Chapter 21: That’s Why The Elders
by fnovelpia
The door opened, and a cold breeze brushed past.
Stepping out of the warm indoors, the outside was noticeably chilly.
The sky was clear, but the air, anticipating winter, felt subtly heavy.
“We should hurry.”
“……”
The child in my arms shrank back tightly.
The small hands clutched the robe firmly.
“It’s okay.”
“……”
When I whispered, the child buried her face deeper into my embrace.
Carefully, I lifted the robe and wrapped it snugly around them.
The child’s breathing grew slightly calmer.
“This way.”
“Mm.”
I followed the old man as he led the way.
Warm sunlight settled over the road.
Some people’s gazes still weren’t kind.
But perhaps because I was with the old man, it didn’t feel as unpleasant as before.
The old man walking ahead pointed somewhere.
“Over there.”
“…Ah, there.”
It was the same place we’d gone to yesterday.
A small signboard, a neatly arranged glass window, and colorful clothes visible beyond the transparent pane.
The old man pushed the door open first.
Ding-a-ling—
A small bell made a clear, cheerful sound.
“Welcome!”
The same bright voice of the clerk from yesterday greeted us.
“…Oh my.”
“You’ve been well.”
A moment later—
The clerk’s expression showed a different mood than yesterday.
Fortunately, it was a welcoming one.
The clerk smiled brightly and approached us.
“The bookstore elder!”
“We’ve come to buy clothes. But… where’s your mother?”
“She strained her back a while ago. She’s still bedridden, but she’s doing much better now.”
The old man nodded.
“I see. That’s good to hear.”
“By the way, are you shopping again? You just bought winter clothes not long ago.”
“Not for me— for this one.”
The old man gestured toward me with a tilt of his head.
Only then did the clerk’s gaze shift to me.
The clerk’s eyes widened as she pointed at me.
“Huh? Weren’t you here yesterday…?”
“Yeah. I came back to buy more.”
“I’m sorry, but you really don’t need to buy too many baby clothes, sir.”
“It’s not for a baby.”
The child was still completely hidden under the robe.
I glanced up at the old man.
He nodded slowly, as if to say it was okay to show them.
Carefully, I lifted the robe.
Then, the child curled up inside revealed herself.
A small, delicate frame.
Shoulders hunched tightly.
Eyes looking up at me anxiously.
And—
“……”
“Hm? …Ah.”
The child and the clerk locked eyes.
A brief silence.
The clerk’s expression softened gently.
“Hi there?”
“……”
“We’ve met before, right?”
The child’s hands gripped the robe tightly.
The child gave the faintest, tiniest nod.
The unease in the child’s eyes had faded slightly.
“…You know them?”
“Well, not exactly.”
The clerk scratched her cheek and looked up at the old man.
The old man smiled faintly and pointed at me.
“This one has decided to raise the child.”
“Ah, I see…”
The clerk looked at me and slowly nodded.
“…I see.”
“It would be nice if you could help.”
“Yes, of course. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
At those words, the child looked up at me.
Her eyes had softened just a little.
I gently patted the child’s head.
The clerk who had been watching us hesitated slightly before slowly approaching.
Then, with a soft smile, she reached out a friendly hand toward the child.
“Glad it worked out. That’s a relief.”
“……”
The child stared intently at the unfamiliar hand.
The hesitation was long.
But soon,
The fingers that had been slightly curled began to relax.
The clerk’s hand and the child’s small, delicate hand overlapped ever so slightly.
The clerk smiled.
The clerk withdrew her hand very slowly.
Watching this, the old man stroked his beard and muttered quietly.
“…You’ve been looking out for this child too, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, well. I suppose so. Though all I did was sneak them some food now and then.”
The clerk scratched her head.
There was a faintly embarrassed look on her face.
“People kept saying things like, ‘An unmarried woman bringing home a child? What’s she thinking?’ or ‘What kind of family would that even be?’ So I couldn’t take them in.”
“Hoho.”
“…Well, it might sound a bit harsh, but it’s a good thing their mother hurt her back.”
The clerk sighed quietly and continued.
“Mother… also has a lot of bad feelings toward that household.”
“Well, I suppose.”
“If that so-called aunt hadn’t been such a swindler… Ah, never mind. I’m talking too much.”
The clerk covered her mouth and smiled awkwardly.
The old man lightly waved his hand.
“Just pick out some clothes the child can wear, will you?”
“Yes, of course.”
The clerk turned her attention back to us.
This time, the clerk examined the child with a more careful gaze.
After a moment, her brow furrowed slightly.
“Hmm…”
“…What’s wrong?”
“Before putting on new clothes, the child’s body is still quite dirty.”
They looked down at the child quietly.
Though I’d wiped them down with a damp robe, they were still grimy.
I nodded slowly.
“That’s true.”
“Right?”
“Yeah. They still don’t know how to bathe like a hum— mph.”
The moment the clerk’s eyes widened in shock—
My mouth was suddenly covered.
I tilted my head and looked to the side.
The old man, who had covered my mouth, shook his head disapprovingly.
“This one’s a foreigner, you see. Their words are a bit clumsy.”
“…Ah, I see.”
The clerk nodded with a smile.
“If it’s alright, I’ll bathe the child. I have a lot of nieces and nephews, so I’m good at washing kids.”
“…Is that okay?”
“Yes. Before dressing them in our clothes, it’d be best to clean their body first.”
“…I see. I’ll leave it to you, then.”
The clerk nodded and smiled warmly.
“Come here, little one. Come to me.”
“……”
The child and I locked eyes.
After a brief hesitation, the child squirmed in my arms.
Slowly, I handed the child over to the clerk.
The small body was carefully cradled in the clerk’s arms.
