[ Flowers ]

Jet and Geoffrey exited the classroom, reaching the crowded hallways.

They bumped into a few people, who were also trying to leave.

"Have you considered any clubs?" asked Jet.

"Clubs?" 

"Yeah, some are recruiting. Apparently, they sometimes have assignments that help progress toward a higher grade."

Geoffrey remained in thought for a moment. 

A club isn't such a bad idea.

"What clubs were there?" he asked.

They were walking around people who stood in the way, too busy talking to leave enough space for people to walk through.

Jet loudly reminded them they weren't the only ones using the hallways to get home, most just rolling their eyes and ignoring him.

"Hmm, a lot of them were sports related. You don't strike me as the physical type, however..."

Geoffrey nodded, he was right.

"Hah! I knew it. Well, I was ready to be surprised... Also, your gift could also be helpful to club activities!"

Jet rubbed his chin, as Geoffrey remained silent.

"...Well, there's a bunch of other ones that could be interesting."

"Which one are you considering?" asked Geoffrey.

"I'm thinking the disciplinary committee, but I did drop-by earlier and they didn't seem interested."

"Maybe because you broke the rules on your first day."

"Mhm. Could be..."

They had finally reached the gardens, the blue sky opening up to them.

It looked good, but it could've been better.

I hope it rains here too.

He looked up, but not a single cloud was around, just the deep blue sky.

Rain always had a soothing effect, the droplets tapping against the window while he'd be inside with a warm drink.

The thought quickly vanished, as not having an umbrella would make the experience less enjoyable. With 5$ per day, buying one didn't make much sense.

The list of things he needed to purchase was extensive. Most of it was optional, however. Like the umbrella.

The allowance system had them at the lowest income of 5$, and after looking at the cafeteria's prices, he could tell most would spend everything they get daily on food there.

"So," asked Geoffrey, "why do you keep driving Emilia's balance in the negative?"

Jet chuckled, skipping even higher on the paved path.

"Hah! You should've seen her face... I guess she told you, and the way they looked at me when I grabbed the card... It was priceless. I thought they would cancel it or something, that I'd be able to squeeze in a few meals. Turns out, they never did."

"You must've known you were taking from her, no?"

"Yeah, she did send me some heated messages, but I was already in the middle of a shopping spree..."

"Huh, really," monotonously voiced Geoffrey.

"That card changed everything. Now, I don't need to worry about the allowance at all... And it looks pretty cool too. Everyone looks at me differently when I take it out to pay. Here, look, it's all white."

Jet reached into his pockets, then started tapping his clothes with a look of pure confusion.

"Huh... I could've sworn..." he said.

"Don't tell me you already lost it..." said Geoffrey, sighing.

"Ehhh... that'd be my luck... Last time I used it must've been during lunch break..."

Jet's confusion as he turned every pocket he had continued for a few minutes while they walked.

"You've essentially been stealing from Emilia this past day. I won't feel sad that you've lost that card."

Jet was confused, but Geoffrey's words slightly got to him as annoyance could also be read on his face.

"Isn't this Lance?" asked Geoffrey, pointing toward the left.

Jet, who was still going through everything on his person, followed Geoffrey's finger.

"Oh, that is him. Wait! What are you doing?" asked Jet.

Geoffrey had already turned left, taking a path leading to a wide circle with multiple benches looking outward. 

All around that circle was a colorful flowerbed, it stretched far and wide.

The visuals alone were breathtaking.

The curling petals boasted colorful shades of red, blue, and violet. They were a reminder that beauty could be found even in death. 

They looked strikingly bright, yet fragile. The way they came was the only path, and there was no way one would dare walk through those flowers.

As they got closer, the scent grew thicker. It was an intoxicating blend; the sweetness was subtle yet vibrant. One couldn't ignore it, a perfume that felt distant, like a memory.

And there sat Lance, alone.

The way he sat looked as if he was trying to lie down instead. His back slouched on the backrest while his legs were extended forward, both hands in his pockets.

He wasn't sleeping, however.

He was wide awake, his gaze set across the little paradise before him.

Looking closer, however, one could see he barely noticed them. While his eyes looked at the flowers, his mind was elsewhere. Somewhere far and cold.

Geoffrey and Jet were meters away when he called them out.

"Came for round two?" he asked.

How did he know it was us?

Lance turned his head, finally looking at Geoffrey and Jet.

"Nobody can save you, this time," said Jet, smirking.

"Sure."

Lance's tone wasn't as harsh as the day before, if anything, it felt as if he didn't care, anymore.

"How did you know it was us?" asked Geoffrey.

Lance turned his head back toward the flowerbed, his expression calm and collected.

"Second years avoid me. You're the only first years I've interacted with."

He finally stood next to him while Jet walked around getting a closer look. 

He even plucked a few flowers, which drew an annoyed sigh from Lance.

"We could've just been students who want to enjoy the view," replied Geoffrey.

"Look around," said Lance. "This place is huge. I've been here long enough to know that people would rather find their own quiet spot to sit at than come sit next to me. Benches aren't a rare occurrence, and so aren't flowerbeds."

Geoffrey sat next to him on the bench, gazing at the nature before him.

"You don't appreciate them."

Geoffrey's neutral gaze was set across the sea of colorful shades before them, with Lance doing the same next to him.

"How can you tell?" he asked.

Lance sighed, emptying his lungs.

He then crossed his arms on his chest, slouching further into the bench.

"Because I didn't appreciate them either, at first."