Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku Episode 13 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Kaoruko and Rintaro

After Rintaro calls to ask for another chance to talk, Kaoruko invites him to the summer festival, where they enjoy the stalls before he confesses properly and asks her out. Kaoruko reassures him and reveals they had met before: last winter he comforted her at the cake shop, and she kept returning hoping to see him again. She accepts his feelings, and the two become a couple.

• Confession at the summer festival

  Rintaro calls to apologize for blurting out his feelings during the sparklers and asks to meet again; Kaoruko chooses the summer festival. After enjoying the stalls, he confesses his love, admits he feared causing her trouble over their schools, and asks her to go out with him.

• Kaoruko's reassurance

  Kaoruko says his wish is not selfish and reveals that they had spoken before, which Rintaro does not remember. She explains his ordinary kindness had been special to her and that she fell in love with him independently of their schools.

• Cake shop memories

  Kaoruko recalls a snowy winter visit to the cake shop where Rintaro encouraged her, and later visits where she dressed carefully hoping to speak with him, only to find him working in the kitchen.

• Renewed encounter and first love

  After months without conversation, Kaoruko returns and makes eye contact with Rintaro, flees in embarrassment, then comes back to offer to treat him. She realizes he may attend Chidori, and they confirm their feelings for each other.

Recent Timeline

• Finals results and summer break announcement (Episode 10)

  Rintaro and Shohei learn they passed their finals at Chidori. Shohei credits a great teacher, which leads failing students to assume it was Saku. Makoto then announces summer break is near and urges his students to make memories and have fun rather than spend their student years studying.

• Class bowling outing (Episode 10)

  The boys' class goes bowling to kick off the summer. Rattled by Shohei's question about dating Kaoruko, Rintaro asks Ayato at the drink bar what dating someone even means; Ayato admits he doesn't know either and promises to support him. Ayato then suggests getting back at Shohei for the teasing, and his and Rintaro's team beats Shohei and Saku's team.

• Birthday cake gift to Kaoruko (Episode 11)

  Rintaro gave Kaoruko the birthday cake he had made himself, to thank her and make her smile. She admired it, and after she tasted it at home and found it delicious, she called him that evening to tell him so, easing his worry.

• Subaru joins the group as a friend; Rintaro's slip (Episode 12)

  At the seaside outing Subaru confided that she has been uneasy around men since childhood and asked to become friends with everyone. Saku, Shohei, and the others said they already saw her as a friend, and she joined them with a laugh. That evening, while doing sparklers alone with Kaoruko, Rintaro blurted out that he liked her, but the others returned before she could answer.

• Rintaro confesses and they start dating (Episode 13)

  Rintaro confesses his love to Kaoruko, admitting he had wanted to avoid trouble over their schools and that the fireworks time made him reluctant to part. He asks her to date him because she gives him courage and strength. Kaoruko reassures him that his wish is not selfish, reveals they met before, accepts, and says she loves him too.

Character Graph

Ayato

Chidori

Gentle, easygoing Chidori classmate in Rintaro's group who becomes fierce when a friend is hurt. At the beach he sees through Saku and teases him about secretly wanting donuts.

• Defending Rintaro

  Confronts the delinquents who injured Rintaro and warns them against further trouble.

• Supportive friend

  Promises to keep Rintaro's crush on Kaoruko secret and to support him whatever happens.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend; he promises to keep Rintaro's crush secret and to support him, then teams up with him at bowling to get back at Shohei.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend he bluntly tells is bad at teaching; at bowling they are on opposing teams.

Shohei

Chidori

Rintaro's cheerful Chidori classmate and the group's mood-maker. He leads the charge at the beach, and when Subaru asks to be friends, he says he has thought of her as a friend all along.

• Bowling skill

  Shows off bowling prowess with Saku.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend whose crush on Kaoruko he sees through; he offers to help if anything comes up.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend he bickers with and teases about his love of donuts.

