Heroine Life

Chapter 21: Today, Tomorrow, and Onward

The end of winter marks the start of spring.
This is the season of beginnings and encounters.
Plants that lost their colors gain new bright colors and animals that have been in hibernation wake up from their long sleep.
The days of shivering in the cold gradually disappear, and a gentle warmth envelops us.
Above all, the cherry blossoms, with their pale pink petals, are the best symbols of the season.
The cherry blossoms blooming all over the town are so beautiful that I would love to watch their petals dancing in the wind forever.
I love the cherry blossoms so much that I would like to plant them in our garden if I could, but that's just not feasible, so I have to give up on it.
Instead of chasing after an unreachable hope, I have to first finish what I started.

".....Okay, all done."

I let go of the shovel I had been holding and look around.
The dreary garden that had been neglected up until is as barren as ever, but now there are no more signs of overgrowing weeds.
I tilled the bumpy soil several times, cleared it, and built enclosures with bricks and blocks.
I sprinkled fertilizer, prepared the watering system, and finally completed the flowerbeds by burying the flower seeds I had chosen.
Nothing is blooming now and it remains a lonely garden, but buds will sprout in a few days and flowers should bloom by summer.
In the fall, different flowers will bloom again, in the winter, new seeds will be planted, and when spring comes again, this garden will be filled with flowers.
This is the first time I tried to grow plants by myself, so I am not sure if things will go well.
Still, I want to give it a try. I used to avoid gardening because I thought it would be too much work, but my thinking has somewhat changed recently.
I wanted to make my favorite flowers bloom with my own hands.

(How strange.)

Before, I used to constantly drag my feet about doing anything.
Now, the things I want to do just keep on increasing.

"Good work, Chiharu."
"Yuzuha."

Before I realized it, she was behind me.
I was so focused on the garden the whole time that I didn't notice her at all.

"Have you finished already?"
"Yeah. It took me a long time to get it all in order, but it's done. All I have to do now is wait for them to sprout."

Yuzuha stood next to me and looked at the completely transformed garden.

"It's amazing. It was in such a bad state before, but now it's all cleaned up. You really worked hard on this."
"Hehe, well, you know. I didn't just tidy it up a bit. I've also done a lot of work in the places you can't see as well-"

Happy that Yuzuha was so impressed by the garden I had just finished working on, I wasted no time explaining what I did and where I had the most trouble.
It must be boring for her to hear me go on like this, but she doesn't look annoyed and listens attentively.
She smiles at me, looking proud and happy to see me so animated while I talked.
I am embarrassed to admit it, but it is thanks to Yuzuha that I feel so fulfilled.

"What kind of flowers did you plant in the flowerbeds?"
"I planted a variety of flowers, but...... well, I guess you'll just have to look forward to when they bloom to find out."
"I'm very curious, but I guess I'll just have to wait."
"Yup. I hope they grow well."
"I'm sure they'll be fine."
"I hope so."
"Yes."

She takes my hands and holds them gently as if to wrap them.
My hands, cold after all that work, warm up from her soft hands.

"Ah, my hands are covered in mud. I was touching the soil earlier, so they got quite dirty..."
"I don't mind."

I try to get my hands away from Yuzuha, but she tightens her grip to prevent me from escaping.
Even though I warned her. Now her hands will get dirty. She didn't seem to mind at all and seemed rather pleased to be able to hold hands with me.
Seeing her happy face, I can't say anything else. It's not like I dislike it. Her hands are warm and comfortable so I didn't try to force my way out.

"Hey, Chiharu?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I help you take care of the flowerbeds, too?"
"Of course. In fact, I'm grateful that you're offering to help."
"Thank you."

Our garden is quite large so there is a limit to what I can do by myself.
I was thinking of working within my limit, but with Yuzuha's help, I might be able to plant even more flowers.
I have the knowledge, but I am still a beginner at growing flowers. I am not planning to increase the number of flowers too suddenly. Instead, I will slowly increase them as I check how they're doing.

"Yuzuha, do you have any plants you would like to grow? It's more rewarding to plant what you like, so why don't you try raising some yourself?"
"......Are you sure?"
"Of course. If you want, let's go shopping for seeds together next time."
"Yes, definitely!"
"Okay, that settles it. I'll have to think about the layout. I should expand the flowerbeds a little more too. I wonder if I can finish during the spring break."

The flowerbeds were just completed, but since there's another person to take care of them, I decided to make revisions as soon as possible.
It's going to take more time, but I still want to do it. I'll keep working on it until I'm satisfied.
Just imagining the ever-changing appearance of the garden makes my heart dance and fills me with motivation.
I feel more fulfilled than busy.

Now, that I have something else I want to do, I need to give it one final push.

"............Think fast!"
"Whooooa!"

As I was thinking about how to set up the garden, Yuzuha suddenly drew closer to me.
Before I knew it, we ended up embracing each other.

"You know, I'm not saying you can't hug me, but it's dangerous if you do it so suddenly like that."
"Sorry. But if I tell you in advance, wouldn't you try to avoid it?"
"That's not true... well, I might. More importantly, my whole body is dirty so could you let go?"
"Ah, you really are. I can smell the soil."
"Hey, don't bury your face in and sniff it!"
"And mixed in with that is the scent of Chiharu."
"Are you trying to tell me that I stink of sweat?"

I've been working in the garden for a long time, so my clothes are covered in dirt and sweat.
I wanted to get away as soon as possible, but as I expected, she has a firm hold on me and I can't make my escape.
She's really become quite the spoiled princess. Ah, could this be her true nature?

"Being like this is so calming."
"It's not calming for me at all."
"You smell nice, Chiharu."
"....................."

So, what now?
I want to continue working in the garden, but I can't do anything because she's restraining me.
I'm sure if I told her strongly enough, Yuzuha would let go immediately, but I can't honestly say I dislike this situation.
My face reflects my mixed feelings and the girl in my arms lets out a cute giggle. I wonder if she knows what I'm thinking right now.
Ah, come to think of it. I feel like I haven't spent much time with Yuzuha since spring break because I've been tinkering in the garden.
I guess I've been so immersed in my hobby that I've neglected everything else.

"I think I'll stop here for today. I'll continue tomorrow."
"Why not continue it now?"
"I've already finished most of it, so there's no need to rush. Besides, it's spring break. Let's spend the rest of today having fun."

Hobbies are important, but more importantly, I can't leave the person in my arms all by herself.

"Fufu, are you sure you don't want to do your spring break homework?"
"Homework for spring break is optional, so I don't have to turn it in."
"Ah, that's no good, you know?"
"I know. I'll do it later, so please just let me off for now."

I want to be able to stand proudly next to her, so I've decided to do what I need to do.
I wish I could just focus on what I wanted, but unfortunately, things aren't so convenient.

"Ah, but..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Did Yuzuha suddenly remember something? She lowers her eyebrows and smiles apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Chiharu. I originally came to the garden to call you."
"............................"

I have a bad feeling about this, so I don't want to hear the rest of what she has to say.
A moment ago, I felt a very unpleasant presence behind me. I also feel a disgusted stare. I break into a cold sweat.
I want to pretend that it's just my imagination and just run away without looking back.
My instincts are screaming that something horrible will happen if I do so. I gather my courage and fearfully look behind me.

"Hello♪, Chiharu."

"I knew it!!!"

Misora was there.
She is sitting on the porch, smiling widely.

"I completely forgot to tell you that Misora and the others came to visit us a while ago."
"It's too late to tell me now!!!"

I remember that we were still clinging to each other and hurriedly break away from Yuzuha.
Then Misora looked at us and grinned happily.