Shinjo

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Shinjo (真条)
Alias(es)	Shintō Katsuya
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Class 1-D; Advanced Nurturing Yorozuya
Occupation/Role	Student; president and operator of the Yorozuya
Status	Active
First Appearance	Enrollment Day 1

Background

Shinjo enrolls in Sakurajima High School as a Class 1-D student. During the enrollment bus ride, he observes a dispute over giving an elderly woman a seat but chooses not to intervene, viewing altruism with skepticism. He also has his first tense stare-down with Kōenji Rokusuke. 1

He describes himself during class introductions as a music and novel enthusiast with a sweet tooth. His fondness for desserts becomes a defining weakness: Kōenji successfully buys a favor from him with a limited Brunch Cake. 3 6

Two years before enrollment, Shinjo was bullied. He maintains that strength comes from within rather than gender or physical build, and his reaction to Karuizawa's recognition of his scars lets him infer that she has endured similar experiences. 10 11 Matsushita later recognizes his family background, having seen her father socializing with Shinjo's father, who runs an agency. 23

Appearance

Shinjo has an unassuming but powerful build that draws comparison to Ayanokōji's. 8

• His physique is compact rather than bulky, yet visibly contains exceptional physical strength. 8 9
• He bears a large scar across his chest. 8
• He tells classmates that the scar came from mishandling hot tempura oil, though he later confirms he was bullied two years earlier. 8 10
• His swimming ability allows him to nearly match Kōenji despite their difference in physique. 9

Personality

Shinjo is observant, calculating, and strongly profit-oriented. He approaches the school's private-point system as a source of leverage and opportunity rather than merely an allowance, quickly considering how points could secure a comfortable future. 5 6

He is willing to manipulate others, negotiate aggressively, and even blackmail Horikita Manabu to establish the Yorozuya. However, he maintains personal limits: the Yorozuya will not accept work it cannot complete, requests from people its members dislike, or jobs violating a basic moral boundary. 22 23

Despite his self-interest, Shinjo can be patient and considerate with vulnerable people. He earns Karuizawa's trust after recognizing her history of bullying, adapts to Sakura's social anxiety by communicating through notes, and intervenes when Sakura is endangered. 10 11 46 48

His stated order of priorities is:

Sweets = work (reward) > secrets > less important sweets > trouble > beautiful girls. 11

Abilities & Skills

Strategic Analysis

Shinjo quickly recognizes that private points and Class D's ranking have broader implications than his classmates realize. 5 6

• Suspects that student conduct affects future private-point payments. 5
• Understands the potential value of private points beyond ordinary purchases. 6
• Proposes controlling Class D's test-score average to help weaker students avoid failing. 20 21
• Identifies the likely connection between Sudō's confrontation with Class 1-C and Ryūen's hostility toward Class D. 39
• Keeps Sakura's involvement in the digital-store investigation confidential when reporting to Horikita Manabu. 49

Negotiation and Business

Shinjo runs the Yorozuya as a paid-request service and is adept at turning information and favors into profit. 23 26

• Bargains with Kojima Hayato over leaked exam answers, ultimately gaining access to the material without initially committing to buy it. 26 27
• Sells the answers to Shiina Hiyori's class for 12,000 points after a prolonged negotiation. 28 29
• Makes a separate 10,000-point deal with Ichinose Honami to help her class. 32
• Uses evidence of Horikita Manabu's violence toward Suzune to pressure him into supporting the Yorozuya. 22
• Charges according to the requested level of effort rather than offering unconditional help. 33 44

Academic Ability

Shinjo is academically capable and can deliberately manage his performance. 5 20

• Joins and supports Class D study efforts before the midterms. 21
• Tutors Karuizawa, though he sometimes prioritizes limited desserts over study sessions. 24
• Acquires and distributes past exam papers and answer keys that allow Class D to prepare for the actual midterm questions. 27 31 34
• Recognizes the false exam scope supplied by Chabashira and confronts her over its purpose. 31 33

Swimming and Physical Combat

Shinjo comes from a swimming family and displays exceptional ability in the pool. 9

• Nearly ties Kōenji in a swimming race, losing by only a narrow margin. 9
• Possesses enough physical presence to make Karuizawa feel protected during confrontations with Class 1-C. 17 18
• Physically stops Sakura's kidnapper and prevents him from escaping. 48

Investigation

Shinjo conducts Yorozuya investigations using observation, interviews, and pressure rather than relying only on direct evidence. 45 46

• Investigates reports of a digital-store employee harassing female students. 44 45
• Uses low-pressure questions and written exchanges to gain Sakura's trust. 46
• Has Sakura identify the harassing employee from a prepared list of suspects. 47
• Retrieves Sakura's camera by threatening to involve the store manager. 47
• Helps expose the employee after he kidnaps Sakura, with a store employee providing corroborating testimony. 48

Yorozuya

The Advanced Nurturing Yorozuya is Shinjo's school club and business venture, established with Horikita Manabu's assistance. It accepts written requests and determines after school whether to take each case. 21 23

Principle	Rule
First	Does not accept work it cannot do.
Second	Does not accept requests from people it dislikes.
Third	Does not violate the basic moral bottom line of humanity.
Fourth	Does not act when its members do not want to.

