Air Groove walked out from the pitch-dark hut where the Cereus flower had bloomed, her ears drooping low.
It was now midday; the sun outside hung high overhead, generously pouring warmth onto all the plants in the flowerbed.
Having been in darkness for so long, Air Groove found the sunlight painfully dazzling. She raised her hand, shielding her eyes from the glare to ease the discomfort.
Thanks to Trainer Mizuno, Air Groove still felt no trace of fatigue, convinced she could easily stay active for another hour or so without issue.
Just how long did he... manage to hold on...? Air Groove bit down hard on her lip, desperately hoping to feel even a hint of pain.
After all, every extra second of her current vitality was time Trainer Mizuno had carved painfully from his own life.
Every minute she spent now meant another minute of suffering for Trainer Mizuno.
Thus, Air Groove kept biting her lip, hoping the pain might somewhat alleviate the crushing guilt inside her.
But that Tachyon girl, thoroughly considering how trainers would inevitably suffer after being jumped, had added a potent pain-relief effect to the [Stamina Drink]. So no matter how hard Air Groove bit her lip, she could never truly experience the same level of agony that Trainer Mizuno endured…
She knew this clearly—and precisely because she knew, she couldn't forgive herself. Her guilt towards Mizuno only grew deeper.
She stood there silently, blankly breathing in the fresh air of the flowerbed, waiting for the stamina potion's effects to finally wear off, allowing sleep to overtake her…
After standing there for some time, Air Groove's eyes gradually adapted to the bright sunlight. Finally, it no longer felt piercing, and she lowered her hand from her face.
At that exact moment, Air Groove suddenly noticed something bright and dazzling in her field of vision—a sunflower, glowing brilliantly under the sun's rays.
She remembered clearly—it was the sunflower she had cultivated together with Trainer Mizuno a few nights ago.
Compared to the sacred, elegant beauty of the Cereus, the sunflower appeared exceedingly ordinary.
It lacked the pristine petals like white knights surrounding a throne, and it had no noble golden crown at its core…
Instead, it merely had humble orange-yellow petals like common townsfolk, and a large coal-black disk at its center.
Yet this plain sunflower completely captured Air Groove's attention, compelling her feet to move toward it involuntarily.
"..." Air Groove knelt down next to the sunflower, gently caressing its large, soft orange-yellow petals, recalling its symbolic meaning.
Because sunflowers always grew facing the sun, their flower language was:
In my sight, there is no one else. Everywhere is filled only with you. When you appear, you are my sun—I watch unblinking. When you vanish, I lower my head and see no one else...
For some reason, Air Groove recalled the image of Trainer Mizuno constantly staring at her face to read the flower's condition…
At that time, Trainer Mizuno had been exactly humble sunflower, forever gazing toward his sun, forever focused on her…
"When exactly did I first meet Trainer Mizuno…?"
Air Groove lifted her head, gazing off into the distance, her thoughts drifting back to that afternoon.
Back then, she had locked herself away in her dorm room, endlessly embroidering out of sheer idleness. Her embroideries had piled up, filling half her room, leaving only a tiny spot on her bed where one could barely sit but certainly not lie down.
She had sat there, continuously working on an unfinished embroidery.
Then President Rudolf had come to visit, bringing along a strangely dressed figure in black—that had been Trainer Mizuno.
But what Air Groove fixated on now wasn't her interaction with Mizuno that day.
Instead, she was trying to recall the embroidered pattern that had filled half her room back then, as well as the one in her hands—
Just what had it been?
"Was it a Cereus flower…?" Air Groove shook her head.
Although she couldn't recall clearly just yet, she was certain the flower she'd embroidered at the time hadn't been Cereus, but another flower entirely…
"What was it then?" She started to think harder.
A narcissus? Not that either...
"What exactly was it...?" Air Groove clutched her head painfully, brows knitted tightly. The rıghtful source is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚫𝙣𝙚𝙩
She knew it was incredibly important, yet it just wouldn't come to mind.
Suddenly, she cast a sideways glance at the sunflower in front of her…
Then, gradually, the sunflower before her eyes overlapped perfectly with the embroidered flower in her memory…
"It's this one!" Air Groove exclaimed in shock.
She remembered! Finally, clearly remembered!
What she had embroidered that day wasn't the sacred Cereus flower, nor was it any other dazzlingly colored bloom—it had always been this warm, glowing sunflower right before her!
"!" Air Groove's pupils shook violently as she stared at the sunflower in front of her.
So all along, what she truly needed wasn't the fleeting beauty of the Cereus flower…
But rather the eternal companionship of the sunflower!
Thus, her search for that mysterious man who appeared suddenly in front of the Three Goddesses statue had been completely meaningless. He was merely a passing figure in her life—whether or not she could ever find him again, he would still just be like that withered Cereus, inevitably leaving nothing but regret behind…
What she should truly cherish were the people by her side, gently illuminating her world like the warm sun, always caring for her, always supporting her—
President Rudolf, Tokai Teio, her friends at the academy, her family…
"Trainer Mizuno!" Air Groove's mind jolted awake, the mental dam that had blocked her thoughts abruptly shattering, realization flooding through her.
She jumped up, rushing toward the tent without hesitation.
Upon pulling open the tent flap, Air Groove immediately saw Trainer Mizuno lying helplessly on the bed, his body drained to the point of looking like a pale, white sketch.
Symboli Rudolf and Tokai Teio were slightly confused by Air Groove's sudden intrusion.
But Air Groove didn't respond to either of them. She instead rushed to Mizuno's bedside, crouched down, and closely stared at him.
Right now, Mizuno had already fallen into a deep sleep, completely knocked out by the after-effects of the stamina potion. He couldn't react to anything around him, let alone gaze steadily at Air Groove as before.
But Air Groove didn't mind that at all—after everything Mizuno had already done for her, it was more than enough.
Next, it was her turn to respond.
"If that's the case, then from now on… let me be the one to watch over you…"
Air Groove grasped Mizuno's hand firmly, her gentle eyes filled with unshakeable determination.
"Air Groove-senpai?! What are you—?!"
Before Tokai Teio could finish, Air Groove suddenly let out a sleepy yawn. Her previously energized state quickly faded, replaced by intense drowsiness.
The stamina potion's effects had finally worn off…
And so, under Symboli Rudolf's and Tokai Teio's astonished gazes, Air Groove climbed onto the bed, wrapped her arms tightly around Mizuno, and fell deeply asleep, a warmer, gentler smile upon her face than she had ever shown before…