All those things he said...
He really didn't hold back.
"Did he answer you?"
Child's Dad looked curious.
Honestly, the person their child had met was pretty unusual.
He was barefoot and carried a pipa.
Like a character out of a book.
He seemed a little less than human.
Child's Dad felt a little regretful.
Both times the child had encountered that boy, he had been alone.
Neither he nor Child's Mom had been there with him.
After hearing the child describe him, Child's Dad had grown somewhat curious about the boy.
If he got the chance, he would like to meet him, too.
A barefoot boy carrying a pipa.
Child's Mom watched the child intently, too.
She had refused to let the child interact with that person.
For one thing, he was a stranger.
It was hard to know whether he was good or bad.
For another...
There were things about him that were unusual.
For instance, walking barefoot on the road.
The fact that he was carrying a pipa in his arms was a little strange, too.
But perhaps he was on his way to a lesson?
Then carrying a pipa in his arms wouldn't be quite so strange.
It was rare to see anyone walking around openly with an instrument in their arms instead of in a case.
But going barefoot... she really couldn't think of any reasonable explanation for that.
This wasn't the mountains or the wilderness.
Who walked barefoot in the city?
Was it some kind of performance art?
The woman didn't know.
Or was it just that boy's personal quirk?
"...No."
The boy pouted in disappointment.
"I asked him lots of questions."
"He didn't answer any of them."
Uh...
The woman and man couldn't help exchanging another glance.
They