The little boy walked with a spring in his step.
The affection Old Grandmother had shown him made him very happy.
He really wasn't unpleasant to be around.
Even a grandmother he'd just met liked him...
The little boy couldn't help lowering his head and smiling to himself.
But his good mood came to an abrupt halt when he saw the pitch-black house...
Ever since he'd gotten a key to the house, he had never knocked on the door.
That was because once, when he knocked, his father had scolded him.
His father had asked why he was knocking when he had a key.
He hadn't been joking.
He had been genuinely angry and impatient.
So fierce.
The boy's nose had immediately started to sting.
He'd felt both wronged and helpless.
But he couldn't show it.
He thought it was shameful to feel that way.
After that, he never knocked on the door again.
The little boy quietly pulled the key out of the lock.
He paused at the doorway.
Then he walked inside.
The little boy shut the door behind him.
But he didn't turn on the lights right away.
He just stood quietly in the entryway.
Everything before him was dim.
He felt like crying again.
He took a deep breath.
Then he stepped forward.
To his surprise, he wasn't paying attention and tripped over the raised floor in the entryway.
"Thud~"
He pitched forward.
He didn't even have time to react.
The little boy lay facedown on the floor for a while.
His body curled into a ball.
Who knew how long it had been? Maybe only a few seconds, maybe a few minutes?
The little boy slowly pushed himself up from the floor.
He turned over and sat on