Mukuro looked at the woman who was supposed to be his "mother" and shrugged his shoulders, as if none of this mattered to him.
"As expected, you're just like that failure Toji. I shouldn't have held the slightest hope for you."
The middle-aged man beside her didn't say another word. With a casual slap, the low-grade cursed spirit, barely at fourth grade, was erased under the weight of his cursed energy.
Mukuro's sixth birthday test ended in a farce. Along with his parents, almost everyone present left the place.
In ordinary sorcerer families, children would show signs of their techniques between the ages of four and six. At the very least, by six, there would be some reaction of cursed energy.
The man had been clinging to a faint hope that among his three sons, one more might not turn out to be useless. But the result had been the same as when Mukuro was born. No cursed energy.
In the Zenin clan, no one cared about a child without cursed energy. Nobody paid attention to what a Heavenly Restriction could mean. Here, cursed energy and techniques were everything.
"To these old fools, a human without cursed energy is no different from a monkey. Not worth a single thought."
Once the crowd scattered, Toji walked over and stopped in front of Mukuro.
"But earlier, you could have exorcised that cursed spirit. Why didn't you? At least it would have shown them you're not someone to look down on."
He reached and patted his brother's chest. The spot bulged slightly. Hidden inside was a cursed tool Toji had given him beforehand.
"Just like how they see us, I don't care about a bunch of monkeys' opinions either."
Mukuro pulled the dagger from his clothes, spun it once, then placed it back in Toji's hand. He didn't need such a thing.
"You cocky little brat. Come on, let's eat."
Toji blinked in surprise, then a smile tugged at his lips. He grabbed his brother by the head and carried him toward the exit.
Though he didn't like admitting it, his younger brother, useless in the clan's eyes just like him, gave him a warmth he had never felt in this household.
It was Mukuro's birthday. No way he was letting him spend it in this garbage dump.
"Let go already. That hurts."
Mukuro kicked his legs in the air, pretending he was still walking even though his feet didn't touch the ground.
* * *
The two brothers soon arrived in the most bustling part of Kyoto.
"You sure we can afford to eat here? Everything looks expensive."
Mukuro looked at the tall buildings and flashing signs around them, his eyes full of doubt.
"Well, you might be mistaken. The place we're eating at… is over there."
Toji turned his brother's head toward a narrow alley.
"This is supposed to be a birthday gift?"
Even when they stopped in front of a dimly lit old shop, Mukuro still hadn't snapped out of his daze.
He couldn't believe that in such a busy district, there was a hidden shop like this. Outside was the glamorous, dazzling city. Inside the alley stood a place that looked more like a forgotten countryside shack.
The contrast left him puzzled.
"Don't underestimate this place. The owner's cooking is one of the best in Kyoto."
Not giving him a choice, Toji lifted him onto his shoulder and pushed the door open.
What greeted them was a completely different world.
Bright lights. A lively atmosphere.
A middle-aged man worked steadily in the open kitchen, handling ingredients with practiced skill. A short-haired girl, youthful and pretty, was busy cleaning tables left behind by departing customers.
"Toji-san! You're here!"
As the brothers moved toward an empty table, the girl looked up and saw them. A sweet smile spread across her face.
"Yeah. The usual for me. As for this brat… uh, what's his name again? Let him decide for himself."
Toji sat down casually, resting his chin on one hand while watching the girl walk over. They clearly knew each other well. After ordering, he gestured toward Mukuro with his thumb, but scratched his chin as though he had forgotten his own brother's name.
"It's Mukuro," Mukuro said flatly.
"So you're the younger brother Toji-san always mentioned! Hello there! Order whatever you like, I'll treat you, okay?"
She leaned closer, patting his head gently.
"I'll just have the same as this idiot." Mukuro glanced at the menu but couldn't understand most of the words. After a brief pause, he calmly chose to follow Toji's order.
"Got it! It'll be ready soon!"
The girl turned and hurried into the kitchen.
"You can't read, can you?" Toji caught his awkwardness immediately. His tone sounded casual but carried a hint of teasing.
"I'm only six." Mukuro didn't deny it. Though he could understand Japanese from growing up here in this life, he had never attended school. The Zenin clan didn't care about studies, and Toji was a brute who had no patience for academics. Illiteracy was the natural outcome.
"Fair enough. But do you want someone to teach you? Or maybe you could try going to a normal school?" Toji spoke while his gaze lingered on the girl helping in the kitchen.
"That can wait. But shouldn't you explain who she is? Don't tell me she's my sister-in-law that I haven't met?"
Mukuro had never seen his brother act friendly toward anyone, yet this girl was different. Calling him "Toji-san" so warmly was already unusual.
"Her? She's Onshin Takatsuki. I saved her by accident once. Since then, she's often treated me to meals, so we became friends. This place is run by her and her father."
It was rare for Toji to remember anyone's full name.
Mukuro said nothing, but in his mind the conclusion was already clear. This woman was bound to be his brother's first wife in the future. Her haircut, her face, the way she carried herself; it all fit perfectly with Toji. Add her gentle and caring nature to his brother's poor attempt at acting indifferent, and the answer was obvious.
Even if nothing had happened between them yet, it was only a matter of time.
* * *
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Here's Toji-san's favorite simmered stew, plus lots of meat dishes."
A while later, Onshin returned, carrying steaming plates of food. She kept going until half the table was covered.
"This brat won't be able to eat so much. Why don't you join us?"
Toji called out as she turned to leave. He picked up a meatball with his chopsticks and chewed it slowly, looking like he was inviting her offhandedly.
"No, thank you. My dad's still busy," she replied politely, waving as she ran back to the kitchen.
"Not bad," Mukuro mumbled after tasting a meatball.
He couldn't tell if the food was really that good or if he was just amused watching his brother get rejected. Either way, it worked for him.
With chopsticks moving nonstop, the two of them cleared the entire table. Even Mukuro, with his small body, turned out to have an appetite like a bottomless pit.
"Done. Let's go."
"Wait."
Mukuro was about to hop off his seat when Toji pressed his shoulder down, keeping him in place.
"What is it?" He asked in confusion but stayed seated.
"Happy birthday, little Mukuro!"
At some point, while his attention was all on Toji, Onshin had walked up behind him. In her hands was a cake decorated with chocolate, his name and even a little figure of him carefully drawn on top.
"Uh…" Mukuro pupils shrank.
"Well, today's kind of a turning point in life, so… happy birthday," Toji muttered, scratching his head and looking away.
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