"I'll have to take your little car away, too."
The woman "threatened" her child.
"Ah, no~"
The child immediately panicked.
He clung to his mother's sleeve, acting spoiled.
"Mommy..."
"Then you have to promise Mommy."
The woman remained unmoved. "You won't play with your little car outside anymore."
"Okay?"
"Mm-hmm."
The child agreed readily.
The woman couldn't help poking him on the forehead.
"Don't agree so readily."
"You have to really do it."
"Otherwise, Mommy will be very angry."
"Very, very angry."
"Got it?"
"Mm."
This time, the child nodded more seriously.
"...That was so dangerous just now..."
The woman hugged her child again.
"You little handful..."
Oh, right!
The woman finally remembered that she'd been so focused on her child that she'd neglected the child's lifesaver.
She hurriedly looked up.
"Tha—"
Hm?
Her voice cut off abruptly.
The young man who had been beside her was already gone.
Another parade float was slowly rolling past.
The cheerful music grew closer and closer.
She couldn't help picking up her child and standing.
She looked around.
Everywhere she looked, she saw a sea of heads.
The woman smiled ruefully.
She suddenly realized that she might not have even gotten a good look at the young man's face.
She'd been focused entirely on her child.
At first, she'd thought she wouldn't make it in time.
Then she'd realized her child was safe and sound.
An adult had been crouching in front of him.
She'd been both shocked and overjoyed.
Her fear had yet to subside.
Her thoughts and eyes had been fixed solely on her child.
How could she have paid attention to anyone else's appearance?
She'd cried and laughed as she hugged her child.
Only after she'd finally calmed down a little did she