Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku Episode 6 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Self-Loathing / I Love You!

Subaru confesses to Kaoruko that she spoke with Rintaro and told him to stop seeing her, then breaks down in self-loathing. Kaoruko reassures her, they play on the monkey bars like when they were young, and Kaoruko admits to Subaru that she loves Rintaro. Rintaro then meets Subaru at a park and asks how he can keep seeing Kaoruko without causing trouble; Subaru says meeting far from school is fine, and after Yusuke's soccer ball interrupts them, she asks whether the two of them might one day be friends.

• Confession and self-loathing

  Subaru confesses that she told Rintaro to stop seeing Kaoruko, apologizes, and then breaks down in tears, seeing herself as a coward who only changed in appearance.

• Monkey bars reassurance

  Kaoruko calls Subaru kind, pulls her hand from her face, and suggests playing on the monkey bars, where she declares she will keep loving Subaru until she learns to love herself; Kaoruko then admits she loves Rintaro.

• Park meeting with Rintaro

  Rintaro asks Subaru how he can keep seeing Kaoruko without causing trouble; Subaru admits she told Kaoruko everything and says meeting far from school is fine. After Yusuke's soccer ball hits Rintaro, Subaru asks whether they could one day become friends.

Recent Timeline

• Standoff outside the library ends in apologies (Episode 3)

  Outside the public library, Subaru told Rintaro to stay away from Kaoruko, and Shohei's returning group clashed with her. When Saku mocked Subaru's hair, Rintaro stopped him and covered for Kaoruko, saying he had approached her to apologize for scaring her at the gate. Shohei and Kaoruko apologized to each other, while Subaru refused and left.

• Café confrontation and midterm results (Episode 4)

  Subaru confronted Rintaro at a café and asked him to stop seeing Kaoruko, citing the rivalry between their schools and the danger Kikyo teachers would pose. Rintaro refused, valuing how Kaoruko had not judged him by his appearance. Later, Rintaro and Shohei both passed the midterm exams, and classmates credited Saku for helping them study.

• Rift over Kaoruko's note (Episode 5)

  Saku found a note from Kaoruko in Rintaro's notebook and demanded an explanation in front of the class, but Rintaro only said he didn't want to talk about it. The two began avoiding each other, and Saku admitted to Shohei and Ayato that he felt Rintaro didn't trust them.

• Subaru confesses to Kaoruko and Kaoruko admits her feelings (Episode 6)

  Subaru admitted to Kaoruko that she had told Rintaro to stop seeing her after they were seen together at the café, apologizing in tears. Kaoruko called Subaru kind, asked whether she had acted for Kaoruko's sake given the risk of trouble over a Chidori student, and apologized for worrying her.

  When Subaru asked whether she liked Rintaro, Kaoruko admitted she liked him and said she loved him. Subaru then reported Rintaro's reply, that he could not do that, which made Kaoruko blush and hold Subaru's arm more tightly.

• Subaru and Rintaro talk at park (Episode 6)

  Rintaro asked Subaru how he could keep seeing Kaoruko with her permission, and she said her request had been her own choice. Rintaro said he was not angry, and Subaru admitted she had told Kaoruko everything.

  They agreed to meet away from school. The talk was briefly interrupted when Yusuke's soccer ball hit Rintaro. Subaru then asked whether they could one day become friends, which shocked Rintaro, and she kept her reason secret.

Character Graph

Ayato

Chidori

A Chidori student who was frightened by Rintaro's outburst and later works out how to improve the situation between the friends.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend; Rintaro apologized for startling him. Ayato reminded Shohei that Rintaro once helped Shohei and Saku make up, so now it's Shohei's turn.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend whom he pressures to talk.

Kyoko

Rintaro's mother, who runs the family store with him behind the counter. Notices he is troubled and is glad he put in effort this time.

• Rintaro (Family, Affinity)

  Mother who cares for him; worries about his mood and is proud of his effort.

Saku

Chidori

A Chidori student who notices Rintaro's note from Kaoruko and presses him about it. Feels annoyed that Rintaro does not trust his friends and wants to help him.

• Rintaro (Friend, Mixed)

  Friend whose trust he feels is lacking; he wants to help Rintaro when he is down.

• Shohei (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who walks home with him and pressures him to talk.

• Ayato (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who pressures him to talk and asks about Rintaro.

Shohei

Chidori

A Chidori student who worries about the rift between Rintaro and Saku and tries to step in.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend; reminds Saku how Rintaro usually helps people willingly.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend whose rift with Rintaro he tries to solve.

Kaoruko Waguri (Kaoruko)

Kikyo

A Kikyo honor student and Subaru's childhood friend. When Subaru confessed and broke down, Kaoruko comforted her, promising to keep telling Subaru she loves her until Subaru can love herself, and admitted to Subaru that she likes — even loves — Rintaro.

• Kikyo student

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

• Childhood friendship with Subaru

  Has been friends with Subaru since they were kids and loves her deeply; she rescued Subaru from bullying over her silver hair.