Keiichiro

cake shop owner

Rintaro's father and Kyoko's husband, a cake-obsessed pastry chef who runs the shop with her. He teaches Rintaro to make Kaoruko's birthday cake, holding it to the shop's standards, and is touched to see his son smile.

• Cake training

  Began training Rintaro immediately for the birthday cake and insisted it meet the shop's standards.

• Kyoko (Family, Affinity)

  His wife, who runs the cake shop with him.

• Rintaro (Family, Mentor, Affinity)

  Son he trains in cake-making; he is moved that Rintaro now smiles like that.

Saku (Natsusawa)

Chidori

Sharp-tongued, clever Chidori classmate in Rintaro's group who fully trusts his friends. When Subaru asks to be friends, he tells her he wouldn't study or come all this way with someone he wasn't close to, and he gives her food when he notices she barely ate.

• Reconciliation with Rintaro

  Apologizes for eavesdropping and for being too harsh, and says he fully trusts his three friends.

• Teaching style

  Gives barebones explanations and takes over Subaru's workbook to teach her and Kaoruko.

• Clarifying friendship with Subaru

  Answered Subaru's request in a roundabout way, then spelled out that he already considered her a friend.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend he made up with; he now fully trusts Rintaro.

• Shohei (Friend, Affinity)

  Noisy friend he bickers with, who teases him about donuts.

• Ayato (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who sees through him, pointing out he secretly wants the donuts.

• Subaru (Friend, Affinity)

  Kikyo friend; he tells her he already considers her a friend and gives her food when her stomach growls.

Subaru (Hoshina)

Kikyo

Kaoruko's silver-haired childhood friend at Kikyo, cool on the surface and fiercely protective of her. At the beach she admits she has been uneasy around men since childhood and asks the boys to be friends now, and when they say they already are, she bursts out laughing.

• Childhood bond

  Shares a childhood photo with Kaoruko and becomes tearful over it.

• Reconciliation with Shohei

  She apologizes for her rash behavior at the library and Shohei says he is not bothered by it.

• Study struggle

  Gets stuck on a question and is taught by Saku.

• Anxiety around men

  Had long avoided close involvement with men, but spending time with them began to change her outlook.

• Kaoruko Waguri (Friend, Affinity)

  Childhood friend and her hero, who gently pushes her to tell the boys what is on her mind.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Chidori boy she once tried to keep away from Kaoruko; she apologizes for having said 'someday' and asks to be friends now.

• Shohei (Friend, Affinity)

  Chidori boy she once clashed with at the library, who says he has long considered her a friend.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who bluntly tells her they are already friends and gives her food when she is hungry.

Kaoruko Waguri (Kaoruko)

Kikyo

A Kikyo student and longtime regular at Rintaro's family cake shop. She first fell for him last winter when he comforted her at the shop, and at the summer festival she accepts his confession, telling him she loves him too.

• Kikyo student

  Attends Kikyo, the school for prestigious young ladies, as shown when Rintaro sees her there.

• Birthday celebration

  Received Rintaro's homemade cake on her birthday; her family loved it too, though her younger brother ate half.

• Influence on Subaru

  Tells Rintaro that Subaru has softened and smiles more since talking with him, and thanks him.

• Love confirmed

  Accepted Rintaro's request to date and confessed that she loves him too, having fallen in love with him for who he is rather than his school.

• Rintaro (Other, Affinity)

  Boyfriend; his ordinary kindness on a snowy day last winter made her fall for him, regardless of their schools.

• Subaru (Friend, Affinity)

  Childhood friend she encourages to speak up to the boys and pulls into the group.

Kyoko

Rintaro's mother, who runs the cake shop and once changed her own look to support him. She has long known Kaoruko as a regular and once told her that her husband makes the cakes and her son sometimes helps out.

• Family

  Her husband makes the cakes and her son Rintaro sometimes helps at the shop.

• Rintaro (Family, Affinity)

  Son she has always supported; he sometimes helps at the shop.

• Keiichiro (Family, Affinity)

  Her husband, a cake-obsessed pastry chef who spends long hours in the kitchen.

