Tatsuya and Kazuya
Kazuya: (talking about Minami) But it's true that we hugged...
Tatsuya: I understand
Kazuya: I love Minami
Tatsuya: What? That's already old news..
Kazuya: I don't want to give her to anyone... Even you, Aniki....
Kazuya is the younger Uesugi brother. He is bright, athletic, popular, the ace pitcher of the Meisei Jr. High and High School team. The brother that was destined to be great. The eldest of the Uesugi brother team is of course, Tatsuya. He is lazy and stubborn, he likes to goof off rather than study... They are the same on the outside but so very much different in the inside. Back when Tatsuya and Kazuya were little, Minami became their best friend. Since Tatsuya was the eldest of the two, he was usually the one that taught them how to do everything. From swimming, to running, to baseball. Tatsuya was the best. But then one day, while they were playing baseball, Minami started cheering for Kazuya instead. Tatsuya saw how determined Kazuya was after those encouraging words from Minami and so, in order to make Kazuya happy also, Tatsuya gave up and backed away from everything he was best at.
Harada once mentioned to Tatsuya that he was a very kind older brother. He knew, like everyone did how much Tatsuya cared for Kazuya. During the summer when Kazuya and the rest of the Meisei High baseball team were practicing hard for the championship games, Tatsuya was working with Minami's father at the Minamikaze. When Tatsuya saw how old and tattered Kazuya's baseball glove was when he visited the team at school, he immediately bought a new baseball glove with the money he earned from his job just for his brother. However, before Tatsuya was about to give Kazuya that glove, Kazuya told him that Meisei's former baseball alumus decided to buy the whole team new baseball gloves.
Tatsuya: 35,000 yen...
Kazuya: What?
Tatsuya: Oh.. I just thought that it might cost something around there..
Tatsuya never told Kazuya that he had bought a glove just from him. Instead, he hid that glove in their room so Kazuya would never know. It was only because of Minami's father that Kazuya found out. He told Kazuya that Tatsuya spent all the money he earned just for that glove.
Harada: You are a kind older brother... But will you always be a kind older brother?
Harada's words for Tatsuya mean a lot of things. Things that Tatsuya hasn't really understood yet. What can you say to a brother that completely gave up on everything that he was great at, just so his younger brother can be happy? What can you say to a brother that instead of pursuing his own dreams and wants and trully pursuing the love of his life... he instead let his brother have what he desires?
Tatsuya never made it known about the jealousy he had for Kazuya (especially around his brother)... until Minami eventually found out. When she tried to give him a notebook she had won, when she was voted "Best Couple" with Kazuya, Tatsuya got angry. How can she give something that meant a lot to his brother to someone else?
"Something like that should be kept as a rememberance. Kazuya kept his inside his desk and he probably won't use it for the rest of his life!" But Minami kept on insisting. She told him to at least keep one, but Tatsuya was resiliant. She asked him why he was being so stubborn about a notebook such as this... and she started to tease him.
Ahhh... you're jealous aren't you?
You're jealous of Kacchan and me... And with that, Tatsuya slapped her hard. Minami was shocked...
Later on... Tatsuya apologizes
Tatsuya: Did it hurt?
Minami: Yeah...
Tatsuya: I guess it would... I'm sorry
Minami: Why are you apologizing? I was the one that was too insensitive. Like you said, something like that should be kept as a rememberance.
Tatsuya: Idiot! If that was the only reason I hit you, I wouldn't be apologizing. It's just that... you figured me out, Minami....
Tatsuya realizes that what he just said was a mouthful and he quickly tells her to forget what he said. But Minami already figured it out...
Kazuya too, feels a jealousy towards Tatsuya. Just by those childhood memories he usually has of them as children is evidence enough. But their envy towards each other are always kept to the heart. Not once were they ever really angry. It usually has to do with Minami. Tatsuya would usually be the one that knows how to say the right thing or do the right thing or can even see things that no one else would notice... and Minami... she can see all this and Kazuya knew it.
Tatsuya and Kazuya's relationship is just so bitttersweet and yet loving too. There's no doubt that they are very close. Just that one is serious and admired. And though the other is called "idiot, ugly, worthless.." and lacks many other things, his ability to just be himself is amazing too.
As Tatsuya told Minami once...
Please wait for me... until I can become someone that will be accepted by everyone... Whether or not I'm a guy who can really fight Kazuya over you.. If I'm the guy that can make you happy.
It took so long for Tatsuya to realize that he was someone special also. And that he also deserved to be something other than being a shadow of his brother. It also took him a long time to get out of Kazuya's shadow and become someone that can finally follow his own dreams and desires without giving it all up for someone else.
