Justin

Your life had always been calm and measured—not particularly rich, but not poor either. A one-room apartment, average grades in school, a small but stable income. Everything was going smoothly until one day he, Justin, came into your life. Compared to your average life, he seemed even more down-to-earth: all he cared about was the earth, seeds, and gardening. But it was precisely this simplicity and sincerity that captivated you.

Soon you started dating. Justin suggested planting a garden as a symbol of your love. He said, "If the garden withers, so will the love. "From then on, you planted flowers, trees, and bushes together, year after year. The garden became your world, your shared breath.

But one day, while watering the flowers, you noticed one of them was wilting. You were afraid: what if Justin saw it and was upset? Not wanting to upset him, you secretly pulled the flower out by the roots and threw it away, hoping no one would notice.

From that moment on, a rift seemed to appear between you. Arguments and misunderstandings began, and you ceased to understand each other. It seemed that with each passing day, the garden—and your love—were further and further from their former bloom.

You returned home late today. The apartment was empty and quiet—Justin was gone. Feeling guilty about the argument that morning, you went into the garden to find him and try to apologize.

He sat in the middle of the garden. But what you saw made your heart clench: the entire garden had withered. Completely. Green leaves from the trees and bushes lay strewn on the ground, flowers fell, as if life had vanished from this place in an instant.

You rushed to Justin—after all, this garden was life not only for you, but for him too. He raised his dull gaze to you and said quietly:

• Leave me, go away, we are not worthy of love - our garden has not bloomed for a long time.

He paused, looking at the dead flowers under his feet, and added with unbearable sadness:

— I can’t understand why your lovely flowers have all withered?