Yuugiri

Yuugiri (夕霧) is a secondary character in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4. "Yuugiri" is an alias; the player is never told Yuugiri's real name. The dancer joins the main party in the first chapter.

Role in Game
The official websites and early news reports for the game will deliberately identify Yuugiri as a female. In reality, "she" is a male. He serves the royal family of the affluent western continent, which is fabled by residents in Nakatsu Kuni to not exist. On his master's orders, Yuugiri secretly infiltrated Nakatsu Kuni for reconnaissance.

Unfortunately, he and his country were largely unaware of the war which took place between their eastern neighbors and Tokoyo no Kuni. When Yuugiri arrived in Takachiho two years before the main story, he became aware of the ruling lord's cruelty. Learning that the selfish lord enslaved men to serve in his army, Yuugiri chose to dress in drag to protect himself. His disguise worked so well that no one suspected his real gender; everyone thinks Yuugiri is a beautiful female dancer. He quickly adapted to the land's culture and speech patterns to hide his western origins.

Yuugiri fears for Chihiro and her party when they incur the wrath of a chauvinistic Tokoyo no Kuni minister. Kazahaya takes the beating the minister directed towards the princess, and the frightened villagers do nothing to intervene. Upon learning of Levanta's tyranny, Chihiro decides to defy the bigoted prince by firing at his helmet. The helmet falls from its high post and proves to the villagers that Levanta isn't the omnipresent deity as they once thought. Her actions instills hope in the villagers and moves Yuugiri who invites himself into Chihiro's party. Seeing nothing wrong with the dancer, the princess quickly trusts and accepts him.

Throughout the timelines, Yuugiri acts as Chihiro's best friend. He keeps his disguise even when he joins the princess and is revered as the second beauty within their army. Since he cannot fight, Yuugiri stays at the flying ship and helps care for the troops. At the end of any timeline, he secretly returns to his native homeland.

Personal Route
When the flying ship lands in Chikushi, Yuugiri chooses to wander the nearby village. He notices Chihiro and calls the princess to him. The dancer is worried when he spots wrinkles on the young girl's face and consoles her to relax beside him. He pours her a cup of tea from his homeland, and she thanks him for the helping hand. Chihiro scares Yuugiri when she mentions he sounds different than other people (thinking that he could have accidentally slipped into his native language), but his fears are put to rest when she innocently says it's because he is female. Happy to know someone of the "same gender", they swear to be close friends.

One day, he spots Futsuhiko and Chihiro within the hallways of the ship. The princess helps him remove an eyelash out from his eye, but the dancer teases that it's as though the "lovebirds" are going to kiss one another. Chihiro embarrassingly tells Yuugiri to stop creating misconceptions. Amused by her humiliated reaction, Yuugiri decides to reward the princess with a kiss on the cheek. The chaste teenagers are flustered by his actions as they think it is lecherous for two women to be physically intimate with one another. Yuugiri keeps his secrets to himself and excuses himself for his daily snack.

Yuugiri pays a private visit to Sainokimi once the flying ship lands in Kumano. He warns the elderly woman that Nakatsu Kuni lacks a solid workforce and encourages plans to construct a reliable system. Agreeing to his suggestions, Sainokimi explains her concerns to Chihiro. The elderly woman compliments Yuugiri as a reliable maid by the princess's side and introduces a calming hot spring to both of them as a treat. Chihiro and Yuugiri later visit the spring together and dip their feet into its waters. As Chihiro suggests sharing a bath with her friend at the flying ship, Yuugiri declines and timidly admits his true gender to her. He apologizes for not confessing it earlier, as it was harder to divulge the truth the longer they knew one another. In spite of the revelation, Chihiro's impressions of Yuugiri haven't changed. Their friendship remains intact –though they agree to keep his gender a secret from the others.

The night before the battle for Kashihara has Chihiro nervous and Yuugiri cheerful. He has an adamant faith she will prevail and be donned Queen. Yuugiri's main worry is the thought of returning to his homeland and leaving her behind. He doesn't openly reveal its location to her, but Chihiro perceives it is the western continent. Wanting to make a clear path for her friend's trip, the princess is invigorated to fight. Like the dancer predicted, the Nakatsu Kuni army emerges victorious and Chihiro is enthroned. During the ceremony, Yuugiri removes his female disguise to proclaim his candid blessings for her reign. Surprised yet happy, Chihiro thanks the "anonymous man" for his kind words.

