| SPOILER WARNING! This article contains spoilers from KEEL Arc, Sakura/Tsubakino Arc, and Noroshi Arc |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HiiKaji is the slash ship between Toma Hiragi and Ren Kaji from the Wind Breaker fandom.
Canon[]
History (Childhood)[]
Hiragi and Kaji's first meeting
Kaji first met Hiragi when he woke up in the park. Kaji had just lost control of his anger again and had to be knocked out by Hiragi. Apologizing for hitting him, Hiragi offered his hand to Kaji and promised that he wouldn’t hurt him because he was strong.
When Kaji was young, he was seen curling up in the corner of Hiragi’s room, hating himself for hurting others due to his temper. Their friends Matsumoto and Yanagida showed concern but didn’t know what to say. However, just as Kaji was expressing that he was tired of it all, Hiragi pulled down his hood and placed the headphones on him.
Kaji wanting to stay by Hiragi's side after he gave him the headphones
Hiragi said things about Kaji, but the boy was unable to hear. Hiragi then said that while Kaji can’t control what others say, he can still choose to block them out. Even if he hears them, he should keep something in his mouth to prevent him from saying anything back. It was through this guidance that Kaji thought he could finally become human.
“It felt like he opened my eyes. “I might be able to become human.” and I felt very strongly about wanting to stay by his side, supporting him." — Kaji’s thoughts about Hiragi in Chapter 124: “Hating Myself"
At some point when Hiragi met Umemiya, he told most of his followers that they didn’t need to follow him anymore. It has not yet been shown how Hiragi and Kaji had this conversation, but during Kaji and Sako’s conversation, it was revealed that Kaji doesn’t care what others say; he will always follow Hiragi no matter what.
Shortly before Kaji entered Furin, it is shown in Volume 16’s bonus chapter that Hiragi accompanied him on the day of enrollment and helped bleach Kaji’s hair.
Enomoto is jealous of Kaji's closeness with Hiragi
When Kaji was a first-year at Furin, he was chosen to be the Grade Captain, with Enomoto and Kusumi as his vice captains. Enomoto and Kaji had previously fought due to Enomoto’s jealousy of Kaji’s closeness to Hiragi.
Feeling uncertain about his own abilities and setbacks, Kaji believed he couldn’t be a proper Grade Captain. However, Hiragi encouraged him to give it a try. Shortly after, his fears became reality when he lost control during a brawl and succumbed to his beast. Hiragi had to step in to stop him, and when Kaji realized what he had done, he had a breakdown.
A few days later, Hiragi brought Kaji to the rooftop, stating that it’s better to have these kinds of conversations somewhere high up and open. Kaji expressed his self-doubts and his intention to step down as Grade Captain, but Hiragi stopped him and advised him to hear his classmates’ thoughts first before making a decision.
When Kaji’s classmates accepted him, he went back to Hiragi and promised to become stronger so that he would never become that again.
Introduction Arc[]
Tamon Team: Hiragi, Kaji, Matsumoto and Yanagida arrives.
Moments before Haruka Sakura was hit by a bat, Hiragi stepped in to take the blow for him. Fellow students from Furin High are Ren Kaji, Yodai Matsumoto, and Jien Yanagida arrived afterward, easily defeating the delinquents while Sakura wondered why they were helping the townspeople.[1]
Shishitoren Arc[]
Kaji calls to warn Hiragi,
Hiragi goes to the rooftop to report to Umemiya regarding the scuffle with Shishitoren. During their discussion, Hiragi receives a phone call from Kaji, informing him about Shishitoren's attack just before their leader, Choji Tomiyama has arrived. [2]
KEEL Arc[]
Umemiya with the Tamon Team
Kaji Ren is formally introduced in this arc. On the day Umemiya formally meets the current year's Grade Captains and their Secondaries, Kaji is seen right behind Hiragi. As Hiragi is the Heavenly King leading Tamon, Kaji is one of the captains directly under him. When Umemiya tells Sakura that he can trust and always ask for help from his big brothers, Kaji takes this literally and says they're not brothers for he's an only child. Hiragi playfully bumps Kaji's shoulder and teasingly calls him "sempai". [3]
Kaji thinking of Hiragi during the fight
During Class 1-1's scuffle with KEEL, Kaji and his vice captains arrive to aid them. Kaji takes on KEEL's leader, Shingo Natori. Before their battle, they discuss Kaji's past reputation of violence, with Shingo inviting him to join KEEL. Kaji refuses, angered by Shingo's philosophy. Kaji hints at his past, mentioning how he used to feel terrible about his actions until someone helped him feel human again, even if he was half-assed. Kaji retorts that Shingo is nothing like the leaders he respects—referring to Furin's leader, Umemiya, and the Four Kings: Hiragi, Tsubakino, Mizuki, and Momose. [4] When Shingo knocks Kaji to the ground and repeatedly hits him with a bat, Kaji focuses more on protecting his headphones than his own head, showing how important they are to him. Once he was able to find his bearings, Kaji was able to finish the fight. [5]
Kaji, Enomoto and Kusumi recalling how they had a similar experience with Hiragi last year.
