is a 6'3 raven-haired young man with a usually laid-back demeanor. He has sharp blue eyes that are always looking around, observing his surroundings. Outside of school, he usually wears different types of clothing. However, whenever he is in school, he wears a cyan-colored blazer over a white dress shirt with a red tie, along with a brown belt, dark blue pants and slacks, and glasses. When he isn't in his uniform, he can be seen wearing a dark gray silk coat over a white shirt with black pants and light gray shoes. His messy hair is always swept to one side lightly.
Personality:
Stubborn, calm, empathetic, smart, and almost foolishly selfless, yet never to the point of complete self-destruction, Ken tries to be the embodiment of a great stoic. Of course, he has a few exceptions; he tries to be virtuous, patient, and understanding, always trying to be unbiased and opting to hear everyone's side instead of only one perspective. He is a compassionate animal lover and can remain calm when everyone is panicked. He is usually seen as laid back and casual, but can also be playful at times. He can be sarcastic and witty, which can come off as annoying to some, but overall, Ken is a more logical person, opting to try and see reason instead of using his emotions to decide everything. However, that doesn't make him entirely heartless, and he tries to find a balance between logical and emotional thinking.
Disease/illness:
N/A
Voice:
Equipment:
Ken is almost always seen wearing a black backpack over his shoulder. He always carries his phone, along with a Hello Kitty umbrella. During school hours, he can be seen wearing glasses that he does not really need, but just wears them for fun.
ϰ.Skills & Issues.ϰ
Hobbies/likes
Ken likes a wide range of things, but some of his favorites are reading whatever that may be. He doesn't mind if it's a novel or a manga - he just loves reading and indulging himself in the new worlds he can find through reading, even mediocre stories. He doesn't mind reading simply because he'll have fun.
He also likes the colors blue and green, his favorite shade of color being cyan. He enjoys being physically active and is always wanting to take long walks around Karakura. He is also someone who enjoys botany and nature and is obsessed with plants and animals and loves them all dearly. He also enjoys writing small stories or even poems of his own, a recent hobby he picked up on, in fact.
Dislikes:
One of the things Ken doesn't agree with is revenge, which is why it's one of the things he dislikes the most because, from what Ken has seen and experienced, revenge only leads to hate and hate leads to more revenge, which leads to more death, which leads to more hate. It's a never-ending cycle that Ken despises, which is why he always tries to empathize with people, even if he doesn't agree with them or dislikes them, because he'd rather come to an understanding than a burning hate. Another thing Ken dislikes is the loss of life of course. Ken isn't naive enough to think that there aren't people who do deserve to die, but he simply feels like murder should only be used as a last resort, and prefers to reason with people instead of harm. However, Ken isn't above harming; he just feels like there should never have to be a point where murder is the only answer, even if he knows it will always be an inevitable answer, depending on the situation. One another thing Ken dislikes is alcohol or any type of drugs. He doesn't care if people around him do it, nor will he try and stop people from doing drugs, he simply refuses to take any. His parents were drug addicts, doing anything from drinking to some of the more "problematic" substances, which caused his parents to become very abusive to him as a child. This is why he wants to stay away from drugs of any kind.
Flaws:
Stubborn, Ken is extremely stubborn when it comes to certain things. He is always willing to reach an understanding under peaceful means, but if there is ever a point where harmful action must take place, Ken will do anything in his power to try and form some peace from the harm, trying to do anything to not make it come to that point. Sometimes he can't really see when the line between understanding and harm has been crossed, which causes him to be hurt in the crossfire. Despite his stubborn nature, Ken can become selfless, especially to the people he cares for. He is extremely selfless, treating everyone near him or close to him carefully because of his love.
In fact, Ken's love can also be his biggest enemy - ironically enough. Ken is a person who is capable of a great amount of love, but that love can turn into hate in an instant, as hypocritical as that is for him. However, Ken acknowledge this flaw and does everything he can to keep himself level-headed, keeping any hate from getting the best of him.
Disorders/Disabilities
PTSD: Ken may not seem like the type to suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), but he does. His PTSD stems from his childhood experiences, including witnessing many bodies surrounding him, suffering physical abuse at the hands of his parents, and bouncing from foster home to foster home, some of which were not filled with the best people.
