The little boy's mother quickly understood and smiled.
She reached out and patted her child's head.
"The bear said he'd give you another balloon."
Huh?
The little boy's eyes widened.
"R-really?"
The bear nodded.
He looked even more adorably clumsy.
The little boy reached out.
But just as he was about to touch the balloon, he hesitated.
The little boy's father looked down at him.
"Come on."
"Pick one you like."
"That's right."
The little boy's mother met her child's gaze.
"This time, just pick the one you like."
"Mom and Dad will buy your sister a balloon later."
"Okay."
The little boy grinned.
He didn't hesitate.
He pointed straight at the blue balloon.
"I want this one."
The bear handed the blue balloon to the little boy.
Then he gently patted the little boy's head with his paw.
The little boy looked a little dazed.
He looked up at the bear, confusion in his eyes.
The bear waved his paw at the little boy.
Then he slowly walked away, one step at a time.
The children who hadn't gotten a balloon soon gathered around the bear again, asking for the balloons he had left.
"Let's go."
The little boy's mother took her child by the hand.
"We'll go buy your sister a balloon."
And so, the lively scene came to a happy ending.
The bystanders who had watched the whole thing left, satisfied.
"What are you doing?!"
A sudden shout drew the attention of some bystanders again.
Especially when they realized it had come from one of the people involved in what had just happened.
The little girl's mother glanced into the trash can, and the corner of her mouth twitched sharply.
She glared