,!
Both households had heard the sound of an instrument.
If he hadn't happened to knock on the door of the family with the child learning piano first...
The old man might have been happy for nothing.
But after learning that the child practiced piano at home, he didn't let himself get carried away when he heard the other two households say they'd heard an instrument too.
After carefully comparing and verifying...
The old man could be sure that the sound of an instrument those two households had heard wasn't a pipa.
It was a piano.
He was very disappointed.
After thanking the other person, the old man stood dazed in the quiet corridor.
Then his ears caught the faint sound of a door opening, and he hurried off in a panic.
If the person he'd just visited saw him still standing there, they'd surely become suspicious.
He'd feel awkward too.
But...
The old man's eyes widened.
In his haste, after climbing a few steps, he tried to take another step, but didn't raise his foot high enough. His toe struck the step in front of him with a hard kick.
His body immediately tilted to one side.
The old man was frantic.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, his ears clearly caught the sound of footsteps coming from below.
He knew someone had come out of their apartment.
He thought he should call for help.
Or make some kind of noise.
Any noise would do.
Anything to let the person below hear him...
Maybe they'd still have time to save him.
After all, they were only a few steps apart.
But...
The old man's mind raced.
His mouth opened too.
Yet no sound came out.
All he could do was wait for the pain he knew was