After they won the battle, Kaji and his vice captains, Takeshi Enomoto and Yuto Kusumi, recall having a similar experience back in their first year, with Hiragi saving them instead.[1][6] Later, the first- and second-year Tamon captains and their Secondaries report to Umemiya and Hiragi about what happened. Hiragi is seen listening to the report, while Kaji sits at the table across from them, already eating ahead of everyone.[7]
Sakura/Tsubakino Arc[]
Umemiya and Hiragi eavesdropping on Kaji and Sakura's conversation
A few days after the fight with KEEL, Sakura seeks out Kaji for advice on how to rely on others. Kaji tries his best to share his thoughts with Sakura, using multiple examples such as the coffee and the rooftop horror story. Their conversation is interrupted by Umemiya and Hiragi's arrival, leaving Kaji mortified. Hiragi apologizes for eavesdropping, but it's futile, leading Kaji to punch Umemiya and flail away in embarrassment.
Kaji mortified that Hiragi specifically heard him
Umemiya and Sakura continue their discussion in addition to Kaji's advice, and afterward, Umemiya and Hiragi are seen reminiscing about how much Kaji has grown. Hiragi smiles proudly as he recalls their rooftop conversation from a year ago. This scene hints at how Kaji internalized Hiragi's old advice and used it to share his own thoughts and advice with Sakura. Kaji also repeats what Hiragi told him a year ago: that for these types of conversations, it's better to have them somewhere high up and open. [8]
Umemiya's Backstory Arc[]
Kaji interrupting Sakura and Hiragi's training
Days before the battle against the Noroshi, Furin students were seen training. Hiragi was training Sakura and Kaji with Suo. Due to the pressure of being assigned to face Endo, Sakura wants to keep training without rest. Hiragi advises him to take breaks, though he understands Sakura's worries. When Sakura expresses his desire to get stronger to protect others, Kaji’s eyes light up, and he volunteers to become Sakura’s new training partner. Seeing this determination from his kōhai, Hiragi smiles fondly. Later on, however, he knocks both of them down when their sparring gets too heated. [9]
Noroshi Arc[]
During the strategy meeting, the four factions of Furin were split to protect three main locations where the enemies could possibly breach. The Tamon team is assigned to defend the bridges. Since there are three bridges across the river, strong individual fighters are needed. Leading the three teams are Hiragi, Kaji, and Sakura. [10]
When the core members of Noroshi arrived on the scene, Hiragi faced Kysouke Masuda, who commented on Hiragi's rugged appearance, stating that Umemiya must have been stressing him out. Meanwhile, at the second-year bridge, Banjo Kanon's arrival causes Kaji to stand guard. With Banjo Kanon being the strongest member of Noroshi, after Chika Takiishi and Endo Yamato, Kaji and his vice captains are in peril.
Kaji was the last one standing on his bridge, with his vice captains and classmates knocked to the ground. Knowing he can't win, Kaji is determined to simply endure all of Banjo's hits. The goal is not to win but to ensure that he does not fall, as the rules of the war state that as long as someone remains standing at their station, the enemy cannot walk past them. Kaji's endurance angers Banjo, who anxiously bites his nails out of boredom. He calls Kaji a cockroach for not going down and repeatedly punches him. Kaji starts to get dizzy but tries to maintain a defensive position. Just before he gets hit, Enomoto and Kusumi step in to attempt to take down Banjo.
Banjo easily counters them before beating up his own ally for trying to stop him. Kaji tries to approach his friends, and upon seeing them so hurt, sparks flash before his eyes. Devastated by his own powerlessness, Kaji succumbs to his old ways. He entrusts his headphones to Kusumi and unleashes his beast self to face Banjo. Before he loses control, he mentally apologizes to Hiragi and swears to never forgive himself for what he's about to do.
His fighting was like that of a desperate animal, where he would grab and bite if necessary. Kaji was able to inflict some damage on Banjo before he eventually lost. Disappointed by Kaji's loss, Banjo grips his hair and starts slamming his head repeatedly on the concrete as Enomoto begs him to stop. Just before the final blow, intending to kill Kaji, Hiragi jumps in to kick Banjo away and save his kōhai. Sako and other members of Shishitoren also arrived to their aid.
