Traditions
It was a bright Sunday morning, birds were happily chirping, safely perched on high branches of sakura trees in the Hyuuga compound. If a passer-by were to look at the residential compound from the street, he or she would simply be overwhelmed by its imposing structure, set in the style of traditional Japanese homes. At the moment, on that same Sunday morning, a certain Hinata Hyuuga felt like a tiny bird trapped in a cage called Traditions. As she sat at the table to enjoy the delicious breakfast prepared by the family cook, her father, Hiashi, plainly announced, "Today your suitor's family is coming over to discuss your arranged marriage."
It is needless to mention that Hinata nearly choked on her first mouthful of rice. She stared at her father, white eyes meeting white eyes, as his words slowly sank in her mind. "WHAT?" she wanted to shout, but years of learning the etiquette with a strict tutor made her think better of it. Plus she did not want to spill rice all over her father's face, whose expression was already stern enough. The good thing about a round dining table is that it symbolises equality and unity. Yet, Hinata felt the whole weight of family hierarchy crash down on her poor little soul.
She hastily swallowed before asking, "May I know who it will be?" Better play the role of the obedient daughter… for now.
"You know him; he is the son of the late Fugaku Uchiha, who was at the head of the Uchiha family. He and his guardian, Professor Orochimaru, will arrive at six in the evening, so please get ready before that time. The whole family will be there to greet them." Hinata nodded in understanding. She knew the person he was referring to: Sasuke Uchiha, the only survivor of a murder raid at the Uchiha compound. She had been seven years old at the time, too young to comprehend why she could no longer meet her childhood friend and playmate. Both being born in wealthy, prestigious families, they had been introduced to each other on Hinata's third birthday, when she had been announced heiress to the Hyuuga family.
Her memories of that day were now all blurred in her mind's eye. The funny thing was that all she could remember was talking to a boy her height about how their respective eye colour matched the black and white dots on the Yin and Yang symbol. Now that Hinata thought about that particular memory, she mentally face-palmed herself at the ridiculousness of it. She just hoped that Sasuke did not recall any of it. And the nicknames they had given one another.
After breakfast, which was then spent in utter silence, Hinata went – was driven, really, by the family chauffeur – downtown to buy her stationery for the upcoming school year. She would soon enter her final year at Konoha Gakuen, an elite school in Tokyo. She was specialising in the arts, thanks to her late mother who hadn't hesitated to back Hinata when her father had plainly refused her choice of subjects. He had agreed only on the promise that Hinata would also study and practise the martial arts. She sure missed her mother…
The rest of the day was spent choosing the best outfit for that night's dinner. And the makeup. Especially the makeup. Studying her reflection in the full-length mirror in her room, Hinata frowned at the image of a porcelain-white girl scowling back at her. So pale. Too pale. Her skin complexion was a stark contrast to her midnight blue hair, which now reached her waist. She ran a slender hand through her straight cascade of hair, all the while staring intently at the equally straight fringe covering her forehead. Yes, she needed a haircut. The family stylist had assured her that this "hime" hairstyle would suit her "watermelon seed"-shaped face. Back then, she hadn't known whether to feel flattered or just plain insulted, so she had just smiled and acquiesced. A few weeks later, that same stylist had been fired apparently for speaking rudely as he attended the Hyuuga elders…
Being more self-conscious than self-confident, Hinata decided to play it safe by wearing a dark blue kimono adorned with cherry blossom patterns and a sash of lighter colour. Just as she was done applying some blush to her cheeks, she heard a servant call, "Hinata-sama! Please come out quickly. The guests have arrived."
Hinata came to an abrupt halt in front of the main hall, her servant following hastily in her wake. She had managed to tie her long hair back into a modest bun while walking, and now she could finally catch her breath. Phew!
She slid the door open…
… And froze.
[Author's note]
Initially this lil chapter was called: Just another love story... Because that's what Towards the Sun was supposed to be. In fact, I wrote this before getting all the ideas for TTS. Let me know if Traditions is worth continuing or I'll just take it down later.
Running Bird