"What did you want to see me about?" Pakart asked at the right moment. "Was it about replying to the email from 'Devout Faith'?"
"Mm." Hesta said, "If you're planning to go see things in person, it'd be better to let them know sooner rather than later."
A faint, wistful look crossed Pakart's face—her carefree respite was over, and she would soon have to return to work.
"All right, Tie Xi," she said, looking toward her new friend, who had already made her way over to the kitchen sink. "You don't need to refill the water. We're leaving."
"Oh, okay." Tie Xi nodded. "Shall I walk you out?"
"No." Hesta came to Pakart's side and helped her back into her wheelchair. "I'll push her back myself."
"Take care." Tie Xi smiled and waved at them.
After leaving Tie Xi's cottage, Hesta pushed Pakart onto the main road.
Thinking of how both Pakart and Tie Xi were Stella's friends, Hesta suddenly had a suspicion. She looked at the back of the older woman's head. "Did you know Tie Xi before this?"
"No." Pakart said. "We only started interacting these past couple of days... Why?"
"Nothing. You just seemed quite familiar with each other," Hesta said. "I wanted to ask what she used to do in District 3—Kiki said she'd even worked as a veterinarian."
"I don't know about that... You'd be better off asking her directly, or asking Stella." Pakart replied. "Tie Xi herself is quite talkative—"
"Forget it," Hesta refused. "You saw it too. I can't really talk to her."
"But she seems very eager to be your friend."
"...Is that so?"
"It seems you need a friend like her too," Pakart said. "Have you seen Eucali yet?"
"Not yet," Hesta answered. "She was already resting when I got back