Haruto Kaguragi

Manga

Drama

Haruto Kaguragi
Japanese	神楽木 晴
Romanized	Kaguragi Haruto
Nickname	Haruchin (by Mi-tan)
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Age	17
Born	August 5
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Dark brown
Personal information
Residence	Tokyo, Japan
Education	Eitoku Academy
Affiliation	Kaguragi Enterprises Correct 5

"Tomorrow...I thought that tomorrow was always a given. But I didn't realize how special it was...this thing called tomorrow..."

—Haruto

Haruto Kaguragi (神楽木 晴 (かぐらぎ はると) , Kaguragi Haruto) was the leader of Correct 5 and the heir to Kaguragi Enterprises. His hero was the F4's leader, Tsukasa Domyoji. Haruto attended Eitoku Senior High with his friends, Kaito Taira, Sugimaru Eibi, Issa Narumiya, and Airi Maya. In high school, he met Oto Edogawa, whom he eventually fell in love with.

Biography

Early life

Haruto was born into the rich Kaguragi family as the heir to Kaguragi Enterprises. His father and mother were constantly busy with work, so they would they would buy him puzzles to "keep [him] occupied." The family's butler Kobayashi has taken care of Haruto since he was a child.

He began attending Eitoku Academy as a young child and first met Airi Maya in kindergarten. In third grade, he gained Airi's respect by carrying her to their destination on a field trip. He and Airi later ran away from home together to an abandoned factory. Airi confessed her feelings for him there, though he did not realize it at the time. Haruto also met Kaito Taira, Issa Narumiya, Sugimaru Eibi in elementary school.

In middle school, Haruto was bullied by older students, who would take away his allowance. One day, Tsukasa Domyoji saved Haruto from them, but called him "pathetic" for not protecting himself. Haruto began training to become strong from that on. Two years later, before Tsukasa left for America, Haruto promised to take care of Eitoku for him.

High School

After forming the Correct 5, he started attending Eitoku Senior High with the other members, Kaito, Issa, Sugimaru, and Airi. Haruto created the Correct 5 in order to combat Eitoku's failing reputation. The Correct 5 would hold "peasant hunts", meaning they forced the poor students to withdraw from the school.

Meeting Oto

Haruto surprises himself by saving Oto

"He and that Tsukushi Makino... Why would he go and choose such a common woman? I cannot accept it. There's no way I care the least bit about that girl! That girl hit my face with a piece of meat! Making her quit the academy is not enough! I'm going to making her suffer for that!"

—Haruto is livid about Oto hitting him

Haruto first met Oto Edogawa, when she accidentally ran in front of his car. Later that day, Haruto's butler Kobayashi injured his back, before retrieving Haruto's mail-order items. Haruto decided to go to the convenience store by himself to pick-up the items. Oto instantly recognized Haruto. He worried that Oto would reveal his mail-order item obsession. In the morning, Haruto told Oto to "get out". They then noticed a female student being bothered by two guys. Oto called him "pathetic" for not helping her. The word reminded Haruto of his vow to Tsukasa about protecting Eitoku. Haruto finally stepped in and punched one of the guys as the other students cheered. However, he could not enjoy the moment for long, since Oto threatened to tell his secret, if he kicked her out of school.

The next day, Haruto was happy about the attention he was receiving, but was still worried about Oto. He consulted the Correct 5 about what to do. Issa suggested for him to make Oto his girlfriend. Haruto went with his plan and asked Oto to a barbecue at his home. The party did not go as he planned and ended with Oto slapping him with a "hunk of beef". Before leaving, Oto called him "the worst", deeply angering Haruto. He spied on her at work, where he saw her co-worker follow her home. Haruto saved her by kicking him in the back. Flustered by his own actions, Haruto admitted to following her. She called him "creepy", which caused him to become depressed. Later that night, a maid informed that someone was waiting for him at the gate. It was Oto, who thanked him for saving her.

Haruto forced Oto's co-worker to quit, after the incident. At school, Haruto told Oto about it and coaxed her into thanking him. He then asked her out to eat pancakes, having overheard her conversation with her friends. They met up the following Sunday. He had bought the pancake shop earlier, so they would not have to wait in line. Haruto asked her about her reasons for staying at Eitoku and assumed it was because of the F4. He took her on a "pilgrimage" to the F4's houses. At Tsukasa Domyoji's home, they were invited inside by Tama. Oto took that moment to explain that her real reason for staying at Eitoku was her fiancé.

