He'd gotten it wrong.
People used the least energy when they were asleep.
Monsters did too, right?
The boy pressed his lips together.
Relief washed over him, but so did regret.
He was such an idiot.
"...I even shouted Little One's name..."
"Did I disturb Little One's rest...?"
The boy's expression darkened.
Aside from studying, he seemed to mess everything up.
Like being the child of his teacher...
His relationship with his classmates...
Maybe there was a better way to handle things...
Little One had disappeared.
He'd panicked and nearly gotten into a car accident.
If something had happened to him, who would have gone looking for Little One?
"Little One didn't want me to worry before, did it...?"
The boy grew even more dejected.
So it had pretended there was nothing seriously wrong.
He was slow on the uptake, too.
Because Little One had finally come back to him, he'd been so happy.
Only after his emotions had gradually settled down did Little One fall asleep.
And he hadn't realized a thing.
He'd made a fuss over nothing.
If he'd disturbed Little One's recovery because of that, regretting it afterward wouldn't help.
"...I'm always causing Little One trouble..."
The boy took a deep breath.
Otherwise, the heaviness in his chest almost made him feel like he was suffocating.
"Hm?"
The boy looked up in confusion.
Xiao Xiao withdrew his hand after gently patting the boy's head.
"This is the first time you've faced a situation like this. It's only natural to feel at a loss."
"It's fine to reflect on it."
"But there's no need to dwell on it and regret it too much."
"Little One wouldn't want to see you looking unhappy."
"And besides..."
Little One had worried itself sick over the boy.
Xiao Xiao