Three Meetings
"Then you did hit him, didn't you?"
"You must've hit him too hard."
"I didn't..."
"...Maybe..."
"Okay, okay, don't cry."
"I'll buy you a popsicle."
"...You little rascal, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"You were faking it."
"No."
"Popsicle, popsicle."
"Dad has to keep his word."
"Since you promised him, you should buy him one."
"You little rascal, were you pretending just now?"
"Were you?"
"Popsicle~ Popsicle~"
"You little rascal, answer my question."
"Popsicle~ Popsicle~"
"You little rascal, all you ever think about is popsicles."
"Enough."
"Don't go swinging such a big stick around recklessly next time."
"It's dangerous."
"It's dangerous whether you get hit or hit someone else."
"Understand?"
"I understand."
"I won't swing a stick around anymore."
"It'll attract scary monsters."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Popsicle~ Popsicle~"
After that, Xu Hao encountered that child twice more.
Once, the child was with a few other playmates.
They seemed to be playing some sort of game.
The little boy stood tall by himself.
He held a branch in his hand.
He had his chest puffed out and his head held high.
He looked terribly proud of himself.
Below him, the other children had their hands raised and were making all sorts of noises.
Xu Hao was a little curious.
What were they doing?
Then...
What happened next surprised Xu Hao, too.
It hadn't actually meant to scare the child.
After all, the matter from last time had ended then and there.
If the child hadn't acted so strangely toward it—
He was the first child Xu Hao had ever encountered who tried to hit it.
It might not even have recognized him this time.
The child had clearly recognized it—
Uh.
Or maybe not.
No.
Judging by how the child had dared to hit