• Study help for Rintaro

  Tutors Rintaro in math and gives him a notebook of key points and revision strategies before the midterm.

• Feelings for Rintaro

  Admitted to Subaru that she likes Rintaro — even loves him. Rintaro does not know yet.

• Rintaro (Friend, Other, Affinity)

  Friend she wants to keep seeing despite the rivalry between their schools; she has told Subaru she loves him, though he doesn't know.

• Subaru (Friend, Affinity)

  Childhood friend she adores; she will keep telling Subaru she loves her until Subaru can love herself.

Rintaro

Chidori

The protagonist, a Chidori student feared for his looks, though he is kind at heart. Wanting to keep seeing Kaoruko without causing her trouble, he asked Subaru what he should do, and she said meeting far from school would be fine.

• Reputation

  Rumored to be a delinquent and scary, a reputation that stems from his appearance and past bullying.

• Motive for studying

  Wants to take part in Chidori's Sports Day and spend the day with his friends; failing would mean remedial classes.

• Stance toward Subaru's request

  Refused Subaru's request to stop seeing Kaoruko, telling her, "Sorry, I can't do that," because he values that Kaoruko did not judge him by his appearance.

• Kaoruko Waguri (Friend, Other, Affinity)

  Friend he respects and has growing feelings for; he wants to keep seeing her without causing her trouble.

• Subaru (Other, Mixed)

  Kaoruko's friend who once asked him to stop seeing Kaoruko; he respects her as a kind person, and she now says they can meet away from school.

• Saku (Friend, Mixed)

  Avoiding Saku after refusing to explain the note; the friendship is strained.

• Kyoko (Family, Affinity)

  Mother; he helps at the family cake shop.

Subaru

Kikyo

Kaoruko's silver-haired childhood friend, who sees Kaoruko as her hero and struggles with self-loathing. She confessed to Kaoruko that she had asked Rintaro to stop seeing her, and when Rintaro asked to talk, she agreed they could meet away from school and asked if she and Rintaro might one day be friends.

• Childhood bond

  Stares at a childhood photo of herself and Kaoruko with tears welling up.

• Protectiveness toward Kaoruko

  Worries Kaoruko could face serious consequences from Kikyo teachers for associating with a Chidori student, and asks Rintaro to stop seeing her.

• Silver hair and past bullying

  Was bullied as a child for her silver hair and was rescued by Kaoruko.

• Confrontation with Rintaro

  Asked Rintaro to stop seeing Kaoruko and later admitted this to Kaoruko; later met Rintaro and asked whether they could one day become friends.

• Kaoruko Waguri (Friend, Affinity)

  Her childhood hero; after confessing what she did, Subaru resolved to keep believing in Kaoruko and stay by her side.

• Rintaro (Other, Mixed)

  She once asked him to stop seeing Kaoruko; moved by his kindness, she felt foolish for having been harsh, agreed they could meet away from school, and asked if they could someday be friends.

Yusuke

Young kid who met Subaru and Rintaro at the café and who kicked a soccer ball into Rintaro, then assumed the two were good friends.

• Soccer ball incident

  Kicked a soccer ball that hit Rintaro, then noticed Subaru and Rintaro together and assumed they were friends.

• Rintaro (Other, Neutral)

  Met at the café; accidentally hit him with a soccer ball.

Clue Board

• Why Kaoruko came back (Episode 2)

  Rintaro wondered why Kaoruko came back to the shop even after learning he attends Chidori. The next morning she answered herself: Chidori and Kikyo don't matter — she wants to know him because he is Rintaro.

• Childhood photo with Kaoruko (Episode 3)

  Subaru teared up over a childhood photo of herself and Kaoruko. Episode 4 shows why the bond runs deep: when boys bullied Subaru over her silver hair, Kaoruko was the only one who stood up for her, and the two have been together ever since.

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

  Saku finds a note from Kaoruko in Rintaro's notebook and Rintaro refuses to explain it, so why he kept it and why he hid it stays unexplained. Rintaro had said he met Kaoruko only by chance.

• 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.

• 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.

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–6

Rintaro, a Chidori student feared for his looks, has grown close to Kaoruko Waguri of the elite girls' school Kikyo, a regular at his family's cake shop who tutored him for the midterms. He refused when her childhood friend Subaru begged him to stop seeing Kaoruko, and his silence about Kaoruko's note has left him at odds with Saku, though his friends are waiting for him to open up.

Subaru confesses to Kaoruko that she told Rintaro to stay away and breaks down in self-loathing, but Kaoruko comforts her at their childhood park, vowing to keep telling Subaru she loves her until Subaru can love herself, and admits she likes — even loves — Rintaro. Rintaro then asks Subaru how he can keep seeing Kaoruko without causing trouble; Subaru says meeting far from school is fine and asks whether they might one day be friends.

Music Releases

• Your Gaze, Crepuscular (OP)
• On a Good Day (ED)