Chapter 77: THE GARDEN OF A HUNDRED FLOWERS PART II

They walked again. Other flowers appeared—red roses with thick petals and sharp thorns, small white jasmine with a sweet and piercing fragrance, purple lavender growing densely like a carpet, white gardenia with petals layered like glass.

Kai counted silently. Lunar Mirage. Aether Nexus. Violet Cascade. Astral Spark. Siren’s Embrace. Ignis Flamma. Crimson Thorn. Nephrite Bloom. Twilight Haze. Scented Spire. Sylph’s Chime. Velvet Monarch. Stellar Hexa. Draconic Petal.

Fourteen. Not a hundred.

He didn’t say anything. He just kept walking, occasionally stopping in front of a flower that caught his attention, and Lydia followed him without much talk.

Then—running footsteps. Tap! Tap! Tap! From the direction of the path.

"MR. KAI!"

Mira appeared from behind the bushes with a glowing face. Behind her, Iris and Eve followed—Iris with her mysterious smile, Eve with her phone in hand. And from another direction, Rin, Nora, and Aria also appeared. And Ella, Luna, and Fay.

They all came at the same time. They all spoke at the same time.

"Sir, I saw a really big flower—"

"Sir, there’s a flower whose color is like a rainbow—"

"Sir, I found a flower that—"

"Sir, there’s a pond with—"

"Sir, the flowers over there—"

Kai raised his hand. But no one saw it. Their voices overlapped each other. Mira hopped around. Rin pointed in different directions. Ella tried to speak calmly but was outvoiced. Luna looked at Kai with eyes asking for help. Nora waited. Aria bit her nails. Fay just smiled.

Lydia stepped forward. She clapped her hands twice. Clap. Clap.

Everyone stopped. Everyone turned.

"If you all talk at the same time," Lydia said in a calm but firm voice, "Mr. Kai won’t be able to decide who wins. You have to speak one at a time."

Mira closed her mouth. Rin lowered her hand. Ella let out a breath.

"Alright," Ella said. "We have to decide who goes first."

Rin crossed her arms. "Me first."

"Why you first?" Mira asked.

"Because I’m the fastest."

"That’s not a reason."

"Yes, it is."

Nora raised her hand. "How about we decide fairly?"

"Rock paper scissors," Eve said. "Three teams. One on one. The winner goes first."

Rin nodded. "Agreed."

Ella nodded. "Agreed."

Mira raised her hand. "Mira agrees too!"

They formed a circle. Rin’s team—Rin, Nora, Aria—on one side. Mira’s team—Mira, Iris, Eve—on the other side. Ella’s team—Ella, Luna, Fay—on the third side.

"Rock paper scissors," Rin said. "One round."

"Three," Nora said.

"Two," Aria said.

"One!" They all said together.

Rin threw scissors. Mira threw rock. Ella threw paper.

Rin won. She raised her fist. "Yes!"

Mira pouted her lips. "Hmph. Lucky."

Ella smiled slightly. "Congratulations, Rin."

Rin stepped forward. She looked at Kai. "Sir, I’ll go first."

Kai nodded. "Go ahead."

Rin took a breath. She looked at the flowers around her, then pointed toward a red flower with sharp thorns—a rose growing among large stones.

"I found that flower," Rin said. "The flower is red. Its color is like blood. But the petals are soft. I touched it, and it turned out there were thorns. Sharp. I almost got pricked."

She looked at her rose again. "I like that flower. Because it’s beautiful, but not just anyone can touch it. Like me. I can be kind, but if someone bothers me, I won’t stay silent."

Kai nodded. He didn’t say anything.

Nora stepped forward. She looked at Kai calmly. "I found a white flower. Small. Growing between stones. Its fragrance is sweet. I don’t know its name. But I like it because it’s calm. Not flashy. But still there."

Kai nodded again.

Ella stepped forward. She opened her notebook. "I found several flowers. But the one I like most is the purple flower that hangs. Wisteria. I like it because it grows downward. Unlike other flowers that grow upward. It’s like... accepting. Not resisting. But still beautiful."

Kai nodded.

