The harbor of Ring Island.
The damp and stifling cabin.
Next to the electric light, Sesame Paste sat cross-legged, reading a storybook she had borrowed from Si Si to the children gathered around her.
At first, it was Misa who did this alone, aiming to help the restless children pass the time and incidentally teach them to read and write.
Later on, Sesame Paste joined in, too.
Thanks to this, she found that her United Human language had improved a lot lately, especially in reading and writing, where she could now understand common texts without relying on VM.
Crouched beside Sesame Paste, a little girl about seven or eight years old hugged her knees, eyes intently fixed on the swaying cat ears atop her head.
When one story ended, the little girl couldn't contain her curiosity any longer and ventured a soft, tentative question.
"Sister."
"What is it?" asked Sesame Paste, turning a page with a gentle smile towards the little girl.
