The old man looked at me silently for a few moments. It was as though he was in disbelief.
The old man blinked.
"You... You don't know?"
I lowered my head ever so slightly.
"...Sorry."
The old man opened his mouth and raised his hand. But shortly after, he closed his mouth and lowered his hand.
It was as though the only thing this old man could do was hesitate.
But something about his countenance changed.
The old man nodded.
"I see... thank you for the advice."
He turned around and walked a few steps forward.
Despite how lacking my words were, the old man seemed to treat them like gold. As though the words, 'I don't know', were enlightening.
The old man stood up straight and looked high up into the sky.
"...I've made my choice."
...
My eyes slowly opened to greet a raging headache.
"...Agh."
There was a faint ringing sound in my ears that gradually cleared up.