This happened a few years back . . .
When Shizuka was a child, she had a vibrant personality and was very outgoing. She loved spending time with her peers and was known for her playful and cheerful demeanor. On the other hand, Shiro, a boy who was her senior by five years, preferred to spend his time alone. He had no friends and would often be found standing near a lone tree, watching others play. He would climb up the sturdy oak tree and spend hours gazing at the playground from afar.
Shizuka would sometimes notice Shiro's presence and feel a tinge of sadness for him. She would wonder why he was always alone and contemplate inviting him to play with her and her friends. However, she would always be hesitant, unsure of what to say or do, and would find herself silently observing him from a distance.
As time passed, Shizuka noticed that Shiro had already entered adolescence and seemed to have lost interest in spending time with younger children. Although he would often be seen around the kids' playground, he never engaged in conversations with others his own age. Instead, he would always be seen sitting alone under the shade of a tree, engrossed in reading a pocketbook.
As Shizuka swayed back and forth on the swing, the gentle voice of a stunning young woman called out to her. "Shizuka! It's time to go," she said, approaching the young girl with a warm smile on her face.
Shizuka's joyful swinging came to a halt as she let out a disappointed exclamation, "Already?? Oh, come on!"
The woman let out a light-hearted laugh and said, "Leave some of that energy for tomorrow, will you?" Her voice resonated with a sense of amusement and affectionate concern.
The woman with disheveled blonde hair happens to be none other than Shizuka's mother. Shizuka, being a pre-schooler, would eagerly wait for her mother at the playground after school. It was a daily ritual for her mother to pick her up from there.
Shizuka's mother beamed with excitement as she extended an invitation, "Come on, Shizuka, let's go to the kitchen! I'll prepare your absolute favorite dish - the mouth-watering chicken curry!"
Shizuka stands still, her tiny fingers clutching the chains of the swing tightly. She looks hesitant, as if she doesn't want to leave the comfort of the swing. After a few moments, she gradually lets go of the chains. As she turns to walk, she can't help but mutter under her breath, "But your chicken curry sucks, mom!" The other parents at the playground can't contain their laughter and burst out into fits of giggles.
"Shizuka! Stop it. They can hear you!"
This brat has some words at her age
As the group of parents chatted animatedly, one of them made a playful remark about how challenging it can be to handle kids nowadays. Shizuka's mom smiled and responded, defending her daughter's behavior by saying that she's actually a well-behaved child. But before she could finish her sentence, she grabbed Shizuka's cheeks, playfully annoying her, while the sound of adults' laughter filled the playground.
"Mommy, that hurts!"
Despite the loud guffaws of the nearby parents around the park, her mother eagerly spoke up to suggest, "Anyway, I will ask your dad to cook dinner for tonight. Will that be okay?" The words were delivered with a sense of urgency, as if the idea had been brewing in her mind for a while.
"Yey! I love Dad's curry!" Shizuka's body suddenly tense up in anticipation before she springs up into the air, her face beaming with excitement and joy.
The mother of the little girl then gently hoisted her up and secured her onto her back. The child was full of energy and enthusiasm, as evidenced by her lively movements and spirited play in the playground. Reluctantly, they both bid farewell to the fun-filled area and made their way towards their home.
As the mother and child made their way, Shiro remained standing in the same spot, his expression devoid of any emotion. His gaze was fixed on them, but it was empty and distant, as if he was lost in his own thoughts. He watched them disappear into the distance, and then turned his attention to what they were talking about.
"Chicken curry? I wonder what it tastes like."
Amidst the warm breeze of a summer day, Shiro strolled leisurely down the street, engrossed in a captivating pocketbook he had brought along. As he walked, he couldn't help but notice a group of teenagers approaching him from the opposite direction. Before he could react, one of them bumped into him with a forceful jolt.
The teenager yelled, "Hey, watch out, you old-looking kid!" The bully was referring to Shiro's silver-dyed hair, which made him stand out from the crowd. It was evident that the teenagers intended to bump into Shiro to intimidate him, and their actions seemed to be fuelled by malice and cruelty.
"I'm sorry." Shiro politely excused himself and calmly walked past the intimidating bully, without showing any signs of fear or aggression.
"Oh no, you're not going anywhere, kid! You just bumped your dirty clothes into mine! We have a huge problem here!"
Shiro, a ten-year-old boy, found himself in a difficult situation when the leader of a group of bully kids decided to confront him once more. The bully, towering over Shiro, used their size and height to assert dominance and started harassing and intimidating the young boy. The situation was tense, and Shiro struggled to find a way out of it.
