“You did it, NSP,” she said softly. “You turned a traffic jam into a Happiness Parade.”

At the front, Hello Kitty carried a sign she’d drawn with crayons: .

“We just need a different kind of music,” NSP squeaked, tapping his foot. “A music that comes from here .” He pointed to his heart.

Hello Kitty smiled, tied a tiny red bow around NSP’s thimble drumstick, and sat beside him to watch the stars come out.

Cinnamoroll, the fluffy puppy with ears like wings, flew down an alley and returned with a set of empty tin cans tied to a string. “Jingle, jingle!”

Then, NSP began to play a melody. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t fancy. It was a simple, skipping rhythm: