HaruYana

HaruYana
GENERAL
Zenless Zone Zero
Character	Asaba Harumasa
Character	Tsukisiro Yanagi
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Friends/Colleagues/Comrades-in-arms/Yanagi – Harumasa's superior
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Het
Also Known As	Haruyana, 悠柳
Tropes	A Fighting Couple I Can't Say It Out Loud Office Romance Opposites Attract Secret Relationships True Companions

HaruYana is the het ship between Asaba Harumasa and Tsukisiro Yanagi from the Zenless Zone Zero fandom.

Canon

Yanagi and Harumasa work together in Section 6. Yanagi is the deputy chief, an analyst of Section 6, and Harumasa's superior. However, he almost never calls her "Deputy chief" in a serious tone, usually implying a joking tone.

Yanagi may seem cold, merciless, and overly strict. On the battlefield, she is exactly like that, but with friends, she reveals herself as a kind, modest, and caring girl, always ready to help those in need.

Harumasa is the strongest fighter, but a poor office worker. Although he is lazy, he is still a good person: principled, strong-willed, compassionate, and with a decent sense of humor.

Yanagi and Harumasa fight together into the hollows, respond to emergencies, and efficiently eliminate highly dangerous targets. In between missions, they jointly deal with piles of paperwork and ruthless bureaucracy.

Yanagi and Harumasa have categorically different attitudes towards work. Yanagi is a very responsible employee with a long list of tasks and duties, striving to do as much and as well as possible. One could say that Section 6's efficiency is largely thanks to her. Harumasa, on the other hand, is known for his laziness and love of shirking work: using his illness as an excuse, he often takes sick leave or time off. But Harumasa is not a bad employee; he prefers to fulfill all his duties with maximum efficiency and sees no point in working overtime.

It is Yanagi who signs Harumasa's sick leaves and time-off requests. She doesn't mind approving his leave at all, as long as Asaba doesn't try to overstep the bounds and take more sick leave than he is entitled to.

Harumasa is not at all embarrassed by his junior rank and communicates with Yanagi freely, often joking in her presence. Yanagi, in turn, often allows herself liberties and responds to Harumasa's jokes with her own. Harumasa and Yanagi care for each other. For instance, Harumasa tries not to overload Yanagi with work and helps her during crunch times, while Yanagi covers for him with the higher-ups regarding his frequent absences.

Rise of the Void Haunter

Harumasa and Yanagi first met during a meeting to address the situation with the expanding Argos hollow. At the time of the incident, Yanagi was a member of the Armed Forces, while Harumasa was in the Hollow Special Operations Service. Both Harumasa and Yanagi jointly expressed their disagreement with the TOPs' plans to destroy the hollow by detonating the seventh Shiyu pillar, which would have resulted in massive civilian and officer casualties.

Shortly after the Argos hollow was brought under control, Section 6 was formed through the efforts of Miyabi Hoshimi. At her request, both Yanagi and Harumasa were transferred to this new unit. Upon meeting again, they recognized each other, although neither of them understood why they had been assembled there. And so, Yanagi and Harumasa became colleagues.

Virtual Revenge

Section 6 arrives at the HIA Club. Fans of Miyabi, Soukaku, and Harumasa immediately surround them. When a particularly pesky fan rushes at Harumasa, he asks Yanagi for help.

At the HSO headquarters, Yanagi speaks with a colleague from Section 9. In response to his disparaging remark about the unreliability of all Section 6 members except Yanagi, she asks him to stop and assures him that any of her colleagues can be relied upon.

When Harumasa tries to take sick leave, Yanagi refuses, stating that she already saw a photo of that exact same box of medicine last week. Harumasa is surprised at how easily Yanagi saw through his simulation, after which she reminds him of his mandatory night shift.

Harumasa is surrounded by pesky fans again. He calls for Yanagi's help, but she agrees only on one condition: this weekend, Harumasa will come to work and submit all his reports. In response, Harumasa tries to fake chest pain to get out of working on the weekend. As Yanagi is about to leave Harumasa to the mercy of the fans, he quickly agrees to the deputy chief's terms.

After briefing her colleagues, Yanagi asks if they have any questions. She prematurely answered Harumasa's question, assuming he wanted time off, but she was wrong. Harumasa feigns offense, then asks her what is written on a specific page of the manual for testing the new VR system. After getting an extremely precise answer, Harumasa is greatly surprised by Yanagi's incredible memory and says that if she keeps cramming so much, she'll lose her hair.

After completing the virtual test, Harumasa concludes that slacking off and skipping work didn't work out: it ended too quickly. Moreover, he realizes with feigned horror that even though his body is resting, his brain is still working, meaning it's "cyber overtime." Harumasa asks Yanagi what this sad situation could be called, to which she replies: "karma."