"I don't want any trouble, so please, leave me alone."
Shiro's left eye was concealed behind a black eye patch, giving him a menacing look. He gazed at the group of four teenagers with a cold, unwelcoming stare that seemed to penetrate their souls. His pitch-black pupil reflected the fear and unease of the teenagers who stood before him, unsure of what to expect from this enigmatic figure.
"You think you'll scare us with your wimpy glare?"
As the tension in the air thickened, one of the aggressive bullies suddenly lunged forward with a menacing look on his face. His fist was clenched tightly and he was aiming it directly at Shiro's vulnerable countenance.
A deep sigh escaped Shiro's lips as he tried to maintain his composure.
Out of nowhere, a solid brick was thrown at the teenage boy from behind, aimed straight at his head just as he was about to attack Shiro. The brick hit him hard, causing him to fall onto his knees and cry out in pain. The other three boys quickly turned their attention to the direction from where the brick had come, clearly confused and bewildered.
The bully's leader was taken aback by the sudden appearance of someone. "Show yourself!" he demanded, his voice laced with surprise and perhaps a hint of fear.
Despite the shocking incident that had just occurred, Shiro remained calm and collected. He even found amusement in the situation, letting out a small chuckle as he processed what he had just witnessed.
That must've hurt.
A little girl, probably around five years old, emerged from behind a tall brick fence. Her hair was a rich chocolate brown, parted down the middle and styled into two adorable little pigtails. Her bright green eyes shone like emeralds, and her cheeks were rosy with innocence. She was dressed in a sky-blue preschool uniform with a white collar and a matching ribbon in her hair. Despite her small size, she exuded a sense of confidence and curiosity, and Kyoshiro couldn't help but admire her fearless spirit.
"Stop what you're doing!" Her voice was adorably cute, but her fury was palpable.
As soon as the three boys caught sight of the little girl, who was considerably smaller than Shiro, they broke into uncontrollable fits of laughter, letting out their nervous energy and feeling more relaxed.
"Oh hey, look who showed up! A nursery who wants to be a hero!"
"Are you lost, kid?"
"Are you looking for your mama?"
"You shouldn't meddle with the business of grown-ups, young one, or else you'll pay for it!"
The three boys had just found their next target and started surrounding her, making the little girl uncomfortable.
Shiro is feeling protective over the young girl and is determined to keep her out of harm's way. He doesn't wish to engage in any form of fighting, but he has come up with a plan to deal with the three boys who are causing him trouble. His plan involves tricking them by throwing a used brick at their heads, and then quickly making his escape. Shiro hopes that this will be enough to deter the boys from bothering him or anyone else in the future.
As he turned his gaze towards the weeping bully, his eyes caught sight of a used brick lying beside him. Without any hesitation, he reached down and picked it up, holding it tightly in his hand.
He then shifted his gaze back at the boys before realizing he was too late to react. To his surprise, he saw the three teenagers lying on the ground, weeping as well.
The young girl's voice was filled with concern as she asked, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Her sweet tone conveyed a genuine desire to help, and her eyes were fixed on Shiro, waiting for a response.
His eyes shot open in confusion as he asked, "What happened?" with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Don't mind them. They're just a bunch of trash."
Upon witnessing the tiny girl successfully defeat the bullies, Shiro was rendered speechless and unable to articulate any further thoughts or words.
Shizuka stepped forward with a friendly smile and introduced herself to the much taller Shiro. "My name is Shizuka. What's your name, loner?" Her warm and inviting demeanor seemed to suggest that she was looking for a new friend, and she hoped that Shiro might be just the person she was looking for.
Shiro's lips curved upwards, forming a content and joyful smile. He had come to a realization of what was being attempted, which brought him immense happiness.
"Shiro. Momuzuki Shiro. I'll be glad to be your friend, my savior."
Shiro reached out his right hand towards the little girl, his palm facing upwards, as if inviting her to shake it. His fingers were slightly spread apart and his posture was relaxed, conveying a friendly and welcoming attitude.
Shizuka beams widely.
"Nice to meet you, Shiro Sempai." With a sense of relief, Shizuka slowly extended her hand towards Shiro's, feeling her fingers gently intertwine with his as they shook hands.
Shizuka was hit with a wave of sadness as she reminisced about the day she had first met Shiro. It was hard for her to grasp the reality that Shiro was, in fact, Sakaki Kyoshiro - a notorious criminal who had mercilessly hunted down an entire clan, including innocent women and children in the other world. The realization of his true identity shook her to the core and left her feeling numb with disbelief.