Inferiority complex: Ken suffers from an inferiority complex that started in his childhood, when his parents would blame and argue with him for not being as smart or active as other children his age. While these feelings may have diminished after the death of his parents, he still experienced relentless bullying from the homes he was placed in, which only exacerbated the insecure feelings he already had. This is why he tries his best all the time and exercises, as he still feels like he's not good enough.
Nightmare disorder: Ken suffers from chronic nightmares from past trauma. While these nightmares may not occur daily, they still happen frequently, which causes him to dislike sleep. Sleep for Ken is not a pleasant escape to a far away world; it is a trip where he is forced to face all his fears.
OCD: Contrary to popular belief, OCD isn't just being clean; it stands for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, meaning that Ken obsessively obsesses over things that a normal person wouldn't, which leads to compulsions or obsessions. One of his compulsions is to triple-check any locks when he is at home, no matter what, as the stress of not doing so greatly affects his concentration. Another compulsion is tapping three times before doing anything of note, such as cooking, opening a drink, or reading a book. Ken does this to ensure he doesn't let his anger get the best of him, as he doesn't want to hurt the people he cares about. Whenever he begins to think of these thoughts, his hands start to shake slightly, and he has to excuse himself to try to reign in his obsessive thoughts before he becomes extremely stressed out.
Skills:
Love, despite being a weakness of his, is also something Ken takes great pride in. He is extremely compassionate and empathic towards those he cares about, and that motivates him to try even harder to protect them. It may be a big weakness, but it is also one of his main motivations.
Determination is another one of Ken's strengths, despite his doubts about himself. He has incredible willpower that drives him to persevere through any challenge, even when he is alone. He never lingers on his failures but uses them to fuel his determination and push him to keep moving forward. His determination is a big driving force behind his stubbornness.
Intellectually, Ken is a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. He has a surprising capacity for logic and reasoning, which allows him to adapt to challenges with ease and retain his composure even when those around him are panicking.
False confidence is another aspect of Ken's character. Despite not being confident in himself, he knows that people won't take him seriously if he doesn't appear confident. He puts on a masks of confidence, which allows him to interact with others easier and have smoother conversations. Even though he doesn't believe in his own confidence, others do.
ϰ.Personal Relations.ϰ
NEUTRAL - ACQUAINTANCE - FRIEND - FAMILY - LOVE
(Yo if ya wanna be on here and you've interacted with Ken fully hmu on discord so I can add ya [cypherragnarok] and this will be updated over time . . if I remember)
This section is a WIP :-:
Hanako (Alive)
Family (Sister from another Mister)
“I’m here with you till the end. You’ll never be alone again as long as I’m around.”
Ken and Hanako met one day when Ken approached her, seeing her sitting alone at the plaza. At the time, Ken, in need of friends, decided to take the risk of communication (he would never do it again). After talking for a bit and discovering that she was new to Karakura, he decided to show her around. Getting to know her more, he found out that she and her sister Riko did not have a place to live. Not wanting his new friend to be homeless with her sister, Ken allowed Hanako and her sister Riko to become his roommates. Things stayed like this for a bit, with their relationship consisting of friendly banter. Unknown to Hanako, Ken was slowly spiraling, and this was just the beginning. After a while, feeling like he would only make Hanako and Riko’s life worse, Ken gave them enough money to buy their own apartment, sending them on their way. Privately telling Hanako that it would be better if they never talked, right before Hanako had to leave for America. Despite Hanako stating before this that she would always be there for Ken, he didn't feel like he was deserving of her kindness. So, he tried to cut her off.
During her break in America, Ken, realizing that he had done a regrettable thing, tried to get back in contact with her. All the while, his life spiraled even more. This accumulated to a point where Ken was alone with no one to talk to, having a mental breakdown on top of a mountain. Hanako, who had returned that very day, saw a text from Ken asking if he could amend his friendship with her. Hanako accepted, prompting Ken to go to Hanako, who found him looking disheveled, dirty, and depressed.
Ken then proceeded to vent to Hanako, who listened and gave him advice. This was the start of them fixing their broken relationship, but it wasn't the same. Ken was always a little distant, a little detached, which hurt Hanako. One day, she expressed these feelings to Ken, telling him that she felt like he was ignoring her. Ken, finally understanding, decided not to be as distant, allowing their friendship to blossom once more. He considers Hanako like a sister to him.
