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Title: You & Harujion

Author: Keiko Kinoshita

Publisher:  June

ISBN: 9781569709252

May Contain Spoilers

After Haru’s father dies, he’s left an orphan with few prospects.  His father left behind a mountain of debt, and ruthless bill collectors soon start circling around him.  When a stranger from his past arrives to help him, Haru is left even more confused.  Who is Mr Senoh, and why is he so willing to give him a hand? 

I’m a little torn about this title.  On the one hand, it has some ick factor because of the age difference between the leads.  On the other hand, it was all very tastefully and chastely handled.  The book is rated 16+, and barely a kiss occurs between Haru and Senoh.  Though there’s not a lot of romance, there’s still a ton of emotion packed into the book.

Haru is left almost penniless after his father’s death, and he doesn’t know what he’s going to do.  Lawyers and legal proceedings confuse him, and his father’s creditors terrify him.  It seems that everyone is out for themselves, and Haru’s only allies are ineffectual and don’t know how to assist him.  When Senoh arrives at the scene, Haru is slightly hostile and doesn’t trust him.  It’s completely understandable, given the circumstances.  The high school student doesn’t remember ever meeting the tall and handsome Mr Senoh, and he is very suspicious about his motives.  Why is this successful attorney willing to help him out, and, more importantly, can he really be trusted?

Haru is a character who you want to see get a break.  He’s just lost his father; his mother died years before, and now he has no one.  His closest relative is an uncle who lives overseas, and is someone Haru barely knows.  Without an adult to help settle his father’s estate, he is easy prey to debt collectors, and he is confused by the legal system.  The family home is about to be sold to settle outstanding debts, leaving Haru with no place to call home.

Senoh met Haru many years earlier, and the young Haru cheered him up during a difficult period of his life.  Never forgetting about him, Senoh arrives when Haru needs him the most, and he offers him a place to stay until he graduates from high school.  Now Senoh is torn by his conflicting emotions – does he love Haru like a father?  Or are his feelings more intense than that?

You & Harujion could have quickly devolved into the type of story I don’t have much interest in, but it stayed touching to the end.  Senoh never tries to take advantage of the young and confused Haru.  Instead, he offers him comfort and stability where there was only confusion and loneliness.   They both have to adjust to their new lives together, as well as strange and overwhelming emotions.  The pace is very slow as Keiko Kinoshita moves Haru from a grief-stricken young man to someone who can suddenly dare to hope for some happiness.  Senoh remains a gentle, supportive character, who tries to squash the inappropriate emotions that he is starting to have for his young charge.  The art very much fits the story, with its vague, almost undefined illustrations that follow the characters on their journey of discovery. 

Grade: B