Tsubaki-san

**Tsubaki-san** is in charge of the operations for restoring vacant houses in Onomichi. He is also Touma Tsubaki's father.

## Personality

Tsubaki-san seems friendly, but is incredible rude and homophobic to the members of the Drop-in center.

## Plot

### *Volume 2*

**Chapter 7**

Tasuku sees Tsubaki leaving the drop-in center. According to Haruko, he insisted that the members of Cat Clowder need to increase the number of rentals and make more guest houses, which frustrates Haruko because Cat Clowder is not a business, and Tsubaki does not take that in mind.

**Chapter 8**

Tsubaki suddenly appears at the drop-in center, right when Misora is teasing Tasuku about his sexuality, which stunts Tasuku. As soon as he notices that Tasuku is wearing the Shimanami High school uniform, he points it out, making Tasuku uncomfortable, and making him quickly cover his face with his palm. This does not stop Tsubaki from nosily asking if Tasuku is also a member of Cat Clowder. Haruko is quick to save the situation by saying that Tasuku is just helping out there. But this also does not stop Tsubaki from claiming that being gay is fine as long as the drop-in center does not become "a meeting place" and "start queer rumors". Haruko shuts his homophobic remark down kindly. Tsubaki insists that he did not mean it like that, but Haruko rushes him out politely and with a smile.

Later that night, as soon as he arrives home, Tsubaki mentions to Touma that a kid from Touma's school was at this "restoration group" that he feels the need to mention it is "run by a lesbian."

**Chapter 10**

Touma asks Tsubaki-san if the guy he saw at the drop-in center's surname was "Kaname," thinking about Tasuku. He tells his son that he does not know, but noticing Touma's interest, he asks him if he asks because he knows him, which Touma agrees with, saying he is a friend.

### *Volume 3*

**Chapter 11**

Tsubaki-san goes to Cat Clowder's workshop as part of his job, alongside his son Touma, who asked him himself to go there. There, he brings some cement bags and helping with the mixing of it.

Later, at school, on the health committee, his son Touma begins making homophobic and transphobic remarks regarding the volunteers at Cat Clowder to Tasuku, basing himself only on what his dad has said about them.

### *Volume 4*

**Chapter 18**

Tsubaki-san suddenly shows up at the drop-in center, looking for Saki, since her family's bar was closed, but is shocked to see his son Touma there.

**Chapter 19**

Turns out the reason why Tsubaki-san was there was to apologize to Saki, as he forcibly outed her to her parents, without her consent. As he confesses the very serious thing he has done to Utsumi, he laughs as if it was just some mistake. Touma approaches him and asks him what good apologizing is going to do by now. Telling him that he should respect queer people's right to tell people whenever they feel like it is the right time to. Seeing his son supporting what Tsubaki-san simply calls "those LGBT people" so fervently, he becomes increasingly violent as he asks Touma what is he doing at the drop-in center, if he is "one of *them*" and who "lured him into being gay". Touma gets fed up and grabs his dad by his coat's collar, screaming to him that no one did. Suddenly, Tasuku decides to step up, and standing in between the two, he directly confronts Tsubaki-san, telling him that he is gay, and asking him, "But now that you know that, what do you think of me? How are you going... to treat me?"

**Chapter 20**

Tasuku explains to him that coming out is a really important, personal thing for LGBT+ people. So he says that he trusts he will not tell anyone that he is gay. Tsubaki-san sees his error after listening to Tasuku, so he bows in front of him and apologizes. As he reluctantly leaves Touma behind, he excuses himself and leaves the drop-in center.

Later that day, since it was Christmas' day, Tsubaki-san sees Touma staring at the fish tank he usually watches, and sits next to him to watch it too.