Rintaro

Chidori

The protagonist, a Chidori student feared for his looks who is actually kind. After apologizing for his sudden confession, he confesses properly at the summer festival and asks Kaoruko out, learns she has liked him since he comforted her last winter, and becomes her boyfriend.

• Reputation

  Rumored to be a scary delinquent because of his looks; in the past he was bullied and shunned for his appearance.

• Birthday cake gift

  Made a cake himself for Kaoruko's birthday to express gratitude and make her smile.

• Confession to Kaoruko

  Confessed his feelings to Kaoruko mid-outing, then began apologizing before the conversation could continue.

• Confession

  Confessed his love to Kaoruko and asked her to date him, wanting more time with someone who gives him courage and strength.

• Kaoruko Waguri (Other, Affinity)

  Girlfriend; he confessed at the summer festival because he wants to spend more time with the person who gives him courage.

• Subaru (Friend, Affinity)

  Kaoruko's childhood friend; when she asks to be friends now, he thanks her for being honest, having already thought of her as a friend.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend he made up with at the sports festival; they now trust each other fully.

• Kyoko (Family, Affinity)

  Mother who has always supported him; he helps at the family cake shop.

• Shohei (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who knows about his crush on Kaoruko.

• Ayato (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who promised to keep his crush secret and support him.

• Keiichiro (Family, Affinity)

  Father who taught him to make cakes; Rintaro now helps at the shop when he is free.

Clue Board

• Why Kaoruko came back (Episode 2)

  Rintaro wondered why Kaoruko returned to the shop after learning he attends Chidori; she had said she wanted to get to know him. Resolved in episode 13: ever since he comforted her at the shop on a snowy day last winter, she had liked him and kept visiting, and she came back because she wanted to know who he was.

• Childhood photo with Kaoruko (Episode 3)

  Subaru stares at a childhood photo of herself and Kaoruko and begins to tear up. Resolved in episode 6: the two have been friends since early childhood, and Subaru has looked up to Kaoruko as her hero ever since Kaoruko rescued her from being bullied over her silver hair.

• Note from Kaoruko in Rintaro's notebook (Episode 5)

  Saku finds a note from Kaoruko in Rintaro's notebook, and Rintaro's refusal to explain it strains their friendship. Resolved in episode 7: Rintaro decides to stop hiding his friendship with Kaoruko and Subaru, and after his friends overhear him say so, Saku apologizes and they make up.

• Kaoruko's dressed-up outing after school (Episode 5)

  Kaoruko comes to meet Subaru a little dressed up after going somewhere after school. Earlier that evening she had dropped by Rintaro's family cake shop, secretly hoping she might see him. Resolved in episode 13: she had long dressed up carefully whenever she visited the shop, hoping to talk to him again.

• Subaru's change of heart (Episode 6)

  Subaru asks Rintaro if they could one day become friends, despite the hostility between Chidori and Kikyo. Rintaro asks whether something happened since they last met, and Subaru says it is a secret. Resolved in episode 12: at the beach Subaru asks the boys to be her friends now, and they tell her they already are.

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–13

Rintaro, a Chidori student feared for his looks, meets Kaoruko, a regular at his family's cake shop who attends the elite girls' school Kikyo next door. The two schools are bitterly at odds, but Kaoruko never sees him as scary, and they grow close as she helps him study.

Despite pushback from Kaoruko's protective childhood friend Subaru and a falling-out with his friend Saku over his secrecy, Rintaro opens up to everyone; Subaru warms to him, and the boys make up after Ayato drives off an upperclassman gang.

The six become friends across their schools, and on a beach trip Subaru asks to be friends now and is told they already are. Rintaro, who has fallen for Kaoruko, blurts out a confession that day, then confesses properly at the summer festival and asks her to go out with him. Kaoruko reveals she first met him last winter, when he comforted her at the cake shop, and has liked him ever since regardless of their schools; the two become a couple.

Music Releases

• Hitohira (ED)