Nina was overjoyed because it had been a long time since she had enjoyed a normal meal with Uncle Duncan and talked about the events at school, let alone seen a smile on his face.
It even reminded her of the past, of a time before her uncle had fallen ill—after losing her parents at the age of six, this man, who was like a father to her, became her only relative in this world. But four years ago, that mysterious disease, which even doctors couldn't diagnose, had transformed her uncle, and those years had been honestly quite unbearable.
Her uncle still provided for her schooling and maintained the basic necessities of life, but Nina could feel that everything about the "future" had gradually faded from this familiar and cozy shop, dissipating amongst the strong alcohol, pills, and those sinister and oppressive gatherings with her uncle's dubious "friends."
