After we left the sugar factory, I watched Percy for a while, but I didn't see any suspicious behavior.
I thought he might have gathered the workers and started working after we left,......, but it seems he really took the day off yesterday.
d*mn it, I should have just roamed around the forty districts with Jeannette.

'Mr. Manager. How was the Forty-second Ward?
'Yes, sir. It was a lot of fun.

Well, it's okay that Ginette seems to be satisfied. ...... I don't know, the time with Estella, yesterday, ...... it seems that when I concentrate on one thing, I tend to neglect the people around me. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the most out of it. ...... If you don't break that habit, you're going to get stabbed someday.
You can practice with ...... Loretta. No, he's not afraid to do a little something bad. ......

'......Yashiro'.
'Hmm?What's up, Magda?

The day after the factory tour, it was a sunny afternoon in the sunny pavilion.
In the cafeteria, lined with familiar faces, I was confronting myself, when Magda came up to me.
His expressionless face stares at me.

'...... Magda's turn next.'
'......What?'
'......Estella, the manager, and then ......Magda is next.'
'............You want me to take you to the Fortieth Ward?'
'......Yes.'

It's not that I'm going there for fun. ......

'Oh, then I want to go too!Big brother, please take me too!
'You know, ......'
'...... Loretta'.

I was about to give Loretta a hard time for being so eager to play, but before I could, Magda spoke to Loretta.

'...... Loretta is next, next.'
'Who's next?Who am I next to?

He didn't seem to have any particular idea of what he was doing.
Maybe Magda has some pure rules, but ...... why is this guy so confident?

'Well, well, well, gentlemen!It's a beautiful day today.
'Oh, Estella-san.

It was past lunchtime, and it was time for tea, when Estella came into the sunshine pavilion.
A shiitake mushroom hair clip was attached to her head.

'Oh, that's a cute hair clip.

You'll be able to get a lot more information on the web.
...... Estella, did you come here to show off?

I'm not sure.What are you talking about?I'm not sure.I'm sure you'll be able to understand.

What's with all the theatricality?
Your mouth is itching to talk.
If you want to brag, why don't you?

'What's the matter, sir?

With a twinkle in her big eyes, Jeannette shows interest.
...... You're a good spectator, you know. Very good. It's a great way to tickle someone's ego. And you do it without a hint of malice or shallowness in your opponent's eyes.

'No, well, it's a little. I got it through a certain route, or rather, .......'
'I made it for you.'
'Oh, Yashiro!Why are you revealing it?

It's not like you're hiding anything. ...... On the contrary, hiding it makes you look guilty. I'm not sure what to do.

You can't do that. If you reveal such a thing and ...... start a strange rumor, you'll ...... be in trouble.'

Yeah. No. No.
No such rumors will start.

'You look very good together. You look lovely.

What?
That's how people react.

'...... Magda has a nice masakari shape.'
'I want an acorn or a sunflower seed!

'I want acorns or sunflower seeds.' '...... I got a reservation for something.

'Who said anything about making them? ......'
'...... Don't worry. Yashiro will make it.'
'Yes, he does. That's why he's your brother!

These guys are really full of baseless confidence, aren't they? Well, I don't mind if you make it.

And at times like this, Jeannette just looks on from afar with a 'hmmm'.


Doesn't he ever beg for it?
If he did, I could give him a few more ...... things.

'What kind of shape would you like, manager?
'Is it me?
'...... If I tell you now, you'll make it for me somehow.'
'Mm-hmm. Yashiro-san is very kind, you know.''
'Don't give me that kind of characterization, will you?

I'll protest at least.
At the moment, I'm doing a lot of things, but I can't guarantee that I will continue to do so in the future.
But I'll just ask. What kind of hair clip does Ginette want?

'I don't care what it looks like.

...... Wow. That's the most annoying one.
''What do you want to eat?'' I don't care what you want.'''Then let's have ramen.'''Oh, ramen? I'm sure Ginette won't be like that, but ......
If you want to give a gift that will make people really happy, why not?
You can find a lot of things that will make you really happy,......, but you have to find them yourself.

I think soleil flowers continue to be the first choice.

'Why don't you guys try shiitake mushrooms?Wouldn't that be cute?'

Not gonna happen.
Look at this 'What should I say? ...... He's super happy, and it's hard to deny it.

'...... back to work'.
'Me too.'

Oh, he escaped.
Your comment seems to have been put on hold.