After all the club employees disappear, Section 6 inspects the HIA club and finds empty but still operational VR booths. Soukaku is afraid that there might be scary creatures in them, like demons. To which Harumasa replies that there is one demon here, and it's Soukaku. Yanagi scolds him, calling him by his last name. Harumasa apologizes and says he couldn't resist.

When Section 6 inspects the Lumina Square, Harumasa notices the tactile paving for the blind. He points it out to Yanagi, saying, "Tsukishiro, look here. Something's wrong. One of two things: either it's this tactile paving, or there's something wrong with my head." Yanagi doesn't immediately understand what he means, so Harumasa says that this tactile paving is laid right across the roadway. Yanagi jokes that she took his words about a problem with his head seriously and didn't object because his constant absences are indeed serious mental health issues. They begin to bicker. Harumasa asks her not to remind him about work, at least for now, to which Yanagi remarks that she is the one who submits his time-off requests, writes explanatory notes, and secures his vacation. Harumasa is surprised to learn that Yanagi does all this alone. He sincerely thanks her and apologizes for causing her so much trouble. Yanagi replies that she is glad he realizes it and then immediately says she doesn't do any of it and Harumasa must do everything himself.

After interviewing all her colleagues, Yanagi concludes that the empty Lumina Square reminds her of the space inside a hollow. Harumasa feigns fright and asks the depity chief not to read his mind. Soukaku asks if Harumasa is really that afraid of empty squares? Harumasa replies: "No, I'm afraid that your 'mommy' unfailingly figures out the reasons for my absences every single time." Soukaku objects, saying she doesn't have a "mommy," only a "big sister." Yanagi ignores everything that was said.

The team begins to share observations. Soukaku notes that she hasn't felt like eating all day and gets scared, thinking she's sick. Harumasa, with a serious look, puts forward his theory. After a pause, he dramatically declares: "A deadly epidemic has struck New Eridu." Hearing this, Yanagi sighs heavily. As Harumasa begins to elaborate on his joking theory, Yanagi suddenly slaps him. Harumasa is very surprised but immediately jokes that even the chief didn't go that far, and current events aren't a reason for Miyabi to hit him now. Not taking it to heart, Harumasa continues to joke that even though he spoiled the plot of yesterday's movie for Yanagi, it's no reason to hit him in the face. Yanagi apologizes and asks if it hurt. Harumasa, bewildered by her mockery, almost calls Yanagi a "mean homeroom teacher," but quickly realizes that it didn't hurt. It quickly becomes clear that this was just a way to test Yanagi's theory about their situation. The theory is that they actually failed to disconnect from the VR system and are still in a simulation.

Soukaku asks: are they in danger? Yanagi replies that everything is fine, as she memorized the manual and can activate safe mode. Harumasa apologizes to her for his jokes and promises to buy Yanagi the best hair product. Yanagi playfully replies that she expects shampoo of a specific brand.

After an attack by an unknown enemy, Yanagi concludes that he does not have full control over the system; otherwise, he could have killed Section 6 much more efficiently, and begins to list possible methods. Harumasa jokes that the possible reason for the enemy's behavior is that he lacks the same cunning that Yanagi possesses.

Yanagi finishes outlining her theory. Harumasa says that she is the most cautious person he knows, and he doesn't remember Yanagi making decisions based on guesses. Yanagi replies: "I also think I am the most cautious person you (Harumasa) know. And everything you just heard are just the guesses of the most cautious person. But I'm not suggesting we act recklessly. On the contrary, I believe we need to take the initiative precisely to survive this situation." Harumasa remains silent. Miyabi notes that she hasn't heard Yanagi talk so seriously with Harumasa in a long time. It reminds her of their first days in Section 6. Yanagi asks bleakly: do her colleagues trust her? Harumasa replies with a smile that she laid out the plan perfectly, and he has no other ideas anyway. Miyabi says she trusts Yanagi's conclusions and, as the commander, will take full responsibility for the consequences. Having received their answers, Yanagi smiles and thanks everyone for their trust.

Yanagi cleverly finds the enemy in the crowd and destroys the first of the three monsters. After returning from the virtual reality level, her colleagues praise her, and Harumasa says, "That's our deputy chief for you." Yanagi smiles in response.

Miyabi sums up, drawing a conclusion about how they can identify the enemy's vulnerability. Soukaku actively agrees and orders Harumasa to listen to what Yanagi says and stop arguing with her. Harumasa objects, saying he was just voicing a disagreement. Sokaku stands her ground and continues to say that arguing is not good. Harumasa replies: "Alright, alright. Next time, I'll just silently do what our deputy chief says. Will that satisfy you, Soukaku?" Soukaku agrees, and Yanagi thanks Harumasa for his trust.

