Haruko Daichi

Haruko Daichi (大地 春子, Daichi Haruko) is a frequent visitor of the Drop-in center and a member of the Cat Clowder, a non-profit organization that restores vancant/abandoned houses. After being commissioned by Anonymous, she renovated the Lounge with friends she met through a gay community on Twitter. She's living with her wife, Saki, whom she met online through an LGBT twitter community.

Appearance
Haruko has dark blonde/light brown hair with blue eyes. When she's at home or at the lounge, she wears her mid-length hair down, and wears casual, feminine clothing. She will usually wear her hair in a loose bun while working.

Personality
Haruko is a outgoing and forceful woman who goes out of her way to help Tasuku feel comfortable, despite his initial hostility. She very bold, despite saying its an act.

Background
Before become a freelancer, Haruko worked at a Design company in Hiroshima. While there, she was sexually harassed by her boss and had a tense relationship with her coworkers because of their assumption that she was straight, she should get married, and then have kids. Though she coped with it by playing along, she finally got fed up and came out to her coworkers. She then found it hard to continue working there so she quit.

After connection through the LGBT twitter community, Utsumi helped her get a design job in Onomichi. She soon became a design director for the company. Her first job is where she met Anonymous. She was already dating Saki at this point. Anonymous allowed Haruko to make her first renovation whatever she wanted it to be. This freedom made her cautious, but Anonymous made her realize she was just hesitating. Anonymous' boldness gave her the courage to start breaking down the wall in her renovations, but also in her relationships. She came out to her parents, which created a rift in their relationship but gave her the freedom to be herself. This also gave her an idea to make a lounge as a safe haven for the LGBT community in Onomichi.

Chapter 3
Haruko invites Tasuku to help with demolish an abndonded building with Utsumi. She invites him to volunteer for Cat Clowder over the summer and visit the Lodge whenever he wants. After getting snacks from her wife, Saki, she tells Tasuku that Saki, her wife, is in fact, her wife. She very casual and is very comfortable talking about it. Her interactions with Saki help Tasuku realize he has a crush on Tsubaki, confirming his sexuality.

Chapter 4
At home, Haruko reflects on the Tasuku conflict and the legalization of gay marriage in America. She starts to talk to Saki about Tasuku but is interrupted when Saki gets upset with her coming out to Tasuku in the spur of the moment.

After another day of demolishing, Tasuku asks about Saki and Haruko's relationship. Haruko asks him to keep Saki's orientation between them and shows him a gay twitter community. After telling him how she met Saki, built the lounge, and came out to her parents, there is another tense moment between her and Saki when she says being open about her sexuality is just her "being nice to [herself]," which Saki interprets as criticizing her for not wanting to be out as a lesbian.

Chapter 5
Saki is angry with Haruko at the beginning of the chapter but has already forgiven her when they get ice cream with Tasuku. She is excited when Saki tells her she wants to get married. She notices Tasuku's reaction but isn't sure how he feels. Haruko tells Tasuku she'll let him chose what the next renovation will be. Later while Cat Clowder is demolishing another house, Haruko comforts Tasuku after he admits he has a crush on a guy.

Chapter 8
When Tasuku Kaname tries to label Shuuji Misora, Haruko explains that gender and sexuality are on a spectrum, but a label would help Misora find a supportive community.

Their conversation is interrupted when Tsubaki-san comes into the lounge. He asks if Tasuku is one of "those kinds of people", but Haruko quickly intercepts and says he just volunteers with Cat Clowder. Tsubaki-san tells Haruko that being gay is fine as long as long as the Lounge doesn't become "a meeting place" and "start queer rumors". Haruko stops him and tells him:  "'Gay people aren't zombies that walk around 24 hours a day thinking about love and dirty stuff!'"Tsubaki-san insist that he didn't mean it like that, but Haruko rushes him out politely and with a smile. Now fired-up, she calls on Tchaiko and Tsuku to go to Triangle Manor, the temporary name for Tasuku's in charge of.

Etymology

 * The name Haruko means "spring" (春) (haru) and "child" (子) (ko).
 * Haruko's surname Daichi means "big, great" (大) (dai) and "earth, land" (地) (chi).

Trivia

 * Haruko is responsible for redesigning the Lounge.