I could see how my words slowly seeped into their minds, forcing them to think about something far greater than their everyday lives as children of an orphanage.
I didn't continue speaking. I didn't press them. I didn't force them.
I knew that a decision like this should never be imposed. After all, it wouldn't involve only me. It would involve them as well. And if they were to step into the dangerous world of Jujutsu, then this wouldn't be a matter of mere curiosity or fleeting courage. It would be a choice that would change their lives forever—a choice that could never be taken back.
That decision… should belong to them.
"Why are you asking something like that, Kenji?" The blonde-haired girl finally spoke. She looked at me with slightly widened eyes, her pupils trembling. Her voice tried to sound calm, but a faint quiver betrayed her unease. "Are… are we involved in something serious?"
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, as if she feared that my answer would become too real if spoken aloud.
Beside her, the purple-haired girl didn't speak right away. She simply stood there, staring straight at me without blinking. Her expression was serious, her jaw subtly tightening, as though she were weighing every worst-case scenario that might arise from my question. There was no panic on her face—only a level of caution far too mature for someone her age.
"You could say that," I answered honestly, without trying to soften the truth. I didn't want to give them false hope. "I could tell you the truth right now. And if you know what's really going on, then I'll help you as much as I can. I'll make sure you're strong enough, prepared enough, to face whatever may happen in the future."
My voice sounded heavy, and I was fully aware that my words only made the atmosphere more tense. Even so, I chose honesty. The world I was talking about was not one that welcomed lies.
The two girls fell silent again.
The blonde-haired girl grew even paler. Her lips trembled slightly, and without realizing it, she tightly grabbed the arm of the purple-haired girl beside her, as if searching for something to hold onto so she wouldn't collapse. Her fingers shook, and her grip tightened with each passing second.
Meanwhile, the purple-haired girl remained standing upright. Her posture didn't change, but her gaze now carried an unease that was hard to hide. She was clearly trying to stay calm, yet it was obvious that her mind was working relentlessly, turning over possibilities she didn't want to acknowledge.
"Then…" The purple-haired girl finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence. "If you don't tell us the truth?"
I let out a quiet breath before answering. My breathing felt heavier than usual.
"Then I'll still do everything I can to protect you," I said honestly. "To protect the children of the orphanage. To protect everyone who lives there. I'll do my best to keep any danger that might hurt you far away."
I paused, lowering my gaze for a moment, carefully choosing my next words. This was the hardest part to say.
"But I'm only one person," I continued in a calmer voice, almost flat. "There will be times when I can't be everywhere. There will be times when I'm too late. And when that happens, the only ones who can save you…"
I raised my gaze again, looking at them one by one. "…will be yourselves."
Both girls flinched.
The blonde-haired girl's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. Meanwhile, the purple-haired girl slowly clenched her fists, as if she had just realized that the safe and simple world they knew might not always protect them.
"If you knew what was really going on," I added, "then my chances of keeping everyone at the orphanage safe would be much higher. Their safety would also be more secure. Because the two of you would help me."
At those words, their expressions shifted rapidly. Confusion came first, followed by unmistakable shock, and then a fear they couldn't completely hide. It wasn't an explosive kind of fear, but a quiet one—something that slowly crept into the chest and settled there.
I watched them in silence.
Even though they were only nine or ten years old, the way they processed the situation felt different. There were no hysterical tears. No panicked screams. No instinctive rejection like children their age would normally show.
They were thinking.
They were weighing their options.
They were trying to understand.
Maybe because they were children from an orphanage.
Maybe because life had forced them to grow up faster, carrying burdens they should never have had to bear so early.
Or maybe… because deep inside them, a small courage had already taken root—one they themselves hadn't fully realized yet.
"So…" The blonde-haired girl swallowed before continuing. Her shoulders lifted slightly, as if she were gathering what little courage remained in her chest.
"All this time… you've been the one protecting us? And everyone at the orphanage?" Her eyes looked at me with anxious clarity—clear and fragile, as though my answer would decide whether the world she knew was still safe or not. "By yourself?"
Oh no. Don't look at me like that.
That expression really made me look like the most pitiful person in the world. As if I were the only pillar holding up something far too heavy for one person to support alone.
"Yes," I answered briefly, without trying to dodge it. "But if you decide to learn the truth about what you just experienced, then I'll help you. We'll work together. To protect and defend the orphanage."
I deliberately emphasized the word together.
Not because it sounded more convincing, but because I truly meant it. I no longer wanted to stand alone in front of danger, pretending I could handle everything by myself. This experience had taught me something—that sometimes, I needed to trust others and let them help me.
The blonde-haired girl glanced to the side, her face filled with hesitation.
"Uhm… what do you think, Rika?" she asked softly, her voice uncertain, as if she were hoping the girl beside her could make the decision for her.
Rika—the purple-haired girl—didn't answer right away.
She stayed silent for several seconds, long enough for the atmosphere to grow heavier. Her gaze lowered, fixed on the floor beneath her feet, as though her thoughts had drifted far into the past. Her face looked calm, but there was clearly turmoil behind her eyes.
Then, Rika lifted her head again.
Her purple eyes were now filled with firm resolve, completely different from before.
"I…" Rika took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly.
"I want to help. We've lived in the orphanage since we were babies. That place…" Her voice faltered for a moment, "…is our home."
Her voice trembled slightly, but it didn't waver. Instead, it grew more resolute, as if every word she spoke had been carefully thought through.
"That's why I want to protect the orphanage," Rika continued. "To protect the people who live there, to keep them safe. I don't want to lose that place. I don't want to lose them."
Rika then turned to the blonde girl beside her. "What about you, Shizuka?"
"Uhm!" Shizuka nodded quickly, almost reflexively. Her blonde hair swayed with the movement, and although her face was clearly still pale, her eyes shone with a small determination she was desperately holding onto. "Me too! I… I don't want to just stay still and not know anything. I don't want to wait until something bad happens again."
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