,!
A long-haired girl also walked over.
"Not a delivery?"
"No."
The short-haired girl shook her head.
She turned around.
"Do you know this old gentleman?"
"No."
The long-haired girl shook her head.
At the two girls' questioning looks, a smile appeared on the old man's face.
"Hello."
"I'm your neighbor from the floor below."
"I just wanted to ask you something."
"Have you heard the sound of an instrument being played at home these past few days?"
The sound of an instrument being played?
The two girls looked at each other.
"Did you hear it?"
"Did you hear it?"
The two girls asked in unison.
"Pfft~"
The two girls laughed at how perfectly in sync they were.
"No."
The short-haired girl was the first to shake her head at the old man.
"I haven't heard any instruments being played."
"Me neither."
The long-haired girl shook her head too.
"No, huh..."
The old man couldn't help murmuring.
He had a bad feeling.
He hadn't paid much attention when the young man earlier said he didn't know.
But now these two girls also said they didn't know.
He couldn't help wondering...
Could it be that he was the only one who had heard the pipa?
Seeing the old man's disappointment, the two girls exchanged a glance, both feeling a little bad.
"Um..."
"When we watch TV at home and stuff... we turn the volume up pretty loud."
The short-haired girl tried to make the old man feel better.
"So we don't notice a lot of sounds."
"You could ask the others."
"They might have heard something."
After a brief pause, the old man smiled wryly.
What a familiar explanation.
So...
Young people all had their own activities—practicing piano, listening to music, watching TV...