The team prepares to launch the next level by saying a special phrase. Soukaku and Miyabi try to recall the phrase but confuse it. Harumasa corrects them, stating the correct phrase. Yanagi praises him for his attentiveness and entrusts him with saying the control phrase. Harumasa concludes that everyone "forgot" the words only because they are too awkward to say. Despite this, he agrees to say them.

The enemy makes a new move, turning Harumasa into a bangboo. The team discusses their next steps. Miyabi asks Yanagi: is she confident in her decisions? Yanagi asks in return: can she confess something to her colleagues? Without waiting for an answer, Yanagi says: "I am never confident in my decisions." Harumasa replies that, given his current state (dangerously close to brain death), Yanagi's words are not very encouraging. However, he immediately notes that Yanagi hasn't finished speaking, and he is right. Yanagi says that the enemy's words frighten her. She also speaks of her fear that a single mistake of hers could doom Section 6. However, she knows that her previous conclusions are still valid and therefore asks her colleagues to trust her once more.

Harumasa and Yanagi undertake the next mission together, even though the former cannot fight. During the battle, they actively communicate and encourage each other.

Yanagi manages to outsmart the enemy again and win. Harumasa suggests she say something cool to emphasize the epic of the moment, for example: "I'm just an office clerk." Yanagi smiles and replies that, strictly speaking, she is an office clerk, and he, Harumasa, is doing an excellent job as a bangboo.

The enemy contacts them again. In response to his words that Soukaku, Miyabi, and Harumasa won't last long, Yanagi says that she believes in them and he knows nothing about their strength.

After the enemy throws Yanagi out of the virtual reality, she tries to log back in several times. Worried deeply about her colleagues' safety, she calls them by their first names, including Harumasa. However, she immediately corrects herself and calls him Asaba.

Yanagi eventually manages to return to the virtual reality; she remains the only one who hasn't turned into a bangboo. When she enters the fight, Harumasa admires her and jokingly asks if she's planning on turning into a bangboo too.

Yanagi ultimately defeats the enemy and returns to the real world. When Yanagi wakes up, a crying Soukaku rushes at her: the doctors said that Yanagi's mind had exceeded her body's physical limits and she could have died, but everything turned out okay. Harumasa says he knew the deputy chief would be fine. He asks: how does she feel? Then he assumes "pretty bad," and immediately jokes that Yanagi can finally understand how he feels when he asks for sick leave. Yanagi smiles and says that she is also glad that Harumasa is safe and sound, after which she jokingly laments that he was much cuter in his bangboo form. Harumasa continues joking and says with feigned offense that first Yanagi hurt him physically, and now she's hurting him morally.

Two days after the incident, the team discusses the fan badges that contained the virus and who could have planted them. In response to Yanagi's words that it was done by someone with the strongest motive, Harumasa jokes that it could have been Section 5. Smiling, Yanagi says that now is not the time for jokes. Together, they conclude that it was the hacker group "Null Face." That same evening, the entire group was arrested, and Section 6 held a press conference in full force.

A Storm of Falling Stars

During the investigation of the Vision Corporation case, Nicole reaches out to Section 6 to assist in the search for Bringer.

Piper drives Section 6 to the Blazewood. Soukaku feels slightly carsick, and Yanagi helps her get her bearings before asking Harumasa how he's feeling. Harumasa is horrified by Piper's reckless driving style and has probably thrown up.

The negotiations are not going smoothly, and Yanagi is in no hurry to help the Proxy and the others. In retaliation, Nicole calls Yanagi a "star student." Miyabi, fully trusting Yanagi's judgment, agrees with her and refuses further assistance. Yanagi snorts triumphantly and adjusts her glasses. Nekomata, clearly angry, makes a snide remark, claiming Yanagi probably had no friends in school. Harumasa laughs and says he also thinks Yanagi was a star student in school.

After locating Section 6 and Perlman, Yanagi allowed Miyabi to be taken into custody by Bringer to preserve the remaining members of Section 6 and Perlman. During their deliberations, the team realizes that Bringer's target was not Perlman, but Miyabi herself. Yanagi realizes that Miyabi was taken by her own will and loses her composure. She asks the Proxy to get them out of the hollow to find Miyabi, but Harumasa objects: "...finding the chief isn't our priority right now." Yanagi doesn't understand his reasoning and asks, frustrated, if he isn't worried about Miyabi. Harumasa insistently asks Yanagi to calm down and pull herself together, presenting logical reasons why they should focus on capturing Bringer, not searching for the chief. Yanagi tries to argue, but Harumasa is adamant: "No 'buts.' You know I'm right, deputy chief." Yanagi gets angry but agrees with Harumasa and regains her composure.

After Bringer transformed into an etherial, he began absorbing the ether resources stored into the hollow, hovering high in the air. Section 6 pursues him, but Harumasa's illness begins to flare up. Yanagi, worried about him, asks if he's okay. Harumasa finds the strength to pull himself together, takes a deep breath, and makes the decisive shot, blowing up the ether surrounding Bringer.

