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Birthdays were not an event that was usually celebrated in the Ichinose residence. This one was no exception. Today, August 28, 2002, Guren had just turned 6 years old.
Guren never really wondered why they didn't celebrate birthdays. It was like that in all the important families that served the Hiiragi as well as probably the Hiiragi themselves. At the age of 6, he had never celebrated his birthday. But that wasn't a problem for him, it was the same everywhere and for everyone. It was normal not to celebrate it in their environment and Guren didn't mind.
The clans serving the Hiiragi had plenty of work and other, more important concerns.
Guren's quiet little steps guided him into the living room as he rubbed his eyes to chase away the remaining sleep. He had just woken up and wanted to go say hello to his father before going to clean himself up in the bathroom. Sliding the door to the side, Guren stuck his head through the opening and entered the room. The dawn rays of sunlight filtered through the windows, painting the large living room of the Ichinose residence in shades of yellow and orange. It was a little after 6:30 in the morning and as usual, his father was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, accompanied by a steaming cup of tea and a stack of papers. He never worked in his office in the morning. The living room was much warmer for working, especially in the morning as the sun rose.
Guren hoped he could get up even earlier, like his father at 5 a.m., later. For the moment, he couldn't do it. He admired his father.
His father looked up when he felt his presence. He always seemed to notice him, despite Guren's quiet movement. He gave him a tender smile and beckoned him to come closer. "Hey, Guren. Happy birthday.", he said in a soft voice.
Guren moved closer to him, a slight blush on his cheeks, and Sakae reached out a hand, placing it on the top of his head to gently ruffle his shaggy, already naturally messy hair. Guren closed his eyes at the contact and soothed his hair by placing his hands on his spikes of hair when his father removed his hand. “Thank you, father.” he replied, a little shyly.
Just because they never celebrated birthdays didn't mean they didn't wish each other one. And Guren was always a little embarrassed when we wished him, without really knowing why. Maybe because he was even more the center of attention than usual, as the son of the clan leader. Guren didn't like to monopolize the attention on himself.
"How did you sleep last night? Do you want something to eat?" Sakae asked, turning towards him a little, abandoning his work to concentrate on his son.
"Fine, what about you? And no, i'm okay, I'll eat after cleaning up.", Guren replied. It was late summer but even then, it was particularly hot that night and the days. Especially since their house was in the traditional Japanese style and therefore made of wood, so the heat was more important. He had been sweating last night so he wanted to go wash up quickly before doing anything and starting his day.
"I slept well, thank you.", Sakae gave a small nod as Guren let his curious gaze wander over his papers. Among them, one leaf seemed different from the others.
“What is that?”, Guren leaned forward a little, tilting his head to the side.
Sakae followed his gaze and looked at the paper which he shifted to the side, putting it aside. "A summons to the Hiiragi residence. I have to inform them of your age, since you are the future head of the Ichinose clan. Don't worry, it won't take long." He smiled at him again.
Guren muttered under his breath but nodded without contradicting him. He didn't like it when his father went there. "Okay. I'll go wash up then.", he muttered before turning around, trotting towards the sliding door.
"Guren!", Sakae shouted after him. Guren turned around, blinking, one hand on the open door, his gaze questioning. “Tonight, I have a training session for you. I have some new techniques to teach you.”
Guren felt excitement run through his body at the mention and a smile took place on his lips. "Thank you.", he replied before fleeing to the bathroom to wash, while Sakae watched him leave, a soft smile on his lips, his eyes narrowed.
His little boy was growing up so fast. But he would nonetheless remain his little boy all his life.
After taking a shower, brushing his teeth and hair and cleaning his face, Guren put on his black kimono and left the bathroom, taking care to turn off the light. He walked down the hall to his room to study his spell books. Even if it was his birthday, it surely wouldn't stop him from studying his books. The clan was counting on him. He had to be up to the task when he was leader later. He had to be as strong as his father.
