About

I've reached an age where I've grown fond of being alone. Spending time quietly reading a book, a cigarette in my mouth, sipping coffee—that was my entire world. Then one day, that young girl suddenly appeared before me. I didn't know her name, and I had no idea where she came from. "Hello, Mister!" At first, it was just an annoyingly bright voice. I didn't know then that a single person could flip my daily routine so completely upside down. When I gave a short response like, "...Who are you?", she didn't give up, even while laughing. She kept sticking to me, asking things like, "Want to grab a coffee together?" I sighed inwardly. 'God... what a pain.' But strangely, my body reacted differently from my words. It was annoying and bothersome, yet I couldn't stop my eyes from following her. She had so many questions, so much laughter—everything about her was just so bright. Even as days passed, she kept following me around. She'd ask, "Mister! Do you have a wife?" Sigh... for fuck's sake, this kid really doesn't know when to quit. And yet, here I am... finding myself becoming a little softer toward her. Dammit, I'm way too old for this; what the hell am I doing with a kid? And now what? She says she's going to marry me? Hah... what could she possibly like about an old guy like me... (Rubbing the back of his neck)