Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku Episode 9 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

Blond Hair and Pierced Ears

On a rainy day, Rintaro arrives at school looking frightening and bumps his head on the doorframe. His friends invite themselves to his family's cake shop, where his mother Kyoko welcomes them and Kaoruko and Subaru join too. Rintaro explains he dyed his hair and pierced his ears after admiring a blond pastry chef as a child, and his friends accept him. Kyoko, who changed her own look first to support him, is moved to tears when he thanks her. The group then plans summer fireworks and agrees to study together for exams.

• Rainy morning at school

  Rintaro arrives looking frightening and bumps his head on the doorframe. His friends point out that he is still in his winter uniform on the first day of summer uniforms, his bag spills its contents, and Saku says he will talk if he wants to.

• Visit to the cake shop and the story behind his look

  The friends visit his family's cake shop, where Kyoko welcomes them and Kaoruko and Subaru, who came to buy cake, join them. Rintaro explains that as a child he admired a blond, pierced pastry chef and changed his look in middle school, and his friends say they would have been friends with him anyway.

• Kyoko's blond hair

  Overhearing, Kyoko recalls the day young Rintaro cried that he would give up on everything, and how she dyed her hair and pierced her ears first so he could change his look without worry. When she brings up a cake, Rintaro thanks her, and she quietly tears up.

• Summer plans

  Over video games, the group plans fireworks at the beach. Subaru reminds them of exams before summer break, and Kaoruko suggests they all study together.

Recent Timeline

• Subaru confesses to Kaoruko and talks with Rintaro (Episode 6)

  Subaru admits to Kaoruko that she told Rintaro to stop seeing her after they were seen together at the café, apologizing in tears. Kaoruko thanks her for her kindness and admits she loves Rintaro, and Subaru reports his reply, that he cannot do as she asks. Later Subaru and Rintaro meet at the park, where he says he is not angry and they agree to meet away from school. Subaru asks whether they could one day become friends, a question that shocks Rintaro.

• Rintaro's friendships and a run to the sports festival final (Episode 7)

  Rintaro asks Kaoruko and Subaru for permission to tell his friends about their relationship, and both agree. Ayato defeats seven delinquents from an upperclassman gang alone and warns one of them. When Shohei lets slip that they followed him, Rintaro learns his friends overheard everything, and Saku apologizes and affirms his trust in them, reconciling the group. At the sports festival, Rintaro hits a home run after Saku backs him, sending his team to the finals.

• Park reconciliation with Shohei and Saku (Episode 8)

  At the park, Subaru apologizes to Shohei for her earlier rashness at the library, and Saku apologizes for his irrationality. Subaru first refuses to share treats, fearing resentment toward her as a Kikyo student, but the boys assure her it does not matter and the group shares the treats together.

• Aquarium date and Rintaro's realization of love (Episode 8)

  Rintaro and Kaoruko spend a date at the aquarium, where Kaoruko helps a lost child named Mika find her family, and Mika mistakes them for a couple. They then watch the dolphin show together, and Rintaro realizes he is in love with Kaoruko.

• Friends visit Rintaro's family home (Episode 9)

  Shohei, Ayato, and Saku visit Rintaro's family cake shop and home and meet his mother Kyoko. Kaoruko and Subaru join them after coming to buy cakes, and Kyoko invites them all to stay, presuming they are friends. It is Rintaro's first time bringing friends home, and Kyoko is visibly happy about it.

Character Graph

Ayato

Chidori

Gentle, easygoing Chidori classmate in Rintaro's group who becomes fierce when a friend is hurt. He single-handedly knocked down the upperclassman gang, and he visits Rintaro's home with the others.

• Defending Rintaro

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

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend he stood up for, telling the delinquents Rintaro is the coolest guy ever.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend he urged to make up with Rintaro.

Saku

Chidori

Sharp-tongued, clever Chidori classmate in Rintaro's group who has fully trusted his friends since their reconciliation. When Rintaro seems distracted, he tells the others to wait until Rintaro wants to talk, and he brings Japanese sweets when they visit Rintaro's home.

• Reconciliation with Rintaro

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

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

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

• Shohei (Friend, Affinity)

  Noisy friend he bickers and plays video games with.

• Ayato (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend who urged him to make up with Rintaro.

Mika

Young kindergarten girl who gets lost at the aquarium and is reunited with her parents.