A Name Written in Water

A typical day begins at the Section 6 office. Harumasa greets Miyabi and Yanagi and immediately asks them to sign his sick leave request. Miyabi agrees, but Yanagi stops her. According to Yanagi, Harumasa has already exhausted all his sick days for the year, meaning they can no longer approve his requests. Harumasa tries to guilt-trip them, mentioning his poor health and how his parents abandoned him because of it. Yanagi relents and says she'll figure something out about his sick leave. She adds that he'd better not try, like last time, to send her a photo at midnight on the third day with a fake temperature on a thermometer and a request to extend his leave. Harumasa corrects her: the temperature on the thermometer wasn't fake, it was real. He just took it from his cat. Yanagi ignores this and gets down to business: a batch of ether Resistance Stimulants has been discovered into the hollow near the Elpis port. Harumasa shows interest in the case, which surprises Yanagi: "...that's something new." Harumasa immediately jokes it off: "Come on, you know I never have any interest in work." Ending the dialogue, Harumasa says he doesn't want to disturb them while they process his sick leave and, feigning chest pain and a cough, jokes that his death is getting closer. Yanagi is indignant that he isn't even trying to pretend to be sick to get the leave.

Before an important, and possibly suicidal, mission into a hollow, Harumasa comes to the office to say goodbye to his colleagues, masking it with jokes, of course. He addresses Yanagi by her first name, says he knows how much she does for him, and thanks her for all the times he asked for time off for dubious reasons and she covered for him with the higher-ups. He says that if it weren't for her, he would have been "invited for a chat" about his frequent absences long ago. He doesn't like to think about it, but even though they joined HAND around the same time, Yanagi has advanced much further in her career than he has. Yanagi realizes something is wrong and asks if everything is alright. Harumasa brushes it off with a joke but says he needs time off to deal with some urgent matters or, as Miyabi puts it, to undergo the practice of "confronting his past selves." Yanagi agrees to arrange his leave and says that if he needs help, he can always turn to them.

Harumasa nearly died into the hollow, but Section 6, summoned by the Proxy, comes to his aid. After his recovery, they celebrate his return to duty together. Yanagi is glad that for once he isn't late, and Harumasa thanks them all for coming to his rescue. He says that if it weren't for their help, his ashes would have been scattered over the sea long ago. Yanagi remarks that he sounds a little disappointed.

A few days after the celebration, Section 6 and the others gather for fishing at the Elpis port. Harumasa says he's feeling fine and doesn't plan to leave the work. He asks everyone to stop looking at him as if he's on his deathbed and to treat him as they did before. Yanagi is understanding and says that if the higher-ups have any questions about Harumasa, she will find a way to handle it. Harumasa thanks her and says she is the most reliable of them all.

Into that Pale Wasteland

Harumasa was assigned to deal with a large gathering of etherials. After completing the mission, Harumasa says that despite the success, he still has a pile of paperwork that Yanagi loaded him with; she told him: "Take care of your health, you'd better work on paperwork instead."

During the investigation of the Melinoe hollow, Section 6 is accompanied by recruits. Since Yanagi has a lot of work, Harumasa volunteered to help with their training himself. However, the newcomers are too enthusiastic, and fearing that Harumasa might feel worse, they don't let him work properly. Harumasa decides this won't do: he needs to finish his own work as soon as possible to help Yanagi. He finds a solution by entrusting the training of his charges to the Proxy.

After the training is over, Harumasa recalls his first days in the HSO and Section 6. For instance, he remembers how he once started coughing up blood on purpose to get time off: the whole squad was horrified by his performance. Harumasa reflects that if he hadn't realized in time that things were taking a bad turn and hastily "recovered," Yanagi would probably have managed to book him both a hospital bed and a full set of funeral services. Harumasa says he knows that each of his colleagues looks out for his health in their own way, even if they don't admit it, so if they need his help in a critical situation, he should support them, not be a burden.

Despite defeating the etherial leader in the previous mission, the threat hasn't disappeared. For an unknown reason, etherials continue to appear in the area. Harumasa laments that he was in a hurry to report the success to Yanagi: now he'll have to endure her cold, disappointed look.

Yanagi is so exhausted from work that she can barely stand. Suddenly, Section 6's bangboo, Agent Gulliver, disappears. When the Proxy rescues him, they asks Yanagi to get some proper rest. She says that everyone in Section 6 is terribly tired, but she will try to contact them and arrange a joint break.

Deputy Chief's Notes

During the "Into that pale wasteland" event, players could collect Radiant Crystals, which unlocked notes made by Yanagi during the operation.

In the note "Ether architecture," Yanagi states that "although Section 6 employees are excellent fighters and analysts, they are not on good terms with technology...". This probably applies to Harumasa as well. In the note "Iradiant Carrot," she again mentions that "Section 6 has never been known for its technical prowess."

