- Just like a tiger, the hair the ears, even being a tiger, its big eyes fire, even the teeth, are well done.
- Yes, that's right, this is a beautiful thing, right? - He said.
- So, now, eat quickly, Péngyǒu darling. – He instructed her.
Then she obeys without question, feeling the sweet but not cloying taste that invades her mouth, rather the certain certainty of it.
She's never eaten anything so close to this, now, looking back, she can't remember ever eating anything this good.
Discovering its wonderful flavours, which is not just in the mouth, now, it is all over your head, and at that moment, when the chocolate melts on your tongue, the little shelf slides in and the hole closes.
- How are you? – He questioned her.
- Sweet and different taste. - She said.
- Well... - She said.
Just when she thinks that's all she can say, even though it was a regular chocolate, it didn't seem any different from other sweets, that she could say, until she tasted another one.
It was at that time, that she would be like a mouse in a science experiment, so she would keep fiddling with that lever until it broke or until the shelf stopped releasing candy, even then, she knew she didn't want another one.
Even though she doesn't think she's going to stop for a Slushee at the cafeteria across the playground either. She is not hungry at all.
- What is she in... She doesn't finish the sentence.
- Don't you need more? – Yoshihiro questioned. – Was that enough? – Still questioning.
- I don't need more. - She said. - Looks like he's enough. - She said.
The girl never felt more fulfilled than that hour, all of it, it was small, it wouldn't be more than what she called a hole in the inside, but it was like any candy, so, not even with the bicycle she got for her birthday. six years.
- I'm happy with it, but I know that tomorrow when you wake up, you'll probably want another one, so just know that you can have another one, because you'll be taking the box of buttons home with you.
- I'll leave the box with you for now. - He said.
- How many chocolate bugs are inside? - She questioned.
Instead of answering the question, he invites her to pull the lever at the other end.
- Are there more of them inside the candy box? - She questioned.
- See and find out. "She encouraged it.
The girl opened a bag, took out the pen from the tablet, which she carried in the backpack she left forgotten on her back when she sat on the stool with him.
Then she pushed the pen into that little lever, with that, pushing it, so just then, when the little shelf comes out of the hole, there's a golden coin on top of it, so big and shiny, she must squint against the reflection. of the sun, with that she takes the coin, and the little shelf shrinks.
Yes, it appears to be heavy, on the surface is the jade emperor's face in profile, the coin has true outlines, where he appears to be wearing what appears to be a crown beneath it, surrounded by a semicircle of stars, interrupted by date: 1891.
On which above has the words Han Dynasty Gaozu Liu Bang.
- This is a collector's coin from the ancient era of 202 BC. C., dear Pengyou. – Yoshihiro reports in a didactic tone.
- There are approximately thirty grams of pure gold. - He said. – It was created by a coiner in the classical period of the Han Dynasty. - He said.
- Being that he was only thirty years old when he recorded the profile of Emperor Han, a lord of the first Han dynasty, everything to become what we call the "heads" side of the coin.
When the Chinese dragon is on the emperor's side. - He said.
- She is amazing. - The girl whispers, even with great reluctance, the girl hands her over to him.
Yoshihiro crosses his hands over his chest and shakes his head.
- She's not mine, little Peng. - He said. - She's yours.
- From now on, everything that comes out of the box is yours, even just the candies, the chocolates, and the coins, because the box is yours.
- As for the current numismatic value of this old coin, it's worth whatever you can pawn at that store where you work. - He said.
- Know that this figure comes close to a thousand dollars, by the way. - He said.
- This is too much. - She said. – I cannot accept. His voice sounds distant to his own ears.
At that moment, when she feels (as she felt when she started to run up the Bend of the road of the Dead Man two months earlier, where he could pass out at any second.
- You know I didn't do anything to earn that coin. - She said.
- In the future you will see that you will reward with the same coin and will do whatever it takes. - He said.
Then, from the pocket of his jade-green kimono, in which he takes out an old-fashioned pocket watch, with that, this object shows the hands, he looks at them.
- Now, my time needs to be better managed. - He said.
- Is ending. - He said.
When that time on that gold watch in his pocket, being that it was on his kimono, which shoots more arrows from the sun into Péngyǒu 's eyes , only golden with that, he opened the covers of his clock hand, there is a gold rope , in which he shows the time, with the hands, with that, he puts it back in his pocket.
- Like eternity, it's an abbreviated time. - He said.
- I'll explain to you about the buttons and pay attention.
- I want all your attention, focused on me. - He said.
- Yes sir. - She said. – I have everything focused on you. - She said.
- Keep all the distractions, in your bag, so that everything is clear with my explanations. - He said.
She obeys. He can feel it against his thigh, a heavy circle.
— How many continents are there in the world, Péngyǒu? You know?
- Six that I know of. - She said.
- That was something she learned in third year.
- Seven actually. - He said. – As Antarctica is deserted for practical reasons, it is not represented here… except, of course, for the black button, and we'll get to that. - The man said.
At that point, he starts picking up one of his chopsticks that he apparently uses for his meals, starts squeezing them.
- These buttons are grouped together. - He said. – They are the light green: Asia. Yellow: Africa. Green: Europe. White: Australia. Metal: North America. Black: South America. - He said.
- I will repeat, repeat, and accompany me. - He said.
- In what are each of them.
The girl accompanying him and repeating.
- Now can you remember?
- All right, I can do it. - She said -
- I understands. – The girl recites without hesitation, she was one of the best at memorizing the accounts, including the memo, so her memory has always been good, and she has a crazy idea that the delicious chocolate she ate is improving her concentration.
Now, she doesn't know what all this means, but she can remember which colour represents each continent.
- As for red, what does it do? - She questioned.
- You want to know what everyone wants to know, the owner of the box always wants to have it, this is common. - He said.
- Everything that is curious, wanting to know things and do things is what moves the human race.
- That's the wish of the unknown, Péngyǒu! The disease and the cure at the same time!
I'm not in Osamu Tezuka Valley anymore, Péngyǒu thinks.
When I walked into one of those places from the books I like to read. Oz or Narnia or the Shire. This cannot be happening.
- You just have to remember that the red button is the only one you can use more than once. - He said.
- As for black? - She questioned again.
- Until we meet again, you must not mess around. - He said.
- Why? - She questioned again.
- All in enjoyable time, when the time comes, the moment I get it back. - He said.
- For now, that's all you have to know. - Yoshihiro, he said, when he was getting up.
- That's all you have to know, that's the complete package. - He said. "As your father tells you. - He said.
She stares at him with wide eyes. Her father says so.
- How do you know so much about him? – The girl questioned.
- Honey, I'm sorry. - He said. – I know it's rude to interrupt, but I have to go. - He said.