The Old Man's Doubt
Would the child run into the uncle she talked about outside?
Or...
Would she only see the uncle she talked about in the grocery store?
If the child stopped coming to the grocery store...
She wouldn't see the uncle she talked about anymore...
That would be for the best.
The old man reluctantly accepted that his grocery store really did clash with the child's energy.
If...
The child ran into the uncle she talked about outside...
Then things would be bad.
Not everyone who saw the child's unusual behavior would be kind enough to think it was just a sign of her innocence and liveliness.
Some might think she was possessed or had something wrong with her mind...
Once people decided it was the latter...
The child... would be in serious trouble.
The old man didn't want the child to run into that kind of trouble.
It wouldn't be a minor problem.
If it wasn't handled well...
It could very well ruin the child's life.
He had to admit, the young man's behavior had put the old man much more at ease.
"Uncle?"
The child grew a little uneasy and uncomfortable.
Without thinking, she shrank back a little behind the glass fish tank.
Why wasn't Uncle answering her?
Uncle...
The child's eyes reddened.
She felt wronged, at a loss, and embarrassed...
She pressed her lips tightly together.
The silence only made those feelings worse.
She tried hard to open her mouth.
Like a fish on land, she opened and closed her mouth desperately.
At last, she made a sound.
"...You... saved me before..."
"Th-thank you..."
"I wanted to thank you..."
The child swallowed.
"...I... Every time I came here, you were looking at the little goldfish..."
"I thought