Chapter 8 :Akiyama Yu(Character portfolio)

Akiyama Yu came into this world in a situation of misery. An orphan and grown up with the land of post apocalypse Japan, Akiyama Yu knew one thing from early on: that surviving needed not just strength or luck but brains, strategy, and cunning too. With him being an orphan and without the backup of his family and their resources, there was only his mind. Cold, calculating, and ruthless, Yu soon came to realize that the world could be manipulated by those who could control the flow of money, resources, and information.

As time went on, Yu's mind was whetted in the complex world of economics. It would not take long before his economic prowess became obvious in the way he could understand the complex systems of trade, power, and control that commanded both local and global economies. He was born an economist, with an eye for patterns and a mind able to compute the most intricate of financial strategies in his head. As a teenager, Yu was already touted as a financial wizard kid, outsmarting the best minds in the field.

But while his prowess over the economy was undeniable, what truly set him apart was his ambition. Yu was not interested in simple piling of money; for him, economics was the means to reach to a form of power with which he could influence governments, corporations, and whole populations. He understood how it would be used to manipulate political systems, societies, and events such that one person-or a select few-could rule the world. This would later be the mindset that informed his every move within the Lainson Program and his ultimate goal of seizing political power.

Yu's intelligence and aptitude did not go unnoticed. As he grew older, his insight into economics, negotiation, and systems of control drew the interest of the Lainson Agency-the governmental body that oversaw the Lainson Program. But Yu was the kind of kid who would never wait for an offer from the government; rather, he'd challenge them face to face.

He even went so far as to issue an open ultimatum to the government, challenging them and stating he would only join the Lainson Program if they recognized his potential as a great strategist. He had made it crystal clear that without his inclusion into the program, the government would never realize fully the economic and political potential he could give. His threat was as simple as it was potent: a threat that unless they let him in, the future of their country was being left to amateurs and they were losing on any opportunity to apply his full force. This act was in direct violation of the authority of the government, so much did Yu believe in his value .. His words hit home with the powerful, and against his youthfulness, Yu's reputation as a prodigy of economics and strategic genius forced the government to admit him to the program.

By doing this, Yu gave way to a personal infiltration of the program and made the first step in the long-term manipulative game he intended to play with the government from within.

Yu's personality is a perfect reflection of his dual nature: as cold and calculating as they come on the inside, with his mind always churning, analyzing, and assessing risks and plotting his next move. Yu treats relationships and interactions as if they were mere transactions, with each person either serving to further a purpose or an obstacle in the way of progress. He is wholly instrumental with regard to loyalty and attachment; he does not invest in people for their own sake but for what they are able to give back to him.

On the contrary, Yu's inner world is far from what one can observe in his outward expressions of self. Externally, he is smooth, pleasant, and warm. He has mastered the art of seeming friendly and approachable while concealing his true intentions behind a well-crafted mask. He will make friends in an instant, and many people who meet him are struck by his warmth and ease with others. His smile is disarming, his gestures smooth, and his words carefully chosen to convey just the right amount of empathy. This exterior charm is his most powerful tool, as it can help him get the confidence of others in order to infiltrate circles of authority without revealing anything about his nature.

Yu is primarily interested in Akira Ryu because they share several qualities. Like Yu, Akira is emotionally detached and cold at first appearance, unreachable and aloof. But Akira has a spark in him, mirroring that drive of Yu for power and control. To Yu, Akira is more of a future rival but also too valuable to let go; he is the only person with the same potential for cold calculation and ruthless will. It is on this bedrock of similar ambition and disguise of self that such a complicated bond will be built.

Yu doesn't just take an interest in Akira's ambitions, however. He deeply is curious about how Akira balances his internal coldness with the more human elements that slip through. Yu can understand and respect this ability and sees in Akira a reflection of his own yearning for control and mastery. Maybe he looks at Akira as some kind of tool to use in his schemes, but there's even a part of him respecting Akira's cold ambition.

Yu's art of deceiving and manipulating isn't instinctive; it is inborn. He was born to be a swindler, agile in the world, always one step out of anybody's purview. The manipulation of economic systems, orchestrating deals, and winning over influential people's confidence he does these with ease. He never relies on physical force or straightforward confrontation; instead, he relies on his charm with people, playing with their emotions, and knowing how to move at any one moment.

He is neither charismatic nor pleasant by nature, but it is part of his wide skills of manipulation. Mastering the games of social dynamics, he becomes a powerhouse in the Lainson Program where many of his colleagues bank on either brute force or an intellect smarter than any other. Yu draws, however, from the molding of perception as his force in forging alliances and gathering intelligence without ever showing his hand in the flow of power.

In this way, Yu is in control at every turn, be it through public displays of an affable student or through puppeteering from behind the curtain.

Physical description : Akiyama Yu was an uncommonly sharp-angled face, one that was as captivating as it was intimidating at the tender age of 16 years, with his cheekbones high, a strong jawline, and a chin pointed just a little. His features are hewn into his face with a near unnatural precision, lending him a youthfully mature look both calculated and effortless. His skin is pale, as if the sun does not exist for him, only the shadow; he is always plotting something in his mind. The pallor of his skin enhances this coldness even more, and it makes quite clear that he is a young man who doesn't let emotion or warmth fog his judgment. The most striking feature in the boy would be his deep, calculating gray eyes that dig through everything that crosses his line of sight. There is something deep within them, cold even, as if to say that he is ever weighing up others' values. They are a strategist's eyes, ever gauging and calculating, thinking a few steps ahead. Depending on his needs, Akiyama can switch his gaze between warmth and chilling detachment in an instant, which makes him an unsettling presence to those who cross his path.

Dark, almost black hair, cut short and neat with sharp precision in style. Smooth strands fall to place and are never disheveled, and are always so well-kept, reflecting in the need of control over each minute detail of his life. His hair is never out of place, complementing his aura of perfect, minute order. Of average height, Akiyama has a lean, wiry frame that exudes quiet strength, restraint, and readiness. His posture is perfect-straight, composed, and never losing with confidence. His movements are purposeful, efficient, and calculated to reflect a young man who measures every action. 

Akiyama is attired in dark, fitted clothes-subdued yet screaming for control and sophistication. He is a very low key character, yet somehow magnetic, as he commands respect and dominance every time he walks into a room. As harmless as he might seem on the surface, there's this undercurrent of tension that surrounds him, an unsaid danger lurking beneath the surface. From the cool gaze right to his impeccable attire, every inch of him speaks silently of a young man who is always one step ahead.