'What's with you guys ............, what's that flower?

Estella, who had been following Magda and the others who had returned to work with dissatisfied eyes, turned her gaze to the vase on the counter.

'Could it be a present from ...... Yashiro?'
'Eh?Oh, no. It was given to me by Millie from the Flower Arrangement Guild.
'Oh, I see. It's from .............

What are you relieving yourself of?
Just because I sent a bouquet of flowers to Ginette doesn't mean that I'm proposing to her, right?

'Yes, yes. About that bouquet...'

Now that Estella is here is the right time.
Although it's still a bit vague, I'll announce my idea.

'I'd like to create a climate where people can send flowers to each other more easily.
'Climate' is ...... another exaggeration.
'Well, it's just a habit. I want to create a more casual atmosphere.
'That's a wonderful thing. If we do that, the city may be filled with flowers.
'And more work for Milly.'
'I'm sure she'd love that.
'But... How do you plan to do it?Are you going to take the initiative and go around handing out flowers to people?

You'll go bankrupt if you do that.
It doesn't have to be a bunch of flowers. Just get them used to giving flowers.

For example, give a single flower as a token of gratitude to someone who has been good to you or someone you are close to. One flower is not a big expense, right?

It's like Mother's Day.
A single flower should be easy to give, both financially and emotionally.

'Then you know what? If you are a person who is always kind to others and is respected by others, a bunch of flowers will become a bouquet.
'That's wonderful. Gratitude can take shape.
'But wouldn't the people who don't get flowers feel sad?
'Then, you should be more kind to others for the next time.'
'That's right. I think it would be great if we can repeat this and become a city where everyone can be kind to everyone.

Well, it's like a kind of festival.
It's like a kind of festival. If we spread the conversation around the restaurants like the Sunlit Pavilion and Cantaloupe, the topic will spread a little.

'You can express your gratitude to someone who is usually too embarrassed to say thank you just by giving them a single flower. I think the more people who have never sent flowers before, the more they will appreciate this project.
'It would be nice if such an event could be realized.
'I don't know. ...... I can work on it, but I'm not sure if people will get on board. ......'

Estella didn't seem too keen on the idea.
Well, if you have a lot of people to thank, you're going to have to spend a lot of money. I can understand her reluctance.
But...

'You can casually send flowers to someone you secretly care about.
''''--!
'You can give flowers to the person you are thinking of as a thank you gift. In that case, you'd better send a lot of thank you flowers, though. It's a great way to create an alibi for your work. ......



In addition to Estella, who listens attentively, Ginette, Magda and even Loretta, who have been back in front of me for some time, listen to the story with a serious expression.
Girls love this kind of thing,......, really.

'Let's do that event!

Estella is super enthusiastic.

To tell the truth, I thought it would be a little hard to give her a bouquet of flowers just because it's her birthday.
First of all, we want to make the custom of giving flowers take root.
However, even if the project was delayed and the event was to be held later than Ginette's birthday, we could still send flowers with the excuse that it would be a practice for the project.

Excuses are good!
Excuses are a good way to get rid of obstacles to action.

Estella is glowing with the will to fight.
This is going to go faster than expected. ...... Thank you, sponsor.

It's a great way to make sure you don't end up with a lot of problems.

'........................'.

The one who peeked through the crack in the door was a reclusive ladybug. It was Millie.

'.................. I'm sorry. I'm leaving.'
'Oh, wait, wait!I just had something I wanted to tell you.'
'Yeah, ......?'

Surprised by the number of people, I managed to stop Milly from leaving.

'Don't worry. They're all Jeannette's friends. There are no bad guys.'
'Yeah, ........................ yeah. I know.'

You know, but you can't control your shyness.

'...... Mmm, that was'
'What a surprise.'

Magda and Loretta's eyes sparkled when they saw Milly.

'...... such a large hair clip, yes'.
It's big and impressive.

Apparently, they are curious about the large Nana Hoshi Tentou hair clip on Milly's head.

'...... Yashiro. You can also use Magda's hair clip in the scene where Magda is hunting demonic beasts in Masakari.
'Why are you making a story out of this?
'I don't mind a big one like this!
'It's not a hair clip if it's that big. It's a shield, a shield.

You seem to be getting your hopes up.
Maybe it's best for me to give it to him as soon as possible. ...... You never know what kind of high hopes they'll have for you as time goes on.

'Oh, ............ that'.
'Oh, Millie. Don't mind if I do. Do you want something to eat?
'Yeah, ............ that ............'

