#shsl-tvactor

Now, contrary to popular belief, Kaito does not hate Airi. In fact, there's probably only one person that Kaito actively hates, and it certainly isn't the TV Actor. To put it in better terms, Kaito is frustrated by Airi for several reasons: for her actions, and for what she represents in his eyes.

When Kaito and Airi first had their spat in chapter 5, it was over the vote: would Sasaki live or die? Now, Kaito has a very pessimistic view, feeling the oppressive nature of the game wear on him. He knew that deviating from the rules under such a demonic presence could spell disaster, and in a sense it did with the random crippling, although that could be up for debate depending on who you ask.

What Kaito tried to get Airi to see, but ultimately failed in doing so in his argument, was that not voting for Sasaki was going to start a cycle of revenge, one that would consume the class as it went along. And, lo and behold, the next two chapters were direct fallout from that very decision, with Shuu killing Sasaki because she was an acceptable target and then Airi herself getting in on the action because Shuu wasn't dead for killing Sasaki, but accidentally killing Mayumi instead. After that revelation, he definitely fell under the belief that, yes, Airi was totally selfish and just wanted things to go her way, and would lash out if they weren't.

In Kaito's mind, Airi was naively optimistic but refused to comprehend the potential consequences of her actions. And then, on top of that, was too stubborn to ever admit that she may have been wrong about her choice in Chapter 5 when it clearly solved nothing, and perhaps made things worse in the process. Even worse, Kaito desperately has been wishing his whole life for death and justice to be just that easy, as Airi says. He however knows that it's not the case, and is forced to face reality time and again. When Airi locks herself away from the world, he sees this as her waking up from her optimistic fantasy and facing the truth about death.

When he slapped Airi, it was his frustrations boiling over and lashing out, finally unable to take it anymore. Even if he didn't agree with her, he figured Airi was stuck to her morals and that would have been the end of it. But then she went straight past a middle ground and killed someone else, which not only completely voided her chapter 5 speech in Kaito's mind, but also shattered any hope Kaito may have had of fate being fair and just.

Hoooo boy.

Kezao's initial opinion of Airi was... more or less neutral? It wasn't as if he didn't like her, they just hadn't spoken enough for him to form really any opinion of her. He knew that she had been close to Kamille/Madoka, that she was one of his suitemates (after she started staying in Minho's room), and... that was really it. Kezao still considered her somewhat of a friend, though?

Unnntil Sasaki's trial, that is. He didn't really take kindly to Airi... throwing the soup he'd made for her to get better on one of his friends? And on top of that, he tends to get a little sour when people intentionally dump out food like that, especially when it's his. So on top of her hurting one of his friends, it felt like a personal insult?

His entire thoughts about her from that point onward were just "lol fuck you". At that point, though, it... might've actually been possible for them to kind of make up, though? I don't think they'd be completely okay, but at least not have trouble staying in the same room...?