Child's Mom stared at the child for a while...
Just as the mushroom-haired little girl began to grow uneasy, Child's Mom nodded.
"Okay."
"Nana, we won't go back to the old kindergarten."
"We'll go to a new one."
"There, you'll meet wonderful teachers and classmates."
"You'll make new friends."
"Better friends."
Friends who, when Nana was in trouble, would secretly support her even if they couldn't openly stand by her.
Of course, the best friends were the ones who would stand by Nana through thick and thin.
But every child was the apple of their parents' eye.
If they put themselves in the other family's shoes, and Nana's friend got into trouble...
As Nana's parents, they certainly wouldn't want Nana to get too involved.
No parent wanted to see their child have a bad experience because of someone else's problems.
So they understood Lulu.
But...
Was she unwilling to keep up the friendship even in private?
Child's Mom felt sorry for the child whose sincere affection had been misplaced.
Her child was easy to please.
Even if Lulu had told her today that they would have to pretend not to be close at kindergarten and outside, but could still call each other at home...
Even that...
Would have made Nana very happy.
But Lulu had cut off every connection between herself and Nana.
So decisively... so coldly that it made Child's Mom's heart ache.
And made her feel even more sorry for her child.
The mushroom-haired little girl looked dazed.
In her wide eyes was a faint glimmer, almost too dim to see.
"R-really?"
Could she make new friends?
Being "hated by everyone" at kindergarten these past few days had almost made the mushroom-haired little girl think she really was that awful.
Nobody liked her.
Nobody believed