The Sempai
Much akin to Rei, Mamoru is looked up to by the younger crowd in his school. One particular boy named Asanuma, a friend of Makoto's, is especially interested in him. He can sense something different and special about Mamoru. When Mako introduces him to Usagi and the girls, he has no qualms telling them that he wants to be just like Mamoru - smart, athletic, and kind-hearted. Asanuma is pretty smart himself, and begins to think something is a bit different about Mamoru. At a soccer game, Mamoru gets kicked pretty badly in the arm. Instead of going to the nurse's office, he slips behind the school building and uses his powers to heal his arm himself.
Asanuma happens to witness this phenomenon and ponders if Mamoru might be some kind of alien. Makoto is the one to finally explain Mamoru's powers, and she also explains their destinies as soldiers. I feel that Asanuma also looks up to Makoto, for her determination and strength. I'm glad that Naoko decided to throw Asanuma into the mix for several reasons. Firstly, we get to peek into Mamoru's school life. The only school life we ever saw of Mamoru's in the anime was the big dance in SuperS. This aspect of his life gives him some more paralell to Usagi, who we see interacting at school all the time. We also get to see how "outsiders" (non-senshi, non-regular secondary characters) percieve Mamoru. The fact that Asanuma aspires to be just like him is reassuring of his real kindness and likability to all, not just Usagi and friends.
