The arrival of Tsuyuri Kanao brought a flurry of activity into the household—especially for Kanae, Shinobu, Koyuki, and Ume.
Though Kanao herself showed no emotion, the four firmly believed that with their devoted care, she would one day recover and live as a normal child again.
As for Hakuji and Gyutaro… things were less smooth.
After Gyutaro gifted Kanao two sickles as "toys," the girls immediately banned him from approaching her. Hakuji fared a little better, but his reckless, heavy-handed nature had nearly injured her more than once.
That night, Hakuji poked idly at the firewood in the brazier, grumbling:
"Gyutaro, aren't Koyuki and the others making a fuss over nothing? Even if she's a child, it's not like she'll break so easily. Don't you think so?"
Gyutaro only stared down at the pair of sickles in his hands—the very ones he had intended to give Kanao.
"Is it really possible… that someone wouldn't like sickles? I thought they were fun…"
Yōsuke couldn't help but interject.
"Gyutaro, you might be the only one in the world who thinks sickles make good toys."
Hakuji nearly jumped in surprise at Yōsuke's sudden voice.
"Eh? Yōsuke-sama—what are you doing out here too?"
Yōsuke rolled his eyes.
"What do you think? Thanks to you two, even I've been kicked out. And I didn't even do anything."
Hakuji scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Should I… maybe talk to Koyuki and the others?"
Yōsuke sighed.
"Forget it. To them, Kanao is a treasure right now. Anything that might risk harming her is absolutely forbidden. Best we stay out here quietly."
Hakuji's gaze sank into the flames. His thoughts wandered to the pitiful child they had taken in, and he muttered:
"Yōsuke-sama… how could parents be so heartless? To abuse their own child, even sell her to traffickers?"
Yōsuke's expression softened into one of weary understanding.
**"Because their own lives had failed, and they vented that frustration onto the child. To them, she was nothing but a burden—a scapegoat to lash out at. Her parents were weak, and by abusing someone even weaker, they sought the illusion of being strong.
But they forgot one thing: all people are equal at their core. Human dignity is innate, no matter one's status or station. Respecting the weak is what sets human society apart from that of animals. True strength means restraining oneself for the sake of another's freedom."**
Hakuji fell silent. He thought back to Master Keizō, the man who had once taken him in. Despite Hakuji's stained past as a criminal, Keizō had shown him no scorn—only shelter, teaching, and even the willingness to entrust him with everything.
His gaze drifted to Koyuki, busy inside the house tending to Kanao with gentle hands. A smile spread across his face.
"Hearing words like yours, Yosuke-sama… it always warms my heart. Every time, I feel I learn something new."
Yōsuke smiled faintly.
"It comes with time and hardship. I too was once weak. It was only through the guidance of those beside me that I grew stronger. More than physical power, it's the strength of the soul that truly matters."
The firelight flickered across the faces of Hakuji and Gyutaro. Their paths had diverged forever from what they might once have been—not cruel, merciless killers, but protectors learning what true strength meant.
Days slipped by.
Under Shinobu's meticulous treatment, most of Kanao's wounds had healed. Only the deepest, oldest scars remained.
"Kanao, it's time for dinner!" Koyuki and Kanae called brightly, carrying in plates piled high with food.
But Kanao only stared blankly at them, unresponsive.
Her stomach growled, painfully empty, yet she did not move. Would eating earn her a beating? Should she wait for permission?
The traumas of her past had left her unable to make decisions for herself.
Shinobu sighed.
"Sister, it's been days now. Unless we order her directly, she doesn't react at all."
Kanae produced a copper coin from her sleeve.
"Then if she can't decide for herself… let's leave it to a coin toss."
"That's far too careless!" Shinobu exclaimed.
But Koyuki nodded in approval.
"No, it's actually a clever method. When faced with an impossible choice, tossing a coin often helps. It isn't the coin itself that decides—rather, in that instant as it spins, the heart already knows the answer it longs for."
Kanae gently ruffled Kanao's hair.
"That's right. And I believe, someday, when Kanao finds someone she loves, she'll change on her own as well."
"Onee-san! You too?! …Ugh, fine, do whatever you want." Shinobu huffed, turning away in embarrassment.
Kanae laughed softly and tugged at her sister's pout until it curved into a smile.
Then she pressed the coin into Kanao's hand.
"Here—try it. Toss the coin. The result itself doesn't matter. What matters is the choice you feel in your heart as it falls."
Blankly, Kanao stared at the coin in her palm. Then, under the warm, expectant gazes of Kanae and Koyuki, she flicked it into the air.
It landed back in her hand—heads.
Without hesitation, Kanao picked up her food and began to eat ravenously.
Shinobu blinked at the sight, still unconvinced.
"Leaving such choices up to chance… I still think it's unreliable."
But Yōsuke, leaning against the doorframe, spoke calmly.
"No—Kanao's already made great progress. After all, you never told her which side of the coin meant she should eat, did you?"
Shinobu turned sharply to Kanae and Koyuki. They both shook their heads.
"Exactly. Which means the coin itself didn't decide anything. In the moment she tossed it, she chose for herself. That alone is proof—under your care, she's beginning to change. And that change is leading her in the right direction."
Shinobu's eyes widened with dawning realization.
"So it really worked…?"
She gazed at Kanao, who continued devouring her meal with unrestrained hunger—and for the first time, Shinobu's heart brimmed with hope.
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