Yōsuke Hirata

Yōsuke Hirata is one of the top students in class 1-D and a member of the Soccer Club. His excellent grades are worthy of being in an upper class; however, he ended up in D-Class for reasons yet to be explained. In the class, he sits on the leftmost seat of the second row, next to where his 'girlfriend', Kei Karuizawa is seated.

Background
Yōsuke was an average guy who didn't stand out much until his second year of middle school, contrary to the man he is now who always showed excellence in leadership.

Though he didn't stand out too much, he admitted that he wasn't invisible. He was normal. His friend, Sugimura, was also like that, who he got along with really well ever since he was a kid. For the entire six years in elementary school, they were together in the same class because they were neighbours as well, they always went to and back from school together.

However, after they entered middle school, for the first time, they were separated into different classes. Though that was the case, Yōsuke and Sugimura still went to school and back home together. But the days they were together started declining gradually and diminished completely. Yōsuke began hanging out with friends from his new class. In a new environment, it's inevitable to make new friends, anyway. Little did he knew that while Yōsuke was busy playing with his friends, behind his back, Sugimura was actually being bullied.

Sugimura sent Yōsuke pleas for help many times. Sugimura would often show up with his face injured and injury marks all over him. But against those wailing calls, Yōsuke instead chose to become silent, deaf, and blind. He prioritized playing with his new friends and never took Sugimura seriously. The latter on the other hand, who originally had a headstrong personality, become someone who was always quick to pick a fight so the former never deeply thought about his situation. A year later, Yōsuke and Sugimura both became sophomore students and they reunited with each other. However, Sugimura had become heartbroken at that time. His previously bright, cheerful image was no longer there and marks left by punches and kicks only remained. He was not even allowed to go to the toilet and forced to leak in the middle of class. That sort of bullying became a routine.

Though Yōsuke witnessed such violence, he didn't do anything, and much more, he couldn't do anything. Yōsuke was too afraid that he would become the new target, that his "enjoyable life" then would be destroyed. Towards Sugimura who'd always been together with him, he continued to pretend to not see him. He believed that one of these three best outcomes will happen: Either one day the bullies would just get bored of him, or Sugimura will stop coming to school and the bullying would stop, or somebody else would step in and save him. Yōsuke claimed that he just kept on thinking self-serving things like that.

In the end, what the memory of what happened to Sugimura is burned into Yōsuke's mind. After the latter's morning soccer practice, he returned to his classroom. And there, he saw Sugimura. Though they were previously close to one another, Yōsuke hesitated before going in since, at the time, he felt uncomfortable. Even though he was a friend he played together with ever since they were a child, at the time he almost felt like a stranger to him. Yōsuke could not help but think cruel thoughts like he would be bullied along with him if he associated himself back with Sugimura. After few moments, both of them weren't saying anything. Nothing could be heard and felt but a deafening silence and eerily cold atmosphere. That day in the middle of class — where only these pair of precious friends were present, Sugimura jumped out the window.

After being sent to the hospital, Sugimura was declared brain dead and even now, Sugimura's parents are still waiting for his recovery and believe in it. But whether he's still alive or dead now, Yōsuke doesn't know what to think about it. He believed that the events of that day were still so surreal as he still wonders if it was merely a dream or a hallucination. He claimed that the moment Sugimura jumped, he became acutely aware — that by treasuring only himself, Yōsuke pushed his precious friend, Sugimura, to his death.

This is how Yōsuke attained his. Though he thinks that this will not result in Sugimura's salvation, but, at the very least, he wants to repent by saving someone else like him — someone who experienced bullying to the extremes.

Appearance
Yōsuke is a young man of average height with blonde hair and brown eyes. He is often seen wearing the standard school uniform but when outside of school he wore a striped shirt when he and Kei ran into Suzune over summer break.

Personality
Yōsuke is very mature and friendly person when around other people and rarely gets mad. His warm nature has led to the majority of the class to recognize him as a class representative. He obtained the trust of the class while attracting the attention of several girls, most notably Kei Karuizawa. He accepted a relationship with her to help prevent any sort of bullying that might come to Kei, as she was afraid of what happened when she was in middle school repeating again. This goal seems to have been achieved.

Hirata has a trusting side to him, as shown when he covered for Kiyotaka Ayanokōji after he found Karuizawa's underwear on him, believing his explanation of not being the thief as he wouldn't do such a thing, despite not knowing him well or having evidence to prove otherwise.

