"Huh?"
After waiting a while and hearing nothing, the boy blinked in confusion.
He pressed his lips together.
His erratic heartbeat pounded in his ears.
He felt a little irritated.
He took a deep breath.
Ah...
Only then did the boy realize...
The room was dark.
Which meant...
Mom still wasn't home.
A feeling of relief washed over him, like he'd narrowly escaped disaster.
Thank goodness.
Mom wasn't home yet!
The boy grinned.
So what had he been so nervous about earlier?
Maybe today was his lucky day?
The boy happily thought as he switched on the light in his room.
But when he thought about how he'd rushed home to beat the clock and only hurriedly said goodbye to the gray-haired girl...
A little unease crept into his heart.
Would the gray-haired girl be mad?
The boy was caught in a dilemma.
He lost track of time.
His stomach growled, jolting him back to his senses.
He pressed a hand to his stomach.
He was so hungry.
He casually glanced at the clock on the table.
The next second—
He froze.
It was almost eight...
It was already this late...
The boy was astonished.
And Mom... still wasn't home.
A faint sense of unease stirred in the boy's heart.
He went into the living room.
Soon, the dim room was flooded with light.
But somehow, it seemed even emptier.
The boy walked over to the window.
Night had fallen, dark and deep.
Almost every apartment in the building opposite had its lights on.
The boy leaned out the window.
The entrance to the apartment building was right below.
If Mom came home, he'd see her right away.
The boy tightened his grip on the windowsill.
Mom...
Earlier, his mind had