In the note "Rookie mentor," Yanagi reflects on what kind of instructor the newcomers need. Miyabi is too busy, and her special status would likely hinder productive communication. Soukaku performs excellently in the field but isn't great with administrative work. About Harumasa, she writes the following: "Asaba is the best fit for this role (aside from me, of course). However, his overly relaxed approach has earned him a certain reputation among the recruits... I just hope it doesn't undermine their trust in him. On the other hand, newcomers probably prefer a mentor who is easy to negotiate with."

In the note "Certificate of Completion," Yanagi writes that the training assignments from Asaba went smoothly, although the reviews range from "He helped us with everything" to "We never saw him once." Yanagi's comment: "So here I am thinking: Did Asaba dump all his work on the Proxy again?"

In the note "Reward," Yanagi mentions that she always treats Section 6 to bean buns (her favorite food). Then she wonders: what if they don't really like them and are just trying not to hurt her feelings?.. Next time, she decides to get them something else, like bean croissants or bean cookies.

99+ To-Dos

As shown in the character demo, Yanagi partially takes care of Harumasa's health by scheduling doctor's appointments for him.

At the beginning, Yanagi playfully kicks the chair Harumasa was sleeping on, causing him to land on a pile of papers and mumble something in his sleep, while she smiles faintly.

The same demo also shows how Harumasa, despite his usual reluctance to work, finishes a work report to avoid burdening Yanagi with extra tasks. When Soukaku wanted to eat a bean bun, Harumasa objected, saying it was intended for Yanagi, although Yanagi did end up sharing the bun with Soukaku afterwards.

Trust Events

Coffe-break

In one of the Proxy's trust events, the Proxy and Yanagi drink coffee on Sixth Street. Yanagi offers to tell the Proxy about her colleagues' coffee preferences. If you choose Harumasa, she will tell the following story: Harumasa doesn't drink much coffee; instead, he slurps a dark, dubious liquid from his coffee mug. One day, curiosity got the better of Sokaku, and she took a sip. Sokaku said that whatever it was, it was even more bitter than coffee. However, she couldn't describe the exact taste. Yanagi scolded Soukaku and sent her to apologize to Harumasa. He just sighed and said he has an incurable illness, and to live until thirty, he needs to drink a full glass of his medicine. And now that Soukaku drank some of it, she had shortened his life by three years. Hearing this, Soukaku burst into tears. Harumasa spent half an hour trying to calm her down and swearing to her that he would definitely live to be a hundred before she finally quieted down. Every time something like this happens, Yanagi always thinks that Harumasa is "truly a good person": "Even though he's lazy and likes to tease people, he's a very good person."

Her Voice

In a special trust event, Yanagi comes to the Proxy with a problem: she needs to learn how to sing. The reason is that the higher-ups have scheduled team-building karaoke sessions for them and Section 5. Miyabi doesn't know any modern songs, Soukaku only knows oni songs, and Yanagi herself isn't a very good singer. So, they always sent Harumasa, but after such evenings, he would complain about a sore throat and chest pain, and then take sick leave. As the deputy chief, Yanagi couldn't allow this to continue, so she decided to learn to sing herself.

Quotes

“Tsukisiro, take over-”

– Harumasa change to Yanagi.

“I’m not late today, right?!”

– Harumasa change to Yanagi.

“Asaba, pleas rest.”

– Yanagi change to Harumasa.

“Asaba, pleas don’t give me more work.”

– Yanagi change to Harumasa.

“Tsukisiro, this is with unpaid overtime!”

– Yanagi defeat.

“Overtime is not an option.”

– Harumasa defeat.

Analisis of communication in emergency situations

Trapped in Virtual Reality

These are the events of the special episode "Virtual Revenge." Section 6 is trapped in a virtual reality where they are threatened with brain death. The enemy decides to get rid of the troublesome Yanagi and throws her out of the VR world; now she cannot return or help her colleagues in any way, which causes her great distress.

Yanagi is powerless but does not despair. She is nervous, but does she lose her composure, or not?

Yanagi and Harumasa are the only ones in Section 6 who address each other by their last names (though Harumasa more often uses "deputy chieaf"). This detail is likely meant to reflect Japanese communication culture, where people who are not close, such as colleagues, address each other by their last names. What did the authors want to say with this? Perhaps they wanted to emphasize formal, neutral relations and professional distance. The only problem is that Yanagi and Harumasa's usual relationship doesn't resemble professional/work relations at all and is even less like that of a subordinate and a superior (Yanagi is his boss). Harumasa is always joking in Yanagi's presence (about her, too), clowning around, and lying unabashedly about the reasons for his time off. Yanagi jokes back and banters with him. At the same time, they both try to do what's best for each other: Harumasa helps Yanagi when she's swamped with work, and she is willing to cover for him with the higher-ups over his idiotic reasons for taking time off. In short, there is a certain closeness between them, so why do they intentionally distance themselves? There is only one answer to this question – they are not ready to admit their feelings of attachment to themselves or to each other.