Riko (Alive)
Love (Aka utterly addicted to her)
“Ill love you, for as long as you need and more”
Ken was introduced to Riko by Hanako after she moved in with Ken. In the beginning, they didn't talk too much, except for occasional flirty banter. But a few days after Hanako left, Ken was going to tell Riko the same thing. So they met up, and somewhere along the way, Ken realized he was being a bit unreasonable, and Hanako didn't deserve what he did. So he continued to hang out with Riko in hopes of mending his relationship with Hanako when she came back. As he continued to spend the day with Riko, he found himself becoming ever so slightly attracted to her. Of course, he thought Riko was pretty, but he found himself thinking about her looks a bit more as the day progressed. Until the end of the day, where they eventually kissed. After this, the next day, Ken promptly asked Riko out on a date, not wanting to let his chance go to waste. He found himself becoming more fascinated by Riko, leading to the end of the day, where he realized they never had confirmed if they were dating or not. But after declaring that he and Riko were boyfriend and girlfriend, and Riko going along with it, Ken would realize that this was a good thing. He was happy, and as their relationship continued to grow, Ken found himself happier. For the first time in a long time, he was scared — scared of death, scared of getting hurt, scared of losing time because that meant he wouldn't be able to hold her as long. That meant time taken away from him spending time with her. For the first time in a long time, he feared death. Although all good things must come to an end, as Ken continued to spiral and experience loss after loss. He reached a new low that started the day a friend of Riko’s brought over a new guy in an attempt to prove to Riko that she could do better. Lo and behold, she actually brought someone to Riko that person then started an argument with Ken. Yet, Ken stood his ground, not doing anything the man asked, until the man ripped open Ken's sleeve, revealing numerous scars crawling up his arm from his wrist, which pissed Ken off. He stomped away a little after everything settled down, telling Riko he wanted to be alone. Of course, Riko felt bad for not being able to do anything but watch as Ken was hit and then was forced to reveal his scars. But it was too late as Ken went home and texted Riko if she could come over. Riko asked if he could hold on for a moment. Ken, being patient, decided he could wait. But that moment turned to hours fast, and within that time-frame, Ken reached a breaking point. Finding out a close friend of his died, and Ken, having no one else he was able to turn or talk to, ran. He ran towards a mountain at the top of the shrine. But as he got there, he ran past a laughing Riko, who was having fun with her friends. Even though he didn't stop, Ken knew what he saw, and it hurt him more than anything. He assumed she was busy with work, so the fact that she wasn't there when he needed her the most hurt a lot. After a series of events that led to Riko finding out what Ken thought, she eventually ran away. But Ken didn't want this at all. He was only momentarily upset but forgave her after his talk with Hanako. So he pleaded with her, and eventually, she returned, and they had a long talk about the events that transpired, ending with them being closer than before. Ken is utterly obsessed with Riko and wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her.
NEUTRAL - ACQUAINTANCE - FRIEND - FAMILY - LOVE
(Yo if ya wanna be on here and you've interacted with Ken fully hmu on discord so I can add ya [cypherragnarok] and this will be updated over time . . if I remember)
This section is a WIP :-:
Hanako (Alive)
Family (Sister from another Mister)
“I’m here with you till the end. You’ll never be alone again as long as I’m around.”
Ken and Hanako met one day when Ken approached her, seeing her sitting alone at the plaza. At the time, Ken, in need of friends, decided to take the risk of communication (he would never do it again). After talking for a bit and discovering that she was new to Karakura, he decided to show her around. Getting to know her more, he found out that she and her sister Riko did not have a place to live. Not wanting his new friend to be homeless with her sister, Ken allowed Hanako and her sister Riko to become his roommates. Things stayed like this for a bit, with their relationship consisting of friendly banter. Unknown to Hanako, Ken was slowly spiraling, and this was just the beginning. After a while, feeling like he would only make Hanako and Riko’s life worse, Ken gave them enough money to buy their own apartment, sending them on their way. Privately telling Hanako that it would be better if they never talked, right before Hanako had to leave for America. Despite Hanako stating before this that she would always be there for Ken, he didn't feel like he was deserving of her kindness. So, he tried to cut her off.