The child’s hand clutched the edge of my robe for a moment but soon let go.
“I’ll bring them back after a quick bath.”
“How long will it take?”
“Hmm… About 30 minutes?”
“Alright.”
The clerk carried the child upstairs to the second floor.
30 minutes.
30 minutes, huh.
It’d be good to buy what I need in the meantime.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Hm? Where are you going?”
“There’s a lot I need. I have to buy bedding and stop by the alchemy shop too.”
“I see. I’ll come with you.”
The old man adjusted his hat and headed toward the door.
I stared blankly at his back before tilting my head.
“Why? You should be fine on your own now.”
“That may be true, but you… well, you stand out too much, you could say.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. Your face, your demeanor— everything about you is too noticeable.”
The old man cleared his throat and opened the door.
I followed his leisurely steps as he walked ahead.
***
Buying this and that ended up taking over 30 minutes.
I hadn’t planned on buying so much, but one thing led to another, and before I knew it, the bags had piled up like a mountain.
Most of it was chosen by the old man.
“These are the basics— you have to have them.”
“It doesn’t make sense to say there’s no cutting board, utensils, or bowls at home.”
“How can you buy just one blanket? You need at least two.”
Swept up by his enthusiasm, I ended up putting everything he pointed at into the cart, and before long, both my hands were completely full of shopping bags.
I stared blankly at my now-heavy hands.
“…What about the child?”
“Leave the bags at the bookstore. We can leave the child at home and come back for them later.”
“…Right.”
I nodded and let out a sigh.
Following the old man’s suggestion, I set the bags down at the bookstore and headed to the clothing store.
When I opened the door, I saw the child— now much cleaner— being held by the clerk.
Tears welled up in the child’s eyes, and her reddened eyelids suggested she had just stopped crying.
The clerk shouted as soon as she saw us.
“Where did you go?!”
“We had things to buy.”
“You should’ve said something! The child cried their eyes out when you disappeared!”
“…Ah, sorry.”
The child’s lips trembled.
Then, she squirmed in the clerk’s arms.
“Huh?”
“……”
Slowly, the child stretched out her arms.
Her small hands groped through the air.
Toward me.
Carefully, I took the child into my arms.
Sniffling, the child buried her face in my chest.
“Sorry. Next time, I’ll tell you before I leave.” “……”
Afraid she might burst into tears again, I gently patted their back with one hand.
The clerk sighed and spoke up.
“That’s right. From now on, say something before you go. At least leave a note.”
“Yeah. I will.”
“Hah, sorry about that. Their house was missing so many essentials. The old man kept interfering, so it took way longer than expected.”
“…Honestly. …I’ve picked out some clothes. She is over here.”
Still holding the child, I followed her.
Neatly displayed were new outfits.
A fluttery yellow dress.
A pink cape with a ribbon.
A light green dress with a frilly skirt, and more.
The clerk proudly placed her hands on her hips.
“What do you think? Pretty, right?”
“Hmm…”
“Hrmm…”
The old man and I both let out ambiguous noises at the same time.
“Won’t this be too cold?”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Ugh! This is why I can’t stand dealing with elders!”
The clerk tossed her long hair and continued.
“Women prioritize looking pretty over staying warm— that’s just how it is!”
“Ahem, even so, this is too much….”
The old man tilted his head as he examined the cape.
The outer fabric was thin, and the lining wasn’t particularly thick either.
It was so flimsy that even a gust of wind would likely cut right through to the skin.
No matter how he looked at it—
What was needed was something sturdy, warm-looking, and comfortable to move around in.
The old man and I scanned the racks of children’s clothes.
A moment later— our eyes landed on the same outfit.
“This one.”
“This should do, right?”
“Ugh! Who would even wear something this plain—?!”
The outfit we pointed to was— a thick, brown overcoat stuffed with padding.
Buttons that fastened all the way up to the neck, reinforced seams, and a drawstring to cinch the waist.
It was the kind of coat that could shrug off a blizzard, built for both warmth and durability.
The moment I saw it, I thought, This is the one— but the clerk waved her hands in genuine dismay.
“Mom might’ve put this here, but kids these days would never wear something like this!”
“Is that so…?”
“Of course! Ugh, this is why older people just don’t get it…”
The clerk clicked her tongue and wagged her index finger.
“…Is it really that bad?”
“Obviously! This is exactly why people complain about generational gaps!”
“…….”
“…Why have you been hunching your shoulders like that this whole time?”
I cleared my throat softly and averted my gaze.
Just then, the clerk showed the child the two outfits— the one we picked and the one she picked.
“Here, kiddo. Which one do you want to wear?”
“…….”
The child’s eyes slowly shifted between the two outfits.
One was a fluttery dress, the other was the thick overcoat.
After a long moment of hesitation, the child slowly reached out and pointed to the dress.
“Heh heh…”
“…….”
“Ohoho, see? Come on—! Let’s get you changed, sweetie. I’ll help you.”
The clerk grinned triumphantly as she picked up the dress.
As the two disappeared into the fitting room, the old man stroked his beard awkwardly and muttered.
“…Heh heh, so this is the generational gap, huh.”
“Generational gap…”
For some reason, even though the term felt unfamiliar, a wave of worry washed over me.
Lost in thought, I lowered my head— until the old man gave me a light pat on the shoulder.
“Why are you worrying about that already? You’re still young.”
“…Me?”
“Of course. You look to be in your twenties, don’t you?”
“……Me?”
The old man paused for a second, then burst into a hearty laugh.
“You must have quite the baby face. But still, you’re too young to be worrying about generational gaps. You’ve got plenty of youth left.”
“…Right. You’re still young too.”
“Hahaha! I appreciate that.”
I chuckled softly as I watched the old man laugh heartily.
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