Then the others also spoke. Mira told about a yellow flower she found near the pond—a flower growing in water, with petals glistening like gold. Iris told about a white flower growing in the most secluded place—behind a large rock, in a corner of the garden no one saw. Eve told about the flower she analyzed—a flower with petals layered like glass, which she identified as gardenia.

Luna told about a flower she saw from a distance—a flower growing on a tree branch, hanging like a lantern. Aria told about a small flower she found under a bush—a flower that was almost invisible, but still blooming. Fay didn’t speak. She just pointed toward a white flower growing near the pond, and smiled.

Kai listened to everything. He didn’t take notes. He didn’t judge. He just listened.

After everything was finished, Kai stood still for a moment. He looked at his students one by one. Mira still holding her breath. Rin crossing her arms. Ella closing her notebook. Luna looking at him calmly. Nora waiting. Iris smiling. Eve pushing her glasses up. Aria biting her nails. Fay smiling faintly.

"Everyone wins," Kai said.

HAAH! Mira opened her mouth. "Everyone wins?!"

"Yes."

"But, Sir, the prize—"

"The prize is still there. For everyone."

Kai walked to the car and opened the trunk. He took out a small wooden box. He brought it back before his students and opened it. Inside, there were several pieces of jewelry—rings with small stones, earrings with simple pendants, necklaces with thin chains, and bracelets with wooden beads.

"Take whichever you like," Kai said. "One for each of you."

Mira was already leaning forward. "Mira wants that one! The one with the purple stone!"

Kai took the ring with the small purple stone and gave it to Mira. Mira received it and immediately put it on her ring finger. "Pretty! Mira likes it!"

Rin looked at the box. "I want earrings." Kai took a pair of earrings with a small leaf-shaped pendant and gave them to her. Rin put them on. "Cool."

Ella looked at the box calmly. "I want a necklace." Kai took a necklace with a thin chain and a crescent moon-shaped pendant. Ella received it and put it on. "Thank you, Sir."

Luna looked at the box. "I want a bracelet." Kai took a bracelet with light brown wooden beads. Luna received it and put it on her wrist. "Thank you."

Nora looked at the box. "I want a ring." Kai took a ring with a small black stone. Nora received it and put it on. "Thank you, Sir."

Iris looked at the box. "I want earrings." Kai took a pair of earrings with a small star-shaped pendant. Iris put them on. "Interesting."

Eve looked at the box. "I want a necklace." Kai took a necklace with an ancient coin-shaped pendant. Eve received it. "This has historical value. Thank you, Sir."

Aria looked at the box hesitantly. "I-I... I want a bracelet." Kai took a bracelet with cream-colored beads. Aria received it with trembling hands. "Th-thank you, Sir."

Fay looked at the box. She pointed toward the earrings with a small flower-shaped pendant. Kai took them and gave them to her. Fay received them. She didn’t put them on. She just held them in her hand, and smiled.

After everything was finished, they stood in front of Kai with their respective jewelry. They didn’t speak. They just stood there, in the middle of the colorful garden, with the wind blowing softly—whoosh—and the scent of flowers mixing into one.

"Thank you, Sir," Ella said.

"Thank you, Sir," the others said.

Kai nodded. "Now let’s go back to camp."

They walked back to the car. This time no one scrambled. Mira walked beside Rin, showing off her ring. Rin showed her earrings. Ella walked in front with her necklace. Luna beside her with her bracelet. Nora behind with her ring. Iris with her earrings. Eve with her necklace. Aria with her bracelet. Fay at the very back, still holding her earrings.

Kai and Lydia walked at the very back. Lydia watched the backs of the students moving away. Then she looked at Kai.

"You know," Lydia said softly. "The flowers in this garden don’t reach a hundred. I counted. There are about fourteen."

Kai didn’t turn. "I know."

"But you still brought them here. And you still gave them prizes."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Kai walked a few steps before answering. "Because they’ve seen enough bad things. I want them to see something beautiful. At least once."

Lydia looked at him for a long time. Then she smiled—a small smile that reached her eyes. "You really are a strange teacher."

Kai didn’t answer. He just kept walking, watching the backs of his students moving away, and feeling the morning wind blowing softly on his face.