Happy Monday everyone!  Borealis here.

In today's devlog, we're exploring the character of Fujiwara Haruka in more depth than Venus: Improbable Dream's demo provides!

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When Kakeru first meets Haruka, she's something of a mystery to him.  All he knows is that she plays the flute and has a disability, but what lies underneath that first impression? 

Haruka is a very sentimental soul, capable of having great empathy towards others, and is very caring.  She's also completely in love with music, and ever since she first started listening to it properly as a child, she's always wanted to perform, taking up the flute and practising diligently.  Music represents a sort of escapism for her, especially due to her disability.

Haruka was born blind, and therefore has had something of a tough time growing up.  Though her parents have supported her all the way, her confidence has definitely taken blow after blow over the years, whether it's due to friends phasing her out because she's different, or her own self-esteem wavering.  She can sometimes feel as though she's the elephant in the room that no one wants to address properly, and due to this, she much prefers to be alone.  This has led to quite a bit of social anxiety for her, as she got to a point where trying to branch out and make new friends seems too intimidating.  In addition to this, her blindness causes her to feel on edge in busy places, preferring quiet situations where nothing unexpected can happen.  All of this has caused her to shut herself away somewhat - not exactly a total recluse, but a quiet presence that stands aside from everybody else, doing her own thing in her own way.

However, Haruka's outlook is less gloomy than you might think.  Despite her insecurities, she maintains a quiet but strong wish to make sure that her disability doesn't completely define her in the things that she does.  Though it scares her, she likes to try to keep her independence, making trips into the city by herself and continuing to work towards her musical dreams.  Underneath the frailty, there's a certain tenacity to Haruka, and the more time you spend around her, the more noticeable it becomes.  She might spend a lot of her time feeling afraid, but not so afraid that she refuses to let herself be ambitious.  She's also highly passionate about the things that she loves, and under more normal circumstances, would be the kind of person to never stop talking once she started.  The innocent, child-like sense of optimism that she fights to keep alive inside her is admirable, inspiring and sweet.

When she first meets Kakeru, she's understandably unnerved, but once they begin to connect, it becomes apparent that she also harbours a wish to make friends, just like he does.  Their issues make that sort of thing seem almost impossible to them, but at the same time, they begin to realise that they have the potential to make a special connection, not like the fleeting half-friendships they've known and lost before.  The story of Venus: Improbable Dream allows you to watch this budding relationship bloom, and gives you the chance to guide Kakeru as he makes important choices that will shape the course of his and Haruka's progression in both their friendship and their lives.

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I hope you enjoyed this more detailed character profile of Haruka!  On Friday, we'll be getting to know Matsumoto-sensei, Kakeru's homeroom teacher!

In the meantime, stay safe and have a good week!

Borealis