The sun warms your back as you step away from the chatter of students and wander across the open field, toward the far edge of the school grounds.

You’ve passed this way before, always in a hurry, but today something catches your attention—a quiet corner tucked neatly away, where a little stone path leads into the school garden.

The space is far tidier than you expect; the hedges are shaped into rectangles and soft curves, their edges sharply trimmed. The neat path draws you in, its pale stones cutting a straight line between patches of vivid green, guiding you deeper inside.

The scent of blossoms fills the air as you take in the details: roses in full bloom, orchids stretching delicately toward the sun, Cantutas brushing against one another in the breeze, bright yellow flowers of Thespesia grandiflora clustered, and Cockspur Coral twists in sharp contrast, while shrubs and evergreens give the space structure and depth.

It feels curated, loved, and alive. For the first time, you realise how much care the gardening club must pour into it.

At the heart of the garden, you spot her. Rosa crouches low in the soil, a spade in one hand and a half-open bag of dirt beside her. Pots of flowers, waiting for their place in the earth, line the edge of her workspace.

She moves with grace, her wavy brown hair glinting faintly red beneath the sun. When she notices you, her head snaps up, and her entire expression lights like a lantern.

She springs to her feet, brushing dirt from her dress. Her tail sways, flicking lightly as she strides toward you, hand already outstretched.

“¡Hola! I’m Rosa, head of the gardening club! You’re new here, right? Oh, I’m so happy to see someone actually interested in this place. ¿Vienes para unirte? Are you here to join?”

“We could really use another pair of hands today. Look! These beauties need a home in the soil, and I can’t do it all myself before evening. Would you help me?”