The Shoe Turned Topknot and Nearly Caused a Disaster

A shoe was left there.

At the top of the stairs, on the walkway that goes under the train tracks.

It was a small, light blue one for a child.
It was resting on a small ledge beneath the handrail.

Someone must have placed it there so the owner could find it easily, while making sure it wouldn't get in anyone's way.

It's a small act of kindness I see from time to time.
I was once helped by this myself when my child lost their bicycle key.

I walked past, hoping it would be found soon. However, from that day on, I would end up seeing this shoe many times.

The shoe often changed its location.

Sometimes it was on the middle rail, sometimes on top of the handrail, and then back in its original spot. It seemed as though people's goodwill was fluctuating wildly.

As I kept catching glimpses of it, I started to feel as if the shoe had a will of its own.

Sometimes knocked down by the wind, sometimes toyed with by a cat, it continued to wait single-mindedly for its owner.

I said, 'Good work today,' to him, as the dirt had become quite noticeable.

Come to think of it, I have never thanked my own shoes.

I have a pair of shoes I've been wearing for over ten years, one way or another. After being stepped on and stepped on for so long, they couldn't be more exhausted.

After thinking for a while, I decided to place the shoes on the household altar and pray to them. It wouldn't be a sin to let them be above me for once.

I pressed my hands together for a moment...

A sudden impact struck my head.
To my surprise, the shoes that had fallen were resting on my head.

Flustered by this slapstick-like coincidence, my thoughts raced: Is this Ultraman? No, maybe a topknot? Isn't this hilarious?

In any case, I felt I had to show someone this sight. I felt that was the shoes' will. Determined, I shuffled toward the living room. My target: the children.

'Ultraman, reporting for duty!!'

I made my long-awaited entrance, but there wasn't a shred of cheering for the superhero. If anything, they looked confused about how to react. Swallowing my longing for heroism along with the bitterness, I decided to rephrase it.

“Topknot Mask, reporting for duty!!”

It was less of a report and more of a disaster.

I wanted to show them the sight of the shoe that had fallen onto my head. At first, that was my only goal. But that feeling faded as I looked at the children who couldn't speak.

Now, I was trying to become a single topknot. Let the spotlight shine on the topknot. Look at this topknot.

Unfortunately, I don't know the words a topknot should speak. I must show them through action. Through the topknot.

I approached cautiously, tucking my chin in as much as possible to keep the topknot on my head from falling while ensuring it was clearly visible.

My father, who suddenly appeared with a shoe on his head, shouted about Ultraman and topknots, and was now inching toward us while looking up at us.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

Even while showing a completely withdrawn laugh, my eldest son, who spoke to me, was surely the hero.

However, I was maintaining a precarious balance so the topknot wouldn't fall, so I couldn't speak properly.

"To-, topknot."

Though I managed to utter a single word in desperation, the children's withdrawal reached an unprecedented level.

Sweat trickling down

I was cornered

Just as I did in front of the household altar, I put my hands together once more

"Topknot..."

My younger sister's murmur barely echoed in the room.

Yes, a topknot.

I was unable to even nod, but I kept my hands pressed together to express my gratitude. The goal had been achieved.

After returning the topknot to the household altar, I sipped my coffee and fell into deep thought. Why is the human heart so weak, and why does it become so captivated by the will of a topknot?

I am worried because there are several other topknot shoes that I have used for a long time. And finally, once more, I thought of the shoes waiting for their owners.