Something incredibly happy happened. A surprise from my regular elementary school customers!

A trio of fourth-grade girls who often come to the shop.
They are a close-knit group who share a large 200-yen shaved ice.
After finishing their shaved ice, the three of them show each other stickers.
"Yu-chan, what kind of stickers do you like?"
"Come to think of it, your taste is similar to the old guy's, isn't it?"
"In that case, should we ask the old guy?"
It seems they were choosing a sticker as a gift for Yu-chan, whose birthday is on the 5th of this month.

"Old guy, since your taste is similar to Yu-chan's, could you tell us which sticker is good?"
They asked me, so I helped them choose.
However, they asked, "Old guy, what do you like from the Sanrio series? Since your taste is the same as Yu-chan's."
"Isn't it the black one?"
"Old guy, do you think Yu-chan likes the Hello Kitty type?"
"I don't think she likes that."
"Old guy, how about this radish sticker?"
"I like that one."
They were asking a bit persistently.
But this is typical for elementary school kids, so I'm used to it by now.

They seemed to have finally finished choosing, and
since they said, "Old guy, we're going home now," I saw them off to the front of the shop.
"Be careful on your way home."
"Yeah, but we might come back soon."
"I see, got it."

Then they came back in about three minutes.
"That was fast, welcome back!"
"Yeah, Yu-chan wasn't there."
"Is her house that close?"
"Yeah, because her bicycle wasn't there."
"Hmm."
Then, when I turned toward them, all three of them said,
"Old guy, happy 4th anniversary!"
and held out a bunch of stickers.

"This many?"
"Old guy, you said you liked these, right?"
That was it. They had been acting to find out which stickers I liked, and then they gave them to me as a gift.
I, who hadn't suspected a thing, was moved to tears.
"Thank you so much!"

I was truly happy.
Thank you.

I thought that if there were more children like them,
there would be no more war in the world.

(Laoban)