Happy Monday!  Borealis here!

It's the start of another week, but let's beat those Monday blues with another devlog!  This is the last in our character exploration series, and focuses on Kakeru's dad.  Enjoy!

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Mr Akane is a very casual type of father.  Not one to pry into his son's affairs, he's happy to let him get on with things.  However, he's also a friendly guy, with a lopsided grin always prepared to shoot your way, and can be prone to making terrible jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.  At the office, he's a hard worker, and at home, he likes nothing more than to simply relax in front of the TV with his wife, and help her out with the cooking.  He might not always be forward in speaking his mind when it comes to emotional matters, but he's still quick to let people know that he's there for them regardless, with an unexpectedly helpful comment and a sunny disposition.  Though he delivers his support in an often awkward and joking way, you can tell that there's real sincerity behind what he says.

When Kakeru was a small child, and less withdrawn, his dad enjoyed doting on him when he could, starting off lively tickle fights and playing silly games with him.  Though his work sometimes kept him away from home for more hours than he'd have liked, he made sure that his presence wasn't too missed in Kakeru's childhood.  As Kakeru hit his teenage years and essentially removed himself from the family unit almost entirely, Mr Akane was more understanding that you might imagine the average Japanese father to be.  Instead of demanding that Kakeru knock off his evasive behaviour, he tried to see things from his point of view, and ultimately understood that Kakeru's awful coping mechanisms were born from genuine fear.  Not wanting to punish him for feeling vulnerable, he stepped back alongside his wife and gave Kakeru the space that he needed.  He missed the playfighting and closeness he'd previously had with his son, but he also felt as though he'd only push him further away if he were to force things on him.  While he can't fully empathise with Kakeru, having not fallen victim to the same types of mental health issues, he can imagine how debilitating it must be, and therefore respects his wishes to be left alone.

In a way, Mr Akane is unsure about what the future may hold, and what course of action is best to take for Kakeru.  While his wife often attempts to introduce Kakeru to new ideas in order to help him become more confident again, Mr Akane tends not to do the same.  Of course, he'd love for Kakeru to shed his anxieties and become an outgoing, comfortable and relaxed person, but not really knowing how to help, he finds himself staying quiet about things.  Part of him wonders if Kakeru will simply grow out of his fears, though the rest of him worries that if nothing changes, then he might stay this way for the rest of his life.  When he and his wife receive the news that Kakeru has been placed into his school's music club in order to provide an opportunity for growth, he's automatically somewhat dubious, knowing Kakeru well enough to guess that he probably hates the idea.  However, when he sees how hopeful his wife is when she talks to Kakeru about it after his first day, he can't help but join her in her optimism, encouraging Kakeru as gently as he can.

Overall, Mr Akane is happy to be a quiet pillar of support for Kakeru as much as he'll let him, and though he's unsure if his situation will ever improve or not, he still loves his son regardless.  If all he can do for now is brighten Kakeru's days with his awful humour, even by the smallest margin, then he'll do it.

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And that concludes our character exploration devlogs!  There'll be more devlogs to come, covering other areas of Venus: Improbable Dream, and if you have any requests for things you'd like to hear about in more detail or questions you want to ask about anything, please fire away in the comments here, or on the official Venus: Improbable Dream Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/VenusImprobable

Thanks for reading!

Borealis