Ghoul: Starting with Sharingan

Byakuya recalled that Nutcracker was indeed a ghoul from the 19th Ward.

It was quite a coincidence to encounter a young version of Nutcracker on her very first visit to the 19th Ward for shopping.

What surprised Byakuya even more was seeing Eto directly taking the little Nutcracker into the shoe store.

Naturally, he followed them inside.

At this moment, the confused store clerk turned to Byakuya and asked, "Excuse me, are you related to that little girl?"

"We're not, but her parents are our friends" Byakuya replied calmly.

His tone was so composed that it left no room for doubt.

"Oh, I see..."

The clerk immediately believed him. She had no reason to question such matters; her curiosity stemmed more from the unexpected situation.

"Little girl, this is the pair of shoes you wanted, right?"

By now, Eto had already brought the little Nutcracker to the pair of red high heels she had been admiring. "But you're still too young, so these might not fit you properly."

The heels were clearly designed for adult women.

Turning to the clerk, Eto asked, "Do you have something similar, but in a children's size?"

"Yes, please wait a moment" the clerk replied promptly before going to fetch the requested shoes.

Nutcracker, still bewildered from being pulled into the store by a stranger, could hardly process what was happening.

It was hard for her to believe that this beautiful older sister wasn't disgusted by her dirtiness and stench and had even grabbed her hand and offered to fulfill her wish.

"That pair of heels is too big for you, so I had the clerk bring you this one instead" Eto said as she accepted a pair of red children's high heels from the clerk. "Let's go wash your feet first, and then you can try them on to see if they fit."

"Okay..."

Nutcracker, still in a daze, followed along.

With help from the store clerk, Nutcracker used a faucet to wash her dirty feet. While washing, she couldn't help but ask Eto, "Big sister... why are you being so kind to me?"

"You should ask that nosy guy over there. It was his idea, so I'm just following along" Eto replied, casting a glance at Byakuya.

Nutcracker followed her gaze and spotted the unfamiliar older brother. This was her first time encountering people who treated her so kindly.

Still, her heart was filled with anxiety. Deep down, she was terrified that her true identity as a ghoul would be discovered and that they would end up hating her.

Noticing the fear and tension in Nutcracker's expression, Eto quickly guessed what she was worried about. However, she chose not to address it directly and instead kept smiling warmly at the little girl.

After washing her feet and face, Nutcracker eagerly tried on the children's high heels. Her face lit up with joy.

Although Eto was primarily helping this little girl because of Byakuya's wishes, seeing Nutcracker's happiness gave her a sense of satisfaction.

"How do they feel? Do you like them?" Eto asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Nutcracker nodded enthusiastically, her face brimming with excitement.

But then, as if remembering something, her expression fell. "But... I don't have any money..."

She didn't know how much the shoes cost but was certain they weren't cheap.

"It's okay. Didn't I already tell you I'd help you fulfill your wish?" Eto reassured her.

"Thank you so much!" Nutcracker exclaimed with delight.

"Of course, the money is actually coming from that big brother over there, so you should thank him too" Eto added with a playful correction.

"Big brother, is he your friend?" Nutcracker asked curiously.

Eto smiled mysteriously and shook her head. "Not quite. Why don't you guess again?"

"Not your friend? Then..."

This question stumped Nutcracker, whose life had been focused solely on survival. After a long moment of thought, she admitted, "I... I can't figure it out."

"You'll understand when you're older" Eto replied with a cryptic smile.

Suddenly, Nutcracker seemed to have an epiphany. "Could it be... like Mom and Dad? Like... family?"

"Exactly! Congratulations, you guessed right~" Eto said with a grin.

"Alright, that's enough. Stop putting strange ideas into her head" Byakuya interjected.

"Hehe, I'm just being honest~" Eto replied playfully.

Nutcracker, still too young to fully grasp their conversation, sat there with a blank expression, unable to understand what was going on.

Soon after, Byakuya paid for the shoes, allowing Nutcracker to wear her new red heels immediately.

As they left the store, Eto turned to Nutcracker and asked, "By the way, where are your parents? Do you need us to take you home?"

"My parents... they're gone now" Nutcracker said, her tone and demeanor showing no signs of sorrow. It was as if she had already come to terms with it.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up" Eto said apologetically.

"It's fine. I don't have a home to go back to anyway. Thank you so much for today. I've never been this happy before" Nutcracker said with a smile.

For her, the day had been like a dream. Not only had she met such kind people, but she had also received the beautiful shoes she had always wanted.

After thanking them, Nutcracker prepared to leave on her own. She had grown used to wandering the streets alone, scavenging for human corpses to survive.

However, before she could leave, Eto hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "How about staying at our place for a while?"