Let's return to the agitated Yanagi. She makes a mistake – she calls Harumasa by his first name and immediately corrects herself. What does this all mean?

This is a very subtle moment that reveals the depth of the feelings Yanagi is hiding. Such a spontaneous slip and subsequent self-correction is a very powerful psychological and scriptwriting gesture. Let's break it down.

What this spontaneous slip into using his first name means:

1. The truth breaking through habit. In a moment of extreme danger and panic, when reason is switched off and only basic instincts are acting, what a person truly feels comes to the surface. The rational rule (to use last names) breaks under the pressure of emotions. For Yanagi, in that second, Harumasa ceased to be just a colleague. He became "Harumasa" – a person dear to her, whose life and well-being are under threat.
2. Confirmation of a deep connection. The fact that an internal, unspoken model of addressing him by his first name had already formed in her psyche indicates that in her thoughts, in private, Yanagi has long perceived him as "Harumasa." This incident merely exposed this internal reality.
3. A measure of fear and involvement. Yanagi is not just concerned about a colleague. She is terrified. This slip shows how emotionally invested she is in the situation and in Harumasa himself. Her panic is not professional; it is deeply personal.

What the self-correction means:

1. Instant return to role and self-protection. As soon as the first wave of panic passes and consciousness kicks in, Yanagi realizes her mistake. She immediately tries to restore the professional and social boundaries she has violated. What causes this? Shame or embarrassment. She has revealed her true feelings, which in Japanese culture is often considered a weakness or inappropriateness.
2. An admission of vulnerability and an attempt to return things to how they were. With this correction, she is essentially saying: "I overstepped, we need to pretend it didn't happen, we are just colleagues." This is a gesture full of uncertainty and doubt about whether she has the right to such closeness.

This short episode paints a portrait of complex, deep feelings that are not fully acknowledged even by the person herself.

Respect and distance (last name) – this is what's on the surface, her conscious choice and adherence to norms.

Closeness, care, and possibly something more (first name) – this is what lies deep down, her genuine, unspoken truth.

This indicates that Yanagi's attitude towards Harumasa is much deeper, warmer, and more human than the framework of their work relationship allows them to show.

The Final Farewell

This is an event from Harumasa's story, "A Name Written in Water." Harumasa has agreed to go into a hollow with the enemy and understands he may not return. He decides to say goodbye to his colleagues and comes to the Section 6 office. The first person he decides to say goodbye to is Yanagi and, quite consciously, he calls her by her first name. He thanks her for everything she has done for him and recalls their first days in Section 6. Yanagi immediately understands that something is wrong: she looks at him in surprise and asks if something has happened. At the same time, after a long pause, she calls him Asaba, that is, by his last name. I consider this a small, but very, very powerful and multi-layered scene. What does it mean?

The conscious switch to her first name.

This is not a spontaneous slip, as in Yanagi's case. This is a thoughtful, conscious gesture of farewell. Harumasa, understanding that he is most likely seeing Yanagi for the last time, can no longer and does not want to hide the true depth of his feelings behind the mask of simple work relations. For him, this is a moment of ultimate sincerity.

With this address, he is saying: "Forget for a minute that we are colleagues. I am addressing you not as Asaba to Tsukishiro, but as one person to another who means a great deal to me. This is my last request and my final gratitude – to truly be heard by you."

Yanagi's Surprise and Tactic.

Yanagi does not reciprocate the switch to first names. Instead, she instantly retreats to the most official and protected position – the last name. Why does she do this?

This is not a manifestation of coldness or detachment; it is panic and an intuitive recognition of threat.

• Violation of the agreement. Harumasa has violated their unspoken work agreement. For Yanagi, who is accustomed to reading the slightest nuances in her colleague's behavior, this is an alarm signal, comparable to a siren: something has happened. Something very serious.
• Protection from the truth. Yanagi subconsciously guesses what lies behind this farewell. And she is afraid of this truth. The return to using his last name is her attempt to return everything to normal, to cancel this frightening sincerity. She is essentially saying: "No, let's not. Go back to being my colleague Asaba, with whom everything is fine. Don't tell me what I'm afraid to hear."
• A test. Her question "Has something happened?" is not a mere formality. It is a direct, frightened question, masked by officiality. She uses formality as a tool to try to elicit the truth without giving in to emotions.

Harumasa immediately brushes it off with a joke.

He makes a joke because his plan has failed. He wanted to leave quietly, leaving a warm farewell, but Yanagi, with her perceptiveness, did not allow him to do so.

