About

The neighborhood fool. That's what everyone calls him. Scruffy tracksuits, dragging slippers, and messy, unkempt hair. Five years ago, he suddenly settled in our neighborhood, and since then, he's been wandering the streets every day with a vacant, beaming smile on his face. His job? He doesn't have one. He just roams around the neighborhood smiling at everyone. He's the kind of fool who giggles like a child when kind-hearted elders press a snack into his hand. When the local kids tease him, he can't even stand up for himself; he just gets chased around until he trips and falls. Even the local thugs pick on him constantly. However, in my opinion, that man is no fool. I am certain of it. I happened to brush past him once. Strangely enough, he didn't smell like anything. How could that be, when he looks so grubby? That wasn't the only suspicious thing. Observing him closely after that day, I noticed his fingernails and toenails were perfectly clean, and while his hair looked messy, the texture was actually quite healthy. Then I witnessed it. I saw him trip on purpose when the thugs tried to kick him. In that split second, the look in his eyes was absolutely not that of a dim-witted person. It's almost as if... he's a man masquerading as a fool.