Gifted • Inumaki Toge

o n e

A small newly turned five year old girl sat still, cross legged on the floor. There were two adults, one hurrying to finish styling her hair, the other hurrying to put on her clothes. 

It was her birthday today, as Arai Clan tradition, a large celebration was being held. 

"Which one would you like Ojouu-sama?" A woman with calm brown eyes and a soft smile picked up two different hair pins. One resembling a flower, adjourned with light pink jewels, and the other shaped like a dragon, similarly adjourned with light emeralds. 

The small girls doll-like eyes traveled over to the suggested hair pins, not entirely caring which she choose. She didn't say a single thing but flickered her eyes back to the mirror. 

Ignoring the young girl's silence, the woman giggled and proceeded to pick up the flower hairpin. 

"This one matches the yukata pretty well, right Sayuri?" 

Hearing her name, the other woman paused to look over at the pin. Her sharp green eyes gazed at both pins, before grinning. "Red matches pretty well with pink." Sayuri pulled softly at the obijime to fasten the yukata. "The dragon one would prob make her match a Christmas tree." 

The little girl cracked a small smile as the two woman laughed at Sayuri's light joke. 

"That's the first smile we've seen all morning, huh Kaori." Sayuri teased. A light blush dusted across the child's face as she pouted in protest. 

Before Kaori could say anything, the neatly painted screen door harshly slid open. 

"Shiro, are you finished?" 

The two adults in the room immediately ceased their laughter as the small child faced the tall man at the doorframe. 

"Lucian-sama, we just finished pre-" Sayuri started.

"I was not talking to you." Lucian interrupted. His stern gold eyes glared at the two servants. 

"W-we apologize!" Sayuri bowed. Both of their faces went pale. Kaori was bitting the cheek of her mouth, a nervous habit she developed since she was a child. Sayuri hurriedly avoided Lucian's glare, afraid to meet his eyes. 

"We just finished, father." Shiro replied, her clear hazel eyes stared fearlessly to her father's stern gold orbs, before cowering at his sharp glare. 

"Everyone is waiting." He barked. The tension in this room was at an all time high. Something, Shiro was used too but she still couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable, after all she was just barley five years old. 

Walking out of the room with her father in front, Shiro felt tense. Her small hands gripped the ends of her yukata, trying her best to quell her nervousness. The big and small jujutsu sorcerer clans would all be here today. 

Despite the occasion being her birthday, she knew better. As much as her five year old brain can calculate, she knew it was just an excuse for her father to gather the other clan members all together. For what reason? She didn't know, nor did she care. 

"Don't embarrass me." As he spoke those final words, he pushed the screen door open before walking inside. 

Shiro's eyes was downcast. The golden specs of light that brought her eyes to life, was no where to be found. She continued to look at her father's back as she followed him inside. 

Curious eyes all followed the head and his young daughter, as the loud conversations quickly quieted down. 

Raising a hand, guiding the crowd to his daughter, Lucian bellowed, "Thank you all for coming to my beloved daughter's fifth birthday." 

What a farce. Shiro thought. As her father mentioned praising words to the three major Jujutsu clans and a couple of the smaller ones, Shiro had basically tuned him out. She was just a prop and she knew it. Her uninterested eyes gazed the crowd, hoping to find her mother and small infant sister within. 

Stopping mid search, her eyes landing on a small boy, similarly to her age. She wasn't sure what caught her attention. Maybe it was the eyes. She thought. They look kind. As his mellow brown eyes caught hers, they fell into a silent staring contest. Her father's voice almost seems far away, and her world quieted, as if it was just the two of them. His hair is quite pretty. Compared to her own ink black hair, his was an ashen off white. Like the others at this celebration, he also wore a small black yukata. Maybe it's because his face is covered. She glanced around the boy, breaking their staring contest. The woman that held the boy's hand also had half her face covered in a similar fashion. 

"Isn't that right, my little Shiro?" her father's voice brought her out of her own thoughts. Completely immersed with the curiosity of the little boy in the crowd, she didn't hear a single word her father said. 

Choosing to avoid being scolded later, she quickly nodded and bowed to her father, agreeing to whatever he may have said. The crowd clapped and cheered as her father pulled her closer, introducing her to the different clan members that came up. 

After a while, Lucian told Shiro to go ahead and make friends with kids her age. In other words Shiro knew he basically wanted her to get out of his way. She quickly obliged and walked out to the garden. She didn't want to be here anyway. 

To her surprise the boy she had a staring contest with earlier was sitting by the lily pond, watching the swimming koi fish. 

He was definitely around her age. She can tell because they were at similar heights. After a small internal debate on whether or not she should introduce herself, she felt his eyes burn into her small figure. 

She knew he was staring. I guess that answers that.

"Hi, I'm Shrio." She introduces herself as she walks over to the white haired boy. 

Instead of answering, he only nodded. 

"??"