Hidaka Koharu

**Hidaka Koharu** (日高 小春) is one of the main characters in *Hi Score Girl* series and the main character of *Hi Score Girl Dash*. She is considered the second most important female character next to Ōno Akira and was her love rival. As of Dash she has matured and gotten more cold hearted but still loves video games, she now works as a teacher for her old High School that has went co-ed.

## Profile

### Appearance

Koharu is a young girl who generally is considered extremely attractive, with various guys confessing their love for her throughout the show. She has short blonde hair with a green band on her right. Her eyelashes are quite long and her breasts are fairly large for her age. She grew her hair longer since entering high school but later changed it to her cut hair.

By 2007, despite her age and what she thinks, she is still generally considered extremely attractive, she has gained her longer hair back but still has her green hair band since middle school, Her eyelashes are still quite long and she wear a necklace with a red gem over most of her outfits.

### Personality

Before meeting Haruo in middle school she was considered plain as she was a girl who knew nothing but studying. She didn't know much about how people entertain themselves. All she did to relax was watching TV dramas with her mom.

After Haruo introduced her to the video game world, Koharu began to get into video games which brought some fun into her life. At the start she only got into them because she was interested in Haruo and wanted to get closer to him, but later on, she began to love playing games and started to become engrossed with there worlds and start spending more time towards them. Although this changed her, for the better or the worst, as stated by other characters, such as Doi and Miyao, she said to have many thorn's due to her being stubborn and doing what she wants, she also very passionate after Yaguchi, due to him bringing some joy into her life with gaming but this also make her thinks that Yaguchi made this feeling and losing him will mean she'll lose the only fun in her life, so she tries to have him all to herself. She does still love him despite him not feeling the same way, She is also a secret sadist due to her liking bullying and taunting Yaguchi, although it's all for the good of heart as she doesn't do it for hate towards him.

By *Dash* she seems to be emotionless, as while she has gotten over Yaguchi, she has not gotten over the scar of rejection. To point she stopped playing video games. But she does seem to care for her students and her job.

## Story

### Before meeting Haruo

Hidaka always lived in the same town of Mizonokuchi as Haruo and Ono, Canonically, She is seen for the first time In Special-Credit 2 in manga or/and Round 16 in the anime.

In the Manga she, with a few other of her friends, praise her for being good at the ring toss, as she had gotten a prize. Haruo notes that they are from a different school.

In the anime, Hidaka appears in the background of Ono's flashback, when Ono won the Final Fantasy game. Hidaka is seen eating cotton Candy with some other girl from her school.

### Meeting Haruo

It wasn't until their 2nd year in middle school were she meet's Haruo. She see's Haruo and a few of his classmates flee the scene of an arcade. She shrugs it off and reaches her father's shop where her father has just finished setting up a few arcades.

Hidaka than complains to her father that their shop would became a place for delinquent's but her father calls that nonsense and talks about how the machines will bring in money by the ten fold. He then asks her if she wants to try one of them out but she flatly refuses.

That night, Koharu spends her time studying in her room were she notes how it's close to winter break, meaning Christmas and New Years will becoming soon and another year of boredom passing by. She notes her inability to have fun, unlike Haruo who always appears to be having fun.

The following day at school Hidaka is sitting in class when their teacher, Tōno Reiko, confronts the class that she heard that some of her students were seen in the arcade. Hidaka notes how Haruo is so calm, but that doesn't last long as other student rat him out. Haruo is forced to stay after class and write a letter of apology. A classmate named Kōtarō tries to get Haruo to hang out with him, but is denied and Kōtarō is sequentially lead out by a trio of female classmates. Believing he's alone in the classroom, Haruo pulls out his TurboExpress and starts playing it. Unbeknownst to him, Haruo was being watched by Koharu who calls him out.

She is surprised that someone would bring a GameBoy to school. Haruo gets a burst of annoyance and teaches her the difference between the TurboExpress and the GameBoy. Haruo leaves the classroom without writing the apology letter, saying that he will just write an apology letter for not writing the letter in the first place.

As Hidaka finish's up and heads home, a blizzard is storming outside. Not sure if she can make it home, she is called over by Haruo who's at his favorite candy shop. Inside the shop, Haruo explains to her the beauty of candy shops, as Hidaka has never been in one. Haruo invites/convinces her to play some video games, as it was his fault for wasting her time back at school and making her late getting home.

