Haruto sees Sam as a good guy. Good-natured, well-meaning, heroic, an all-around decent individual... he's gotten a lot of that from watching at a distance and seeing how others react to him, even though that time in the space arena does count for a lot. He's someone with genuine experience in things, who doesn't just seem to be making it all up, and he's maybe a little envious and intimidated by it.

That's a lot of the reason that he's so hesitant about going to talk to him. There's so much positive to be said about Sam that in comparison, he feels like his own flaws stick out all the more. And a lot of the talk is going to have to be about flaws and problems and ugly stuff that's easier to sweep under the rug.