Shuuji comes across as the dependable, serious type—the oldest of the group and someone adults naturally gravitate toward for leadership. He signed up for the extracurricular camp wanting to be useful, and that instinct to help and support others clearly runs deep. He's genuinely kind and good-natured, which is probably why people rely on him so readily.
That said, there's a lot of pressure underneath. His father's strict parenting and having a brilliant older brother created this relentless need to outperform everyone else. The camp was partly an escape from that weight, a chance to breathe.
Once they end up in the alternate world, everything falls apart for him. His general knowledge becomes useless, and suddenly he's scrambling—which brings out a messier side. He starts blaming others or circumstances, revealing cracks in that composed exterior. But even then, he still feels responsible for keeping the group safe, maybe even more so. He'd rather make sure everyone stays alive than focus on finding a way home.
This creates friction, especially with more action-oriented people like Minoru and Kaito who want to actually do something. Shuuji tries to command the group, but they mostly ignore him. The group tends to go with whatever the majority thinks, and Shuuji often finds himself standing alone on his opinions. It's a far cry from the natural leader role he's used to playing.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
