Youko Morinomiya

"Get back to work!! I hate people who do things half-assed!!!"

- The Chairwoman

Youko Morinomiya is the wealthy and abrasive chairwoman of Morinomiya Academy and is the offered guardian of the Kashima brothers. She is called "obaa-san" (grandmother) by Ryuuichi and "Fluffy" by Kotaro.

Appearance
Youko Morinomiya's most striking feature is her big hair and sharp eyes, which reminds Kotaro of a sheep (hence the nickname "Fluffy"). She is old and walks around with a cane. Most of the time she is seen with a plain black dress and a shawl. The chairwoman is rarely seen smiling, but when she does it is a very slight smile.

She is often seen flanked by Saikawa who is considered as her butler/secretary (though his job title is never given).

Personality
She is a very harsh person and speaks with a loud, severe voice, but has moments of friendliness. She cares for the two boys, but hates being called "Fluffy" by Kotaro. The chairwoman's personality comes off as brisk and austere because she is a hard worker who wants things done. Nevertheless, her kindness prioritizes the brothers' welfare often. For example, despite an important meeting, she decided to watch Kotaro's performance in a school play even though she claimed that it was "a bother and that she was forced to come."

She becomes more openly affectionate throughout the series for them and even for her secretary, Saikawa—forbidding him to strain himself when ill, and caring for him (with the help of the Kashima brothers) at her home. She keeps all the little gifts from Kotaro, "trash" as claimed by Ryuuichi, such as pebbles and shells in a box, which caused her to sprain her waist in an attempt to hide it from all of them. Despite these changes, she rarely expresses herself in any manner other than her usual strict tone.

History
She had a son and a daughter-in-law who were living with her. After their deaths on the same plane crash as Ryuuchi and Kotarou's parents, she took in both of them out of kindness. She mentioned that only the Kashima brothers and herself are "the only ones who were not crying" at the funeral held for the families of the plane crash victims, and let both of them stay with her only if Ryuuichi helped out at the Babysitting Club as a way of "earning his keep" until his adulthood. Her secretary, Saikawa pointed out the reason being she might not be around by that time and would not want both Ryuuichi and Kotarou to suffer grief yet again.

The chairwoman has recurring appearances throughout the series. She is often busy with meetings and comes home late, sometimes appearing for dinner. In a flashback, she is shown to have the same personality of not revealing her thoughts and feelings easily, such as frowning and also having red cheeks when she is truly happy, which was pointed out in jest by her parents.

Morinomiya Youichi
Youko's relationship with her late son has yet to be explored in depth. However, her actions following his death clearly indicate that she loved him dearly. She continued to expand upon the Babysitter Club he started with his wife by making Ryuuichi join as its first member upon enrollment to her school. It was at that point that the club slowly began to thrive, and Youko continues to personally assist when necessary.

Being the rather reserved woman she is, Youko doesn't often let her sorrow over the loss of her son show, not even at the memorial service. But judging from her shocked reaction when she momentarily thought that she saw Youichi and his wife in the mansion's library as if nothing ever happened, there's no doubt that the loss was devastating.

Saikawa Keigo
Youko's interactions with Saikawa mostly consist of her snapping at him for going overboard in his duties. When it comes to emotions, even the stoic Saikawa is more straightforward his feelings than Youko. He's even bold enough to tell the Kashima brothers how his boss is likely to be feeling about something, which she'll usually deny.

Saikawa is quick to point out Youko's advanced age, especially when she's ailing. His fussing aggravates her, though this does little to discourage him. When the situation is reversed, Youko herself finds that she needs to repeatedly order Saikawa not to work until he recovers. This indicates that Saikawa is likely Youko's closest confidant.

Ultimately, the two are close, and Saikawa is very good at his job, so he remains employed despite his quirks.

Trivia

 * The hitsuji character in her name means "sheep", matching the nickname "Fluffy" that Kotaro has given her. In the trip to the zoo, Kotaro gives her a present of a sheep keychain as it reminded him of her.
 * She loved the ornamental dolls on Girls' Day as a child.