It's an chilly evening. You're on your way back from whatever you did that day, taking a shortcut through the park, when you suddenly come accross two young girls, sitting alone on a bench. They are huddled up together, wearing a dirty clothes, desperatly trying to keep warm. You can't help but notice that they seems to be staring at you with tired and wary eyes.

Neither Adalia nor Akio speaks up immediately. They both seem hesitant and untrusting of the stranger who addressed them. After a few moments, finally, Adalia manages to squeak out a reply. "We're... fine," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze remains fixed on the ground between them, unwilling to meet your eyes for too long.

Neither one answers immediately. Both girls simply shiver, trying to keep warm in the cold night air. Finally, after what feels like an eternity of silence, Adalia slowly raises her head to look at you with a mixture of fear and hope in her eyes. "We... we don't have anywhere else to go," she whispers hoarsely. Her lower lip trembles as tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes.

Neither girl says anything in reply; they simply stare at you with expressions of conflicting emotions on their faces. It's clear that neither one knows what to think or feel about your offer. After a moment, however, Adalia finally nods silently, tears streaming down her face as she wipes her nose with the back of her hand. "Okay," she whispers hoarsely, taking a small step closer towards you.

But even as they follow you, both girls keep glancing nervously behind them every few steps; it's obvious that they are terrified of being left alone and vulnerable once more. Their constant fear causes tension to build between the two sisters - especially when one or another accidentally brushes against the other in their shared effort to stay close while also maintaining a safe distance from you.

Shivering visibly in the warmth of the house, both girls eye each other uncertainly as they follow your instructions. "W-We could... we could wash up," Adalia suggests timidly, her eyes darting between you and the bathroom door. The thought of cleanliness brings a brief spark of hope to their hearts; perhaps this stranger might be kind enough to help them feel at least somewhat human again.

Akio hesitates for a moment before finally nodding agreement, her expression caught somewhere between fear and longing. They both slowly approach the bathroom door, their fingers trembling as they clutch each other's hands tightly for support and reassurance in this unfamiliar place.

The words sink in slowly, as if they're trying to process everything at once. It's... an unexpected kindness, and neither girl quite knows how to react to it. A small smile tugs at the corners of Adalia's mouth as she glances up at you with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. "T-Thank you," she stammers softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Akio, on the other hand, seems to be more cautious in her response; she merely nods solemnly before looking down at their intertwined fingers. With a small sigh, she reluctantly releases Adalia's hand and grips the edge of the doorframe instead. "I... I guess we should..." she murmurs hesitantly as she eyes the bathroom warily once more.

With a nod, the two sisters hesitate no longer; carefully peeling away from each other's grasp, they enter the bathroom and shut the door behind them with a quiet click. The warmth of the water soothes their aching muscles almost immediately as they begin to undress slowly, unused to such luxury after months of roughing it on the streets.

Inside the room, you can hear the faint sounds of movement as they wash themselves, taking great care with every inch of skin. Despite their current state of relief and comfort, both girls keep one ear cocked towards the door; neither trusts easily in such a vulnerable situation, and they're worried about what might happen if you were to suddenly come barging into the bathroom without warning.

Both girls emerge from the bathroom some time later, hair wet and clinging to their bodies. They're both wrapped in oversized t-shirts that barely reach mid-thigh; while this does provide some modesty, it also makes them feel unbearably self-conscious about how thin and vulnerable they look beneath the loose fabric.

Their faces are still red from scrubbing so hard in the shower, but there's something different about their expressions now: a spark of life that had been absent before. They both glance shyly at each other as they enter the room, then quickly avert their gazes again when they realize how revealing the outfits are.

Adalia goes to sit on the couch, hugging her knees close to her chest; she can feel the new clothes rubbing awkwardly against her skin and wishes desperately for something

Flustered by your words, Adalia blushes even harder, her eyes darting away in embarrassment. "Y-You don't have to say that..." she mumbles shyly. Her sister, on the other hand, simply nods silently as she perches carefully on the edge of the couch beside Adalia.

Neither one can quite meet your gaze when you speak; both girls are still unused to such kindness and trust from a stranger. They exchange nervous glances every now and then before looking back down at their hands or elsewhere around the room. The silence stretches awkwardly between you, filling the air with an almost tangible tension.

With a small nod, the girls slowly make their way to the dining room table; they're hungry, but also cautious about eating in front of you. They both take seats across from each other and look down at their laps as they wait for you to start serving up the food.

"T-Thanks," Adalia murmurs softly, her eyes flicking briefly upwards before dropping again when she realizes how close they've ended up sitting next to one another. Akio merely nods in reply, not trusting herself to speak just yet; all of this feels too surreal and good to be true.

The scent of the food fills their nostrils, making their stomachs growl audibly despite their efforts to remain quiet. They can't help but steal glances at each other out of the corners of their eyes as they wait for you to begin eating as well.

Adalia begins eating quietly, feeling self-conscious about her sister watching her every move. She's not used to having anyone care about what she does or how much food she takes. Akio, on the other hand, is so lost in thought that she barely seems to notice her own hunger; instead, she fixates on your face as you eat, trying desperately to read any hint of your true intentions.

Adalia glances up at you briefly, her cheeks flushing even deeper. "I-It's just... I haven't eaten this much in forever," she whispers sheepishly before taking another small bite of her food. Her gaze drifts back down to the plate, but not before catching a glimpse of the amused smile playing around your lips.

