A fine morning with a hint of wetness—humid, and full of voices. The voices of birds, insects, and humans.
And among them, one feminine voice, speaking softly to her child.
"Jack, would you mind going to the market to buy an apple for me?"
Jack, who had just woken up, stared at her in confusion for a moment before nodding.
"Okay, Mom. But what kind of apple do you want? And how many?"
"Just one. And any kind is fine, Jack. Just make sure it's not rotten."
"...Alright, Mom." Jack stretched, let out a big yawn, and put on his clothes to go outside.
"Make sure to take your hat with you. Lately, the birds have been trying to peck people's heads for no reason. It's been going on for months."
"Uhh... Okay, Mom."
Jack did not take his hat. He simply walked out without it. Jack hates wearing his hat. It makes his head feel hot. He'd rather let his hair feel the breeze.
The journey begins. Well... not quite. Jack is currently hiding in a bush. People don't usually hide in bushes.
"I didn't expect that aside from bird pecks, I'd come across this fine bush to hide in."
Jack loves bushes. That's his new hobby.
But unfortunately for Jack, today is a busy day. Buy an apple at the market and bring it to Mom.
"As much as I'd like to stay... or get out of this bush, the birds will peck me if they see me. Is wearing a hat really the only solution?"
As Jack ponders, a sudden masculine voice comes from behind him.
"Whatcha doin' in the bush, bud?"
Jack looks back and tilts his head. He sees a clown. A clown wearing a hat. What surprises Jack isn't that a stranger appeared behind him, or that the stranger is a clown—it's that the clown is wearing a hat. Actually, two hats.
"Why do you wear two hats, clown? Afraid a bird might peck you more than me?"
The clown shrugs.
"Touché. I wear two hats because I have two hats. Also because I love hats. Seeing you without a hat means you hate hats, doesn't it?"
Jack nods.
"Other than clowning around, you actually use your brain, huh? But you didn't think of giving me a hat even though you have two?"
"Why would I give you a hat? You're a hat hater. Also, I don't have two. I have three. But I only have one head, so I can't wear it."
"You wear two hats. Do you look like you have two heads, clown?"
The clown gasps. He has a revelation. Yay.
"Oh my, you're right!" the clown exclaims.
He then walks away from Jack and puts the third hat on his head.
The clown is immediately ambushed by multiple birds.
Jack is astonished. Then Jack finds a coin inside the bush. Lucky him.
After a few... actually, several minutes, Jack decides to leave his fine bush and continue his journey.
---
Jack hides in another fine bush on the side of the dirt road.
"Oh my, oh my! I found another fine bush to hide in!"
Jack trembles with excitement as leaves cling to him.
"Dirty boy."
A little girl's voice comes from above. Jack looks up and sees a girl in yellow sitting on a thick tree branch.
Turns out the bush is next to the tree. Jack didn't notice because he only likes bushes, not trees. Jack tends to ignore what he doesn't care about... aside from humans.
"What do you care, yellow girl? You're just like me! You climb trees because you love trees. I hide in bushes because I love bushes. Now mind your business."
"Huh!? Dirty boy, don't lump me in with you! I'm simply... stuck in the tree..."
The yellow-clad girl blushes from embarrassment.
"How embarrassing." Jack is merciless about this.
"Y-you shut it! Anyway, I'm just another unfortunate victim of the bird pecking. Ugh, no matter how big my hat is, it doesn't stop the pecking!"
Jack proudly exclaims:
"Aha! The hat is useless! I don't even need to wear one because birds attack people wearing hats anyway!"
"Do you think hats make you immune to bird strikes, dirty boy? We wear them to protect ourselves from bird strikes... at least."
"Well, I rest my case. Hats still fail to do their job!"
"...Whatever, dirty boy. Can you help me down?"
The yellow girl begs Jack for help.
"But I'd have to leave my fine bush..."
The yellow girl pouts.
"Hmph! I guess you just don't want to admit you can't climb a tree better than a girl."
"Gasp! Take that back, yellow girl!"
Jack actually has a sense of competition. What an interesting new detail about Jack.
"But yeah, you're right, yellow girl. I'm not better at climbing than a girl. In fact, I can't climb at all."
"...Sigh. Are you serious?" The yellow girl's eyes go dead.
"Well... I could learn how to climb a tree after I finish walking these streets!"
"...What kind of journey are you on where climbing a tree becomes the final goal?"
Jack leaves the yellow-clad girl.
"H-hey! Oh, you gotta be—"
Her voice fades.
Jack realizes something after his bickering with the yellow girl.
Well, he didn't forget about getting the apple for his mom. He just got sidetracked because he loves fine bushes.
Anyway, the journey continues.
---
Jack arrives at the market.
He sees many people wearing hats.
But looking up, he sees no birds.
Jack wonders why. But then remembers he's just a kid and decides to ignore it.
"Apple, apple... Oh, here's a shop that sells apples!"
Jack points at an old man inside the shop.
"Yes, kid... I sell apples..." The old man sighs.
"Yes, you sell apples. Thanks for the info."
"Just pick an apple already."
Jack thinks. Since his mom let him choose, that usually makes him happy—picking the most delicious one.
But give someone freedom, and they end up with questions.
