The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Joey felt a little uneasy after hearing a stranger bring up the fact he was adopted so abruptly. He blinked and asked, "How do you know that?"

The balloon seller put on an honest look and said, "I've been selling balloons nearby recently, and I overheard the neighbors talking about it. The adopted son they were discussing must be you, right? I noticed your family didn't seem to like you very much when you were buying balloons from me before."

Joey was not happy with that insinuation and reiterated, "I am very well treated here. My mom and the rest of the family are very kind to me. Please don't say stuff like that!"

The balloon seller tried to reassure Joey after seeing how anxious the boy was getting. "Hey, don't be upset. I'm asking only because I was concerned for your well-being. If you feel that your family treats you very well, then just forget about what I said earlier."

Joey was a little confused. "Why are you concerned about me?"

The balloon seller raised his head and glanced around to ensure that there was no one around. He then said to Joey, "I'm just worried you might not be receiving proper treatment in this family. I heard you're an adopted child, and I assumed that your biological family gave you up for adoption because they couldn't raise you well enough. Now that you've been adopted into this new family, I'm worried you might be mistreated or even abused by them! You see, some wealthy families like to adopt poor orphans to show off how kind they are. In reality, they're just taking advantage of those little children! That's what I'm worried about!"

but I'm perfectly fine

balloon seller smiled and said, "Well, as long as you're happy and well-treated, I'm glad to hear it.

and asked. "And

mother might prioritize them over an adopted child like you! That makes it even more important for you to study hard and rely on yourself as you grow up. Otherwise, there's a risk you might be abandoned again

felt that the balloon seller was overthinking things. He pursed his lips and

had been determined to study hard not out of fear of being abandoned, but because he loved learning and had a

while now, but your mommy hasn't sent anyone to look for you yet. Doesn't that mean she doesn't really care about you? Or at least, not as much as she

noticed that nobody had come looking for him. However, he still believed his mother's character was vastly unlike what the balloon seller described. He firmly believed Corinne was a very kind person who had always treated

his head to refute the balloon seller when he realized that there was no one near the small fence in the yard. All he saw