In the Manga, the two decide to play the Vs mode of *Art of Fighting.* uring there match, Haruo notes she plays like a typical amateur, however, as she continues playing she shows some superb moves that even strike some fear into him

and actually loses to her, as he didn't play attention. Hidaka see's his distress and decides to switch with him, he let's at his stress by beating the game in front of her.

In the anime, he invates her to a game of *Street Fighter II Champion Dash*. Koharu chooses Zangief and Haruo notes she plays like a typical amateur, however, as she continues playing she shows some superb moves. Feeling the competitive fire in him grow once again, he desides to beat the game and show her the ending of Zangief.

Once the game is finished, the blizzard finally settles and they start to head home. While walking home, the two talk about how the old lady will soon close her shop for good due to her age. In light of this, Koharu mentions that her father has set up a few arcade games outside of his shop and delighted by this, Haruo vows to visit every day during winter break. Hearing this excites Koharu, unkown to her at the mommet, this is were she starts catching feelings.

### Getting to know him

That night, Koharu has a dream that she's trapped in a video game world with Haruo. When she finally wakes up, she blames Haruo for influencing her with his gaming shenanigans.

At school, Kōtarō mentions to Haruo that his favorite candy shop has closed which has him in a slump. Therefore, Kōtarō offers Haruo over his house to play some SNES games, but Haruo refuses.

Afterschool, Kōtarō invites him to a Christmas party, where Haruo finally agrees to attend it. On the other hand, Koharu is pestered by three friends of her including, what her plans are going to be during the winter break.

At her father's store, her Koharu's father notes that his investment in the arcade games was a good one, since it's attracted a lot of young costumers. He even offers to let her play the arcade games for free, which triggers a memory of Haruo.

In the afternoon, Koharu spends her time in her room reading, checking a couple of times from her window to see if Haruo is at the arcade machines, but he wasn't there. That night she is getting ready to go to the party, her mother was handing her the gift and ready to say goodvye to her, Right as Koharu was going to go to the Christmas party, she finally sees Haruo playing *Renegade High* in the anime or *Samurai Shodown* manga in the middle of the sidewalk.

Haruo is surpised, as she snuck up on her, she asks him if it was a good idea to be playing games other then going to the party. He explains to her that the games he playing are more important to him than anything else, he aslo tells her that he is gald that she has aracde cabits at her home, as he was lost after Granny shop had close but now he could play games in his neighborhood again, and he also tell her that she should just ingore him if he ever was there as he can be an eyesore. Hidaka asked that he doesn't see him as an eyessore, this distracted him and he loses.

Now done with the game he tells Hidaka that they should walk togather to the party, as they were about to head to the Christmas party, but Koharu's father rushes to the scene with the newest *Street Fighter II* game in the Anime or *Fatal Fury Special* in the Manga. Bedazzled by game,

Haruo stays so he can play telling her that he finds this more important then the party he didn't really want to go to begin with. Hidaka sighs and decides to stay behind and watch him play. He offers her his last 50 yen to play but he declines and just wats to see him play. He opens up more to her explaining why he loves games, as when he plays, he can esacpe from his shell and can be honsest with himself and have fun, then he tells her that she is so stiff and she doesn't really know how to have fun, she takes it heart and tells him that she truthly wants to get into gaming and wants to see Haruo play game games like "Sweet Home", "Septen trion" and "Otogiri Sou" but he flatly refuses.

Saying that she always thought that she could never do it even before she tired, he tells her not to throw in the towel and give them a try and if can't do it then he would come in to help her and show her how it's down, distracted he loses once again.

He grabs his things and proceeded to leave but Hidaka calls out for him and gives him her gift, as they skipped out on the party, Haruo returns the favor and hands his gift to her. She explains that it was a pair of mittens, Haruo commends her for her talent but notes that her faces is fairly red.

The morning after, Hidaka catches a cold and her mom confronts her as her break just started, but to her surprise Hidaka was in a good mood as she realized how she really felt.

### Starting to learn about video Games

It's New Years day, while being asked to pick up mochi and while going back home she is approached by Haruo, who is wearing the gloves she made, the two great each other for the new year and she asks him were he was headed. He points to a gaming shop, the two then head into a game shop were he explains on the new year sell and how the games were super cheap that time of year. He then asks her why she followed him, to were she just say's that she was in interested about the games and then picks up the box to the game Mortal Kombat for the SNES and wonders how the live action fight. Amazed by Koharu's eye for gaming, Haruo vows to show Koharu the true beauty of the game and rans out of the store, Hidaka following behide.

