Hiro Kurusu

* Anime
* Manga

**Hiro Kurusu** (来 (**くる**) 栖 (**す**) 妃 (**ひ**) 呂 (**ろ**) , *Kurusu Hiro*) is a 3rd year student at Tokise High School and the Vice President of the Tokise High School Koto Club.

## Appearance

Hiro has wavy medium-length light-brown hair that is swept to the right side and brown eyes.

## Plot

Kurusu, along with the whole Tokise High School, watches the Koto Club's morning assembly performance. After the performance, Kurusu approaches Takezo Kurata, to whom she expresses her intent to join their club. She explains that their earlier performance moved her and so wants to join. Seeing no reason to reject her, Kurata accepts her application and finally introduces her to the club.

Kurusu quickly tries to get close to the members of the club. She tells Saneyasu Adachi, Michitaka Sakai and Kota Mizuhara that Satowa Hozuki has actually told her that Hozuki tires trying to constantly fit in to the level of the club members, this disturbs the trio.

The next day, during the club's practice, Kurusu asks Hozuki why someone like her who already has the talent and who clearly belongs in a different world. This throws Hozuki off, prompting her to remember her previous experiences.

Hozuki is absent in their class the following day. Adachi, Sakai and Mizuhara worry it is because of her needing to constantly fit in with amateurs like teasing Kurusu said. Kurusu arrives at the club room and tells them Hozuki told her she is exhausted from club activities. She adds that on Chika Kudo, Hozuki has told her she was sick of playing with someone who sees koto differently. Kudo, however, glares at her in answer and states that he will only believe on what Hozuki says herself. Kurusu leaves the club room after and goes home.

She learns something about Hozuki from her grandmother and plans to use this new-found information in showing the club members that "trust" and "friendship" don't mean a thing.

Kurusu meets Kurata at the locker area at school the next day and asks him, despite saying that the members of the club are all important friends, what would he do if he finds out one member has been lying. Kurata asks her what she means but she only answers she looks forward to their club activities later.

On their way to the clubroom, Kurusu walks in on the members of the club. Hozuki tells them that she really enjoys being in their club. Kurusu cuts in and asks her why don't she tell them the truth. She explains that she has learned the truth from her grandmother and finally asks her if the reason she joined the no-name Koto Club at Tokise is because she has nowhere else to play at. Kurusu compares that to Kurata, the club is precious, but to Hozuki, the club is just a temporary haven for her. She surmises that it is why she hasn't told everyone the truth. Kurata interrupts and tells Kurusu he doesn't get what she's saying. Kurusu gleefully states that Hozuki seems to be unwilling to come clean but Hozuki cuts her off and states she will tell them herself.

Hozuki finally tells the club that she has been disowned by the Hozuki group, shocking everyone. Kurusu rejoices and thinks that Hozuki can't blame them if they hate her as she kept it from them anyway, further proving to her that human relationships are superficial. But to Kurusu's chagrin, Kurata thanks Hozuki for telling them and the rest of the club clearly doesn't mind.

Kurusu rhetorically asks Hozuki if she isn't glad she has good friends before running off. Kurata goes after her. She finally admits to Kurata she joined to club only to have them fight and break up. Kurata however only notes that she must have been really bored before leaving. Kurusu smacks her bag to Kurata's back in response and runs away, but not before Kurata sees her crying.

Kurusu remembers what she went through during junior high school. A female transferee to her school messed with her friends and made her lose her boyfriend. Seeing how it was so quick for her supposed friends to distrust her with words from a newcomer, Kurusu wonders if human relationships were easily breakable. Since then, she has tried to get close to groups of friends only to break them up after a few lies she has said. She was certain the same would work with the club, only to be proven wrong.

The next day, Kurata and Kurusu meet at the locker area again. Kurata asks her why she was crying. Kurusu asks if he would comfort her if she tells him her reason. But Kurata responds that he does not intend to. He adds, however, that if there was a reason, he is willing to hear her out if she chooses to tell him. Kurusu, thrown off by the response, tells him there isn't a reason and walks away.

Hozuki calls out for her and tells her that contrary to what Kurusu claimed about Hozuki only joining the club because she has nowhere else to go, she joined the club because she really wanted to. Hozuki tells Kurusu that she thinks they are alike Hozuki reveals that after witnessing the club performance in a competition before, where she saw that despite lacking, the members looked to be having fun playing and envied them for it.

Hozuki tells Kurusu that they have practice again that day and since she has already skipped twice, Kurusu doesn't have a good impression in the club.

Kurusu hesitates to open the door to the clubroom while thinking of Kurata's promise to listen properly to her. Kudo cuts her off and tells her to not just stand in the way and get inside the clubroom. Seeing Kurusu still unsure whether to go in, Kudo tells her to come in. Kurusu hesitates but Kudo tells her it's not up to him to bar her from the club. Finally able to muster up courage to enter, Kurusu is enthusiastically welcomed by the club first year boys.

## Relationships

### Takezo Kurata

Kurata and Kurusu have bonded deeply that their chemistry can be sensed. In the second season of the anime, it becomes clear that Kurusu had developed feelings for Kurata, and vice versa.

### Kota Mizuhara

Kurusa and Kota often have the same parts on the koto. She helps Kota to learn the rhythms and play better. It is shown that Kurusu cares about Kota as when he ran out in the middle of the night during a training camp, she cried thinking that it was her fault he ran away.

## Etymology

* The name **Hiro** means "queen, princess" (妃) (**hi**) and "spine, backbone" (呂) (**ro**).
* Hiro's surname **Kurusu** means "come/coming, due, next, cause, become" (来) (**kuru**) and "nest, rookery, hive, cobweb, den" (栖) (**su**).

## Trivia

* According to Kurusu's profile page :
	+ She likes squid paste macaron while she dislikes ready-made food.
	+ During school holidays, she goes shopping.
	+ She learned in her middle school days that it is easy to make enemies by saying ridiculous things. It was then that she learned how to make a superficial appearance.