Heal Bell, Heal Bell...
"Pichu~" Xiao Chao wagged its tail as it gazed at the Soothing Bells.
Crystal-clear glass bells in different colors hung on the rack. Their soothing chimes could calm Clefairy.
"Hehe, do you like them, little one?" said the old woman tending the stall. "Here, Granny will give you one."
Xiao Chao shook its head. "Pi~"
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"
"No, it wants a different color," I said as I approached. "Sorry, it's my Pichu."
Xiao Chao still turned away angrily.
With a wry smile, I bent down to look at the Soothing Bells on the rack. Yellow, green, blue, white, brown, black... For some reason, this row of bells really drew me in.
"Do you like them?" Granny asked with a smile. "They're all handmade, but crafts like these aren't popular anymore."
"Not at all. They're beautiful." I picked up a yellow bell.
"Xiao Chao," I called to it as it puffed out its cheeks. "This is for you."
I threaded a red ribbon through the bell, then tied it around its neck... taking care to touch it as little as possible.
Its fur was rather pale, making the light yellow glass bell look even yellower.
"I thought this ribbon would suit you, so I bought it." I looked at it.
It looked down at its bell...
Hey, it looks quite a bit like Doraemon.
Heal Bell, Heal Bell...
It shook its body, making the bell chime sweetly.
Listening to the chimes, I reached out a finger and stroked its chin. "I'm sorry."
Tanabata and Xiao Chao looked at me. Startled by my own action, I immediately pulled my hand back. "How..."
"Soothing Bells can calm Clefairy, and soothe people's hearts too." Granny smiled kindly.
"Healing people's hearts..."
An image of children gathered around