Because he was a stranger...
Actually, whenever the child saw the old man with green hair, he would stare at him, just as he would at any ordinary person on the street who caught his attention.
That was all.
But...
It had started as something perfectly ordinary: he had simply wanted to share what he'd noticed with his mom and dad...
He thought they would smile and agree with him, just as they had every other time.
But...
His mom and dad's expressions changed.
He didn't understand why.
He also felt a little hurt and indignant.
Had he done something wrong?
So even though he saw the old grandfather with green hair several times, the child never once approached him.
He never spoke to the old grandfather with green hair, either.
He only snuck glances at him.
Then he kept the experience to himself.
"I understand."
The man crouched down and held out his hand to the child.
"Come on, let's shake hands."
The child looked at the man in confusion.
Still, he obediently held out his hand.
The man shook the child's hand.
"Thank you for telling me all this."
"You probably noticed."
"I've asked quite a few people."
"No one has ever seen that old man."
"You're the first person to tell me where he is."
"Thank you."
The child blinked.
His cheeks flushed a little.
His eyes sparkled.
He was happy, too.
Before, whenever he brought up the old man with green hair, he made his mom and dad unhappy.
So he stopped talking about him.
It wasn't that he hadn't felt hurt.
The old man with green hair wasn't important to the child, of course.
He was just a stranger.
Even if the old man's green hair looked unusual.
What