"How did the old man make you unlucky?"
Child's Dad asked.
Whether or not the old man was real...
They wanted to understand more about what Chenchen was thinking.
"It was the old man who caused all those bad things to happen to me..."
Chenchen tilted his head. "The old man said..."
He thought for a moment.
"I tripped because the old man put a banana peel under my foot..."
"I forgot my homework because the old man took my notebook out of my bag..."
"And the old man locked me in the equipment room after I went inside..."
Chenchen's parents exchanged a look.
The more they listened, the harder it was to describe the expressions on their faces.
As expected of a child.
Such an innocent... and unrealistic... imagination.
"Chenchen."
Seeing that he had no intention of stopping, Child's Mom interrupted him.
"Someone put a banana peel under your foot on the way..."
"Wouldn't you notice?"
"Look."
Child's Dad crouched down and pretended to put something at Chenchen's feet.
"It'd be super obvious, wouldn't it?"
Child's Dad looked up at Chenchen.
Chenchen froze.
He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to explain.
"..."
But no sound came out.
Chenchen's parents didn't rush him.
They waited patiently for him to explain.
They needed him to figure it out for himself.
That was the only way to truly solve the problem.
A few seconds later, a thought struck Chenchen.
"The old man wasn't as tall as you, Dad."
He held out a hand to demonstrate. "He wasn't even as tall as me!"
"Even so, it'd still be obvious."
Child's Dad stood up.
Even if the man was shorter, he was still an adult.
Besides...
Wouldn't Chenchen notice him?
Only a pet like a cat