"Yes!"
The shop assistant's eyes lit up slightly.
"I was too flustered at the time..."
The shop assistant added to the manager's explanation.
"I didn't actually notice whether those two kids had bumped into me..."
"I..."
"I'm sorry."
The shop assistant bowed his head to Xiao Xiao.
"I was in the wrong."
"Those two kids just happened to show up at the worst possible time."
"I was panicking because I'd dropped the ice cream, and without thinking..."
"I blamed those two kids."
"I'm sorry..."
The shop assistant apologized again.
His apology sounded sincere.
Even he was starting to feel unsure.
Had he really thought the ice cream in his hand had been knocked away by the two kids because he was so flustered, just as the manager had said?
Had he not deliberately blamed them?
If that was the case...
Then the nature of the incident had changed.
What he'd done wasn't quite so... outrageous.
Because he hadn't done it on purpose...
"You shouldn't be apologizing to me."
Xiao Xiao looked at the shop assistant.
His gaze was as clear as a lake's surface.
And just as unfathomable.
"You should apologize to the two kids."
The shop assistant almost sheepishly looked away.
"Oh, right."
He sounded rather flustered.
The shop assistant lowered his head and looked at the two kids.
At some point, they had hidden behind Xiao Xiao again.
Two little heads peeked out.
Their big, dark eyes stared straight at the shop assistant.
The shop assistant's gaze began to wander again.
But soon, it steadied.
After all, they were just kids...
And besides...
He was slowly beginning to believe...
That he hadn't deliberately blamed the two kids.
He'd just gotten it wrong...
Things had been so chaotic, and he'd been so flustered...
"...I'm