Kallen picked up a spoon, scooped some condensed milk into his coffee, then poured in some milk and sprinkled in a pinch of powdered sugar. Finally, he began stirring with the spoon.
Actually, he had originally wanted to make a pattern, but he felt certain it would not look good. He might as well stir everything together and tell himself that this was true purity.
Besides the milky coffee, the tray held a teacup with tea leaves already inside;
a dish of raisins, a dish of sugar cubes, and a dish of preserved fruit.
Holding the tray in his right hand and picking up a freshly filled thermos with his left, Kallen went up to the third floor.
Just then, the third-floor clock began to chime.
When Kallen reached the door to his grandfather's study and was about to put down the thermos, Golden Retriever, who had been lying beneath the windowsill, got up and came over. He reared up, pressed down the door handle with his paw, and opened the door outward.
As he pulled the door outward, his paw remained on the handle, while the two hind legs supporting his body kept hopping backward.
Finally, when the door was wide open, Golden Retriever released his paw, lost his balance, and fell backward, rolling over once.
"Heh heh heh."
Amused, Kallen laughed and entered his grandfather's study as the clock sounded its final chime.
Golden Retriever immediately scrambled up and followed him into the study, hooking the door with a hind foot.
Click.
The door swung shut.
Just as Golden Retriever was about to put on an adorable smile and wag his tail at his master, he saw Kallen, already seated behind the desk, rest both hands quite naturally on Puer, who was lying on the desktop.
Puer lay