Mimakura

Mimakura is the slash ship between Takayuki Mima and Hayate Ichikura from the Play It Cool, Guys fandom.

Canon
Ichikura and Mima are two of the four main characters of the crew from the anime (excluiding Motoharu, who is later introduced). Just as with the rest, they have their own problems related to concurrent carelessness and distractions on their daily lives, making the four of them clumsy guys. Mima refers to him as "Hayate-kun" since he's 7 years younger than him and Ichikura, "Mima-san".

On their first introductions, Hayate receives a coupon for a small animal cafe from a cashier, which he contemplates using despite having two pet hamsters. Meanwhile, Takayuki, stressed from work, discovers the same cafe and considers visiting for comfort. Hayate and Takayuki meet outside the cafe, where Mima invites Hayate to join him inside since it's primarily frequented by women or couples. Hayate is embarrassed after initially misunderstanding Mima's intentions, thinking he had seen him as a woman whom to hit on.

The two end up going in while Hayate monologues how he was sharing a table with a person he'd just met. The younger analyzes the other man througly, describing him as a "chill, mature dude", these traits being so cool for him. Mima takes their orders wrong, but Hayate is impressed with how unbothered Takayuki is. Mima's insecurity is passed on to Hayate when he mentions not wanting to "crush" the animals by petting them, but the older man tells him not to restrain himself. They bond over as they check out some animals, and Mima notices Hayate's passion for them despite his calm demeanor.

While holding a bunny, Hayate apologizes to Mima for him being the only one who was having fun, but the latter tells him not to worry because just by watching him is having a calming effect on himself. They end up sharing personal and professional details. Mima remarked on Hayate's youth, as he was still in university, while Ichikura saw Mima as a "real adult." Despite accidentally narrating a "dull" story about school, Hayate apologized, but Takayuki reassured him that it was not a problem. The businessman explained his reason for coming to the cafe, and they fell silent for a moment before Mima had to leave. He offered to pay for both, but Hayate politely declined, insisting on paying his share. After realizing he had lost his keys, Hayate expressed his concern for not being a proper adult, but Mima didn't mind and offered to help look for them while he went to pay. Hayate thanked him for his kindness.

Now outside the cafe, after finding his key, Hayate tries to return the money Mima spent for their drinks. Takayuki intervenes, insisting that he can't allow a student to pay. Despite being covered by others, Hayate is filled with gratitude. As a parting gift, Mima gives Hayate a stamp and a hedgehog keychain. Mima explains that the keychain will help Hayate avoid losing his keys again, and relates to Hayate's tendency to space out. Before leaving, Mima bids Hayate farewell by saying "I'll see you around." Hayate finds Mima cool, and despite his earlier mistake, Mima remained cool throughout their interaction. Hayate aspires to be like him. As he looks through the items Mima gave him, he discovers Mima's business card and suggests that they should go to that place again together. "New situations make me uneasy, but if there are encounters like these, I think I can really get into my new job tomorrow, too."

- Hayate expressing his pleasing over his day spent with Mima.

Switching to Mima, finds himself enjoying the experience more than he anticipated. He begins to realize what his Senpai meant by being comforted by looking at people and hopes to see Hayate again. In the end they both noticed to have made a respective mistake: Hayate forgot to use the coupon and Mima, to provide his personal contact information on the business card.

On his first day of work, Hayate appears outside Mawarimichi Cafe looking nervous. However, he remembers Mima's comforting words from the previous day and gains the courage to enter the cafe (although he initially pushes the door instead of pulling it). Upon witnessing this, the three men inside (Shun, Souma, and Mima) empathize with his situation, each admitting to having made the same mistake, including Takayuki's "I just did that." The four of them exchange glances and realize that they know each other, leading to an "Oh" moment. In the following episode, there is a flashback to before Hayate's arrival at the workplace where Mima makes the same door mistake as Ichikura by pushing it instead of pulling it.

