Reports surfaced on Tuesday that Jin Akanishi is currently dating a fashion model, which may shed light on his recent decision to take a break and study abroad. The 26-year-old model Rina is a Brazilian of Japanese descent, who has been active in Japan since 2000. The two have been dating since before KAT-TUN's debut single earlier this year. Their relationship appears to have started around the end of last year, shortly after it was publicly revealed that Akanishi and Takako Uehara had been dating and broken up.

Last Friday, Akanishi had denied that his decision had anything to do with a girl. However, it seems likely that his relationship with Rina may have been a significant reason for him to leave.