Yoshino Takatsuki

Yoshino, the other protagonist, is a tall, masculine child who at the beginning of Wandering Son is a fifth grader in Shuichi's class. Otherwise known as Takatsuki-kun by their classmates, with an honorific used mainly with boys, Yoshino wishes to be a boy. Yoshino usually refrains from dressing in traditionally feminine clothes, such as skirts or dresses. Despite this, Yoshino's mother insists on buying such clothes for them. Shortly after becoming friends with Shuichi, Yoshino gets a boyish haircut, taking on the appearance of a boy their age, especially when Yoshino is dressed in a male school uniform. Like Shuichi, Yoshino becomes increasingly concerned and resentful about undergoing puberty, such as at the beginning of menstruation or the growth of breasts. Yoshino goes to buy a chest-flattening garment to escape the necessity of wearing a bra. Like Shuichi, Yoshino shows signs indicating gender dysphoria, though later stops thinking that way due to personal exposure to modelling. Yoshino prefers to dress and act like a boy, but usually abstains from anything which would draw attention, such as going to school in a male uniform after entering junior high. However, Yoshino does on occasion dress in a male school uniform and go to neighboring cities while dressed as a boy; during one such time, Yoshino enjoys being hit on by an older woman. Yoshino wants to look "cool" and wears clothes which are not girlish. When teased by others, Yoshino is prone to getting emotional and is known to get violent on occasion. Yoshino takes up an interest in basketball after entering junior high school and joins the female basketball team with Chizuru Sarashina. In junior high, Yoshino decides not to get a haircut after a comment by Saori, but later cuts it back to a short, boyish style. Yoshino's family consists of a father, mother, older brother, and older sister.