That evening, Kiki sat alone in her room, which she shared with Eleven and two other children from the south.
The two children had names that were somewhat difficult to pronounce, and Kiki still had not remembered them—not that pronunciation was the only reason. If she had truly wanted to remember them, she could have found a way... she simply did not like these companions very much, just as they did not like her.
She could now communicate in District 3 Language in everyday situations. Eleven still struggled a little, while the children from the south could not understand a word their teacher said. They were taking that first step from zero to one—yet Eleven had no trouble communicating with them at all.
Yes, Eleven had won everyone over on her very first day. Kiki could more or less understand that. It was precisely this side of Eleven that had drawn her in, prompting her to become friends with her immediately at the orphanage in District 14. Yet she could not fully understand why, because while these people liked Eleven, they had almost unanimously shown contempt for Kiki.
For the time being, she could handle it herself. Their behavior had not gone too far, and Eleven sometimes scolded them on her behalf.
But things had been a little different today. When those girls had let out their deliberate laughter, Officer Silei seemed to have noticed. And Kiki vaguely felt that Silei might tell Little Crane about it.
It was nearly dinnertime. The children had already gone to the dining hall to wait for their meal, but Kiki's instincts kept her in the room. A secret wish was taking root in her heart: if Officer Silei really told Little Crane, then perhaps... she might come speak to Kiki alone—
Just then,