The joke is the last bastion behind which he hides his pain and the truth. It is a way to:

• Calm Yanagi down.
• Preserve his plan. He still cannot reveal the truth because he knows Yanagi will try to stop him or share his fate.
• Escape from his own emotions. Continuing this conversation frankly is unbearable for Harumasa – he might break down and reveal his intention, or his own resolve might waver.

But Yanagi has a response.

She did not press Harumasa about something personal and clearly painful. She adds that she expects his return and is always ready to help. Her response is not just polite well-wishes; it is the last line of defense she builds, intuitively sensing the approaching disaster. Let's decipher Yanagi's response.

The wish for good luck and the parting words.

On the surface, it's a parting remark, but between the lines, it is an order, a spell, and a plea all in one. Yanagi, using her role as deputy chief, tries to impose on Harumasa a course of action that includes "returning." She is trying to bring the situation back into a framework where there is a future. Behind this lies her greatest fear: Harumasa is leaving forever, she knows it, and she desperately wants him to prove otherwise.

The offer of help.

Literally, this is an offer of support. Underneath, it is a lifeline and a final test. Yanagi gives Harumasa explicit, direct permission to ask for her help. She is essentially saying: "You don't have to handle this alone. I am here. I am your backup. Use me." In the context of Japanese culture, which values self-reliance and not wanting to burden others, this is a very strong and personal offer.

She looks Harumasa in the eyes while offering this way out. She hopes Harumasa will falter, confess, grab this straw. It is a trap set with the best intentions to force Harumasa to tell the truth.

And he, too, has something to say.

He thanks her for understanding his subtle game and... Promises to return.

With this line, the scene reaches its emotional peak and concludes with a tragic, yet incredibly serene clarity.

This response is not a lie or a promise. It is – a gift that Harumasa gives to Yanagi. And Yanagi, like no one else, understands its true value.

"Thank you…"

This is not gratitude for the well-wishes. This is gratitude for everything. For the understanding Yanagi showed by not asking unnecessary questions. For her attempt to hold him back, which was a cry from the soul. For the offer of help, which proved their connection. For all those moments that we, the players, don't know about, but which were and remain very valuable to both of them.

The ellipsis here is everything left unspoken. In it lies their entire shared history, the full depth of his gratitude, and the full weight of the farewell he cannot utter aloud.

"… I'll come back as soon as I can."

This is the most important and multi-layered part. It is not a promise to return alive. It is a promise to do everything possible to return.

He gives his word to the person whose opinion matters most to him. Even in the face of death, he cannot simply leave without giving Yanagi hope. This hope is his final gift.

Harumasa asks Yanagi to take him at his word. He does not say "I will definitely return," which would be a lie. He says "as soon as I can," acknowledging that the outcome is not in his power, but assuring that his will and desire to return are unshakable.

What happens between them now.

With her parting words, Yanagi gave Harumasa the moral right to leave, but left him with an "anchor" – a reason to fight for his return until the very end.

Harumasa, by accepting this anchor, gave Yanagi not an empty promise, but an object for faith. Now she doesn't just have a grim premonition, but specific words to hold onto.

Their connection at this moment transitions from the plane of human relations into something more. They have made a silent pact: Yanagi will wait, and Harumasa will do everything possible to ensure her wait is not in vain.

Harumasa speaks the language of farewell and final gratitude. His switch to her first name is the removal of all masks. He bares his soul because he has nothing left to lose.

Yanagi speaks the language of denial and rescue. She refuses to accept Harumasa's rules of the game.

His message: "Goodbye. Thank you for everything. You were more to me than a colleague."

Her response: "I do not accept your goodbye. You are obligated to return. And if the trouble you are silent about catches up with you – my shoulder is here, push off from it. Don't go under alone."

Harumasa's final joke is no longer just an excuse. It is a bitter admission of his defeat. Her loyalty pains him because he cannot use it. He jokes to avoid breaking down and abandoning his mission, which he deems necessary.

In conclusion:

Yanagi for Harumasa is not just a colleague. She is the person whose opinion and feelings matter most to him. His last thought before facing death is to thank Yanagi and all of Section 6, his de facto family.

Harumasa for Yanagi is the person whose state she can read from a half-glance. She knows him so well that any deviation from the norm (even something like using her first name) is instantly recognized as a cry for help. Her reaction is that of a person who is desperately afraid of losing the other.

The tragedy of the unspoken. They both know the truth but cannot utter it. Harumasa – because he must fulfill his duty. Yanagi – because she is afraid to confirm her worst suspicions.

The finale of this scene is the farewell of two people who love each other (be it a platonic, deep friendship or something more) but are bound hand and foot by duty, circumstances, and the fear of causing each other even more pain.

Harumasa leaves, leaving Yanagi with a heavy premonition and an unfinished conversation that may never be completed. Yanagi is left with the chill of realizing that she has just witnessed a silent cry for help to which she could not respond.