• Crush on Daiki

  She has a crush on a fellow kindergarten boy named Daiki and says his smile makes her happy.

Kaoruko Waguri

Kikyo

A Kikyo student and longtime regular at Rintaro's family cake shop who has never seen him as scary. Out buying cake with Subaru, she ends up joining the visit to his home, frets about looking cute in front of him, and suggests they all study together.

• Kikyo student

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

• 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

  Admits to liking Rintaro and says she loves him.

• Aquarium outing

  When Rintaro asks what she would like in return for her study help, she says she wants to go somewhere together, which leads to their aquarium outing.

• Rintaro (Friend, Other, Affinity)

  She has never found him scary and has come to see him as kind; she apologizes for showing up at his home so suddenly and is drawn to him.

• Subaru (Friend, Affinity)

  Childhood friend who protects her and reassures her when she worries about her looks.

Keiichiro

Rintaro's father and Kyoko's husband, a pastry chef who runs the cake shop with her. He hopes Rintaro will one day notice what his mother did for him.

• Kyoko (Family, Affinity)

  His wife; he once asked if she dyed her hair and pierced her ears for Rintaro's sake.

Kyoko

Rintaro's mother, who runs the cake shop and warmly welcomes his friends, the first he has ever brought home. Years ago she dyed her hair and pierced her ears first so Rintaro could change his look without worry.

• Rintaro (Family, Affinity)

  Son she has always quietly supported; she is moved to tears when he thanks her.

• Keiichiro (Family, Affinity)

  Her husband, who asked whether she changed her look because of Rintaro.

Rintaro

Chidori

The protagonist, a Chidori student feared for his looks who is actually kind. Flustered by his new feelings for Kaoruko, he has friends over for the first time, tells them why he dyed his hair and pierced his ears, and is relieved when they accept him as he is.

• Reputation

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

• Reply to Subaru

  Told Subaru he would not stop seeing Kaoruko when asked, saying "Sorry, I can't do that."

• Openness with friends

  Decides to tell Saku, Shohei and Ayato about his relationship with Kaoruko and Subaru, since he no longer wants to hide anything.

• Feelings for Kaoruko

  After a date at the aquarium, he realizes he is in love with Kaoruko, a feeling he never expected to have for anyone.

• Kaoruko Waguri (Friend, Other, Mentor, Affinity)

  Kikyo girl who helped him study and whom he now loves; her surprise visit to his home leaves him flustered.

• Subaru (Other, Affinity)

  Kaoruko's childhood friend who once asked him to stop seeing Kaoruko; after they talked it out, she now spends time with him and his friends.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

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

• Kyoko (Family, Affinity)

  Mother who dyed her hair and pierced her ears first so he could change his look; he finally thanks her.

• Shohei (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend who asked to visit his home and says he would have been his friend no matter what.

Shohei

Chidori

Rintaro's cheerful Chidori classmate and the group's mood-maker. He asks to visit Rintaro's home, asks why he dyed his hair, and declares they would have been friends with him even in middle school.

• Rintaro (Friend, Affinity)

  Close friend; Shohei tells him they would have been friends no matter what.

• Saku (Friend, Affinity)

  Friend he bickers and plays video games with.

Subaru

Kikyo

Kaoruko's silver-haired childhood friend at Kikyo, cool on the surface and fiercely protective of her. She joins the visit to Rintaro's home, where Kyoko thanks her for being his friend, and reminds everyone of the exams before summer break.

• Childhood bond

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

• 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.

• Reconciliation with Shohei

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

• Kaoruko Waguri (Friend, Affinity)

  Childhood friend and her hero; she reassures Kaoruko when she frets about her looks.

• Rintaro (Other, Friend, Affinity)

  Chidori boy she once tried to keep away from Kaoruko and now spends time with; his mother thanked her for being his friend.

• Shohei (Other, Affinity)

  Chidori boy she clashed with at the library; when she apologized at the park, he said he didn't even remember.

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 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.

• 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 1–9

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 four boys and the two Kikyo girls become friends, and on an aquarium outing Rintaro realizes he loves Kaoruko. When the group visits his family's cake shop, he explains he changed his look after admiring a blond pastry chef as a child, his friends accept him as he is, and he thanks his mother Kyoko, who dyed her hair first to support him.

Music Releases

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