Chapter 31: What Children Need (2)
by fnovelpia
I finished getting ready and headed out.
The chilly air brushed against my cheeks,
But the child seemed to be in a good mood, humming a little tune.
It was always off-key.
But I didn’t mind.
With the child’s humming as background music,
I thought about what needed to be done in town and what supplies we needed.
“Groceries… and another pair of gloves for you…”
“…….”
“Rabbit hay… Oh.”
“?”
Today, there was something especially important.
I planned to buy proper art supplies for the child.
Rather than just writing tools, it would be better to get them proper equipment.
So, I deliberately timed our trip to town
For the bookstore’s day off.
Hubert would help with the shopping today.
“Hubert will be joining us today.”
“?”
“I don’t know much about current art supplies.”
“???”
“Hmm, art supplies are… various tools used for drawing.”
The child’s eyes sparkled.
A wide smile spread across her face.
Was it really that exciting?
Clasping her hands together tightly, she stared up at me,
Then suddenly wrapped her short arms around my neck in a tight hug.
The humming right next to my ear was a bonus.
“Well, as long as you’re happy.”
“!”
“Hmmm, we should hurry. We need to get there before lunch.”
I glanced at the basket in my hand.
Inside were the sandwiches I’d prepared for Hubert and Loren.
Some were flat, and many were crooked.
The child had insisted on helping,
Pressing the ingredients down with her small hands as hard as she could.
Suddenly,
A memory from earlier resurfaced.
Perhaps because the results weren’t as pretty as expected.
The child’s eyes wavered as she stared at the sandwiches.
Then, her shoulders slumped weakly, as if utterly dejected.
She poked at the bread cautiously with her fingers,
Stealing glances at me to gauge my reaction.
Maybe afraid of being scolded.
Or worried I’d say we couldn’t eat them.
Whatever the reason,
Her unease was plain to see.
I smiled gently and patted her head.
“It’s okay.”
“…….”
“Hubert and Loren both like you.”
“……?”
“I don’t know much about it, but things made by someone you like are special just because she made them.”
I wonder if she understood what I meant.
The child, who had been staring at me intently, slowly nodded.
I alternated my gaze between the child and the sandwiches she’d made.
“Well, just in case…”
“……?”
“Even if she don’t eat them, don’t worry. I’ll eat them all myself.”
“!”
The child’s eyes grew wide and round.
Soon after, the child’s bright smile returned.
That was a relief.
Even by my own measure,
I’m not exactly skilled at comforting others.
Still, the child seemed satisfied.
Clutching the small basket tightly with tiny hands, she leaned lightly against me.
After that—
The child’s mood was even more uplifted than before making the sandwich.
While taking medicine,
While changing clothes,
Even while greeting the rabbits—
A constant, beaming smile.
Even now, her humming showed no sign of stopping.
Holding the child in one arm, I gently stroked her flushed cheek.
“Cold?”
“……”
“You okay?”
“!”
The small head nodded vigorously.
Gripping my robe tightly with both hands, she pressed themselves even closer.
I slowly patted the child’s head.
“Oh, we’re here already.”
“……!”
The child’s gaze, which had been fixed on me, slowly shifted forward.
Familiar scenery made her eyes sparkle.
“Guess it’s around lunchtime—there are a lot of people out.”
“!”
The child buried her face in my robe, nestling her small body against me.
It wasn’t fear.
From within my embrace, her excited breaths escaped.
“Wonder what’s at the market today.”
“……!”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“!”
The child’s hands instinctively tightened.
Her face brimming with excitement,
She clutched the hem of my robe and nodded repeatedly.
Quickening our pace, we entered the village entrance.
Before I knew it,
I’d set foot in the village more times than I could count on one hand.
And each time, the child was with me.
Even after the first visit, there were times
When she curled up, trembling uncontrollably.
Whenever people’s eyes lingered on them,
She flinched in surprise and burrowed deeper into my arms,
As if afraid of every sound in the world, covering her ears with both hands and shaking.
“It’s okay.”
“……”
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
Perhaps the words I repeated like a mantra each time we visited the village helped.
At some point, the child
Began peeking out from my embrace, taking in the surroundings.
At first, cautiously,
Then gradually, curiosity flickered in her gaze,
And now, her small breaths carried traces of excitement.
The child stretched out an arm, pointing at something.
It was a mushroom skewer from a stall.
Every time we came to the village, it was one of the things the child showed particular interest in.
“Ah, that.”
“……!”
“Yeah. I’ll buy it for you.”
“!”
Again, a high-pitched hum flowed from the child’s lips.
It was a relief.
That I could buy the child a mushroom skewer.
As always, I stood in front of the stall.
“Ah, welcome.”
“One mixed skewer, please.”
“Sure. Just a moment.”
The vendor selling mushroom skewers was neither overly friendly nor indifferent toward us.
A comfortable distance.
She never went out of her way to make conversation,
But whenever we approached, she greeted us with calm eyes.
