#kobayashi kage

Hello~these are some of my OCs as promised! I could’t help but redraw some old stuff from…2009 I think?

I first came up with Kage and Rin in middle school I think. The original premise was a fantasy story, then high school came around and they became modernized characters. Prepare for a typical josei/shoujo premise because I’ve never been that creative tbh~

• Kage’s father died when he was young, leaving their family business in shambles. Rin’s father was his good friend, and promised he would care for his family. As a result, Kage and Rin grow up around each other but they - quite obviously - don’t get along. 
• Their parents come up with the bright idea of getting them married to help solidify their business partnership. Kage and Rin’s resentment for each other grows. Their parents see this and think, how could we make this work better (instead of ending it for their happiness because why would they?) Maybe they end up living together as a way to train them because their parents are so smart. Who knows~
• Kage and Rin spend the rest of the story trying to get away from each other, basically. Love happens somewhere in there, you know, once they learn to understand each other better and see each others’ weaknesses and strengths in different lights.

Character Profiles: 

• Rin is usually short-tempered, stern, and reserved. However, she loves her family a great deal and has a special soft spot for her older brother who lives overseas. She aspires to someday run the family business and doesn’t let the prospect of arranged marriage stand as an obstacle on that path. Her relationship with Kage is that of conflict despite having grown up with him. Though she resents her family’s tradition, Rin keeps quiet about it, cooperating out of obligation to her family and to the growth of its business.
• Kage is ultimately a kind person, however modesty is not his forte. Rin considers him contradictory given his cold and sometimes cruel demeanor towards her. His overlying personality traits have led to popularity that has carried through to adulthood. His arrogance, however, has also led to fragile relationships. His father died early in his life, leaving behind a failing business that was promised fortitude in the form of arranged marriage. Unlike Rin, he has not remained single throughout, and has been far from a proponent of his fate, cooperating only for the sake of his family. He does not hide his disdain for the Akimoto family and its traditions.
  
• Aiko is outgoing, friendly, and flirtatious – the complete opposite of Rin, which she often jokes is the glue in their friendship. Despite her lighthearted attitude, Aiko often takes on a protective role when caring for her friends, particularly in her interactions with Rin. This may in part be due to having faced the loss of her youngest sibling in an accident that also took the sight in her right eye.   She has faced multiple failed romantic relationships while searching for “the one.”. She clearly disapproves of the plans set in motion for Rin and Kage, as she is one of few who is privy to Kage’s darker qualities. Aiko is the mediator between the two.

When I’m really bored and should be doing important things, I redraw old stuff. These are my OCs from 2009 -> 2013 -> 2020, left to right. I liked the composition of the 2013 one so kept it pretty much the same. While there’s definitely differences, I didn’t change everything because I still draw them pretty similarly. Maybe I should practice more, haha~