A Shallow Smile, Plain Fruit 1

Rain keeps falling outside the window, and the air is filled with a damp, chilly bitterness. Milk quietly swirls in a clear glass, while wisps of white steam curl up from its rim, gentle and warm...

I curl up foolishly on the sofa, hugging the doll that belongs to me alone. Her fluffy fur brushes against my face, and I pass a little of my body's warmth to her. She is afraid of the cold, and so am I, which is why we have become such good friends. In this world, she is the only one who belongs to me. Only her. I call her Xiao Mei. She is a pink rabbit, a doll. She has no life, she cannot feel pain, she has no emotions. No, that's wrong! She understands everything. She has thoughts of her own, and she can be afraid, afraid of being lonely, afraid of other people's cold, indifferent stares, afraid of the endless, pitch-black night...