In good spirits, Guren turned into the intersection and came across two little girls the same age as him talking in the hallway. One seemed agitated while the other remained calm, hands crossed in front of her. Sayuri and Shigure. Officially his bodyguards.
Shigure noticed him first and turned away from Sayuri to Guren. She tilted her head forward. "Hello, Guren-sama. Happy birthday."
Sayuri turned her head sharply, her cheeks flushed, and hurried to bow before him as well, her eyes closed. "Guren-sama! Happy birthday!"
Guren gave a small wave. They didn't need to bow to him like that all the time. He was only a child and he didn't see the point of bodyguards at first. Even now. But he liked them, they were nice and actively seemed to take this job seriously. Guren considered them more like...friends. Sort of. Friends weren't something he had, but he supposed Sayuri and Shigure were the closest.
"You don't need to bow all the time, it's okay. And...thank you.", Guren absentmindedly rubbed the back of his head looking away as the two girls straightened up.
Sayuri moved closer, almost vibrating with excitement and nervousness as she held both hands in front of her, her voice stuttering. "G-Guren-sama! I-I know we're still learning but we'd really like to make you some curry and rice tonight! My dad's is delicious! C-Can we?"
"I'm not as focused on learning to cook like Sayuri but I can assist her. We would really like to make you your favorite dish for your birthday.", Shigure added in a calm tone despite the very slight blush on her cheeks. She really wanted to do something for him. And Sayuri too.
Both girls wanted to please him. Guren couldn't refuse despite how embarrassed they were to go to such lengths for him. It would be rude to refuse and Sayuri and Shigure seemed to really care about it. Plus, who would refuse a good curry? It was his favorite dish all along and Sayuri's father's was really delicious. He had no doubt that despite Sayuri and Shigure's young age and the fact that they were still learning, the curry would surely not be bad. They had remarkable skills, he trusted them.
"Well, sure if you want.", he replied a little awkwardly, looking at them. Then he added, “I think I’d like that.” And both girls' faces lit up with joy, even Shigure's who remained serious most of the time.
It really made them happy.
"Thank you, Guren-sama! You won't be disappointed, we promise! We'll do our best!" exclaimed Sayuri, a big smile on her lips.
He didn't doubt it.
Finally he had forgotten to eat breakfast this morning, being too eager to go study his spell books. Throughout the morning and afternoon, he had had his head buried in his books. He went out a few times to go to the bathroom, get some water because of the heat and go eat at lunch. Many people serving the Ichinose clan had greeted him and wished him happy birthday, to which he had thanked them all each time, not knowing what else to say.
It was currently 5pm when he looked at the clock and stood up from his small desk chair, closing his books. It was time.
5 p.m. was the time he joined Mahiru at the river bank further away. It was recent, they saw each other about once a week and it had only been going on for a month. So three of them had seen each other before today. At first it was strange but Guren quickly discovered that he enjoyed spending time with her by the river. He never said it but that's what he felt. He never really needed to talk, Mahiru always did it for him and had enough conversation to talk for two. It was nice to listen to her talk to him.
Guren always looked forward to these meetings with Mahiru. Despite being a Hiiragi, Guren found her to be different from the others. She was kind and she didn't look at him like he was worthless trash. She didn't look at him with contempt.
Their last names didn't matter when it was just the two of them. Although Guren always subconsciously had this constant reminder that he was below her in the hierarchy. So she shone like the midday sun every time he looked at her. The sun was inaccessible, especially for people like him.
Guren ran his hands through his hair to straighten it a bit and left his room. He was allowed to go outside and he was discreet enough not to be spotted. Although his father probably knew he was seeing someone secretly, he didn't tell him anything. He probably didn't know who it was though. Guren took the time to make sure he didn't come across anyone and slipped discreetly outside. He went over a fence and walked quickly through the green grass, brown and dry from the heat of the sun, to reach the small river where he usually trained and where he had met Mahiru for the first time. Rather, where Mahiru had first approached him.
It was their meeting place. It was far enough away that no one could see them and know they were there. Especially both of them.
When he arrived, he found that Mahiru was already there. She was wearing a white summer dress. Damn, was he late?
