Uta Ushibori

Uta Ushibori

A socially adept country girl from Nara, Uta leverages both her people skills and confidence at the Maid Cafe. With the same upbeat energy she brings to karaoke, her maid persona Uta-chan knows just what to say to lighten both your heart AND your wallet. Uta Ushibori is part of the Main Cast of in Lessons In Love. Uta was the 13th girl to join Sensei's class, doing so in v.0.12.0p2. She lives in Room 7 with Io Ichimonji.

Background

Uta is the second child of unnamed parents, and the younger sister of an unnamed brother. She was, presumably, born and raised in Nara, having spent most of her life there before moving to Kumon-mi a couple years before the events of the game. Growing up, Uta was a major tomboy, enjoying playing games with her older brother and his friends, such as hockey, and even having much shorter hair. This boyishness was so pervasive that even her best friend, Io Ichimonji, initially mistook Uta for a boy. At some point in time, due to her naivety and general impulsiveness, she shared too much of herself online, leading to continuously harassment from various unknown people. This harassment was apparently so severe that she was stalked, leading to her older brother intervening and receiving jail time due to how seriously he beat them up. Unable to solve the problem, even after numerous attempts, they used the deteriorating health of Uta's grandfather as an easy excuse to send her to Kumon-mi, hopeful that the change of location would both give her a new start and throw-off potential harassers. Upon moving to Kumon-mi, Uta met up with her, previously online, friend Io and began to attend Kumon-Mi Academy. She did so until the school collapsed into a sudden sinkhole during the events of Fireworks, Chicken, and the Innate Fear of Death. Like all the other students, she was given a choice of transfer or online school, opting for the former. Unlike the rest of the additions during Chapter 2, however, Uta was the only girl directly placed in Sensei's class by Kumon-mi High staff, due to Sensei's low reputation and Uta's similarly low grades.

Characteristics

Uta is outgoing and cheery, easily socializing with anyone she meets due to her seemingly constant optimism and confidence. She often presents herself as a charismatic flirt, easily countering any attempts by Sensei to catch her off-guard or fluster her while also deflecting any compliments. This smooth-talking charm of hers has earned her the rank as second-best maid at the maid cafe where she works, though a large percentage of her incomes comes from Sensei's continued patronage. Most of these socially adept traits are part of what Uta dubs her "Uta-chan" persona, a perfect girl who always prioritizes her friends over herself. The other half to Uta, however, is a lot more somber. After "ruining" her previous life, Uta has taken a concentrated effort to repress and circumnavigate the impulsive parts of her personality. While initially these more insecure parts of her only slip out in brief moments, the cracks in her facade become more apparent as time goes on. Around certain topics or people, Uta very quickly flusters, often blushing brightly and being reduced to stuttered sentences as she attempts to collect herself. Her aforementioned impulsiveness also leaks out, often taking action before thinking, sometimes to her mortification. This side of her is also exceedingly self-deprecating, referring to herself as "one big mistake" whose misfortune seems to seep out and ruin the lives of other people. She constantly feels as if she's being seen by other as "easy", a shame she conceals but breaks out in her lowest moments. This shame leads her to concealing the truth behind her past, refusing to share the details with anyone but those she deems closest.

Relationship: Sensei

Uta initially views Sensei as just another customer at the maid cafe, quickly putting the charms on him in order to make him spend large amounts of money. Upon joining the class though she quickly develops a friendly relationship with him, still taking opportunities to extort him while playfully teasing him. She warms up to him extremely quickly, feeling comfortable enough after a few days to ask him for favors and inviting him into Io and her's dorm room. She's initially an expert at deflecting Sensei's own teasing, but a few stray bits of banter manage to slip past her defenses. While these only initially showed the occasional blush or prompted a brief moment of awkward silence, the signs of her deeper affection for him pile on more and more. She is noticeably upset on multiple occasions when the other members of the cast either steal him away or reveal their closeness to him, impulsively hugs him during a visit to the archery range, and is potentially devastated he didn't choose her as the winner of the class' second costume contest. She finally told Sensei how important he is to her in The Girl From Nara, though she's still scared of him leaving her due to her past and, therefore, isn't ready to get too close to him yet.

Relationship: Ami

Ami is one of Uta's co-workers at the maid cafe and initially one of her friends. The two are regularly seen together during Events at the maid cafe, often moving as a pair to greet Sensei whenever he drops by. The specifics of their relationship are unknown, although Uta can also been seen accompanying Ami and her friends on trips to the karaoke bar, suggesting they hang out regularly. Their relationship is seemingly tense after Uta and Io attempt to kidnap Sensei during the events of Rhythm of a Black Heart, with Ami passive-aggressively threatening the two. Ami is Sensei's niece and lives with him.

Relationship: Io

Io is Uta’s closest friend. They met in an internet forum and became friends in real life once she moved to Kumon-mi. After her grandfather passed away, Io was one of her reasons to stay. She tries her best to integrate Io into the class, but, due to her personality, those attempts mostly end in failure. She also knows that Io has a crush on Sensei and helps her whenever she has doubts or problems with how their relationship develops.

Relationship: Osako

Osako is Uta's co-worker at the maid cafe, with Uta being her "superior" due to being among the best maids employed there. While Uta often annoys Osako, especially whenever Sensei is around, the two appear to be good colleagues. Uta regularly teases Osako, particularly about her relationship with Wakana.

Relationship: Class

Due to her personality, Uta is on good terms with most of the girls in her class and has interacted with most of them on multiple occasions.

Personal Information

Surname Name: Ushibori Uta; Birthday (Age): August 1st (15).

Additional Information

Hair Color: Red, Black Ends; Eye Color: Violet; Height: 4′ 11′′ (149cm); Job(s): Maid at Maid Cafe; Hobby(s): Karaoke; Like(s): Beetles, Hockey; Dislike(s): Her impulsiveness; Family: Unnamed Parents, Unnamed Older Brother, Unnamed Grandfather †.