Oto's secret revealed

Haruto wearing a Momonozono uniform

Haruto: "I know this is really rude of me to ask, but I'm going through a lot of upheaval right now. It feels like I'm powerless. In this situation, what would Mr. Domyoji do?"

Rui: "Who knows? He's a wild one. When everything's a mess, he only has eyes for what's most important."

— Rui's advice to Haruto

After learning that Oto was engaged, Haruto was unable to stop himself from calling her "pathetic". He soon began feeling a strange "pain in [his] chest". He visited Sugimaru, who told him about Momonozono's Tenma Hase. At home, Kaito told him that Tenma was Oto's fiance. Haruto fell ill for three days, which Kaito speculated was because he was in love with Oto. He denied it. Sugimaru enlisted Haruto's help in infiltrating Momonozono. They were recognized by the other students, who began surrounding them. Tenma stepped in and called them his "guests". Haruto became irritated by Tenma and left soon after. Depressed, Haruto's legs carried him to the convenience store. Seeing Oto, Haruto asked "won't it do?", before rephrasing it to "won't I do?"

They were interrupted by Oto's coworker, Konno. Haruto fell over and began complaining of a stomachache. He refused to go home, leading Konno to invite him and Oto to her apartment. Konno left them alone while she went to get drinks. Oto asked Haruto about his question and assumed that he was "comparing [him]self to [Tsukasa]". It was actually Tenma, but he did not correct her. On their way home, he tried to apologize for being rude earlier, but she brushed it off with a smile. Haruto then told her "don't say that your life has absolutely nothing to do with me", referring to something she told him previously. The next day, Haruto ran into Oto at the school gate. She told him to "stay away", just before he spotted a flier on the ground.

Airi revealed to Haruto that she posted the fliers outing Oto as a "peasant". Haruto was extremely angry and told her if she continued talking that he would "beat [her] up." Later that day, Kaito confronted about doing a "peasant hunt" on Oto. Haruto agreed, telling himself that "there are no exceptions." However, when the time came, he found that he could not bring himself to do it. Calling him a "wuss", Airi ran downstairs to do it herself. Haruto chased her and they saw Oto lying on the ground. A second later, Tenma, who had just paid her donation, saved her from the other students. Tenma declared to Haruto that he would "crush" him if he ever hurt Oto again.

Following the incident, Haruto felt immensely guilty for his role in Oto getting beaten. He thought "if [he] had sprung into action sooner", Oto would not have gotten hurt. His thoughts were suspended when two students walked by. Looking for a quiet place, Haruto ended up at the high school's emergency stairwell. Haruto was surprised to see the F4's Rui Hanazawa. He accidentally dropped his "calming amethyst", which Rui found interesting. As Rui was leaving, Haruto asked him "what would Mr. Domyoji do" in Haruto's place. Rui replied that Tsukasa "only has eyes for what's most important." In this moment, Haruto had an epiphany and realized that he was in love with Oto. He raced to the hospital to see her.

Airi incident

Haruto carrying Airi

Airi: "You remembered?"

Haruto: "This was our secret fort, right? Sorry, Airi. Sorry. For not realizing it...For not responding...I'm sorry for all these years."

— Haruto apologizes to Airi

At the hospital, Haruto accidentally touched Oto's breast. Oto knocked him out with a punch. After waking up, Haruto apologized for her getting hurt and placed all the blame squarely on his shoulders. The two made up and became friends again. The next day, Haruto forgave Airi for exposing Oto. He later went to the convenience store to see Oto. Konno invited them to hang out with her and her boyfriend, Mi-tan. Haruto was nicknamed "Haruchin" (ハルチン () , "Haruchin") by Mi-tan. At the batting cages, Haruto got a home run and won a prize. Afterwards, they went to a monja restaurant, where they were suddenly accosted by Airi.

Airi apologized to Oto for trying to force her out of Eitoku. Haruto was skeptical about her sincerity, but Oto forgave her anyway. She brought Oto and Haruto to a retail store. While the employees were dressing Oto, Airi brought up the time she and Haruto ran away. Oto came out of the dressing room, just as Airi asked if he remembered what she said at the time. Haruto was then sent to a cafe to wait for the girls. Airi met him by herself, saying Oto "went off somewhere". A few seconds later, Airi showed Haruto a surveillance video of Oto and Tenma. Haruto demanded to know where they were. Airi did not reveal anything, so Haruto left to find Oto and Tenma. Some time later, Haruto was able to find the two of them in the basement of the store.