During her break in America, Ken, realizing that he had done a regrettable thing, tried to get back in contact with her. All the while, his life spiraled even more. This accumulated to a point where Ken was alone with no one to talk to, having a mental breakdown on top of a mountain. Hanako, who had returned that very day, saw a text from Ken asking if he could amend his friendship with her. Hanako accepted, prompting Ken to go to Hanako, who found him looking disheveled, dirty, and depressed.
Ken then proceeded to vent to Hanako, who listened and gave him advice. This was the start of them fixing their broken relationship, but it wasn't the same. Ken was always a little distant, a little detached, which hurt Hanako. One day, she expressed these feelings to Ken, telling him that she felt like he was ignoring her. Ken, finally understanding, decided not to be as distant, allowing their friendship to blossom once more. He considers Hanako like a sister to him.
Riko (Alive)
Love (Aka utterly addicted to her)
“Ill love you, for as long as you need and more”
Ken was introduced to Riko by Hanako after she moved in with Ken. In the beginning, they didn't talk too much, except for occasional flirty banter. But a few days after Hanako left, Ken was going to tell Riko the same thing. So they met up, and somewhere along the way, Ken realized he was being a bit unreasonable, and Hanako didn't deserve what he did. So he continued to hang out with Riko in hopes of mending his relationship with Hanako when she came back. As he continued to spend the day with Riko, he found himself becoming ever so slightly attracted to her. Of course, he thought Riko was pretty, but he found himself thinking about her looks a bit more as the day progressed. Until the end of the day, where they eventually kissed. After this, the next day, Ken promptly asked Riko out on a date, not wanting to let his chance go to waste. He found himself becoming more fascinated by Riko, leading to the end of the day, where he realized they never had confirmed if they were dating or not. But after declaring that he and Riko were boyfriend and girlfriend, and Riko going along with it, Ken would realize that this was a good thing. He was happy, and as their relationship continued to grow, Ken found himself happier. For the first time in a long time, he was scared — scared of death, scared of getting hurt, scared of losing time because that meant he wouldn't be able to hold her as long. That meant time taken away from him spending time with her. For the first time in a long time, he feared death. Although all good things must come to an end, as Ken continued to spiral and experience loss after loss. He reached a new low that started the day a friend of Riko’s brought over a new guy in an attempt to prove to Riko that she could do better. Lo and behold, she actually brought someone to Riko that person then started an argument with Ken. Yet, Ken stood his ground, not doing anything the man asked, until the man ripped open Ken's sleeve, revealing numerous scars crawling up his arm from his wrist, which pissed Ken off. He stomped away a little after everything settled down, telling Riko he wanted to be alone. Of course, Riko felt bad for not being able to do anything but watch as Ken was hit and then was forced to reveal his scars. But it was too late as Ken went home and texted Riko if she could come over. Riko asked if he could hold on for a moment. Ken, being patient, decided he could wait. But that moment turned to hours fast, and within that time-frame, Ken reached a breaking point. Finding out a close friend of his died, and Ken, having no one else he was able to turn or talk to, ran. He ran towards a mountain at the top of the shrine. But as he got there, he ran past a laughing Riko, who was having fun with her friends. Even though he didn't stop, Ken knew what he saw, and it hurt him more than anything. He assumed she was busy with work, so the fact that she wasn't there when he needed her the most hurt a lot. After a series of events that led to Riko finding out what Ken thought, she eventually ran away. But Ken didn't want this at all. He was only momentarily upset but forgave her after his talk with Hanako. So he pleaded with her, and eventually, she returned, and they had a long talk about the events that transpired, ending with them being closer than before. Ken is utterly obsessed with Riko and wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her.
ϰ.Origins.ϰ
Ken Endo
Origin
[Why? It all feels so pointless… living, creating, there’s no value in any of it, none of it’s worth the effort because we’ll all eventually end up dead won’t we?]
-???
It all started when he was born. Ken Endo was born to his mother, a recently immigrated Japanese woman named Etsu Endo, a woman in her early twenties, and his father, a Mexican man named Edgar Endo. They named their son Ken Endo; it was his mother’s idea. To say he had a 'safe' childhood was, to say the least, a large stretch.
