A hint of mockery showed in the woman's eyes.
But then...
Ugh!
The woman spat viciously in her heart.
She looked thoroughly disgusted.
Her child absolutely would not look like that!
The woman rested a hand on her belly.
A gentle light shone in her eyes.
The arrival of new life did a wonderful job of soothing the woman's restless emotions.
Seeing this, the man embraced the woman and laid his hand over hers.
A tender warmth flowed between them.
That day, the woman was the only one watching the shop.
No.
She was just inside the shop.
After all, it wasn't open.
The man had gone out to take care of something.
Although the woman had said that the grocery store rarely got customers anyway, the man had insisted on closing it before he left.
He didn't want the woman to overexert herself during her pregnancy.
The woman walked slowly around the grocery store.
She inspected each item.
A faint smile played on her lips.
Until...
The woman's expression changed abruptly.
In a familiar place...
She saw a familiar figure again.
"...Ox-Nose..."
The woman gritted her teeth.
That obnoxious guy had shown up again?!
"How did you get in?"
The woman asked in a dark, stern voice.
"The grocery store is closed."
"Customers aren't allowed in."
In theory, no customers should be coming in anyway.
This guy...
How had he gotten in?
"This is trespassing!"
The woman scolded him harshly.
When Ox-Nose looked over, the woman shrank back a little.
But then she realized he had turned away again, as if he couldn't be bothered with her, and her courage returned.
"Hey!"
"I'm talking to you!"
Seeing Ox-Nose staring at the goldfish in the basin, the woman's heart skipped