Little girl:...
Her hands clenched the pillow.
She wanted to tell the truth.
But when the words reached her lips, she couldn't say them.
She wanted to keep pretending she was right.
But Mom's words made her feel uneasy.
She didn't know what she should do anymore...
"Nannan."
The woman spoke earnestly.
"He stole the candy."
"That made Mom even angrier."
Her cheeks felt hot.
A cool patch.
The man reached out and wiped the moisture from the corner of the child's mouth.
The man felt a weight lift from his heart.
The child had finally apologized.
In the child's heart, the police officers had a very intimidating image.
"Mom didn't hear you clearly."
"...I'm sorry."
The police weren't going to arrest her.
She bit down on the rim of the cup held to her lips.
The child had squeezed the pillow until it was all misshapen.
As soon as the little girl heard that the police were coming to arrest her, she blurted out,
"That is stealing."
"Do you want more?"
She hadn't done anything like that.
Who knew what she might take next time?
"Glug, glug~"
"As long as you realize you did something wrong and promise not to do it again, that's good."
"What?"
Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.
"A good child admits when she's wrong, reflects on her own behavior, apologizes, and makes things right."
She gently patted the child's back.
The little girl's tears began streaming down her face.
"Do you know that stealing is a crime?"
But she still stubbornly refused to make a sound.
The little girl drank the rest of the water in one go.
A little water trickled from the corner of her mouth.
She tried to defend