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Mira limped into the classroom, her ankle wrapped up with a makeshift bandage, but she kept her head held high, trying to ignore the occasional twinge of pain as she walked. She had hoped to slip in unnoticed, but as soon as breaktime rolled around, her friends gathered around the table, all noticing her unusual gait.
Elara, always the observant one, was the first to speak up, her eyes flicking down to Mira's wrapped ankle. "Mira, what happened to you?" she asked, concern and curiosity in her voice.
Mira smiled sheepishly, settling into her seat. "Ah, it's nothing serious. Just a mild sprain from this morning's jog."
Luca, never one to miss an opportunity to tease, grinned widely. "A morning jog, huh? Or did you climb a tree or run into something weird, as usual?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly ready for one of Mira's usual misadventures.
Mira stared at him for a second, then sighed, realizing he had a point. "Well... I guess you could say I did run into something weird."
The group fell silent, waiting for her to elaborate.
Mira hesitated, then dropped her head in mock defeat. "I accidentally ran into a beehive."
The room went dead silent for a split second before the entire group burst into laughter.
Luca nearly choked on his laughter. "I knew it! It wouldn't be Mira if it was just a normal jog! A beehive? Seriously?"
Mira couldn't help but laugh too, despite her embarrassment. "Yeah, well, not exactly what I had in mind for my morning workout."
Elias, the calmest of the group, finally spoke up, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Seriously, Mira, don't just wander around the forest like that. Next time, we might find you in the hospital instead of at a café."
Mira grinned, though a touch of guilt crept into her expression. "Yeah, I'll try to keep the wild adventures to a minimum."
Naomi, with her usual practical approach, shook her head, a playful smirk on her face. "Maybe next time, stick to safer hobbies. Like birdwatching. Or knitting."
Mira rolled her eyes, still smiling, feeling embarrassed but relieved that her friends could turn the whole situation into a running joke. "Well, at least it was a good workout," she muttered, and the group erupted in more laughter.
❧
The greenhouse was buzzing with quiet energy as sunlight streamed through the glass panels, casting a warm glow over rows of rare plants. The scent of damp soil and fresh greenery filled the air. At the center, five students—Mira, Adrian, Ren, Valeria, and Noah—stood around a workstation, checking their progress while Professor Aldric scrolled through a digital tablet.
"Alright, let's go over what we've done so far," the professor said. "We're moving fast, but let's make sure we're covering everything properly."
Mira pulled up the plant portfolio on her tablet. "Photography? Done. Every plant documented, high-quality images uploaded."
Adrian nodded. "Initial name identification? Also done. We cross-referenced everything with existing records."
Professor Aldric gave a satisfied nod. "Solid. That'll make the next steps easier."
Valeria leaned against the table. "Special care instructions are almost there. Adrian and I double-checked most of them, but some still need expert confirmation."
"I'll handle those," Adrian said, adjusting his glasses.
Noah, tapping away on his laptop, added, "Website structure is ready. Mira built the draft, and it's set up for content input. I'll start uploading everything this week."
Professor Aldric looked up. "Good. The more polished it is, the more impact our campaign will have."
Mira shifted slightly, her voice bright with excitement. "Also—since everyone agreed with the community project idea, I've gone ahead and contacted one of the local community centers. They're on board. We'll be opening registration soon, and we're expecting our first group of students—ages ten to thirteen. Two hours per week, over six weeks."
She glanced around, making sure everyone was following. "They're still finalizing the exact schedule, but in the meantime, we'll need to polish the workshop content. Adrian has already drafted the plan for each session, but we need your input—especially you, Noah, for the music activities, and Ren, for the drawing elements."
She smiled, energized. "If everything goes smoothly, we can start the first workshop two weeks from now."
Professor Aldric looked at her, visibly impressed. "Thank you, Mira. That's a big step forward, and I really appreciate you taking the initiative."
Ren gave a small nod. "Got it. I'll send you something today."
Noah added, "Same here. I'll email my part this afternoon."
Mira beamed. The energy in the room lifted, buzzing not just from sunlight and soil, but from something growing between them all—hope.
As they dispersed to begin tagging, Mira limped just slightly when she moved toward the orchid section.
Valeria's eyes narrowed. "Mira, are you limping?"
Mira froze mid-step near the pale orchid section. "Me? No. Well—maybe a little."
Noah looked up from his laptop, concerned. "What happened?"
Ren, calm as always, tilted his head. "Did you fall?"
Mira tried a casual wave of her hand. "It's nothing. Just a light sprain from my morning jog."
Valeria didn't let it go. "You jog?"
Mira gave her an exaggerated gasp. "Excuse you, I can be athletic."
"Right," Valeria said, raising an eyebrow.
Mira sighed in surrender. "Okay, okay. I may have… wandered too close to a bee hive."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Valeria blinked. "You what?"
Mira cringed. "It was an accident!"
Noah stifled a laugh, and even Ren's shoulders shifted — his version of a chuckle. Valeria stared, then burst out laughing.
"Oh my god," she said. "Of course. Of course it wasn't just a jog. It had to involve bees."
Noah grinned. "So, did they chase you?"
"No comment," Mira muttered.
"Classic Mira," Valeria smirked. "If you ever told us something happened normally, I'd start worrying."
From across the table, Adrian remained silent. He didn't laugh. He didn't comment.
But when Mira glanced at him, she caught the small, unmistakable curve at the corner of his mouth — not quite a smile, but definitely amusement.
And for some reason, that was worse.
Mira narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't!"
Adrian, completely deadpan, focused back on labeling a plant tag.
He didn't say a word.
But he didn't have to.
Ren opened a box of neatly designed name tags. "Tagging system is finalized. Today's goal—get these on every plant in the greenhouse. Shouldn't take long."
Everyone grabbed a handful of tags and spread out, carefully placing them next to the plants. The quiet rustle of leaves and occasional murmurs filled the space as they worked.
Mira paused by a pale-blue orchid, adjusting its label. "This one looks straight out of a fantasy novel."
Valeria smirked. "You mean a deadly jungle where people mysteriously disappear?"
Ren grinned. "Or a man-eating plant situation?"
"You guys are terrible at PR." Mira said, waving a plant tag at them like a warning flag.
With the last tag in place, Adrian did a final walk-through, double-checking details like he was defusing a bomb. After a moment, he gave a small nod of approval.
Professor Aldric clapped his hands. "That's it. Great work, everyone. We're ahead of schedule."
Mira exchanged a look with Valeria and Ren. "We already planned the public awareness campaign. Once Noah finishes uploading, we can launch."
"Everything's lining up well," Adrian added.
Professor Aldric smiled. "Then let's keep it up. Same energy next time."
As they packed up, the greenhouse felt a little brighter—not just from the sunlight but from the quiet pride of getting things done.
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