Seito Shinai

Shinai Seito is a character in Astral Academy. He shares a room with Tsuri Liz. He represents 6:00 am.

Appearance
Shinai has short, dark purple-ish hair with his bangs swept to the left. He has a small top hat accessory on the right side of his head and a small cobweb on the left side of his head. He wears a regular white collared shirt with a purple sleeveless suit on top, with black stripes with a cobweb pattern on one side.

Early Life
Shinai and his sister, Kanegari, were born in a wealthy family, at exactly 6:00 (AM for Shinai - PM for Kanegari). The young Shinai did not talk much, and his parents spoiled him and gave him many items due to them not knowing what he wants. He was so quiet he was considered mute.

Since his parents spoiled him so often, he didn't need to go outside, leaving him lonely and cooped up in his room. He and Kanegari had started to write in a picture diary, doodling little pictures of the outside world. He eventually grew restless of not being able to go outside, and at 6 am, he started leaving the house to look outside.

He headed back to the house at 7 am, in fear that his parents will find him. He'd repeat this over and over again, which caused him to discover one of the Hands of The Clock, 6:00. Shinai was initially scared by it and quickly ran back to his house - in the process, he ended up tripping and causing a lot of noise. One of his servants were woken up by this, and noticed Shinai with a cut on his ankle.

Due to his injury, he was locked into his room once more until it healed. Many people passed by to give him medicine or food, and his sister occasionally coming over to have a talk with him. Shinai started growing sad again, feeling like he was back to his old lifestyle, and as he stared out the rain-covered window, a shining blue light was reflected in it.

Once he recovered, his parents introduced to him his new personal butler, Ashikage Cian (under the name of Lucia). Shinai's first impression of Cian was a "lively, and generally cheery trickster". He would put on magic shows for the other, as well as having regular conversations with him, which helped Shinai communicate better. With Cian, he slowly became less sheltered, and even went out to get popsicles with him one summer.

One morning, at the usual 6am, when Cian was still asleep, Shinai went back outside. There, he re-met the sixth Hand of The Clock, but instead of running away, he stood in front of it, in an attempt to get over his fears. This is where the cloaked figure hands him a letter, the Astral Academy invitation. After one of the family's servants noticed the invitation, they hosted a goodbye party for him a day before he (and Kanegari) left to the school.

Astral Academy First Year
In his first year, he was assigned the element Poison. Since he was new to public situations, he didn't attend school assemblies and went to night school instead. Most of his time in the day was spent in the piano room, as he practiced a song that he heard in his head before. He didn't interact with people who weren't his sister, the two of them spending time stargazing after Shinai was done with class.

Astral Academy Second Year
In his second year, he started to take up reading, Asahi sometimes seeing him read books in the dorm's living room. He reunites with Cian in Chapter 4, surprised that he's a second year like him (not noticing him at all during his previous year). His best class is Pegasus Riding, something he shares with his sister, Kanegari.

In Chapter 6, Kuroi confronts him and asks him about the Hands of The Clock - however, Shinai avoids him. Since Cian shares a dorm with Kuroi, Cian will occasionally appear and tell Shinai about what Kuroi told him. Liz comments on his relationship with Cian, saying that the two of them are "so close it's hard to consider them just friends".

Ashikage Cian
Cian is Shinai's butler. During Shinai's first year, Cian would send him anonymous letters, which would sometimes scare the other or leave him perplexed. He finally discovers him in Chapter 4 of the first story, being surprised that he didn't notice him and his eccentricness before. Cian gives him book recommendations and randomly appears in Dorm A to talk to him. He talks to Shinai about Kuroi, who then talks about it to Kanegari.

Seito Kanegari
Kanegari is Shinai's sister. They have been close to each other since birth and trust each other deeply. Although Shinai is older than her by 12 hours, they say that they're twins. She makes both of their outfits.

Tsuri Liz
Dorm mate. They don't talk a lot, but Liz sometimes challenges Shinai to play cards. He became proficient in blackjack because of her, and now is often invited to (the school) casino by her.

Nakigoto Akira
Friends. Akira had asked Shinai to pull a murder stunt with him in Chapter 7, but Shinai politely refused his offer.

Quotes

 * "I want to be out there, playing in the rain. If in another life..." (Astral Academy: Seito Section)