Before Hiragi arrived at the second years' bridge, he had defeated Kyosuke and was about to head to the shopping district to protect the town. It was there that he encountered a lost Shishitoren and learned that Sakura had called for help. He then received a message on his phone, informing him of Banjo's presence at Kaji's bridge. Hiragi was instantly worried and felt torn between Kaji and the town. As one of the Heavenly Kings, Hiragi knew that the town was the priority; however, his hesitation and desperation to save Kaji became evident when Tomiyama Choji pointed it out. After Choji offered to go to the shopping district in his place, Hiragi no longer argued and thanked him while also apologizing for the trouble. Hiragi and Sako Kota were reunited since their last encounter, and they were able to run back to the bridge together.
When Kaji regained consciousness, he started coughing. Hiragi offered his hand to Kaji, and Kaji gripped it just as tightly in return. Feeling guilty and ashamed, Kaji apologized to Hiragi for what had transpired.
Kaji:"Hiragi-san. I couldn't win. I couldn't protect them. You...gave me all these things and I made a mess of everything. I'm sorry."
Hiragi:''You...did good protecting this place, protecting all of your friends. You tried. You did your best and you can leave the rest to me."
Kaji:"Thank you."
— Hiragi comforting Kaji in Chapter 125: "Flash"
Hiragi ruffled Kaji's hair in comfort while Kaji covered his face in frustration. Banjo finally called out excitedly to Hiragi, thrilled by his entrance. Angered by what had been done to his kōhai, Hiragi told Banjo to shut up and never open his mouth again. His anger caused Enomoto and Kusumi to flinch, while Sako commented that he had never seen Hiragi so angry before.
Banjo commented that Hiragi looked like he was going to kill someone. They fought ferociously, and as Enomoto noted, they didn’t seem like humans. As Banjo kept talking during their battle, Hiragi angrily reminded him not to say a word. During the fight, Hiragi had blood covering his eye, making it difficult for him to see. Because of this, Banjo decided to hold Hiragi and push both of them off the bridge. At that moment, Kaji desperately called Hiragi’s name.
While Hiragi was underwater, he had flashbacks of Kaji, which pushed him to open his eyes and swim up. He stated that thanks to Banjo pushing him into the river, his eyes and head finally cleared. Yet it barely did anything to quell his anger, as this only fueled Hiragi to deliver one of his best kicks, according to Banjo.
When Banjo asked why Hiragi was so mad upon seeing Kaji so beaten up, despite the fact that it was inevitable in a fight, Hiragi acknowledged that he was right. Yet he couldn’t help it.
Banjo: “But when you saw how beat up that kid was, you got so mad. Even though anyone would get hurt in a fight. I just don’t get it. “
Hiragi: “You’re right. But…But still…I can’t help it. How dare you…How dare you…make him turn back into that.”
— Hiragi angry over what happened to Kaji in Chapter 129: "Fury"
Banjo was unable to understand what that meant, but he didn’t have the time to recover as Hiragi began to beat him up. Eventually, when Banjo begged for mercy, Hiragi let him go but warned him to never hurt others again. He added that if Banjo was itching for a fight, he should come find Hiragi instead.
After the battle between Umemiya and Chika ended, Hiragi was shown to have returned to the second years’ bridge instead of his own, possibly to tend to Kaji again. During the celebration party, Hiragi was also seen near the second years again.
Post-Battle Celebration Arc[]
In chapters 160-161, while Hiragi and Sako stood in awkward silence, Enomoto suggested that Kaji help them. However, Kaji refused, stating that it was a problem between the two of them. Kaji was later seen eavesdropping on their conversation along with his vice-captains and other Shishitoren members. The moment was disrupted when Inugami sneezed, angering Sako. Kaji then stood next to Hiragi as they watched the situation unfold.
After Hiragi stopped Sako from scolding the Shishitoren members, Inugami conversed with Hiragi while Kaji reconciled with Sako and thanked him for his help at the bridge. Following their respective conversations, Hiragi and Kaji were seen getting food together while talking. During their discussion, Hiragi mentioned his surprise at Kaji eavesdropping, to which Kaji retorted that Hiragi had also eavesdropped on his conversation with Sakura on the rooftop. This left Hiragi surprised that Kaji had been holding a grudge.
Later, they were seen eating and celebrating. Hiragi smiled when Choji and Togame apologized to Kaji, presumably over the Shishitoren vs. Furin fiasco where Choji had beaten up some members. Finally, they were spotted next to each other on the rooftop during the celebratory toast.