Millie hides behind the door of the cafeteria and doesn't try to come in.
She's very shy.
I have no choice but to go to her.

'What's the matter today?You wanted to see Jeannette?'
'Oh, .................. to the ladybug, .......'
'Me?
'............Oh, thank you ...... for the hair clip you gave me ......'

Millie then held out a large bouquet of flowers to me.
This guy can give flowers to anyone, can't he? I'd like to learn from him.

While accepting the bouquet, I lured Milly into the store.
As I waited in the store a little further away from the door, Millie came into the store.
It is a rule of thumb to lure a stray cat in little by little.
It makes it easier for them to let their guard down.

Finally, Millie came into the store.
The smile she gave me was a little less stiff, and I could tell that she had gained my trust.

I'll give you .............

As usual, the bouquet is too large to carry.
It's probably just the right size for me to carry, though.

'Oh, azaleas.

I saw a familiar flower in the bouquet.
An azalea.
When I was in elementary school, I used to pluck the azaleas blooming on my way to school and suck the nectar from the flowers.

'This brings back memories.

And when I reached out my hand to the azalea...

'Geez!Gajigajigajigajig!
'Noooooooooo!

Suddenly, the azalea tried to bite my hand.
What is this?A plant-based monster!

'Oh, .................., wrong ......... ...This looks a lot like an insectivorous plant ...... azalea.'


'You said you made a mistake ......'
'I'm often mistaken for ...... because of the resemblance. ............ There have been many accidents where amateurs have been bitten by ... ...'
'That's a dangerous flower ......'
'But the ...... petals here are a bit jagged and have a ...... triangular spot pattern, so they're easy to spot. The ...... professionals don't make mistakes.
'You ...... made a mistake.'
'Oh, .................. I'm sorry.'
'No, it's fine.

It is very difficult to distinguish plants that look alike.
People often get food poisoning from mistakenly eating different plants like mugwort.

'Well, it must be very difficult to distinguish plants that look alike. If you compare them, they're different, but you don't notice it if it's a single plant.

Most of the time, a plant lives by itself. Fake plants rarely grow side by side with the real ones.
It's more likely that you'll try it and say, 'Oh, ...... it's poisonous......'.

Even I am afraid to touch wild plants. The most I can do is to ask a professional and think, 'Oh, so this is what it is. It's more likely that you can't tell the difference at all even if they tell you.

'Mushrooms are very similar, so you have to be careful or you'll be in danger.

Estella says with a lively face.
...... Why are you such a fan of mushrooms?Do you like mushrooms?

'But, Yashiro-san. What should I do?

Ginette looked a little troubled as she accepted the flowers from Millie.

'I don't have a vase.

The brick vase I gave her is filled with the flowers Ginette received the day before yesterday.
These bouquets won't last long if buried in the garden,...... but it would be a waste to throw away the previous ones,......

'Shall I divide it into small pieces and put them in cups?
'Do you want to divide this bouquet into smaller pieces? ...... That seems kind of tasteless. ......'

And then it occurred to me.

'That's right. Hey, Millie.'
'......What?'
'Do you mind if I share this with everyone?
'Is everyone at ......?
'Yeah. It's beautiful. I'll share it with you.'

I asked, thinking he might not like the idea of someone else giving him a bouquet of flowers in front of him. ......

'...... Hmm. I think it's a nice thing to share with everyone and enjoy the flowers together .......'

Millie gave a lovely smile as if a flower had bloomed at my idea.
Okay, if you don't mind, I'll do it.

It's just like a pre-release of the project we were talking about earlier.

'Okay, Millie.
'Yeah, ......?
'It's a thank you.'

I took a few flowers from the bouquet I was holding, made them into a small bouquet, and handed it to Millie.
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.



'..................ohana......... ...It's the first time I've ever received one. ......'

It's a relief to see Millie's cheeks loosen up and her vermilion color deepen and turn red.
Thank God. She seemed pleased.

'Ah, thank you, ......, ladybug!
'No, well, it's my way of saying thank you.

It's a little hard to be happy when you're so pleased.
Well, I'll force myself to conclude that the feelings of the giver are important.

And now.

'Yes, Jeannette.
'Even for me?
'Thank you for everything.
'Oh, no. ............ I've always been grateful for your help, too. ......... ...'
'Please take it.

