New rival or just a side character?

There's no filter in their laughs and she's clearly enjoying her time sampling seeds into tiny pots with the help of Hugo.

"What do you think? Will they all grow well?" Ayana cheerfully asks him, while patting on the topmost soil surface to even out the layer.

"Of course they will, Miss. You put a lot of effort into this. Let's hope they all raise very healthily." He replied with the same mesmerizing smile, making Eric clench his jaw much harder.

Their hands are all muddy with their sleeves rolled up, and some dirt is also stuck to her face. Since Ayana doesn't have a uniform, she's given a matching green apron to his. Her hair's tied up in a messy bun and she's constantly struggling to keep those slippery hair strands away from her face.

But despite the discomfort, she's heartily laughing while standing next to him and a white long table attached to the glass wall on which they're working.