Once the younger guy is inside, Mima notices and recognizes the person who just entered. Meanwhile, Hayate is lost in thought, cleaning a table when he sees Mima waving at him from another table. Surprised to see him, Hayate wonders when he arrived. When the cafe manager, Asami, asks Hayate to bring change to Mima's table, he goes over to him and strikes up a conversation. Hayate expresses his surprise at seeing Mima there, to which Mima agrees it was a coincidence. Surprisingly, Mima's presence has a calming effect on Hayate. Learning that it was Hayate's first day at work, Mima tells him not to overdo it and wishes him good luck, making Ichikura flush as he speeches it being something "very Mima-san thing" to say. Hayate is startled that Mima has to go already, having Mima to explain he didn't want to get in the way of his work, and since it was a wonderful place, he'll be coming by again. As Mima leaves, Takayuki tells Hayate that if there was another place being hard for him to go alone, he hopes he can ask him again. Hayate smiles and thanks Mima as he leaves, finding him cool and his invitation laid-back.

Hayate notices one of Mima's belonging having been left behind and goes out to find him to no avail, only knowing his work address. He entrusts the notebook to Asami as she noticed that Hayate seemed relieved when talking with Mima and encouraged him to open up more to the rest. Hayate accepts.

At Shun's handball tournament, they were the first to arrive. When Shun approaches them at the entrance, Hayate expresses surprise at Mima's presence, to which Mima explains that Shun had trouble presenting his better side during their previous encounter at the park. They are entrusted with the responsibility of looking after Souma, who had boarded the wrong train, resulting in his delayed arrival (Shun had initially gone to the wrong side, but a teammate eventually directed him to the court). Throughout the game, they detect Shun's inability to concentrate and realize it's due to nervousness. As the match progresses, they are relieved to see Shun return to his usual self, with Souma being the cause his relief. After the tournament, they have seemingly parted ways.

After he and Souma separated the latter had to do some shopping, Hayate goes to a bookstore to find his lost disposable umbrella. While browsing through the bookstore and goes through the fiction section, he bumps into Mima, who greets him. Surprised by the coincidence, Hayate asks if Mima is a regular customer, to which he admits. This discovery becomes a bonding point for the two, as Hayate sees Takayuki as his role model. Hayate reveals that he is an avid reader, and Mima notices his animated expression when talking about books. Mima recommends a book to Hayate, and he excitedly talks about his passion for the author, Igarashi Motoharu. Mima is amused by Hayate's enthusiasm and reveals that he is also a fan of Igarashi's work. Souma arrives and joins in the chatter, commenting on Mima's refined taste in umbrellas. Outside the place they talk about spending time together on free times. Concerned that it might burden Mima, Hayate hesitates, but Mima assures him that these experiences will become more treasured as he grows older. Observing Mima parting away with a children umbrella (having it borrowed from his niece after he forgot his own), Hayate and Souma learned something: Souma realized that Hayate likes "understated stuff," while Mima prefers "cutesy" things. This made Hayate realize that even adults can use those kinds of umbrellas.

They meet again at night at a park by coincidence while Hayate, Shun, and Souma go after Sakura, Shun's pet dog, and notice it was right at Mima and his friend Motoharu. Hayate notices Igarashi and wonders if he was a co-worker of Mima's, feeling he had seen him somewhere (he did, at the library after he had helped him find his umbrella). Feeling they were intruding Mima and Motoharu, the trio move to another side while Mima saw them and suddenly felt more relaxed. Takayuki narrates each reading experience with the younger boys, beginning with Hayate. "(Hayate-kun was a big fan of the original works. It's important to find something that doesn't destroy the image held by the fans.)"

- Mima describing Hayate's reading habits.