"Old man, what's the most delicious apple you have?"
"All my apples are delicious. That means you'd have to buy all of them."
"Oh, I only need one."
"Then buy all the apples, taste them, and take one."
"But I don't have money, old man."
"Then WHY bother talking to meeee..." the old man grumbles.
"Oh wait, I do have a coin. A coin I found in a bush."
"...Still not enough to buy one apple."
"Not enough? No problem! I'll just find another one!"
"Where? Believe me, kid. A coin on the ground here gets taken the second it drops. Don't bother."
"Oh really? Then I'll search somewhere else."
"...Okay."
---
Jack goes back to the streets. There, he finds the yellow girl struggling, hanging from the tree branch.
"Yellow girl!"
"Waah!" She screams and tightens her grip on the branch.
"! It's you! Dirty boy, why are you back!?" she yells angrily.
"Do you have a coin?"
"No, I do not have a coin!"
"Oh well... Did you drop a coin?"
"No! No, I didn't drop a coin! And even if I had one, I wouldn't give it to you—especially you!"
"Oh... Well, do you need help at least?"
"You!... Yes..."
"Too bad I can't climb yet."
Jack turns and leaves.
"You bast—"
---
Jack searches everywhere for a coin. But he can't find one. The old man told the truth after all.
Jack takes a break in a bush—unsurprisingly. It's near an isolated river. Birds are chirping.
"Hey there, little boy. I've seen you walking around a lot lately."
Jack turns around. He sees a bird... a talking bird... a giant talking bird.
"A bird... big bird. Oh yeah, you're gonna peck me."
Jack jumps out of the bush and runs.
"No, little boy, I'm not going to peck you."
With a single flap of his wings, the bird flies past Jack in an instant.
"Instead, I'm willing to give you a coin for your little apple. How about it?"
"...You birds work?"
"Yeah, we do. We call it pecking jobs. Every time we peck someone, we get a coin."
"Ohh... And why do birds need coins?"
"We don't need them. We just love pecking. Getting a coin is just the cherry on top. So how about it?"
"Of course I'd like a coin. But why are you being kind to me?"
"Because you don't wear a hat. As birds, we love hair. It's beautiful. But one day, a human wore a hat... We couldn't see their hair, so we pecked it. Usually, humans are smart enough to know that wearing a hat means we'll peck them. But somehow, they misunderstood. Now we just keep pecking."
"Oh wow... Actually, I met this yellow girl stuck in a tree."
"So you want me to save her?"
"Peck her. She wears a hat."
"Alright, I'll give you a coin then."
Jack finally gets his coin and heads back to the market to buy his apple.
---
"Found you!" Jack points at the old man.
"...Wow, you found me. Congrats." The old man claps slowly.
"Here's the coin! Now give me an apple!"
"Actually, kid, after you left, a merchant bought all my apples. But you can still give me the money if you want."
"Whaaat... Why would I give you my hard-earned coin if there's no apple!"
Jack leaves, disappointed.
As Jack walks, he stumbles upon a hat.
"... "
He stares at it for a long time before grabbing it and putting it on.
"...Just as I thought. I hate it. But I deserve this much. I failed to get an apple for Mom..."
---
Jack continues walking until his shoulder bumps into someone else's.
"Ugh... Excuse me."
A girl's voice responds.
She turns back apologetically.
Jack bows—he doesn't want her to see him sad.
"Oh, you don't have to bow. It was my fault too—ugh."
The girl is wearing yellow. Her face twists in disgust.
"...It's you again, huh?"
"Well... we keep meeting again and again lately..."
"...Well, I don't have the energy to bicker right now. Some big bird suddenly came at me and started pecking. I almost cried. My hat got thrown away."
"Wow, that's some bad luck."
"Shush. Anyway, I threw an apple at the bird. That should keep it away for now. I managed to grab two. Want one?"
"...Wait, you have an apple?"
"Did you not hear my story at all?... Yes, I do."
"Oh, thank you so much! I actually need one right now."
"Hey! You first need to apologize to me! You left me three times already!"
"It was two."
"Shut it. Anyway, I'm willing to give you my apple because I don't hate you. I also don't like you, but most of it is because I don't hate you. You just happen to be a person that has been with me the longest this day."
Jack grabs an apple... and eats it.
"...I will be the mature one. Calm down, calm down. You know he's like this from the start..."
"My tummy feels better now. Oh, I also need an apple to give to my mom."
"...I already gave you one." The girl pulls the other apple away.
"But I need one for my mom."
"I said I already gave you one."
"Is there anything I can do so you'll give me that one?"
"No. Back off."
"I really do need it though."
"...Dammit. Fine. Here, take it, dirty boy."
"Thankies! Oh, by the way—birds only peck people wearing hats."
"....What!? Hey, you need to explain that—"
Jack leaves.
---
But before that, Jack found a clown that used to wear three hats, currently laying down on the dirt and grass.
"Why do you lie down, clown?"
"... Don't want to talk about it."
Jack leaves, knowing he is unneeded.
---
After a long journey... from morning to afternoon, Jack arrives home.
"Here's an apple for you, Mom!"
"Thank you, Jack. I can always count on you when I need something."
"Actually, Mom, please don't. Whenever I leave, I always end up in a mess."
The end.