𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗘 ─ kurapika

𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘓𝘖𝘎𝘜𝘌

Sakuma left her room passing both her cousin's room seeing them still sleeping.

She opened the door quietly & saw her grandfather with a small smile & a basket of different fruits for his grandaughter & grandsons to eat for breakfast.

"Happy Birthday!" he said happily as the girl stood there with a straight face, "Oh, c'mon at least try to look happy." he said & then pushed his way through the door. "Did you think I'd forget about your birthday, especially if it's your seventeenth birthday." he said but Sakuma didn't answer.

She closed the door, she didn't care about who remembered or didn't remember her birthday. Isao, the grandfather, set the basket down on the table, "Did I wake you up?" he asked seeing as she looked tired. "Yeah." she said walking over to the table to pick up the basket. "Toru, Ryo, & I stayed up late training." she informed him as she set the basket in the refrigerator.

"Are they still asleep?" Isao asked as he pulled a chair out & sat down. Sakuma nodded leading against a cabinet. The room was quiet for a while, "Are you ready?" the grandfather asked her, "Yes." was all she said showing no fear. "Of course you are." he said with a small smile.

She then remembered what she was going to tell him. She knew he was going to say 'It's tradition' but she still wanted to try.

She looked down, "I don't want to do the ceremony." she looked back up & saw him look somewhat shocked but he kind of expected it from her. "You know the seventeenth ceremony is a tradition & not to mention special." that's what she expected.

The seventeenth ceremony is sort of like a birthday party but instead of cake & presents, they get good luck from the people of the village & are challenged to a fight to see if they are actually worthy of taking the hunter exam & becoming a ninja hunter.

Sakuma didn't believe in good luck & in needing it which is why she doesn't want a ceremony.

"I'm sorry if you don't want one but you'll need to do it. You know your mother would want you to do it." she looked over to him angrily. She hated it when he would use her dead family for her to get something done.

He sighed, "Why don't you want to do it? Are you scared of who will challenge you?" he asked his granddaughter. "Of course not." she immediately answered.

Isao stood up, "Well then, I'll see you later. Continue training with your cousins." Sakuma nodded as she pushed herself off the counter to open the door for her grandfather.

Once he was gone, she closed the door & went to go change. After that, she began making breakfast for her & her cousins.

"Goodmorning!" Sakuma heard from behind her knowing it was her youngest cousin, Ryo. The girl didn't answer keeping her eyes on the food cooking. "Yay, breakfast!" Ryo said happily as she sat down.

"Has Toru awaken yet?" she questioned ignoring what he said. "No, he's still asleep. He must be really tired after last night." he said getting up & grabbing himself a cup of orange juice.

"Wake him up, the food is almost ready & get changed." she told him. "Okay!" he answered cheerfully & began running off but stopped as he remembered something.

He ran back toward Sakuma & hugged her around her stomach since he was shorter. "Happy Birthday Sakuma." he said with a smile. She was shocked, of course, she'd expect something like that from him but it had reminded her how much she would hug her siblings when she was younger.