Akio forces herself to focus on her own meal, picking at it halfheartedly while stealing glances in your direction every few seconds. "T-Thank you for letting us stay here," she finally manages to stammer between bites of food. Her voice is barely above a whisper, and even she can't believe the words have come out of her mouth.

Neither girl seems to notice how much time has passed as they eat; they're too lost in their own thoughts and emotions to pay attention to anything else

Surprised by your words, both girls exchange glances once more before looking back at you cautiously. "R-Really?" Adalia stammers, uncertainty clouding her eyes. She hadn't even considered the possibility that she and Akio might not be the only ones struggling to survive out there.

Akio nods silently in agreement, her gaze flickering between you and the dining table as if searching for any hidden meaning behind your words. "That must be hard," she manages finally, her voice little more than a whisper. "We've always been alone... it's nice to not feel so lonely."

Their eyes meet briefly across the table before they both look away again, unsure of how else to react or what else to say. The tension in the air is thick enough now that it could be cut with a knife; every word and movement feels charged with significance that

The words hang in the air between you, resonating deep within their hearts. Both sisters blush deeply at your compliment, unable to meet your gaze directly; it's too much kindness from a stranger, and they don't know how to react properly. A small smile touches Adalia's lips as she glances away shyly, but Akio only stares down at the tabletop, her expression unreadable.

"W-Well," Adalia finally manages to stammer, "t-thank you for having us over." Her voice is barely above a whisper; she's not used to being grateful for anything beyond basic survival anymore. Beside her, Akio nods slowly in agreement, the movement almost imperceptible given how still she is sitting up straight on the edge of her chair.

The silence stretches out once more between you, this time feeling less tense and awk

"That... means a lot," Adalia murmurs softly, her eyes downcast as she twists a lock of hair around her finger. She hasn't felt truly welcome anywhere in so long that the idea of having someone to talk to and actually be happy about it is almost too much for her to handle.

Akio merely nods in agreement, still not meeting your gaze directly. "Y-Yes," she manages to whisper hoarsely. Her heart swells with a strange mixture of gratitude, hope, and fear; the thought of trusting another person, even slightly, after all they've been through is both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

After your words, both girls seem to feel more relaxed around you; they exchange shy glances as they watch you wash the dishes. There's an air of companionship that hasn't been present in their lives for a long time now, and it's hard for them not to be affected by it.

Akio speaks up first. "Chan... thank you." Her voice is barely above a whisper, but there's sincerity behind the words that can't be missed. Adalia nods in agreement, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth; for the first time in what feels like forever, she actually feels hopeful about their situation.

The sound of running water and clinking dishes fills the silence as you wash the dishes, creating a sense of calm that neither girl wants to interrupt. Eventually, you finish and turn around to face them again. "So

Adalia and Akio exchange glances before looking at you with curiosity in their eyes. They didn't expect the silence to last this long but they don't mind it either. It feels nice just being together with someone who cares about them, even if it's only for a short while. "So," you say slowly, taking a seat across from them again. "What do you two want to do now?" Your voice is gentle, almost hesitant, as if worried that asking might ruin the peaceful moment they're sharing.

Both girls blush at your question; neither of them have given much thought to what they might want to do in this new and unexpected situation. "Um... we could..." Adalia starts, her voice trailing off uncertainly. Her eyes flicker over to her sister for help, only to find Akio looking just as clueless as she feels.

After a moment

With hesitant steps, they follow you into the living room. Tentatively, they sit down on the couch, still not quite sure what to make of this newfound closeness. The silence stretches out between you, and they both wonder if it's awkward for you too. Finally, Adalia decides to break the ice. "So... uh, tell us about yourself," she says softly, gazing at her hands in her lap. "Where do you come from? What do you do?"

Akio nods in agreement, her eyes flickering between your face and any distraction around them - a picture on the wall, an object on a table. She's not used to talking about herself, and even less so with someone she barely knows. "And... what brought you to help us?" she asks finally, her voice tiny in the quiet room.

Surprised by your words, both sisters exchange glances. "We... we don't have much to offer," Adalia finally manages to stammer. Her cheeks flush with emotion, and she looks down at her hands, unsure of what else to say. Akio nods in agreement, but adds, "Even if that's the case, it still means a lot... to know someone cares." She meets your gaze briefly before looking away again, feeling the lump in her throat begin to grow with every word. They both sit there silently for a moment, unable to comprehend this newfound sense of belonging. "I-Is it okay if we ask you questions too?" Adalia finally manages to say, her voice small but filled with curiosity about the person sitting before them.

"Where do you live then?" Adalia asks curiously, leaning slightly forward on the couch. "It must be different from where we used to stay." Akio nods in agreement, her gaze fixed on your face as if searching for any hint of your true feelings about all this.

A small smile tugs at the corners of your mouth. "I live not far from here," you tell them, trying to sound casual. "It's a nice place... quiet and peaceful." They exchange glances once more, unable to hide their obvious longing for such a life. "But enough about me," you add quickly, wanting to keep the focus on them. "Tell me more about yourselves. Where did you grow up? What were your dreams?"

Akio looks down at her hands before glancing up at you with sad eyes. "Our parents... they were abusive," she whispers hoarsely, each word like a knife through the heart. "We tried to run away, but it never went well." She shudders slightly, reliving the memories of terror and pain in her mind's eye.

Her sister nods solemnly, taking Akio's hand in hers. "They were always angry... they never cared about us," she says softly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "We just wanted a normal life... someplace safe." The admission leaves them both feeling raw and exposed, but it also feels good to finally tell someone the truth of their situation.