Mahiru stood up from the grass when she saw him arrive and gave him a beaming smile as usual, waving at him. “Hey, Guren!”
"Hello.", Guren walked up to her. "I am late? Sorry."
Mahiru waved her hands as she replied, “No no, I arrived early today!”
"Why?" asked Guren, tilting his head. In this way, his eye was caught by something lying in the grass behind Mahiru. He couldn't tell what it was because Mahiru had moved to pick it up, hiding his view.
“I stopped by a bakery before coming so I had to leave early to make sure I wasn't late!”, she said as she turned around, all smiles, holding in her hands what looked like two nicely cut slices of cake. One was strawberry and the other was chocolate.
Guren was surprised to say the least. Why had she bothered to go buy slices of cake today? It was a dangerous initiative as well. The Hiiragi would find it strange that their daughter, the heiress, would buy cake, two slices at that, and run away. Before he could think any further, Mahiru leaned towards him seeing his surprise and the question in Guren's eyes. She placed a kiss on the confused boy's cheek and leaned back, the smile still plastered on her lips. She never stopped smiling when she was with him.
“Happy birthday, Guren!” exclaimed Mahiru.
Guren felt himself blush slightly at this. Mahiru brought him cake because it was his birthday? And she gave him a kiss on top of that. It was so different from how other people from other clans treated him.
"I...uh...", Guren was at a loss for words, which made Mahiru laugh as she sat up and pulled on Guren's black kimono to make him sit down too. Which he did without resisting.
"Sit down. I thought you'd like the chocolate one, it looked really good in the window! Do you like chocolate?" Mahiru asked looking at him.
First of all, he had never eaten chocolate but wait, how did Mahiru know it was his birthday today? And why had she bothered herself to give him cake?
"Mahiru, h...how did you know that it's my birthday today?" Guren asked in turn as he tried to calm his slightly red cheeks and re-establish himself.
Mahiru laughed softly. "Well, I'm the forest fairy remember? Besides being able to protect you and heal your wounds, a fairy knows everything about everything! Of course, I would know when your birthday is!"
Guren blinked several times as he looked at her and responded more calmly. “We are still in the mountain.”
Mahiru pouted and gave his shoulder a light tap. "It comes down to the same thing! I'm a fairy and I know everything! It's magic."
"It's nonsense. And I can protect myself." Guren shook his head then looked at her again, now a little intrigued. "Mahiru...when is your birthday? Since you know mine, it seems legitimate to me that I should know yours."
“July 26! It’s already passed!”, said Mahiru. Guren felt a slight pang of guilt knowing that it had already happened but he remembered that they hadn't yet met before Mahiru's birthday. They met shortly after, perhaps a few days after July 26. "So, since I'm the older one between the two of us, I have to protect you even more!"
Guren frowned and replied. “We’re only one month apart!”
"That's a lot. Now Guren, do you like chocolate? Or maybe you prefer the strawberry one? I like the strawberry one, but if you want this one, I'll give it to you! It's your day today!' exclaimed Mahiru.
Guren had never eaten cake before so he didn't know if he preferred chocolate or strawberry. Besides, it seemed wrong to him to eat cake. He was on a strict diet for his training so he couldn't eat sweets like these.
"I don't know. I don't eat cakes.", Guren replied simply, placing his hands on the grass, a little behind him to lean on. The cakes looked really appetizing though. "Father says it's bad for my health. I can't progress and become strong if I eat cake..." he added.
"But today is your day! You can have whatever you want! Eating cake just one day in a year won't hurt you, I promise. Today is a special day. The one where you were born. So you can afford to eat a piece of cake. Plus, they smell great, right? Mahiru smiles handing out the cakes.
Guren looked down at the slices of cake. It’s true that they smelled very good. Despite himself, he felt a pit in his stomach, a sign that he was hungry. The cakes made him want it. And then, Mahiru was very good company and she had gone to the trouble of buying cake for him. For his birthday. Because he was born today. According to her, he had the right to eat it, at least today.