Ken’s family, from the beginning, was poor, luckily not as poor as some others but still struggling. Growing up in the worst type of environment, with loud gunshots in the night keeping him up and screams of pain reverberating through his city block, it wasn’t a safe place for anyone. Yet, here he was, and his parents didn’t make it any better.
His father was abusive and even neglectful at times, beating the boy for something as simple as not being able to read instructions. Yet, his father was also caring at times, confusing Ken, who didn’t know what to think about his father fully. This always left him conflicted. On the other hand, his opinion of his mother was a lot more concrete. Unlike his father, his mother never bothered to hide behind a kind mask. She could have cared less about Ken, only bothering to teach him Japanese and share small shows or stories with him. But outside of that, she, much like his father, was a drunk and kept it that way, constantly beating Ken more so than his father.
Ken was mostly alone; even at school, he was disregarded as an outcast for not being able to speak proper English since Ken only knew Spanish and Japanese. His parents never bothered to teach him English, causing Ken to have a very broken but still audible English. There was only one thing Ken looked forward to at times, and that was the fact that he always had one friend that loved him unconditionally—his dog, a 2-year-old Cane Corso named Yata. This dog was the only real friend Ken had, his only small piece of comfort, and it stayed like this until Ken turned 9 years old when a hurricane came and devastated his home.
The entire area was flooded; homes were destroyed, and dozens of people died in the wreckage. In his own home, Ken found his father dead, impaled by a stick of rebar. His mother got horribly ill in the wake of the destruction, and shortly enough, Ken got ill too. Only Yata came out mainly unharmed, aside from small sc****s. Because of the pure range of destruction the hurricane caused, the government focused more on the urbanized areas, gated communities, etc., leaving where Ken lived mainly untouched, causing a major food shortage in the area.
Despite the small help they would get every now and then, everything was falling apart. As Ken got better, his mother got worse until eventually, one day, Ken woke up next to his mother who never woke up. Ken left the area the next day after leaving, burying his mother's body. He and Yata took off and truly got a look at the destruction for themselves.
Bodies littered the area, dozens of them, all horrifically injured in some way. Some of the bodies were children younger than Ken, around his age, which forced Ken to look tough to survive. He did whatever he could, even if that meant he had to take from the dead. Things kept being that way until two months into it. Yata and Ken were chasing down a chicken that had survived, and they were closing in on the chicken, but a gunshot sounded off. Right next to Ken, Yata fell down dead. Another gunshot, and the chicken went down to Ken. It all happened so fast: one moment he was chasing an animal, the next his best friend was dead.
In his shock, Ken only watched as the older man who killed his best friend took the dog's body away with him. Ken made sure to get a good, long look at his face as the man left, memorizing every detail he could. Ken then proceeded to spend the next month searching for this man, and after finding him, Ken waited until the man, who had constantly been repeatedly going from his shed to a broken-down house, finally took a rest in the house for the night. Then Ken carefully entered the house and killed the man with one swift slice to the neck until he saw a boy in the corner of his eye with the back door wide open. A small boy, no older than 6, had seen his father drop dead.
The boy stared at Ken at first, and then when he put two and two together, he felt an overwhelming guilt. In that small instant, Ken had seen the boy's innocent eyes go to pure rage. Ken left before anything else could happen, but the guilt didn’t go away. Ken had cursed a poor boy to live with the pain of seeing his father die. Ken’s regretful blue eyes looked into the boy's hate-filled brown eyes, and the boy charged at Ken with a small knife in his hands. But Ken didn't move; he didn't attempt to stop the boy. He allowed the boy to charge and allowed the boy to stab him with the knife. It was small and dull, but it did pierce the skin slightly. Yet, he let it. He didn't stop and let the boy stab him in his arms and torso. After a while, the boy looked just as heartbroken as Ken. The boy then slowly fell to the ground exhausted.
Ken set the boy gently before he could hit the floor and left the house. As he thought about the boy, Ken gained a good understanding of life and hate, or at least he felt like he did. He hoped his understanding wouldn't go deeper for at least another decade, and even that wasn't enough time. The next two months were filled with the same routine: scavenge and survive. But this time, he had to do it alone. Ken grew to hate solitude after an entire two months alone, having to scrounge around, digging through people's corpses all alone. Well, it hurt. It made him feel a lot more guilty. When Ken had Yata with him, Ken didn't feel as guilty. But without anyone, and Ken just having the thoughts of his own mind, it hurt him... It hurt him a lot, though.