Two days later, Airi had been missing and her parents filed a missing-person report. Haruto, however, was unconcerned and told Kaito, "I don't care what happens to that girl." Frustrated, Kaito left Haruto and Oto alone to think over their last interaction with Airi. Haruto mentioned Airi talking about the abandoned factory, which Oto thought was probably where she was. He rejected the idea and the two dissolved into an argument. After Oto left, Haruto went over the memory in his head again. In that moment, he remembered what Airi told him and finally realized her feelings for him. He made his way to the factory, where Oto was watching over Airi. He apologized "for not responding" sooner and carried her to the factory's entrance.

Meeting Megumi

"Mr. Domyoji, I heard that you dated a commoner girl. And that you even proposed to her. I could never fathom why you did that, but did things go smoothly for you with her?"

—Haruto to his Tsukasa portrait

A few days later, the Correct 5 went to a resort, where Issa was holding a flower arranging demonstration. Haruto just happened to be thinking of Oto, when they ran into each other on the beach. After the demonstration, Haruto went into the resort's hot springs and accidentally saw a naked girl. Flustered, Haruto immediately fled the scene. He took Oto home that night, but did not mention the incident. The next day, the girl, a model named Megumi Nishidome, visited Eitoku to return Haruto's wallet. Haruto made several attempts to get her to leave. Oto saw the two of them talking. He tried to explain the situation to her, though she told him that "it has nothing to with me".

Oto's reaction shattered Haruto and caused to go into a depression. Megumi, who had followed him, encouraged him to go after Oto. Haruto refused since he was worried that Oto may say something worse. Megumi was touched by his words and offered to help him practice his confession. He gathered his courage to say "I like you". Embarrassed, Haruto left, concluding that he could not say that to Oto. The next day, Megumi visited Haruto at his home. He told her to leave until Kobayashi expressed his dissent. Megumi then prepared him and Kobayashi dinner, which caused the butler to pass out. After one bite, Haruto declared that he had "[came] to a decision". He raced off to Oto's work, followed closely by Megumi. Once there, Haruto overheard Oto's conversation with Tenma about them dating.

After seeing Oto and Tenma together, Haruto ran home to throw away his various mail-order items. Haruto called himself a fool and felt like he could not win against Tenma. He was absent for two days, before returning to school. Megumi greeted him, informing him that she had transferred to Eitoku. Haruto ignored her and later decided to go home. He accidentally bumped into a guy on the street. Haruto insulted the guys, leading them to beat him up. Megumi, who had been following him, yelled for a police officer. She asked to "stop hurting [him]self", which touched Haruto. Afterwards, Megumi and Haruto became friends and spent more time together. Megumi later dragged him to an amusement park, where they ran into Oto and Tenma on a date.

Physical appearance

Haruto was not overly handsome, but had pleasant, symmetrical features. He had wavy, almost black hair, which he later had cut shorter. Haruto was 176 centimeters tall and weighed about 60 kilograms. He previously desired to be four inches taller. He used to work out to improve his small build. Haruto gained an allergy to chicken breast, due to him eating too much during his bodybuilding phase.

Personality and traits

Haruto was an earnest and dedicated person with good intentions. His upbringing made him somewhat selfish as well as naive to the outside world. He admired Tsukasa Domyoji and the other members of the F4. Haruto had a complex about his height and strength, both of which he previously lacked. He also felt inferior compared to Tenma Hase, who had many of the qualities Haruto strove toward and him being Oto's fiancé.

His favorite hobby was buying mail-order items, which he would have delivered at the convenience store to keep it a secret. He also collected power stones and F4-related goods, particularly those pertaining to Tsukasa Domyoji. Haruto often consulted his daily horoscope.

Behind the scenes

• Haruto is a main character of Boys Over Flowers Season 2 and first appears in chapter one.
• He is featured on seven covers of the series' nine volumes, excluding only volumes three and five.
• Singer and actor Sho Hirano will play Haruto in the upcoming drama, Hana Nochi Hare.