Its members may choose whether to participate in a request, while participating members split the reward equally. 23

Relationships

• Kōenji Rokusuke — A rival and fellow opportunist. Kōenji uses a rare Brunch Cake to obtain a favor from Shinjo, then narrowly defeats him in their swimming race. 6 9
• Karuizawa Kei — Shinjo recognizes signs of her bullying trauma and earns her trust through his discretion and kindness. They become fake lovers after he agrees to protect her in exchange for joining the Yorozuya; their relationship later grows noticeably closer. 10 11 19 38
• Ayanokōji Kiyotaka — Shinjo is suspicious of Ayanokōji's hidden capabilities and physique, while Ayanokōji similarly suspects Shinjo's background. Shinjo initially misreads Ayanokōji's behavior as an attempt to attract Hirata. 3 8 9 32
• Horikita Manabu — Shinjo blackmails the Student Council President into establishing and promoting the Yorozuya. Their relationship becomes a tense working arrangement involving weekly requests from Manabu. 22 23 44
• Horikita Suzune — Suzune comes to understand that Shinjo's help is motivated by profit rather than friendship. She recognizes the Yorozuya as a useful but costly resource. 20 43 44
• Sudō Ken — Shinjo helps Class D use 100,000 points to prevent Sudō's expulsion, but later clarifies that he considers their friendship shallow and will only offer ordinary effort without a paid request. 36 43
• Sakura Airi — Shinjo patiently accommodates Sakura's social anxiety, protects her from a stalker, and keeps her identity hidden when reporting the case. 46 47 48 49
• Shiina Hiyori — They bond over detective novels before negotiating the sale of exam answers. Shiina successfully bargains Shinjo down from 15,000 to 12,000 points. 25 28 29
• Ichinose Honami — Shinjo sells her information to aid her class, then later attempts to recruit her from the Student Council into the Yorozuya. 32 49
• Chabashira Sae — Shinjo recognizes that Chabashira may use the Yorozuya as a loophole to indirectly support Class D with her private points. 33 36

Story Role / Major Arcs

Class 1-D Enrollment

Shinjo enters Class 1-D wary of the school's generous point system. After Kōenji explains the class ranking and the broader utility of private points, Shinjo begins seeking ways to earn money and influence his future within the school. 2 5 6 7

Formation of the Yorozuya

Unable to find an existing Sweets Club, Shinjo decides to establish the Yorozuya. He secures the required signatures, leverages Manabu's concern over Suzune's incident, and gains a clubroom, advertising, and school-wide visibility. 7 21 22 23

Midterm Exam Deals

Shinjo obtains past exam papers from a second-year source, then distributes and sells the material to multiple classes. His information helps Class D navigate Chabashira's false exam scope, while his knowledge of the point system gives the class a way to save Sudō from expulsion. 27 29 31 33 36

Sudō's Disciplinary Case

When Sudō is accused of assaulting Class 1-C students, Shinjo calms him, speaks for Class D at the disciplinary hearing, and identifies Sakura as a potential witness. He nevertheless refuses to devote exceptional unpaid effort to resolving the case. 39 42 43 44

The Hidden Client Case

The Yorozuya receives an anonymous request concerning a suspicious digital-store employee. Shinjo investigates with Tachibana, Karuizawa, and Sakura's assistance; identifies the employee as Sakura's stalker; retrieves her camera; and rescues her from a kidnapping attempt. 44 45 46 47 48

Notable Quotes

“Because I have always believed that the strength of the strong always comes from within, not from the outside.” 10

“Do you intend to go to prison obediently... or...” 48

Trivia

• Shinjo is an avid reader and identifies himself as a long-time fan of Higashino Keigo. 25
• He has a particular obsession with limited desserts, especially the monthly Brunch Cake. 5 6 24
• He was mistakenly conflated with Ayanokōji by Class 1-C as “Shinjo Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.” 31
• His Yorozuya hospitality consists, at one point, of tap water and butter cookies. 43