In One's Own Time

“Every rose will fade and wither, no matter though it once was fair.
The dry rose falls within the garden, a new rose arises there.”

"Hanaksaki-san, are you super sure you're OK? It really isn't any trouble to take you to the nurse — I'll carry you if you can't walk."

Despite Kiko's concerns, Higana smiles and shakes her head. "It's quite fine. I'm just a little tired, is all." Most people would be inclined to believe her, but her roommate had just overheard her suddenly collapse as she was getting yet more flowers settled in. With this batch having been requested by her, she felt a little extra on edge about the whole situation. The only reason she hadn't run off to inform someone was because Higana had gathered herself and stopped her at the door. Yet, she looked so pale that her warm reassurance was failing to convince Kiko. "My constitution has always been a little lacking, and the patrols have truly put it to the test." Her eye shifts from Kiko to the scene of the accident. Bits of a broken pot are scattered across the floor along with dirt. Fortunately, the flower itself appears to be untouched. "If you want to do something for me, I would greatly appreciate it if you could rehome our guest."

"Oh!" Kiko springs into action, rushing from the couch Higana is currently lying on and over to the mess. In a matter of seconds, her orbit is filled with debris, and she's sweeping up the loose dirt. The smashed pot ends up in a trash can, while the flower is placed in a mug and finally delivered to its destination. Alongside school supplies and various knickknacks, it finds itself at home on one of the shelves of Kiko's desk. "Thanks again for bringing these," she says as she does a slight bow in Higana's direction. Looking her over again, the girl truly does look rather sickly. It's as if her life has been drained, leaving the girl to wilt. "I know you said it was fine, but maybe you should get an exception?"

Higana shakes her head again. She didn't come here to be placed in another bubble. "This is a trial I must face; some time to adjust is all I need." Adversity is an excellent opportunity for growth, and if she stumbled at the first hurdle, then this experiment would come to a close. There was nothing fair about having to keep up with exams and physical exercises while her body was constantly being put under pressure by endless rounds of testing, but that was the agreement that had been reached. Her response is not entirely satisfactory, but there isn't much for Kiko to do about it unless she wants to force the girl to come with her.

She sits up and fixes Kiko with a curious look as she tilts her head to the side. "Would you not do the same? Standing firm in the face of adversity — is it not what a hero does?" For as gentle and frail as she appears, there's a penetrating quality to her gaze. The conversation suddenly feels more like an interrogation, and Kiko can't help but shrink back ever so slightly. However, she recovers quickly and practically pleads with Higana. "You won't get the chance to be a hero if you work yourself to death. There's no shame in knowing your limits, Hanasaki-san."

There's a moment of silence as Higana considers Kiko's words, and then she suddenly lets out a giggle. "You're right, but I'll never overcome my failings if I don't push myself." There had to be some sort of balance. Too much pressure at once would crush a person; gradually applying pressure would let them acclimate and grow stronger but never become more than they are. To the older members of the society, both yielded valuable insights. For Higana, continuing as she is was agony — it was preferable to risk being crushed.

Shaking her head, she stands up from the couch with a wobble. "With all this talk, we should consider how to care for our friends. They're more resilient than people think, but we shouldn't neglect their needs." Higana gestures around the room to the flowers strewn about. "Some of them are in need of watering, so let us do it together." The tension in the air falls away as the two girls go about watering the flowers and discussing what each needs to grow healthy. On such a small scale, catering to individual needs is trivial.