After Mima's large advertisement for the movie "The Lost Diary" at Shinjuku Station, the trio (Souma, Shun, and Hayate) go to the cinema to watch Igarashi's work adaptation. The three appear to have enjoyed the film, particularly Hayate. They happen to run into Motoharu, who recognizes Hayate as "Takayuki's friend" and later introduces himself as the original book's author, shocking Hayate. Motoharu's request for a cafe where they could hang out leads them to Mawarimichi Cafe. Igarashi takes a group photo and texts it to Mima, jokingly accusing him of stealing his cute friends, which is followed by Mima's "give them back" message.

After trying a new horror game, we learn that Mima does not deal with horror well, and on his way back home, he is not relishing the idea of spending the night outside, and wonders about someplace more comforting where'd he relax. While thinking about the "comforting" part, an idea occurs to him, and in the next scene, Hayate is surprised to see Mima outside his department. Takyuki apologizes for the short notice, but Hayate expresses surprise at receiving a message from him so suddenly, inviting him inside. The place was close to Mima's original location, so he had no difficulty getting there. Mima is surprised that Hayate has agreed to let him spend the night at his department, but Hayate reveals that he has another visitor: Shun, whom he tutors and who is currently doing homework. Mima had originally purchased two puddings for Hayate to share, but since Shun was already present, he gave him one of the sweets. The spoons they were about to use, however, were too large to even fit in the bottle head, and despite Mima's offer to go buy some smaller spoons, Hayate also intervened, but in the end Shun went off because he had grown tired to sit all the time. Hayate thanks Mima for all of this, and the latter says he invited himself and that having a convenience store next to his apartment was convenient. Mima is deep in thought about Motoharu's words about renting a room somewhere around here as well, but is interrupted by Hayate, who questions his reason for suddenly appearing at his appartment. Mima intially hesitates since he couldn't lie to him nor disclose what he's working on either. He describes his experience with horror games, feeling bad that he may have offended Hayate by not liking games; how he couldn't cope with them and was hoping to hang out with someone who could distract him. He wonders if Hayate is disappointed in him now, but Hayate remains "casually cool" and doesn't judge him for it. He also offers words of comfort, as Mima did in past times. "So I guess even you have things you don't like. You're always helping me out, so it's really nice to be able to help you out for once."

- Hayate to Mima.

In Takayuki's perspective, the word "comforting" surrounds Hayate, who comments that scary things would avoid him, to which Ichikura responds with a "Really?" saying he can't sense anything supernatural. Mima is relieved that he will be able to work hard tomorrow, and he thanks the younger boy. Hayate refuses to accept Mima's gratitude, claiming he did nothing, and Mima is the one who notices Shun is taking his time, with Hayate agreeing. Shun had become disoriented, had forgotten Hayate's department number, and had left his phone behind.

For summer festival, the quartet (Mima, Shun, Hayate and Motoharu) look for Mima, and they manage to reunite with him thanks to his tall figure. Hayate is the first one to ask him if mosquitoes were biting him, to which Mima affirms saying that if he stood still he'd be an easier target. Hayate is amazed to the fact that his favorite author, Igarashi, and Mima were really classmates in the past and it was great that they're friends. Motoharu and Hayate manage to bond, occasionally mentioning Takayuki in the process, and now this Ichikura sees Igarashi not only as someone he admires, but also as a friend. They discover that they live in the same building, and Motoharu suggests that Hayate not come over alone; he could also invite Takayuki, Shun, or Souma.

The quintet spend their holiday at the beach, however Mima was the last one to arrive at the vehicle. Before going with the rest to swim in the sea, Hayate is the last to leave Mima behind, and this latter wishes him to have fun. They match against each other, being Motoharu & Miwa vs Hayate & Shun. The two latter notice that the "Team Adult" sucked as they got tired easily and quickly. The five friends then go watch the fireworks after Mima had gotten the wrong direction, and thanks to him they could get a better angle of the moment, Hayate mentioning being the day of the fireworks show, and the spot where they were on was the best one to spectate it. They're standing next to each other all the time. Ichikura is so moved by the moment that he expresses his desire to return here with everyone and, upon noticing his error, Mima is the first to agree that they should all assist here next year. Shiki, Souma's older brother, is in charge of organizing a group photo of the five. Hayate is told to move closer, but Mima warns him to watch his step, and he ends up tripping just as the photo is taken, Mima worriedly looking at him falling. They are all seen smiling and unaffected by this.