At an arcade center, Hidaka notes that it's her first time to one and is scared as the school forbids it, Haruo tells her just to lie that they got lost getting mochi and leads Koharu to a Mortal Kombat arcade machine. Hidaka calls in an imposing machine. Haruo explains the tittle of the game and how the music is godtier, he then shows off his skills with Raiden, the two get into and agurement about what Raiden say's when he launch's himself were he lose again. Once he's finished, Haruo allows Koharu to play, much to her against it, Haruo explains the controls which makes her more confused, she chooses to play as Scorpion were she struggles, Haruo says that her signature button mashing doesn't seem to help her and was the opposite of a certion someone, she is even more confused but still manages to play astoundingly well to the point were she even does a fatality.

Feeling the competitive fire in him grow once again, due to Hidaka talent of adaptability, he desides to show her his talent and goes to play against Ma-kun in *Samurai Shodown* during this time he explains to her that aracdes are a place for idiots, like his oppenet, and shows her his new technique with he mittens, ruining them in the process, losing to him once again Ma-kun charges at him and the two to get into a scuffle and be escorted out of the game center.

While walking home, Hidaka berates Haruo for his immaturity, his asshole side, getting into a fight and for just ruining her mittens, saying that she hates him. Later that night, in her room, Koharu reflects on Haruo's actions that day, how he forgot to purchase a game at the game shop just so he could spend time with her, but is still angry for waht he did to her gift.

The next day, she just get's ready to start the day were her father informs Koharu that her "boyfriend" is outside. This situation can go two differnet ways.

In the manga, she looks out the window and see's that he looks very seruios, at first thinking that he was upset how things ended yestrdays but shakes her head, beliveing that he just there to play games and nothing else. She desides not to go outside and sit's in her room, were she can't help but listen to the move names and sounds while he is playing *Fatal Fury Special*.

All of a sudden a blizzard starts to storm and is worried since he is still playing outside, she belives that there is a chance that he is waiting for her to come down and say's that if he were to call her name, that he would go down there in a heartbeat, all of a sudden Haruo calls her name and she comes down there as fast as she can.

But like she thought, he called her down to witness it with him and to take a photo of it. Still annoyied at him, she grads the camera and takes a photo of the sky.

In the anime, she looks out the window and see's that he looks very seruios, at first thinking that he was upset how things ended yestrdays but shakes her head, beliveing that he just there to play games and nothing else.

She desides not to go outside and sit's in her room, were she can't help but listen to the gameplay from her room. When a blizzard starts to storm outside and Haruo is still outside playing SF II, Koharu finally goes outside and offers him some a cup of hot green tea. As per Haruo's request, Koharu pours the tea into his mouth and asks if he's there to see her. However, he flatly denies it and when he boasts about leaving a mark there with his high scores, she pulls the plug on him.

### Gaining an interest in consoles

A little later, a side story in the manga, Hidaka catches Haruo off guard, as she saw that something caught his eye, he throughout the day, starts booting how there was a game shop SFll tournament and that he has basically already won the whole thing due to him being the best player at school, he also mentions that the grand prize would be a new Super Famicom and a Mega Drive. She pokes fun at him saying that people with that mindset always get the rug pulled under them.

On the day of the Tournament, Hidaka makes it to the

It's Valentine's day and Haruo is absent from school because he caught a cold. So, afterschool Koharu visits Haruo's home to deliver her "platonic chocolate" to him. Koharu is greeted by Haruo's mom outside of the house and is led inside where she catches Haruo playing Genji and the Heike Clans. She sequentially gives Haruo her chocolates and the latest issue of Gamest, hence, Haruo is more interested in the magazine than the chocolates. Right when Koharu tries to live, Haruo's Mom serves her some pancakes. As soon as Haruo's mom is out of the picture, Haruo shows off his game collection to Koharu. Soon, he shows Koharu some gameplay of Bravoman and allows Koharu to play a game of her choice. Surprisingly, Koharu chooses to play, China Warrior, the same game Akira decided to play.

While walking home, Koharu realizes that all Haruo doesn't have any feelings for her, but still she decides to go after him.

## Dash Spin-off

Eleven years after the ending of the original manga, we see Hidaka at the wedding of Onizuka Chihiro, where Onizuka throws the bouquet that bounces off Hadaka's head. Hidaka later sits with Onizuka and is questioned why she hasn't gotten married as the chances of that are becoming slimmer. Hidaka ignores it and says it's because of her school job.

