A gentle breeze rustled the blades of green grass, swaying them softly in the sun. A girl with cherry blossom-colored hair sat quietly on the lawn, gazing at the cosmos flowers that danced in front of her.
Beside the vibrant cosmos bloomed a modest cluster of orchid grass. Compared to the cosmos in full, radiant bloom, the orchid grass appeared shy and inconspicuous, as if aware of its own plainness.
"Hey, Forehead Girl, you've gotten kinda pretty lately, haven't you?"
A snide, mocking voice came from behind. Sakura turned around and saw three older girls standing there, the one in the center with long violet hair.
Fear flickered in Sakura's eyes. She was clearly intimidated.
"N-no, I haven't," she stammered, her gaze faltering.
"You sure seem pleased with yourself these days, you little freak," the violet-haired girl said, bending down and leaning in close.
"What's this?" she added, noticing the dark red ribbon tied in Sakura's hair.
"It's nothing," Sakura replied quickly, lifting her hands to shield the ribbon.
"Hmph." The violet-haired girl yanked the ribbon from Sakura's head, making her yelp in alarm.
"No, please!"
Without the ribbon, Sakura's bangs fell forward, covering her forehead.
"Oh, so that's what you were hiding." The girl sneered, amused by what she saw.
"P-please give it back," Sakura whispered, cradling her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "Ino gave it to me…"
The girl ignored her, examining the ribbon as she turned to her companions.
"What do you think? Would it look good on me?"
"It'd definitely look better on you than on her," the other two girls chimed in.
Grinning, the violet-haired girl started tying the ribbon into her own hair.
"You'd better give that back."
The sudden voice caught the trio off guard. The girl Ami turned toward it, only for her vision to blur as something flew into her mouth. With a startled scream, she stumbled backward and fell on the ground.
"Ami? Are you okay?" her companions cried, rushing to her side.
Ami spat out what turned out to be three small, purple flowers. She looked up to see a blonde girl watching them with a cheerful smile.
"Oops, sorry about that. I saw a flowerpot with a perfectly round shape, so I figured I'd just stick some flowers in," Ino said nonchalantly, twirling another flower between her fingers and waving with her free hand.
"Ino?!" Ami recognized her instantly, scowling as she climbed to her feet.
Ino grinned. "By the way, those are balloonflowers. They're mildly toxic not deadly, but you might want to rinse your mouth."
"W-what?!" Ami and her friends turned pale. Ami dropped the ribbon like it was burning her and bolted, dragging the others behind her without looking back.
Ino watched them flee, laughing behind her hand.
Sakura sat frozen, watching it all in a daze.
"Huh?" Noticing Sakura's gaze, Ino turned to her with a grin. "Relax. Only the root of the balloonflower is toxic. Those idiots didn't even know that."
She stuck out her tongue playfully, then laughed again.
She's amazing. Sakura stared at Ino's radiant smile, awe welling up in her heart.
Ino was smart, pretty, kind, and popular. Compared to her…
Sakura's eyes dimmed.
Ino walked over, picked up the discarded ribbon, dusted it off gently, and knelt behind Sakura, carefully tying it back into her hair.
"Sorry I was late, Sakura," she said with a sheepish smile.
"It's okay." Sakura shook her head softly. "You're always so kind, Ino."
"Sakura…" Ino noticed her friend's quiet sadness and tilted her head.
"Oh, right! I was supposed to teach you flower arranging today," Ino suddenly recalled, clapping her hands. "Let's start by picking some flowers."
She stood up and dusted off her clothes. Sakura followed suit.
"Okay… okay."
"Great. First, pick out a flower you really like."
Sakura looked around, then bent down to start gathering flowers. Ino remained where she was, quietly watching her.
Soon, Sakura returned with a small handful of orchid grass.
"Sakura, these won't do," Ino said gently, looking over the bundle. "You're really not great at this, are you?"
"I'm sorry," Sakura murmured, lowering her head.
Ino sighed and lightly touched her forehead. "With a name like 'Sakura,' I expected better."
"But there's actually a trick to it," she continued, holding up a finger.
"When it comes to arranging flowers, you always start with a main bloom. Then you match it with supporting flowers."
"The supporting flowers can't steal the spotlight."
She pointed to the orchid grass in Sakura's hand. "These can't be the centerpiece."
Sakura didn't reply.
"Like, over there see those cosmos and orchid grass?"
Sakura followed her gaze and stopped in her tracks.
"If you make the cosmos the main flower, the orchid grass naturally becomes the background. Cosmos are like the cherry blossoms of autumn bright, elegant, and the most beautiful flowers of the season."
"Plus, cosmos symbolize harmony. They pair well with almost anything," Ino added, her tone light and knowing.
"Sakura? Are you listening?"
Sakura didn't respond. She had sat down again, staring at the orchid grass in her hands.
"If you're a cosmos, Ino…" she said softly.
"Then I must be the orchid grass."
Ino fell silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. "What are you even talking about?"
Sakura looked up at her.
"Let me think," Ino said, settling beside her and gazing up at the sky, tapping her chin with a finger.
"You're not even a flower yet," she said, turning to Sakura.
"You're still just a bud."
Sakura gave a wry smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Ino."
"What?"
"Why… why did you give me that ribbon?"
Ino smiled without answering right away.
She looked down at the cosmos beside her and gently touched a few of the unopened buds.
"Because…"
"If a bud never gets the chance to bloom…"
"That would be such a waste."
Sakura looked up at her, cheeks tinged with pink.
"A flower that never blossoms what's the point?"
The breeze stirred again, lifting Ino's golden hair into the air. Everything fell quiet, save for the rustling of the trees. Sakura stared at Ino's calm, gentle expression, feeling something stir deeply within her.
"Maybe," Ino said with a soft smile.
"You'll become a flower even more beautiful than the cosmos."