In his epilogue scenario, Yuugiri returns in drag to Kashihara. He awkwardly implies he is leaving for his homeland and departs. Chihiro panics and catches up to him, wanting to say their proper farewells. As they share their affection for one another, Yuugiri hands her the tea he served her earlier. He encourages her to build ties with the western continent; even if she can't, he promises to someday see her again. Kissing her once more as his fond parting gift, Yuugiri says he will always remember her as a friend and as someone irreplaceable to him.

Development
Weizhi Worenchuan mentions several figures who once existed within Yamataikoku, but many of them often lack detailed accounts of their activities and are solely known by name. Their gender may even be neglected to be recorded, and the archaic naming motifs hardly note their age or status. In ode to these nearly anonymous figures, Yuugiri was created.

His origin is a direct allusion to the ancient golden seal presented to royalty. There were plans to actually show his homeland within the game, but developers chose to focus primarily on the war between two countries to avoid being too convoluted and confusing for players. As compensation, Yuugiri was designed to be a surprise character. Players are meant to have no clue of his gender or true homeland unless they unlock his story route. One of the scenario writers for the game is particularly proud of Yuugiri's few animations in the game, thinking that the animators did a fine job of masking his true gender with his movements.

Personality
Playful and social, Yuugiri appears to be an unassuming person. He can chat endlessly if the other party desires and can easily read people's emotions. With a charming accent and an effeminate grace, Yuugiri may be a flirtatious tease with his dances. Yuugiri has his share of admirers among the Nakatsu Kuni army, as he appears to be a lovely, mature woman who is endlessly charismatic. Occasionally, he may play tiny pranks to entertain himself and his friends.

For his country's sake, however, the dancer refrains being too close to his comrades. Yuugiri feigns ignorance of the western continent and tries to blend in social gatherings. He constantly gathers information whilst aboard the flying ship in his disguise, even through the casual conversations he shares with the troops. Since he enjoys his visit within Nakatsu Kuni, he feels inwardly saddened at the thought of returning home.

Yuugiri likes pampering cute girls and will voice his protest if he feels they are being intimidated. He thought Chihiro to be a defenseless maiden, but her strong moment of defiance instantly impresses and attracts him to her. Yuugiri is the princess's female confidant, yet he truly becomes infatuated with her as time passes. He worries when Chihiro is too stressed to take care of herself, offering beauty tips and everyday advice to cheer her. Once his gender and mission is revealed to her, Yuugiri is happy to know their ties to one another will never change. Ideally, he would like to have her as his lover, but he doesn't force his feelings on her.

Character Symbolism
Yuugiri is literally translated as "evening mist". It is one of the seasonal words to describe autumn in Japanese literature and can be conveyed in poetry, dances, and theatre. The name can be used for both genders.

His symbolic color is beni-fuji. Its namesake is the slight vermilion tinge sometimes found on purple wisteria. It is argued to be a predominately bluish shade since red is barely present on this particular blossom. Others argue that beni-fuji is better represented by pinkish wisteria, a somewhat literal translation of the flower. In this case, the color would actually be a reddish mauve.

The rosegold pussy willow is his symbolic flower. Like other places around the world, it's commonly named after the fluffiness and shape of a cat's tail in Japan. Its archaic name enokoro-yanagi actually implies the flower resembles a puppy's tail in ancient times. The willow represents freedom, kindness, and rewards for one's efforts in the flower language.

Quotes

 * "Gaze upon me and enjoy my dance. It's a real shocker."
 * "Ah, don't be so mean to my darling. Girls are sensitive to these things."
 * "Come on, don't be shy. Aren't you glad that he's in one piece? He's your lover, isn't he?"
 * "You can't hide your feelings from me. Something's bothering you, right?"
 * "You're fussing too much over it, honey."
 * "You don't believe me? You could try groping my chest to see if anything's there."
 * "Keep it a secret, darling. We don't need to break anyone's hearts with the truth."
 * "Sweetie, you really only think of me as a friend? I gotta try harder to fix that."
 * "Um... Yuugiri, are you going to go home... still dressed like that?"
 * "Well, of course I am, honey. This getup is like a second skin to me. I can't go back to being a man now."
 * "But, it feels like such a waste. I thought the outfit you wore at my enthronement ceremony looked really nice on you."
 * "(giggles) I'm drop-dead gorgeous as a man, aren't I?"
 * "Oh, you! It would have been nice to see it more often though..."
 * "Is that so? I can stage a private show for you if you really want it."
 * Chihiro and Yuugiri

Special Ability
If Chihiro summons him in battle, Yuugiri dances. He blinds all of the male characters in the battle, including the current fighting party. Characters with a blinding tolerance can benefit from its effects and can easily dodge their enemies attacks. It's also an interesting method of determining various corrupted spirits' gender in the game.