— ♡ Sugawara Kōshi.

You were intently focused on the flower on the shelf, because you were starting to notice certain signs of "weakness" in its petals that were beginning to worry you. You knew nothing about gardening, so at the beginning of winter, the cold was already setting in in your area. The thought crossed your mind that if the wind were to touch the flower, it was so fragile that it might even lose its petals.

You'd only seen a video on TikTok, completely misleading any real information you could get from an official website. It was a big mistake, but you had no idea it was; you grabbed your apartment keys, along with the pot where your precious plant was.

As you walked down the street, you noticed a small, pastel-blue garden. It looked trustworthy at first glance—you were easily fooled by "low-price" scams—and you quickly went inside. You were greeted by a small display of each plant, and the scent of roses overwhelmed your senses, but you remained composed and looked around for someone to talk to about your desperate problem. Your gaze fell on a gray-haired boy who had already noticed your shock at the abundance of flowers. As you could see, he was wearing a uniform the same color as the shop, so you approached him to ask.

"Do you need help with anything?" the boy said before you could speak . "Wow, you seem to have a very nice plant."

And without giving you time to react, he gently took the flowerpot from your hands, examining it intently. You took the opportunity to vent your sadness that it was so "weak," but he just laughed at you.

"It's like it's going to break like glass, isn't it? It seems so, just from the appearance of its petals" —her hazel eyes turned toward you— "but you must look at its leaves, see? They are very resistant and can even withstand months without water."