Name Change[]
It is unknown when the change occurred, but in Hiragi’s flashback in Chapter 129, Kaji used to call him 'Hiragi-kun.' At some point before joining Furin, Kaji started addressing him as 'Hiragi-san.'
Fanon[]
HiiKaji is a slash ship in the Wind Breaker fandom. It often a rivaled ship with HiiSako, although it is also popular as a polyship with HiiKajiSako, HiiInuKajiSako, and HiiSakoKajiBanjo, also known as Hiragi Harem.
Many HiiKaji fans and shippers enjoy the closeness between the two. Kaji has been shown to admire and respect Hiragi the most, even vowing to follow and support him regardless of what others say. His loyalty to Hiragi led to his decision to follow him to Furin, despite the other's words. This demonstrates that while Kaji deeply respects Hiragi, he does not blindly follow everything he says and still holds his own convictions. Throughout the manga, Kaji has consistently been portrayed as a reliable leader and dependable senpai. However, glimpses of vulnerability emerge when he is with Hiragi, highlighting the deep trust he places in him.
Hiragi, in turn, has been shown to be protective and deeply concerned about Kaji. He values Kaji’s growth and well-being, as seen when he comforted him after his defeat. Hiragi was also furious at Banjo Kanon for beating Kaji and causing him to lose control. When Hiragi was pushed into the river and nearly drowned, it was the flashbacks of Kaji that gave him the strength to fight back. The thought of someone hurting Kaji so badly that he curls up and regrets being alive drove Hiragi into overdrive, enabling him to persevere even in extreme cold, where Banjo's body ultimately gave out. Hiragi is also shown to be highly attentive to Kaji, remembering the smallest details—such as Kaji’s smiles, moments of despair, and the fact that Kaji never wanted to be alone.
In AO3, the most popular trope for this ship is Fluff. Followed by angst and hurt/comfort. The two being childhood friends is also an additional trope that most fans enjoy.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Hiragi Toma/Kaji Ren tag on AO3
- Hiragi Toma & Kaji Ren tag on AO3
Trivia[]
- Their ship is often denoted by the "💊🎧" emojis.
- They have a height difference of 16cm, with Hiragi being 187 cm and Kaji being 171cm.
- Their birthdays have similar numbers: Kaji was born on October 27 (10/27), and Hiragi on December 7 (12/07)
- Kaji's headphones was a gift from Hiragi. Kaji's favorite music are also Hiragi's, though he doesn't know the title.
- The person Kaji respects the most is Hiragi.
- Kaji states that going to Hiragi's house is his hobby. [11]
- In the Volume 16 Bonus chapter, it's revealed that it was Hiragi who bleached Kaji's hair for him.[12]
- Hiragi and Kaji often eat together and do nothing at Hiragi's house.
- Hiragi keeps treating Kaji to croquettes. they've become regulars at Tsukushi Butcher's Shop. [13]
- When they were kids, Kaji used to call Hiragi with a "-kun". Indicating how close they were and that Hiragi didn't mind.
- Throughout the manga, Kaji was only shown smiling five times so far. Three out of the five were from Hiragi's flashbacks. (Chapter 129: Fury)
Gallery[]
Manga[]
Variations[]
- HiiKajiSako refers to the ship between these two and Kota Sako
References[]
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Sakura_and_Furin_(chapter)
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Hajime_Umemiya_(chapter)
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/The_Four_Kings
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Absolute_Authority
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Animal
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Animal
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Welcome_Back
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/The_Senpai%27s_Teachings
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Strength_for_Another
- ↑ https://wind-breaker.fandom.com/wiki/Strategy_Meeting
- ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/orange-cheetah/754721489069195264/kaji-ren-%E6%A2%B6-%E8%93%AE-character-profile
- ↑ https://x.com/antichronic/status/1795049468703789288
- ↑ https://www.tumblr.com/orange-cheetah/755456470287532032/makochi-town-famous-shops-guide
[]
 | |||||
| Wind Breaker Ships • Wind Breaker Characters | |||||
| SHIPS | het | KanShizu • SakuKoto • UmeKoto | |||
| slash | AriKanu • EndoChika • HiiKaji • HiiSako • InuSako • KajiKusu • KajiSaku • MasaNaga • SakoKaji • SugiSaku • SuoNirei • SuoSaku • TogaSaku • TogaTomi • TsugeKiryu • UmeChika • UmeSaku • UmeSugi • UmeTomi • YamaSaku | ||||
| non-binary | TsubaShizu • UmeTsuba | ||||
| poly | EndoChikaSaku • HiiKajiSako • MasaNagaTsu • UmeEndoChika • UmeSakuKoto | ||||
| CHARACTERS | male | Haruka Sakura • Hajime Umemiya• Ren Kaji | |||