Characters/Io Ichimonji

Io Ichimonji

Personal Information
Surname Name	Ichimonji Io
Birthday (Age)	May 24th (n/a)
Type of Character	Main
Additional Information
Hair Color	Light Green
Eye Color	Light Blue
Height	5′ 1′′ (155cm)
Job(s)	Clerk at the Bathhouse
Hobby(s)	Woodworking
Like(s)	Baseball Robots Old CD-ROM Games
Dislike(s)	Other Girls Physical intimacy
Family	Unnamed Parents Unnamed Aunt
Affiliation	Archery Club (Chap. 3)
First Appearance	Cute Girls and Stuff (First Appearance) Opposites Attract (Introduction)
Notes	unknown

Despite being best friends, Io and Uta couldn't be any more different. In stark contrast to the social butterfly Uta, Io finds other people - especially other girls - uncomfortable and weird. Beneath her antisocial exterior, however, lies an incredible talent for craftsmanship.

— Official Lessons in Love website

Io Ichimonji is part of the Main Cast of in Lessons In Love. Io was the 14th girl to join Sensei's class, doing so in v.0.12.0p2. She lives in Room 7 with Uta Ushibori.

Background

Little is known about Io’s past. She presumably was born and raised in Kumon-mi and currently lives in the Bathhouse her aunt owns for unknown reasons. Around eight years before the start of the game, she was diagnosed with a number of mental illnesses, being given a variety of pills and medicine to deal with them. By her own account, she can't remember which illnesses she's even being treated for, outside of her anxiety.

At one point, she met Uta in an online forum, though both thought each other was a boy before they met in person, yet still became best friends in the end. Like her, she attended Kumon-mi Academy until it was swallowed during Fireworks, Chicken, and the Innate Fear of Death. When she was migrated to Kumon-mi High, she became a student in Wakana’s class until Uta convinced Sensei to let her transfer into his, being the first who joined Sensei’s class after the migration process.

Characteristics

Io is an anti-social girl, though unlike Sana it’s not a result of shyness. Her communication skills are fine, having no problem holding a conversation or speaking her mind, simply lacking an interest in socialization with other people.

She can be nice and sociable, but she shows this side only to the small group of people she likes, I.e, Uta, Yuki and Sensei. If she has to talk to anyone else, her attitude depends on the person. If she has no negative opinion of them, she speaks normally with them, if she doesn’t like someone because she sees them as annoying or knows that they’re close with Sensei, she’s dismissive, passive-aggressive and blunt with her dislike of them. She also has the tendency to pre-emptively judge people, despite knowing little to nothing about them.

Despite being rather confident in her interactions, she can easily become a nervous wreck due to her mental state. This mostly happens when Sensei is involved as seen in One Man's Trash where she lost confidence in her crafted toy when Kirin called it trash, and whenever she witnesses him being close with other girls like in In Some Cases, Love and Walking on Eggshells. She also has a low opinion of herself, to the point where self-deprecation is common in all conversations with her.

Io is a capable craftswoman, being able to repair broken equipment, like the kotatsu in her room, and to build toys and furniture from scratch, like most of her toys and Sensei’s impressive wardrobe.

Relationships

Sensei

After she joined his class, she sees Sensei as the only adult she can trust. While she emotionally latched onto him out of necessity, she started to genuinely like him, feeling like she can’t live on if he decides to abandon her. She feels comfortable in his presence, tries to get his affection any time they’re together and even wants to be his girlfriend.

While Sensei is Io’s biggest source of comfort, he can also easily make her feel uncomfortable. This mostly happens when Sensei spends time with other girls. She’s also aware of the kind of relationship he wants with her, but she can’t reciprocate those feelings as she’s unable to indulge those feelings, yet is too scared to tell him, fearing that he would lose interest in her. The thought of losing him is her greatest fear. This causes her to often attempt to backpedal on her decisions if she thinks it'll make him like her more.

Uta

Uta is Io’s roommate and closest friend. Both met each other in an online forum and spent a lot of time chatting, though both thought they were chatting with a boy. While both were surprised to learn the truth, they still became friends.

Io treasures her friendship with Uta. She respects and admires her, claiming she's the sole reason she is still alive. Io sticks with her most of the time unless she does or demands something that she doesn't like, which is seen during the first dorm war where she tried to avoid her until it’s over. Uta is also the only girl Io accepts as a secondary partner for Sensei, even wishing that she would see him in a romantic way so she can have a shared relationship with them. She sees it as the most ideal scenario as it keeps her close with the two people she likes and would allow Uta to take care of the “physical” aspects of their relationship, something she could never do herself, but she accepts and respects that Uta has no romantic feelings for him.

Io is also one of two non-related person, the other being Sensei after Uta-chan, who knows of her past and despises those that still manage to find pieces of it and torment her with it.

Yuki

Yuki is a regular at the bathhouse Io works at. Io initially took interest in her due to seeing her dragon tattoo in the bathhouse's security camera. After jumping her as she came out of the bath, the two quickly became casual friends, bolstered by Yuki's masculine appearance. Io deeply respects Yuki, to the point where Yuki is one of the few people who can corral her.

Otoha

Otoha is one of the few girls Io can stand, due mostly to Otoha's lack of femininity. The two don't interact beyond a brief conversation in Another Long Year.

Memorable Quotes

• "You should know by now that I am the human equivalent of a duffel bag full of contradictions."
• "You do realize that you're one of the two people I actually enjoy spending time with, right?"
• "Are you ready for the ride of your life, Sensei?"
  • "Because it’s time for the 1999 PC classic, Rollercoaster Tycoon!"
• "It's less 'thinking it through' and more just a vibe."

Trivia

• Io really enjoys being pat on the head, to the point where it can often distract her from her usual bouts of self-deprecation.

Gallery

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  Io's summer outfit

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  Io's winter outfit

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  Io's spring outfit

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  Io's school uniform

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  Io's work uniform

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  Io's Archery Club attire

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  Io's shirt over her swimsuit

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  Io's costume during the 3rd Halloween Party - Butler

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  Io's costume during the 4th Halloween Party - Lawson's Employee

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  Io's pajamas