The little girl shuddered all over.
For a moment, she looked like a tiny animal with its fur standing on end.
The corners of the woman's mouth twitched.
She'd just suddenly seen reason.
Since she had to apologize, she might as well let everyone else—the people who'd been watching—hear it too.
She'd apologized.
Otherwise, wouldn't her apology have been for nothing?
"I'm sorry. I bumped into you by accident."
The woman looked at the little girl.
"And made you fall."
"And even scolded you..."
"I'm sorry."
"It's—it's okay!"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the little girl immediately waved her hands.
She looked a little flustered and at a loss.
"There, isn't that better?"
After a few seconds of surprise—
The unreasonable woman had suddenly become so understanding...
It was only natural that the onlookers were a little astonished.
But soon, they began nodding.
"Why didn't you just do that sooner?"
"It was only an apology."
"Now that's settled, right?"
"Exactly."
"You dragged this out for so long..."
"And you still ended up apologizing in the end."
"...The longer you drag it out, the worse it looks..."
The crowd gradually dispersed as they talked among themselves.
"That's enough, right?"
The woman looked at the old lady, then at the little girl.
The little girl looked at the old lady.
Then she turned her head to look at her mother.
Her mother came over and rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
Her expression softened.
"Apologize to the child's mother, too,"
the old lady said.
"You nearly got into a fight with her just now..."
The woman slowly got to her feet.
"...I'm sorry."
One apology or two, it made no difference to her.
The child's mother shook her