A skilled but unlucky sixteen-year-old boy forced into paying off his irresponsible parents' huge debts. Escaping the yakuza, to whom he was sold by his parents, he tries to kidnap young heiress Sanzen'in Nagi, only for his attempt to sound like a confession of love to the latter, and he subsequently ended up becoming her butler. Besides his poverty, Hayate is also known for his effeminate looks, timidity and skill in "feminine" jobs like cooking, which sometimes ends him up being dressed by Nagi in girls' clothing.