Picking out a relatively warm shade of flowers from the bouquet, he made a bouquet and presented it to Ginette.
Ginette takes the small bouquet with both hands and hugs it tightly.

'Thank you very much. I'll take good care of it.
'No, just a normal one.

It's not something you can keep on display forever. ......
In the first place, the intention is to make the act of sending flowers more casual.

'Please feel free to take it.
'Yes,......, I'll take it.'

There is a glint in the corner of his eye.
...... Hey, don't cry. ............ I'm just sharing what I got. ...... It's painful. ............ No, no, no. It's all about the feeling of the giver, isn't it?
Thank you, thank you. Yeah.

All right, let's give them one after the other to disperse the heaviness of the bouquet.

'Magda, look. Here's one for you.'


'...... for Magda too?'
'You're always working so hard.'
'............I'm glad.'

Even Magda seems to be happy to receive a bouquet of flowers. She's a girl after all.

'......Thanks for the food.'
'...... I wonder why. It's the same word as Ginette's, but when you say it, it sounds like you're about to eat it.
'...... Mmm. Yashiro, that's rude.'
'No, sorry.'
'...... I demand another bottle.'
'Yes, yes.

It looks like I'm going to be charged for my bad mood.
I break off a pure white, lily-like flower in the middle of its stem and place it in Magda's hair.
Magda's hair has a lot of volume, so even a slightly larger flower will look good without being too obvious.

'............ chic ...... yashiro ......... ...doer.'

The expression on his face was the same as always, but ...... I wonder why. It looks like Magda is very embarrassed.
Oh, maybe it's because his ears are flapping so busily.

'And then ......'.

She says, looking at Estella.

'What, me?

I hand Estella a bouquet of mainly white-colored flowers in muted shades.

'I'll make it a little more gorgeous for the show.
'Yeah, ...... no, that's good enough for me, but ............, I'll expect more from you.

Well, it's a promise.
I'll give you a bouquet of bright red roses on our date. Just like in the trendy dramas.
Wear a pure white suit or something. ...... doesn't suit you.

'...... bouquet .................. happy'.

She puts her face to the bouquet and takes a deep breath.
Estella has a very girlish expression on her face.

'...... smells good.'

...... Can you please stop doing that?
Surprise strikes can be very hard on the heart.

'--and so on. It's a custom to send flowers like this. ......'
'You forgot!

When I started to close, Loretta came at me with the force of a comedian on a stage.
Loretta is an excellent comedian who can do what she promises.

'Just kidding.
'It's scary because it doesn't look like a joke when it's your brother!
'I saved a special bouquet of flowers for you.
'Are you sure?
'Here, take it.

I handed Loretta a bouquet of beautiful, pale pink, biting azaleas.

'Gaggle!Gaggle, gaggle, gaggle!
'Oh my God!Isn't that the insectivorous plant guy?

Great reaction.
I'd like to show it to young comedians as a model of reaction.

'Oh my god!I don't need this image of a colorful character!I want you to get it right!

Loretta complained, half-crying.
Did I torment her a little too much?

'I'm sorry. Here, it's a proper bouquet.
'...... Now, what kind of trick is ............?'

I think I've aroused her suspicions.
I can't help it. It's a special occasion, son of a b*tc*.

I pushed the bouquet to Loretta and patted her head with my free hand.

'You're always acting like a good big sister, you're a good big sister. Keep up the good work, and take care of the sunny pavilion.
'Huh. ............ h-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he What?What's wrong?I'm going to die tomorrow!

That's too much ......
That makes it sound like I'm not always nice.

'Um, Millie-san...'
'What, Jinetto-san?
'Could you teach me how to make dried flowers?
'Yeah, ...... is fine.'
'Me too!
'...... Magda too.'
'Oh, me too!
'Huh. ............ Well, then, ............ all together.'



Hmm .
If such a small bouquet of flowers can have such an effect, then ...... seems like a flower-giving event would work.
It would be even more effective if you added some words when you gave them.

'Why don't you make some potpourri or something?
'Oh, ...... good idea, Popuri. Yeah, let's make some potpourri.'

Millie nodded and seemed to adopt my idea.
It would be difficult to make a beautiful one, but with Millie, I think I can manage it.

When I saw the crowd of girls with flowers in their hands, I thought ...... that this kind of thing is really nice.

'So, he's the only one left after all.
'Gajig!Gajigajigajigajig!

I was watching the girls talking happily, wondering what to do with the remaining biting azaleas in my hand.