What If, He Was Just Like Her?

There were not many people inside the bookstore. An area was opened for the patrons who wanted to enjoy reading books while having desserts. The smell of coffee intertwined with the sound of pages rustling. The patrons were either choosing books to buy or reading the already opened ones.

It was simply how Shouko loved a bookstore, calm and relaxing.

"Heisuke," Shouko bent her body slightly, looking at the boy beside her, "Which kinds of books that you like to read? Fairy-tales? The ones that have cars and robots? Or, else?"

Without her realizing it, she treated the eleven year-old boy like how she usually treated Little Riceball who was a toddler.

Heisuke bit his lower lip, he hesitated for a moment before his voice came out of his little mouth, "I love reading fantasy books but..."

"En?"

Heisuke added timidly, "Mother and Father said it's useless to read that kind of book..."

Shouko was stunned.