The two months passed, and just like that, help finally arrived – rescue workers finally making their way to Ken’s part of the town. Just like that, Ken was taken to a foster home after it was discovered he was an orphan. Lots of people had criticized the government for taking so long, but after a month, it died down. At the ripe age of 9, Ken started his life bouncing in and out of foster homes, mainly because they weren't the best; some mirrored his life before the hurricane, and some were worse.
After two years of going through the motions, the now 11-year-old boy came out of it all with a litter of new scars. He was put into an adoption center where a young Japanese couple were visiting to get their hands on a foreign child to show off to their parents. So, they chose Ken, who, at this point, had kept practicing his Japanese, Spanish, and even his English, meaning he was already trilingual, even if it was broken English. The couple decided that was enough and swiftly adopted Ken, who later found out their names were Yuta Harada and Ami Harada. Though Ken chose to keep his own surname, his parents may not have been the best, but he still loved them enough to keep their memory. For the most part, his new life with the couple was as close to happy as it could get.
They ended up moving to Karakura, Japan, and for the few months he was with them, things were calm. The couple let him practice his Japanese and Spanish more while he started picking up an extra language. Things were this way, calm for a few months until... they were out one night and never returned. A few hours after they left, cops returned home to see Ken. The cops informed Ken that his parents had been killed and then left. So, Ken was once again an orphan, and unfortunately, soon enough, he became homeless. Things stayed like this for the next few years to come. After a while, Ken was forced to attend Karakura's school, and while reluctant, he always liked learning, so it wasn't too bad. Eventually, he earned enough for an apartment of his own. And now we arrive at the present day where his story is continuing, hopefully for as long as possible.
-Fin
Ken Endo
Origin
[Why? It all feels so pointless… living, creating, there’s no value in any of it, none of it’s worth the effort because we’ll all eventually end up dead won’t we?]
-???
It all started when he was born. Ken Endo was born to his mother, a recently immigrated Japanese woman named Etsu Endo, a woman in her early twenties, and his father, a Mexican man named Edgar Endo. They named their son Ken Endo; it was his mother’s idea. To say he had a 'safe' childhood was, to say the least, a large stretch.
Ken’s family, from the beginning, was poor, luckily not as poor as some others but still struggling. Growing up in the worst type of environment, with loud gunshots in the night keeping him up and screams of pain reverberating through his city block, it wasn’t a safe place for anyone. Yet, here he was, and his parents didn’t make it any better.
His father was abusive and even neglectful at times, beating the boy for something as simple as not being able to read instructions. Yet, his father was also caring at times, confusing Ken, who didn’t know what to think about his father fully. This always left him conflicted. On the other hand, his opinion of his mother was a lot more concrete. Unlike his father, his mother never bothered to hide behind a kind mask. She could have cared less about Ken, only bothering to teach him Japanese and share small shows or stories with him. But outside of that, she, much like his father, was a drunk and kept it that way, constantly beating Ken more so than his father.
Ken was mostly alone; even at school, he was disregarded as an outcast for not being able to speak proper English since Ken only knew Spanish and Japanese. His parents never bothered to teach him English, causing Ken to have a very broken but still audible English. There was only one thing Ken looked forward to at times, and that was the fact that he always had one friend that loved him unconditionally—his dog, a 2-year-old Cane Corso named Yata. This dog was the only real friend Ken had, his only small piece of comfort, and it stayed like this until Ken turned 9 years old when a hurricane came and devastated his home.
The entire area was flooded; homes were destroyed, and dozens of people died in the wreckage. In his own home, Ken found his father dead, impaled by a stick of rebar. His mother got horribly ill in the wake of the destruction, and shortly enough, Ken got ill too. Only Yata came out mainly unharmed, aside from small sc****s. Because of the pure range of destruction the hurricane caused, the government focused more on the urbanized areas, gated communities, etc., leaving where Ken lived mainly untouched, causing a major food shortage in the area.
Despite the small help they would get every now and then, everything was falling apart. As Ken got better, his mother got worse until eventually, one day, Ken woke up next to his mother who never woke up. Ken left the area the next day after leaving, burying his mother's body. He and Yata took off and truly got a look at the destruction for themselves.
