Why did the boy look as if he hadn't heard a word he'd just said?
The elegant old man frowned.
"Child..."
He raised his voice a little.
"You there..."
He couldn't help reaching out to tug at the boy's sleeve.
Could the child really have such poor hearing at his age?
If he hadn't been sure he'd never met the boy before, and therefore had no reason to be at odds with him, he might have suspected the boy was deliberately ignoring him...
The boy finally reacted.
His sleeve suddenly shifted.
The fabric slipped right out of the elegant old man's hand.
Only when he was left holding nothing did the elegant old man react.
Huh?
What had just happened?
He hadn't felt a thing...
And suddenly the sleeve was gone.
But the elegant old man was soon distracted by the boy's gaze turning toward him.
He looked at the boy.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
"...Child."
The elegant old man finally gathered his thoughts. "The rain's getting heavier. Would you like to come inside and get out of it?"
The boy seemed surprised.
The look he gave the elegant old man made him feel strangely uneasy.
"...What's wrong?"
The old man couldn't help touching his face.
Was there something strange about the way he looked?
"Pitter-patter~"
The rain suddenly grew heavier.
The elegant old man jumped.
A look of worry came over his face.
"Oh, the rain's getting heavier."
"Quickly."
The elegant old man grabbed the boy by the arm with one hand and held the other over his forehead.
There was still some distance between the gate and the house.
The boy glanced at the old man's hand holding him.
His expression was unreadable.
But he