NAME: Retasu Midorikawa (碧川 れたす)
ALIAS: Mew Lettuce (ミュウレタス)
D.O.B: April 29th
AGE: 13-14 Years
HEIGHT: 162 cm (5′ 4′′)
FUSED WITH: Sunameri (Finless Porpoise)
WEAPON: Lettucetanets (レタスタネット)
MANGA DEBUT: Volume 1, Chapter 1
ANIME DEBUT: Episode 03
FAVOURITE FOODS: Shortcakes, Mille Crepes, Stewed Foods
LEAST FAVOURITE FOODS: Shiitake Mushrooms
"They get snippy because I'm slow. I have to apologise to them later..."
(Volume 1, Chapter 1, pg. 21)
Retasu first makes her appearance as the subject of bullying by three classmates at an endangered animal exhibition in Tokyo. She is shoved to the ground, a cup of hot coffee her friends requested now spilled behind her. With tears in her eyes, Retasu apologises for her mistake despite her correctly bringing hot coffee like they had asked for. Supposedly having changed their minds, the girls yell and berate Retasu further as she apologises once more. Four other girls bear witness to the scene and intervene to help Retasu.
It's a short introduction that lasts only a few panels but one, it's the event that brings all of our main characters together as they try to help diffuse the situation and two, it's a poignant scene that tells us everything we need to know about Midorikawa Retasu: She's a girl with no voice, no ability to stand up and defend herself. She's overly apologetic and critical of herself. Severely underplaying the treatment she receives from her bullies, she attributes their physical and verbal abuse to them being "snippy" and blames herself for their actions, wishing to "apologise to them later."
It's clear from this point on that we'll be spending some time in this story with a girl who has very little self-worth. But it's not all hopeless with these newly found companions who have unexpectedly entered her life...