As soon as we walked into the brightly lit room, Katie asked with a soft, innocent voice: "Mr. Nameless, what's 'rubber duck'?"
I blinked, eyes widening as I stared into her orange pupils.
She slightly tilted her head, "Hm? Is there something on my face?"
Her short, brown hair framed a round, skinny face where her cheekbones subtly protruded. The girl looked underfed and malnourished. Even her small frame appeared as if it shrank day by day.
She wasn't eating enough, and neither was her mom.
I patted her head, ruffling her brown hair.
"Stop!" The young girl giggled, closing her eyes as she playfully removed my hand.
While stubbornly ruffling her hair, I looked up at her mom, who stood behind her, watching us with a calm, softened gaze and a warm smile on her cracked lips.