Fanon

Yanagi and Harumasa belong to the same faction and work together, which means they interact frequently and at length, positively impacting their synergy. They also celebrate birthdays and holidays together, such as Christmas.

Fanworks featuring HaruYana often depict them working in the office, especially during night shifts or overtime. Fans enjoy their dynamic of the model employee and the slacking loafer. This contrast often serves as a source of humor. Depth is added to their work relationship by the fact that, despite their radically different approaches, they value and care for each other (Harumasa tries not to burden Yanagi with extra work and helps her during crunch times, while Yanagi sometimes approves his time-off requests even for silly reasons and then covers for him with the higher-ups regarding those very absences).

While not confirmed, fans enjoy the idea that HAND might possibly forbid relationships between employees, which adds a touch of forbidden spice to Harumasa and Yanagi's relationship. The same can be said for plots where they hide their relationship from Miyabi and Soukaku.

Fans also depict their leisure time outside of work, such as watching bad movies, going out for ramen or coffee, drinking together, or going on dates during their rare days off.

The two of them are often portrayed together with Soukaku as a family, considering Yanagi's guardian status and the good relationship between Sokaku and Harumasa, which can be described as that of an older brother and a younger sister.

There are also works describing their missions in the Caverns, where Yanagi and Harumasa work as partners.

The pairing is not without its dramatic elements: Harumasa's illness will sooner or later kill him or turn him into an etherial, and perhaps Yanagi will be the one who has to kill him. Her potential reaction to the death of a loved one and her sense of duty towards him are of great interest to fans.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Harumasa/Yanagi tag on AO3

Trivia

• Yanagi and Harumasa can be played together as they activate each other's second passive skills. Yanagi applies the Anomaly effect, creating the Electric Pylons necessary for Harumasa's slashing attacks. Harumasa also deals increased damage to enemies affected by an Anomaly, including the Electric one applied by Yanagi.
• In her trust event, Yanagi mentioned that after a hard day at work, she likes to relax and unwind by watching B-movies. According to another one of Harumasa's trust events, he is a fan of bad comedies because he appreciates the effort to amuse and please, no matter the form. It seems these two could watch bad movies together after work.
• Harumasa's height is 173 cm, while Yanagi's is 169 cm. Although Harumasa is 4 cm taller than Yanagi, her in-game model appears slightly taller, likely due to her heels.
• The 2025 birthday illustration for Harumasa depicts a surprised Harumasa and a smiling Yanagi placing a birthday crown on his head. She congratulates him on his birthday and says she can arrange a few days off for him to celebrate. Harumasa replies that one should be kinder to the birthday boy, happily accepts the days off, and thanks his colleagues for the congratulations.
• The 2025 birthday illustration for Yanagi shows a surprised Yanagi who has discovered a gift with a note, and the full members of Section 6 peeking at her (implying they prepared the gift for Yanagi together). Yanagi is surprised by her colleagues' absence, lists their reasons for not being there, and realizes she doesn't know Harumasa's reason. However, she admits that this is very typical of him.
• In Yanagi's notes, published as additional materials, she wonders who to send to today's briefing. Neither Miyabi, Soukaku, nor she herself can go, so to the question "Who should we send to the briefing then?" she finds the following answer: "Harumasa. He's already used up all his sick leave for this month, so he has no way out."
  • The same notes discuss the Section 6 fan club. A journalist asks Harumasa what he thinks about the fact that only the Vice-Commander of Section 6 has no fans? First, Harumasa gives an official answer: "A civil servant having a fan club is a very ambiguous fact," then an unofficial one: "I'd say she might be upset about it," and finally says how it really is: "Actually, she has at least two fans. Okay, maybe even two and a half." The two fans implied are Miyabi and Soukaku, and Harumasa called himself a "half-fan."
• Despite her strong analytical mind, Yanagi seems to have a slightly specific sense of humor: she often uses simple puns or mundane everyday situations. Perhaps the only person who can truly appreciate her jokes is Harumasa. In his trust event, he laughed for a long time at a flat comedy and admitted that he believes one shouldn't turn up their nose even at "bad" jokes. He thinks that if a person is trying to make you happy, you should be happy, because there is already enough bad in the world.
• Harumasa's illness makes him stronger, but he must pay a high price for this power—he will likely not live to be 30 and will turn into an etherial. After the incident during the war between New Eridu and the Oni, demon blood flows in Yanagi's veins. From random encounters in the city, it becomes clear that due to the demon blood, Yanagi gained the ability to fight, but she sometimes has bouts of blindness and becomes helpless. In this, Yanagi and Harumasa are similar.
• In the "Gravitational Attraction" event, Miyabi mentions that after watching a tragic movie, Soukaku cried all night, and in the morning, Yanagi and Harumasa comforted her together.