Year: 1st Year
Haruko is Takenori's younger sister and Sakuragi's love interest. She is sweet and has a captivating personality, often cheering on the players, especially her brother Takenori, who is very protective of her and taught her the basics of basketball. Haruko also supports Sakuragi, whom she considers her best friend. She frequently attends matches with Sakuragi's friends and her own best friends, Fujii and Matsui.
Like many girls at Shohoku High, Haruko initially only has eyes for Kaede, but he never returns her feelings. Later in the anime, she acknowledges that he won't love her the way she desires and tries to let go of her crush, though unsuccessfully.
Haruko discovered Sakuragi's athletic talent when she saw him attempting to dunk a ball at her request. Impressed by his jumping ability, she believed he was good enough to join the team. Hanamichi always listens to Haruko because of his deep affection for her. They have gone on several (what Sakuragi considers) non-official dates and occasionally train together.
Despite her emotional denseness and sweetness, Haruko is a good student. She helped Akagi tutor Sakuragi and the other three starters when they had to retake some tests. Haruko is not afraid to stand up for others when needed. She confronted Sakuragi when she mistakenly thought he had attacked Rukawa and defended him from Kaede's most fervent fangirls, one of whom even knocked her to the ground in the anime series.
(Source: Wikipedia)