A few days later, Hidaka attends the start of school ceremony as a teacher at her old high school. Mizuki Emiri makes a scene of jumping off the school roof where a now-grown Doi Genta tries to stop her. Mizuki calls Hidaka a boring teacher but chooses not to jump when a crowd appears, and Katagirl Miwa taunts her by threatening to record it and make fun of her on the internet. Hidaka tells Katagirl to get off the roof and notes the smell of cigarettes. Katagirl gives Hidaka her cell phone and cigarettes and says that she agrees with Mizuki that Hidaka is a boring teacher. Later in the classroom, Hidaka is called boring by her class when she doesn't answer any of their questions with interesting replies. She later goes to Hidaka Mart, where she still lives, and lay's on her bed wondering why they think that way of her.

## Relationships

### Yaguchi Haruo

The two lived in the same town of Mizonokuchi but it wasn't until their 2nd-year of middle school that she first sees him and a few of his classmates flee the scene of an arcade. Even before meeting him and becoming his friend she was always impressed with how simpleminded he was and always looked like he was always having fun. She slowly grows interested in him after slowly spending time around him. It was at the Christmas party, outside of her family shop she fell in love with him after exchanging gifts.

The feelings she has for Haruo was due to the fact he introduced her to the video game world. She believes that Haruo had brought fun into her life and that he made this feeling, she believes if she can't be with him then she'll lose the only fun in her life, and throughout the series, she tries to make him fall in love with her so she could have him all to herself. At the start of the series, she only to the arcades to go and see Haruo but later on got into the game and she began to love those games and started to become engrossed with their worlds and start spending more time with them. Her crush on Haruo also made her change as a person, for the better or the worst, as stated by other characters, such as Doi and Miyao, Hidaka had become more stubborn and had grown thorns due to her being stubborn

Despite later on confessing to him, Haruo doesn't understand Koharu's feelings or even care about them. Even with the truth out, the two seem to be fairly close, they get along as their both gamers. He is unexpectedly kind and indirectly caring about her well-being when they hang out together. He also grew to be very comfortable around Hidaka, where he could share with her how Akira is going to head overseas again, their match, and how he lost, and even confesses his love for Akira.

Instead of taking advantage of the situation and trying to go out with him, she slaps some sense into him saying that she give him back the ring so he would go look for her, she also pours out her heart on how she loved him and how he needed to go for Ono, unconsciously calling defeat to Ono. Later, like the other game characters, Phobos appears, symbolizing Hidaka's help and real love for Haruo, helping him with the traffic and guard blocks him to stop him from crashing into the glass doors and getting decapitated after crashing his scooter. Phobos is also there at the airport lobby celebrating the farewell of Ono as the to embraced each other.

### Ōno Akira

The two's relationship was complicated at first due to her crush towards Haruo. She see's Akira as a rival she needs to beat in order to gain his heart. The two seem to be acquaintances, neither one disliking the other. The two met in round 11 were, as while she has seen her around the acarde, this is the first time they meet eachother, she quickly realizes how skilled she was and notes that she would be destroyed in a 1v1 against her. She invites her to a game of Virtua Cop and throughout the game she get's to much in her confrot zone asking Akira about what she thinks about Haruo, going as far as to note his developed inferiority complex toward her. This seems to really brother Akira as her gameplay slips as she shoots civilians during the match. It's when Koharu insinuates that she'll make a move on Haruo if Akira doesn't, makeing it clear on what she feels.

The two go into constent battle with each other, due to them wanting to win his heart. Despite this, when it's not about Haruo, the two can get along with eachother, due to their love of video games. Ono also does she her

## Gaming

Haruo thinks that Koharu has a talent for video games due to her adaptability, and ability to learn new things quickly. While this is true, she was held back by only practicing alone and her compassion, but with the help of Nikotama and the Mizonokuchi Force, they were able to push her over her flaws and helped her become someone equal to Haruo gaming skill. She play's alot of games but her most noble ones being Phobos in the *Vampire* series and Akuma from Street Fighter.

### Gaming consoles owned by Koharu Hidaka

Multiple arcade machines

Nintendo Super Famicom

Sony PlayStation

## Etymology

Her family name Hidaka (日高) means "sun high" (as high as the sun). The name Koharu (小春) means "little spring" (spring season).