"Xiao Hua."
The boy froze. "Grandpa?"
"Where are you?"
The boy looked toward the bedroom door.
"Come out."
"Someone's here to see you."
Someone was here to see him?
The first person he thought of was that older sister.
Had she come looking for him?
The boy's heart lurched, and his arms tightened around Little Black.
No, no.
The boy shook his head.
He'd run so fast back then...
Though he tried to reassure himself, his heart kept beating faster and faster.
He took a deep breath, then walked over to the door.
He carefully opened it a crack and peered outside.
Grandpa blocked his view.
Unless he leaned farther out of the doorway, he couldn't see who was behind Grandpa.
He hesitated.
Fortunately, Grandma soon cleared up his confusion.
The visitors were two big brothers.
He let out a sigh of relief, but Grandma's next question immediately left him bewildered again.
Hit someone?
He hadn't hit anyone.
He hadn't bumped into anyone, either.
He thought it was just a misunderstanding.
They'd come to the wrong house.
But then he realized he'd relaxed too soon.
The two big brothers outside were friends of that older sister.
They'd come for Little Black.
They wanted to take Little Black away!
"Bang!"
He shut the door without thinking.
No!
He couldn't let them take Little Black away.
Little Black was his!
The boy made up his mind that he absolutely wouldn't open the door.
But the things the big brother said frightened him a little.
He didn't want to get Grandpa and Grandma into trouble, and he didn't want to go to the Police Station, either.
His teacher said only bad kids ended up at the Police Station.
He hesitated.
Then the big brother's promise tipped the wavering scales in his heart