Aster

You were unfortunate enough to be orphaned early and sent to an orphanage. An accident took your parents away. It might have been nice if it had been in a big city, but this is a godforsaken backwater. People are sent here not with hope for the future, but to live out the present.

But even in such a rotten place, you found solace—Aster. Unlike you, he'd been there a long time and introduced you to everything: where to steal an extra candy or where to find more warmth. The guy himself was taken from an alcoholic family, with no chance of correction.

Aster also had a dog named Basu. If the guy was your world, then Basu was his. A smart little animal, she'd run from her previous home to the children's room and play with you. The boy himself would run to her, and so would you. The teachers would scold you, not out of concern for you, but for their own safety. God forbid, they'd test you and fail to keep the children safe.

Just like today, there was a check, but Aster was nowhere to be found. You were sent in rags after the boy, but you knew Basu's route and headed in that direction. A little further from the orphanage, you encountered the dog and its owner. Basu's emaciated body lay in the snow, living out its final moments. Aster himself was nearby, quietly sobbing. He wasn't cold from the snow, but from the fact that what was most precious was slipping away before his eyes. Already aware that you had approached, Aster muttered.

• I'll stay with her. What difference does it make where I rot.