Their Past 2

"What kind of person did I even pick up?!"

Nicole, known as "New Eridu's most unscrupulous person," became like a mother after picking up Anby. Not only did she have to teach her basic life skills step by step, she also had to answer all sorts of strange questions.

For example—

One day, while watching a romance movie on TV, Anby pointed at the male and female leads kissing on screen and asked, "Nicole, are they exchanging saliva as some new method of poisoning?"

Nicole: "..."

Another example—

Nicole took Anby to the supermarket. Standing before the laundry detergent shelves, Anby picked up a bottle of fabric softener and frowned. "Will drinking this make your body softer?"

Nicole shoved the fabric softener back onto the shelf and dragged her away. "That's for washing clothes!!"

There was also one time—

Nicole held Anby's hand as they walked through the streets of New Eridu. Cars passed through the middle of the road, pedestrians crowded both sides, and the plane tree leaves in the green belt rustled in the breeze.

"Anby, look at how fat this one is!"

The two stopped at a street corner, where Nicole teased a tabby cat. Curled into a fluffy ball, it ate the dried fish Nicole fed it while lazily meowing.

Watching this scene, Anby recalled a summer much like this one.

She and her sisters had huddled together, more than a dozen little heads squeezed close as they shared half a honey biscuit, every one of them smiling happily beneath the sunlight.

Ding-dong!

Suddenly, the doors of the hamburger restaurant at the corner opened, and the crisp, pleasant chime pulled Anby back from her thoughts.

Nicole then rose and leaned toward Anby, pointing at the Denny by the register as she whispered, "Remember the first lesson