Sesshoumaru tapped his claws against his keyboard in time with the clock on the wall in front of him. He had menus to finalize and orders to submit, but all he could think of was how Rin's first week at school was going. Opening a second restaurant had always been in the cards, even with adding Rin to the mix, but he'd been upfront with her about it from the start.

He'd never planned on having children, at least not in the short term, but he was more concerned with creating a name for himself within the cooking community. Michelin stars were hard to come by, but he knew he had the talent to get one. All he needed was the opportunity. The second restaurant would allow him to expand his menu and, therefore, his clientele. All he needed was to iron out the finer details.

If he could only concentrate.

Rin's schooling had never bothered him before; her marks were high, and she knew how to prioritize her studies, but as his brother had pointed out on multiple occasions, half the reason for going to school in the first place was to work on social skills as well.

Rin had never once asked to go out with friends.

He'd since asked her about it, of course, but she'd shrugged and said she'd rather study. Another minute ticked by without him looking at his computer screen, and he leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He hadn't wanted to smother her, as moving schools was stressful enough, but it would be alright to question her now that the first week was done, right?

Sesshoumaru dragged a hand down his face. Rin had always been quiet—it was why she'd caught his attention in the first place. Jaken had signed up various schools and orphanages for a free lunch as part of the PR campaign for the new restaurant, and while the first two days had been filled with rambunctious youngsters and a million questions, the tiny brunette that he'd stumbled across in the kitchen while cooking on the third day had simply asked if she could help him plate the food.

He'd offered to teach her how to cook as well, but she'd shied away from any sort of heat, and he'd found out later that she'd lost her family in a fire a few years prior. She'd enjoyed the desserts the most, drawing little coulis flowers in the centre of the plates, and he'd made Jaken probe into her current status regarding foster homes.

Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what strings Jaken had had to pull, but her adoption papers had been fast-tracked once the decision had been finalized, and Rin had officially become a Taisho. It had been an adjustment, for both of them, but she wasn't a demanding child.

Sesshoumaru wished she was. If she spoke up more about her needs, he wouldn't be left wondering how to make her life better. He couldn't bribe people to be her friends, and she hadn't joined any clubs at her last school. Hopefully, this one would be different.

He'd made sure to transfer her during summer break so she could start the year fresh, but she had yet to complain. Rin never complained about anything. Groaning, he slammed his laptop shut. There was no point in thinking about which wine paired with which appetizer when all he could think about was her well-being.

The front door opened, and his chair skidded backwards as he jumped to his feet. Taking a moment to smooth out his hair, Sesshoumaru sucked in a breath to calm his nerves, then exited his office. Rin was in the middle of taking off her shoes, backpack already lying on the floor. "How was school?" he asked. He stilled when she straightened, a broad smile on her face as she bounced toward him.

"Papa! Can I dye my hair pink?"


"I'm telling the truth!" she argued.

"Rin, there is no way—"

"She does, Papa. Everyone thought it was a wig at first, but she let some of the first years pull on it during recess." She tapped something into her phone, swiping a few times before turning the screen around. "It looks like that!"

Sesshoumaru scowled at the picture. Rin had downloaded a hair-styling app where you could see how different cuts and colours looked before going into a salon. Her current choice showed her with the same length but bright fuchsia hair.

"Public school teachers do not have rainbow hair," he reiterated.

Rin rolled her eyes as only a girl her age could do. "It's not rainbow, it's pink. One of the other teachers is hanyou, and hers is purple. Higurashi-sensei did it to match because some of the parents were giving her a hard time about it." Rin got a faraway look in her eyes. "She's wonderful."

"This is your homeroom teacher?" he asked.

She hummed, then went back to her phone. "Some of the other girls are thinking about going to the salon next weekend. One of their older sisters works there." She held up a different style. "What about just some streaks?"

Sesshoumaru was torn between his immediate no and not wanting to discourage the fact that she'd actually made friends. "This girl's sister is a reliable source?" he asked.

Rin nodded. "She showed me some pictures of them with matching ombre jobs from last year. Please Papa? I promise I won't get any of it on my clothes."

How had she mastered the art of begging in a single shot?

He straightened his shoulders. "Allow me to meet your teacher first to confirm your findings. We will speak of this after." He fully expected her to argue, or at least whine, but she jumped from her chair, phone forgotten as she leapt into his arms.

"Thank you! I can go with them even if I don't get anything done, right?"

His expression softened, and he lay a hand on her head. "Do as you please."


Rin had spoken about nothing but her homeroom teacher for over a week. The woman's schedule had been filled with appointments when he'd emailed her about a meeting, so it had taken them several days for their schedules to line up. Rin was still hopeful the illustrious Higurashi-sensei would sway his opinion on her hair, so she'd convinced her new group of friends to wait it out until she'd gotten a firm answer.

Sesshoumaru was tempted just to let her go, but his curiosity had been piqued when Rin had spoken of the woman standing up to a pair of pureblood parents, somehow remaining calm even when they started baring their claws when she refused to brush off their son's abysmal behaviour in class.

"He tried to throw rocks at her in class, Papa. Can you believe it? All because she wouldn't let him sit next to his best friend. Everyone knows we have a seating arrangement," Rin said, leading him to her classroom. One of her friends, a kit by the name of Shippou, waved as she walked by, and Rin looked between him and her father. "Do I need to be there for the meeting? You're just introducing yourself, right?"

Sesshoumaru waved her off. "Go on. But do not leave the school grounds." She hugged his arm and then bounded after Shippou, who bowed slightly before engaging in whatever Rin was talking about. Sesshoumaru breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this school was the right fit for Rin. She'd started to smile more regularly, to the point where even Jaken had begun to ask questions.

He knocked on the door once, and a cheerful voice told him to come in. Although the classroom was for older children, the walls were still covered in brightly coloured words and pictures, bringing life to what otherwise would've been a dull set of four walls. The woman was leaning over her desk but quickly turned around, eyes widening in surprise. "Taisho-san?" she asked.

He inclined his head, sneaking a glance down at himself to make sure there wasn't a stain on his jacket. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd left work with evidence of his latest masterpiece on his clothes.

The woman shook her head, bowing when he got close. "Sorry, you weren't what I was expecting."

He raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that those of any heritage were welcome here."

"Of course," she said automatically, "but it's not every day we have daiyoukai parents with human children."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock. He specifically hid the more potent parts of his aura as they tended to conflict with most other species, so as far as most people knew, he was just another pureblood. He released the corner of the seal and felt her power simmer under the surface. "You are a miko."

Higurashi placed a finger on her nose. "It's not something I advertise, but good job getting it on the first try. Not many people recognize the difference between youki and reiki so quickly." Her smile was warm, warmer than he was used to, and Sesshoumaru loosened the tie around his neck.

"I hope that will not be an issue," he said.

"Of course not! Unless you use it as an excuse for Rin not finishing her homework on time." His horrified expression must've been more obvious than he thought, and she chuckled. "I didn't think so. Rin would probably own up to it before you had the chance to cover for her, anyway."

He preened at her tone. "I take it she is doing well in class, then?"

Higurashi hummed. "I was a little worried in the beginning, but I might've cheated and done some purposeful group projects to encourage her to speak up. I hope that's alright?"

"As long as she is happy," he said.

Her smile became wistful, and she leaned against her desk. "If only all parents had their priorities figured out when it came to their children." She glanced out the window. "Sometimes they forget that they're still just kids and need time to play." They stood in silence for a moment, and the woman suddenly stiffened, bringing her mind back inside. "I'm sorry, you're here about Rin. Were you looking for a progress report?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, then motioned to hers. "Actually, I am here about your hair."

The woman tilted her chin, eyeing him carefully. "What about it?"

He could already sense she was on edge and tried to backtrack. "There is nothing wrong with it. It suits you beautifully," he said, cringing at her raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat. "Allow me to try that again. Rin wishes to don a similar style, and I wanted to confirm it was not a passing fad on your part."

Clicking her tongue, she stared at him long enough for him to start fidgeting, then chuckled softly and pulled on a fuchsia curl. "Not a passing fad, merely a way to drive the point home to parents that appearance doesn't affect my ability to do my job."

"Based on Rin's assessment of you, I have no doubt about that."

Her cheeks turned a matching shade of pink. "Thank you. She tries really hard to impress people."

Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. "Not to the point of interfering with her learning, I hope."

Higurashi immediately shook her head. "No, no. She's just very genuine in everything she does. You know exactly what you're going to get with her." She folded her hands under her chin. "Did she learn that with you?"

He shrugged. "I do not see the point of being dishonest if that is what you mean."

She playfully flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Even when it comes to your appearance?"

Her smile was infectious, and the edge of his mouth quirked. "Perhaps the statement can be amended to include that."

"Glad we're on the same page."

"Indeed."


"Papa, do you like sensei?" Rin asked as they got into the car.

"She is an admirable person who clearly enjoys her job," he replied.

Rin rolled her eyes. "No, I mean do you like like her."

Sesshoumaru met her gaze in the review mirror. "What gave you that impression?"

"You were talking to her for a long time."

"We were discussing your time in her classroom," he said, pulling out of the parking lot. He felt her eyes on him, arms eventually crossing over her chest.

"I'd be okay with you asking her out," she said, looking out the window. "Her hair is really pretty."

If he was being honest with himself, he'd noticed her eyes before her hair. His hands tightened around the steering wheel, not wanting to give himself away. "I will keep that in mind."

She gave him a sideways glance, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "Do as you please."