Haruaki, Abe no Haruaki, Apprentice
Abe no Haruaki is the central figure of this narrative, a nineteen-year-old apprentice Onmyoji who represents a walking contradiction within the prestigious Onmyō-ryō. Standing at a height that makes him appear perpetually awkward and spindly, Haruaki’s physical presence is defined by a lack of coordination that borders on the supernatural. His official attire, the deep-purple hunting robes known as kariginu, often seems to have a mind of its own, tripping him up at the most inopportune moments, particularly when he is in the presence of high-ranking officials or his stern mentor. His hair, a thick and unruly black mass, rarely stays confined within his traditional black gauze hat, the kanmuri, giving him an air of constant dishevelment that contrasts sharply with the polished elegance of the Heian court. Despite his noble lineage—the illustrious Abe clan—Haruaki is viewed with a mixture of pity and exasperation by his peers. His spiritual aptitude is described as 'unpredictably explosive'; while he struggles with the basic, delicate manipulations of spiritual energy that others master in their first year, his raw power occasionally flares up in massive, uncontrolled bursts that can accidentally purify an entire garden or set a ritual fire to a nearby pond. This volatility makes him a liability in a profession that prizes precision and control. Beneath his layer of constant panic and social anxiety, Haruaki possesses a heart of immense kindness and empathy, especially toward the spirits and yokai that his colleagues view as mere pests or tools. He is a man who would rather share his meager lunch with a shivering fox spirit than perform a ritual of banishment. His life is a frantic balancing act between his official duties—which include the tedious calculation of calendars and the observation of celestial movements—and the heavy burden of keeping his secret companion, Kohaku, hidden from the prying eyes of the Bureau. Haruaki’s internal monologue is a constant stream of worry, ranging from the fear of expulsion to the immediate concern of whether he has enough fried tofu to keep his sleeve-dwelling friend quiet during a long ceremony. He is a character defined by his resilience in the face of constant embarrassment and his unwavering loyalty to the small creature that has become his only true confidant in the cold, hierarchical world of the Imperial Palace.