Bodies littered the area, dozens of them, all horrifically injured in some way. Some of the bodies were children younger than Ken, around his age, which forced Ken to look tough to survive. He did whatever he could, even if that meant he had to take from the dead. Things kept being that way until two months into it. Yata and Ken were chasing down a chicken that had survived, and they were closing in on the chicken, but a gunshot sounded off. Right next to Ken, Yata fell down dead. Another gunshot, and the chicken went down to Ken. It all happened so fast: one moment he was chasing an animal, the next his best friend was dead.
In his shock, Ken only watched as the older man who killed his best friend took the dog's body away with him. Ken made sure to get a good, long look at his face as the man left, memorizing every detail he could. Ken then proceeded to spend the next month searching for this man, and after finding him, Ken waited until the man, who had constantly been repeatedly going from his shed to a broken-down house, finally took a rest in the house for the night. Then Ken carefully entered the house and killed the man with one swift slice to the neck until he saw a boy in the corner of his eye with the back door wide open. A small boy, no older than 6, had seen his father drop dead.
The boy stared at Ken at first, and then when he put two and two together, he felt an overwhelming guilt. In that small instant, Ken had seen the boy's innocent eyes go to pure rage. Ken left before anything else could happen, but the guilt didn’t go away. Ken had cursed a poor boy to live with the pain of seeing his father die. Ken’s regretful blue eyes looked into the boy's hate-filled brown eyes, and the boy charged at Ken with a small knife in his hands. But Ken didn't move; he didn't attempt to stop the boy. He allowed the boy to charge and allowed the boy to stab him with the knife. It was small and dull, but it did pierce the skin slightly. Yet, he let it. He didn't stop and let the boy stab him in his arms and torso. After a while, the boy looked just as heartbroken as Ken. The boy then slowly fell to the ground exhausted.
Ken set the boy gently before he could hit the floor and left the house. As he thought about the boy, Ken gained a good understanding of life and hate, or at least he felt like he did. He hoped his understanding wouldn't go deeper for at least another decade, and even that wasn't enough time. The next two months were filled with the same routine: scavenge and survive. But this time, he had to do it alone. Ken grew to hate solitude after an entire two months alone, having to scrounge around, digging through people's corpses all alone. Well, it hurt. It made him feel a lot more guilty. When Ken had Yata with him, Ken didn't feel as guilty. But without anyone, and Ken just having the thoughts of his own mind, it hurt him... It hurt him a lot, though.
The two months passed, and just like that, help finally arrived – rescue workers finally making their way to Ken’s part of the town. Just like that, Ken was taken to a foster home after it was discovered he was an orphan. Lots of people had criticized the government for taking so long, but after a month, it died down. At the ripe age of 9, Ken started his life bouncing in and out of foster homes, mainly because they weren't the best; some mirrored his life before the hurricane, and some were worse.
After two years of going through the motions, the now 11-year-old boy came out of it all with a litter of new scars. He was put into an adoption center where a young Japanese couple were visiting to get their hands on a foreign child to show off to their parents. So, they chose Ken, who, at this point, had kept practicing his Japanese, Spanish, and even his English, meaning he was already trilingual, even if it was broken English. The couple decided that was enough and swiftly adopted Ken, who later found out their names were Yuta Harada and Ami Harada. Though Ken chose to keep his own surname, his parents may not have been the best, but he still loved them enough to keep their memory. For the most part, his new life with the couple was as close to happy as it could get.
They ended up moving to Karakura, Japan, and for the few months he was with them, things were calm. The couple let him practice his Japanese and Spanish more while he started picking up an extra language. Things were this way, calm for a few months until... they were out one night and never returned. A few hours after they left, cops returned home to see Ken. The cops informed Ken that his parents had been killed and then left. So, Ken was once again an orphan, and unfortunately, soon enough, he became homeless. Things stayed like this for the next few years to come. After a while, Ken was forced to attend Karakura's school, and while reluctant, he always liked learning, so it wasn't too bad. Eventually, he earned enough for an apartment of his own. And now we arrive at the present day where his story is continuing, hopefully for as long as possible.
-Fin
[Grade 12] Ken Endo
[Bird] Yatagarasu
[Bird] Yatagarasu
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