Today is a special day, huh? His day.
Raising his head, Guren looked at Mahiru who was still smiling and seemed happy to offer him some cake. He gave in and nodded.
"Okay. I will take the chocolate one.", Guren said. Despite the fact that Mahiru told him he could have whatever he wanted, she preferred the strawberry. Guren paid attention to every word she said. If she preferred strawberry, he was going to let her have the slice of strawberry cake. He himself didn't know which one he would prefer and anyway, both looked appetizing and smelled very good.
"Are you sure? Okay!", Mahiru placed the strawberry one in the grass in front of her and handed him the chocolate one, which Guren took in his hands. The two pieces of cake had a small paper plate underneath so they could put them down without getting them dirty and carry them around. The chocolate cake had a little heart that was a darker shade of brown than the majority of the cake.
Guren thanked her and, taking the time to analyze the chocolate cake in front of him, he took a bite.
And it was delicious. As Mahiru had promised him.
Maybe sharing this moment with her made the cake even better.
The time spent with Mahiru had been very pleasant as usual. They had eaten their piece of cake and lay down on the grass side by side looking at the clouds. They had fun finding animal shapes in the sky and Guren had even found a majestic dragon in a cloud. They had bathed in the river and took time to dry off before returning home, so as not to have their families ask them questions about why they were wet. The heat of the sun had quickly dried them.
Everything had gone well and Guren was satisfied with this day. Despite the fact that Mahiru found it amusing to take cake cream on her finger and smear it on his nose. Mahiru's beautiful laugh was worth almost ingesting cake through his nose.
Mahiru had waved at him as she left on her side while Guren left on his side, his hands in the small pockets of his kimono and a small smile on his lips. Mahiru seemed happy to see him smile at her as she left. Guren also liked it when she smiled.
It was a good day. The sun was starting to set, it was time for him to come home quickly. Sayuri and Shigure's curry awaited him and the training session with new techniques that his father had to teach him too. He also hoped that his summons to the Hiiragi had gone well.
As he walked towards the Ichinose residence, Guren suddenly stopped as he felt something was wrong. He had heard a noise. Turning his head slightly, he noticed the presence of two adult men walking quickly towards him. From their clothes, he knew immediately who they were.
Hiiragi soldiers.
Before a single word was spoken, he was backhanded in the face and kicked in the ribs, causing him to fall into the dry grass.
“You Ichinose scum!” one shouted.
"You thought we wouldn't find out about your little shenanigans?! How dare you be in Lady Mahiru's presence?!", the other shouted as he kicked Guren in the stomach.
It had to happen one day. There was bound to be a day when they would discover that Guren and Mahiru met often. And that day had come, it was today.
Guren could have held his own and probably taken both men to the ground in a matter of minutes despite his age and small size. However, he did nothing. Rebelling would only make things worse and his father would pay the price if he dared. He didn't want to add more problems to his father. This is why, despite his anger and his desire to put them on the ground, he only protected his head as best he could while suffering the numerous kicks of the two Hiiragi soldiers.
The blows were hitting his ribs, his stomach and his back. They were also actively trying to punch his knees and joints, and he even received a blow to his nose and eye despite trying to protect his head. At least, thanks to his hands, he didn't get hit in the head.
Guren felt an urge to vomit rise in his stomach from the many punches in his stomach but he tried not to. Mahiru had so generously gifted him cake for his birthday. She had taken so many risks just for him. He had eaten cake for the first time. She wanted to please him and she had succeeded. He really enjoyed this afternoon with her company and the cake was delicious. He shouldn't have vomited it. Mahiru was so nice. He hoped that she wouldn't get punished for hanging out with the Ichinose offspring. Worthless waste.
But he supposed she wouldn't be. For the Hiiragi, it was Guren who was seeing Mahiru. It was Guren who was bad company. And it was Guren who encouraged her to sneak out to join him.
She was the sun that shone high in the sky with her strength and kindness and he was just the worthless rat that crawled on the ground because of his weakness.