He has an adept leadership ability as shown in the survival test where he managed to get everyone to come to the common ground after a brief argument over provision and points.

Despite all the positive qualities he displays in his class, he can be quite shaken up, as shown when he became horrified after the survival book was burned and was so stunned that he couldn't understand what caused this to happen. He only snapped out of it when he heard Kiyotaka stating his class was asking for help as he gave them orders.

In the light novels, it is revealed that his personality stems from the guilt of abandoning his childhood friend who suffered bullying without Yōsuke being there. Through this experience, he has tried to solve things using an alternative way rather than fighting even if it's not the best solution.

Physical Abilities
Yōsuke hasn't been shown to do much in terms of physical strength or brute force, but he has mentioned that he plays every sport imaginable and tried out for the school soccer club.

Academic Abilities
Yōsuke has demonstrated decent grades good enough to get him into the upper classes, but currently unknown factors led to him being put in D-Class.

Intellectual Abilities
Yōsuke has demonstrated that he possesses quite a talent in leading others, becoming one of D-Class' central figures and class representatives. He further proved this going into the special island survival test, using sound strategies to rack up as many points as possible for his class. It is shown that when things go wrong he is not above cracking under the pressure, but can quickly recover when people assure him that he is needed to be calm and collected.

Plot
In the anime's debut, Yōsuke, like the other first years, listened in to the speech given by Manabu Horikita, the Student Council President welcoming them to the Advanced Nurturing High School. While waiting for their teacher to begin the class that day, he asked everyone in D-Class to introduce themselves, starting off by giving his name and stating how he played every sport imaginable and wanting to apply for the soccer club, while also hoping to get along with everyone else.

Other people followed his lead, introducing themselves in turn until Ken Sudō cut in, remarking how childish it was before their teacher Sae Chabashira walked in and started class. Of course like the rest of his class he was surprised at their initial 100,000 points, but was of course confused why they didn't receive any next month, prompting Sae to give out a further explanation of the points system and why D-Class is seen as being as it is.

At the start of Episode 2 of the anime, Yōsuke was seen hanging with his class at the pool, getting especially close with Kei Karuizawa.

For most episodes after that, he is often seen in the background or associating with Kei as shown they were seen together talking to Suzune Horikita outside the dormitories before Kei dragged him away.

During the school cruise, Yōsuke formally met Kiyotaka on the cruise and attempted to make conversation before revealing needed his help in getting Suzune to be more involved with the class socially and academically.

Onshore along with the rest of the class, the purpose of the cruise was revealed; to hold a one-week survival test with a chance to gain points for overtaking higher classes. Setting out on a Deserted Island, Yōsuke together with his classmates discussed how to use their S-Points sparingly to gain more class points at the end of the exam.

After camp is set up and Kei's underwear is stolen, Yōsuke searched the boys for them and when searching Kiyotaka, he found the underwear on him (after Ike had given them to him). Not wanting any further problems, he covered for him, much to the latter's surprise. In the evening, Kiyotaka questioned his motives for not revealing the truth, with Yōsuke asking if he was the one who stole them but as Kiyotaka denied it, Yōsuke believed him, disclosing he didn't think he was the type of guy to do that sortof thing.

The next day, the girls wanted the boys separated from them. Though Yōsuke at first attempted to dissuade them he eventually agreed to the decision. Since he is well known for being kind and trusting, the girls put him on guard duty for the separation, but Suzune stepped in stating that since Yōsuke is a boy he needed to be watched as well. The girls acknowledged her point but had no idea of who to pick as most of the boys were lecherous. Suzune nominated Kiyotaka as another guard to work and watch Yōsuke. This decision was accepted by Yōsuke and the girls.

When the camp faced a problem after the survival book is burned, Yōsuke is left in despair as he broke down, unable to process why misfortune is befalling the camp. He is snapped out of it by Kiyotaka, who further motivated him to take charge and get the camp under control.

At the end of the test Kiyotaka informed Yōsuke of everything that had happened the night before, including how Suzune was too ill to continue the survival test, and at one point handed him the other class leaders name to get the class a whole lot of points. When Yōsuke asked about how he got the names Kiyotaka passed the credit onto Suzune. The whole class was relieved that they won the test and celebrated Suzune's accomplishments, unbeknownst to them that Kiyotaka was the true mastermind.

Trivia

 * As D-Class is for those with defective traits, Hirata's defect is his involvement in a certain incident that appeared on the news.