When Maru left the café with the disposable cup, he was greeted by the sight of the man who was chasing Haneul’s back with a dumbfounded look. The man’s lips moved without producing any word a few times as though he wanted to say something.

He quietly stared at the side of the man’s face. If the man was agitated and showed any signs of rushing towards her, he was planning to stick out his leg and make him fall. If the fallen man glared at him, he would just have to tell him sorry with the gentlest smile he could muster.

His worries were for naught, however, as the man did not get agitated, nor rush toward her. He just walked to the entrance on the other side, still in a daze. Maru could hear him say ‘this isn’t right’ as he walked out.

Maru knew from this moment that the situation was over. The man seemed to have lost his will to quarrel or throw a tantrum. Maru wondered what Haneul said to him.

After seeing the man disappear, he walked over to Haneul. She was waiting in front of a spiraling fountain.

“What did you tell the kid?” he asked as he approached.

“Not much. Why do you ask?”

“He looked like he saw a ghost. He just trodded away with a pale face,...