A short while later, the vendor handed me a steaming mushroom skewer.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Here, i’ll give you this one too.”
And sometimes,
She would hand the child a small skewer with a couple of extra mushrooms.
“!”
“You should say thank you.”
“……!”
The child hesitated for a moment,
Then tightly gripped the hem of her dress with both hands and carefully bowed her head.
Seeing that, the vendor smiled wordlessly.
After exchanging a brief greeting, we stepped away from the stall.
I felt a little sorry toward the vendor,
But one skewer was always enough for us.
“Hm?”
“……”
“Alright.”
Without fail,
Before eating the skewer, the child would hold it out to me with sparkling eyes.
The first bite was always mine.
It had become something like the child’s ritual, an unspoken promise.
“Okay. Just one bite.”
“!”
When I took a small bite and handed it back,
The child beamed as if she’d been waiting and eagerly took the remaining skewer.
And as always,
She started eating from the exact spot where I had bitten.
“Is it good?”
“!”
“Good. I’m glad.”
I quickened my steps toward the bookstore.
Perhaps because we had visited together quite often by now,
The stares that used to linger on us
Seemed to lessen day by day.
Whether it was resignation,
A shift toward indifference,
Or acceptance of our presence,
I couldn’t quite discern her intentions.
But at least for the child, it was a fortunate thing.
That she had fewer reasons to shrink into themselves.
That she could look at the outside world a little more comfortably.
That alone was enough.
“……!”
“Ah…”
Of course, there were still those who harbored hostility.
The child noticeably flinched.
I patted the small back that reacted instantly to the sharp glares.
Glancing sideways, I saw it—
“…As expected.”
I quickened my pace.
It was the owner of the grocery stall.
He was still one of those who looked at us with hostility.
“It’s okay.”
“……”
“Don’t mind them. I’m right here with you.”
“……”
As we moved farther away, the child’s uneven, anxious breaths gradually steadied.
After cautiously exhaling, she tightly clutched my robe.
“Let’s hurry into the bookstore.”
“……!”
The child nodded slightly.
The bookstore.
Hubert.
And the grocery stall owner.
…I felt a little guilty toward Hubert.
The grocery owner had found out that Hubert was buying groceries for us.
Ever since that day, he refused to sell to Hubert as well.
I learned this from Loren.
She must have seen it by chance while passing by.
When Loren asked worriedly, Hubert just laughed heartily.
“Haha, it’s fine. I can just buy from another place. It’s not like her goods are the only ones available.”
“But still, old man. The other places are much farther, and the prices are higher.”
“…Sorry.”
“That’s nothing for you to apologize for. Thanks to you and the child, I finally feel like a person again after so long.”
After that, Loren occasionally started discreetly dropping off groceries for us.
“I just stopped by on my way.”
“I bought too much, and it’s going to go bad. You don’t mind, right?”
Always like that—
As if it were truly coincidental, natural.
It was something to be grateful for.
Before I knew it, we had arrived at the bookstore.
The door was firmly shut, with a sign that read “Closed Today.”
Knock, knock—
I slowly rapped on the bookstore door.
Soon, it opened, and a familiar face greeted us warmly with a kind smile.
“Come in.”
“……!”
“Hello, Hubert. Isn’t today your day off? Why are you wearing an apron?”
“Well, a regular made a reservation, so i’ve got to do my part properly.”
He chuckled and continued.
“You’re here to buy another stack of books, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“I knew it.”
As usual, he tried to guide the child to the picture books.
But today, the child shook her head and tugged at my robe.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“……”
The child pointed at the basket containing sandwiches.
“Ah, you want to share the sandwiches first?”
“!”
“Oh? Sandwiches?”
“Hubert, have you had lunch yet?”
“Not yet.”
The child hesitated for a moment, then carefully pulled out a sandwich from the basket.
Though the shape was uneven and flat, it was neatly wrapped in paper.
She held it out with both hands.
“This one— the child made it themselves.”
“Oh-ho.”
Hubert’s eyes widened slightly.
He bent down to meet the child’s gaze.
“You made this?”
“……!”
The child shyly lowered her head.
After a brief pause, she slowly nodded.
“This must be the most precious lunch of all.”
“Good to hear. Right?”
“!”
The child’s face brightened instantly.
A faint laugh escaped them.
I closed the basket lid and picked it up again.
“Hubert, since we’re at it, let’s stop by the clothing store first. She made one for Loren too.”
“Oh-ho, sounds good. That girl must be about ready for lunch by now too.”
Hubert laughed as he took off his apron.
The child, excited, waved her hands up and down.
“Let’s go.”
“!”
While waiting for Hubert to lock the bookstore, I glanced down the village alley.
The cold wind,
The bustling voices,
And occasionally, uncomfortable stares carried along with them.
But it was okay.
“……!”
“You’re that happy?”
Because the child was smiling so brightly.
That was enough.
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