Moments

 * In the first opening, Mima is seemingly the only one who notices Hayate having tripped after a group photo was taken between the four guys.
 * On episode 9, Mima is unable to recognize Souma from afar at first while describing how he looked youthful, but the only one who he knew being young was Hayate.
 * On episode 10, Hayate was surprised to learn Mima had a child when taking his sister's daughter, Ririka, to the cafe. However, Takayuki corrected him by explaining that she was his niece.
 * On episode 15, Shun had turned to Hayate and Mima for advice in two consecutive cases, but unfortunately, both are unable to provide much help. Hayate has never experienced a romantic relationship, while it has been quite some time since Mima has been in one.

Quotes
"(He's so cool! Even though he can also mess up like that, he was really cool from the beginning to the end. I want to be like that.)"

- Hayate after Mima left.

"(His business card.) We should go to that place again, together."

- Hayate talking to himself.

"(I'd like to see him again.)"

- Mima, after spending a day with Hayate together.

"Don't be so worried."

- Hayate remembering Mima's words before entering the local where from now on he'll work at.

"(He's so cool. And his way of inviting me was really chill too.)"

- Hayate after Mima left.

"(Hayate-kun gets so animated when there's something he likes around)."

- Mima learning more about Hayate's behavior.

"Is there somewhere more comforting I could relax? (stops) Comforting?"

- Mima coming to a realization about a comforting place, episode 20.

Fanon
It's considerably popular inside the small fandom, being the most on AO3 having 40+ works created. It can be shipped alongside ShunSou, the pairing between the other two younger men: Souma and Shun. It tends to be semi-rivalized by MotoMima due to their childhood friends bond, but it's easily overshadowed as Mima and Ichikura are rather major characters whereas Motoharu didn't get focus until the middle of the anime. The reason for the ship's popularity is due to the first meeting being a literal date, despite the two guys not considering it as such. Additionally, Hayate's great respect and admiration towards Mima fuels the ship, as it could be interpreted as if Ichikura has a crush on Takayuki. Furthermore, Mima's description of viewing Hayate as a ray of sunshine who relieves stress is another factor that explains the ship's origin.

There was once some controversy surrounding the age gap between two characters in the anime, as one was 20 years old (Ichikura) and the other was 27 (Mima). However, fans of the show don't seem to be too concerned with the age difference, as both characters are adults and capable of leading independent lives. The only exception is Hayate who is still in his teen phase. However fans tend to see both as twin brothers due to their similar designs. Mima, being older, addresses Ichikura with the "-kun" honorific, which is a semi-formal title mostly used for men younger or the same age as the speaker. In contrast, Ichikura uses "-san," which is used informally and formally for adults of equal status.

In fan interpretations, Hayate and Mima are often unaware of each other's feelings, with Hayate usually depicted as falling in love first. Mima may notice Hayate's feelings with the help of friends or confess directly. Alternatively, Mima may have feelings for Hayate but struggle to communicate them, seeking advice and unintentionally acting flirty towards his crush. Fan fictions often center on their domestic life as an established couple, or add "missing scenes" to deepen their relationship.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION


 * ART

Trivia

 * Mima views Hayate as a "ray of sunshine" who relieves his stress.
 * Hayate (20) and Mima (27) are the two eldest among the four friends. However, in reality, Motoharu and Mima are regarded as the adults of the group since they're closer in age, with the former being three years older.
 * Hayate's design is strikingly similar to Mima's, leading to speculation that Ichikura may resemble Takayuki in the future. However, this comparison is yet to be explored in the anime.