The wind whispered through the cemetery, rustling the leaves of the ancient trees. The scent of damp earth and flowers lingered in the air as a lone figure stood before a gravestone, her gaze heavy with memories.

It had been ten years since Ai Hoshino’s death.

Zheng Hai Qiu knelt, gently placing a bouquet of lavender at the base of the stone. The flowers symbolized their friendship, one that had begun long before Ruby and Aqua were born. She adjusted the single jasmine flower pinned to her lab coat—a quiet tribute to the woman she had loved in ways words could never fully express.

She took a slow breath, steadying herself against the grief threatening to resurface.

"I'm here, Ai… It's been a while."

The setting sun bathed the cemetery in golden hues, casting long shadows across the ground. For all her intelligence, all the advancements she had made in the technological sectors, there was nothing she could do to bring Ai back. And yet, standing here, it felt as though she had never left.

Memories surfaced unbidden—the warmth of Ai’s hand in hers, the mischievous sparkle in her eyes, the way her voice carried laughter even in the dullest moments.

"If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be holed up in some lab, living like a hermit," Zheng murmured, a small, bitter smile forming. "You always had a way of pulling me into your ridiculous ideas… like making me an idol."

She could still hear Ai’s laughter, teasing and insistent. "Come on, Zheng-chan! We’d be an unstoppable duo!"

Zheng wiped at her eyes before the tears could fall. Ai wouldn’t want her to break down. She would have wanted her to keep moving forward, to live.

She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against the cold stone. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Wǒ yě ài nǐ... Ai Hoshino... My lavender flower."

Then, with one last lingering look, she turned and walked away.

She kissed on Ai's grave, showing that she also loves her, more than just best friends, and left...

...

But, she doesn't know, that a certain Ruby or Aqua Hoshino was watching from a distance... Ai Hoshino's Son and Daughter... They were hiding from a bench, not too far from them, and with Newspapers to hide themselves...

From behind a bench not too far away, two figures sat frozen, peeking over the edges of their newspapers.

Ruby and Aqua Hoshino had come to visit their mother’s grave, expecting solitude. Instead, they had found something else—someone else.

Ruby’s grip on the paper tightened. “Did she just…?”

Aqua didn’t respond immediately. He was staring at Zheng’s retreating form, mind racing.

There had always been something about their mother’s past that remained elusive, something hidden between the lines of the stories she told them. And now, before their eyes, a missing piece had fallen into place.

"Is… Miss Zheng more than just best friends with Mom?" Ruby asked hesitantly, as if speaking it aloud would make it real.

Aqua exhaled slowly. “Maybe. But we don’t know yet… We might have to talk to her.”

For the first time in a long while, they had more questions than answers.

...

As Zheng approached a parked car, a man was already waiting for her. Ezra leaned against the hood, his usual smirk absent. He wasn’t known for his subtlety—far from it. A soldier through and through, his reputation as a ruthless warrior preceded him. But today, he remained uncharacteristically quiet.

"So…" he said at last. "Want me to call Murakami Takara?"

Zheng gave a silent nod as she slid into the passenger seat.

Ezra didn’t press her for conversation. Instead, he pulled up the interface and placed the call. It took only a few rings before the line connected.

"Moshi Moshi. Ezra-san?" came a familiar voice. "Is something wrong with Zheng?"

Ezra cast a glance at her before handing over the device. "She’s better off telling you herself."

Zheng took the call, her voice softer than usual. "Hey, Taki. You probably already know where I am."

There was a pause. Then, a sigh.

"Ai’s grave."

"Yeah."

"Oh, Zheng-chan… I figured as much. I know today isn’t easy for you, but Ai wouldn’t want you to dwell on the pain. She’d want you to remember the good times, to live on for her."

Zheng closed her eyes, gripping the device tighter. "It’s just… everything feels so raw. I keep thinking about what could have been. About all the things we never got to do together."

Takara’s voice was warm, understanding. "Grief is like that. Some days, it feels as fresh as the first. But remember, you’re not alone. We carry Ai with us in everything we do."

Zheng exhaled, a small, weary smile touching her lips. "You’re right. She wouldn’t want me to get stuck in the past. We have to keep moving forward."

"That’s my Zheng-chan. Take care, alright?"

The call ended, and the silence in the car stretched between them.

Ezra finally broke it. "Z… I know I’m not the best guy to give advice, but don’t do anything reckless, alright? You may be a genius, but you’re still human. And as much as I enjoy pissing people off, I don’t want to see you fall apart."

Zheng chuckled lightly. "That almost sounded like concern, Ezra."

He scoffed. "I’ll deny it if you bring it up again."

She smirked but nodded. "I promise I’ll take care of myself."

Ezra grunted in response, pulling the car out onto the road.

...

As the night went on, Zheng couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It seemed as though the universe was trying to convey a message to her, but it remained elusive and just out of reach. 

Little did she know that the following day would be anything but ordinary. A mysterious event would disrupt her daily routine, plunging her into a whirlwind of uncertainty and intrigue. Something was unfolding—a puzzle waiting to be solved. 

But for now, under the cover of night, the answers remained hidden, just beyond her grasp, as she drifted into a restless sleep, unaware that a storm was brewing.

...

That night, as Zheng lay in bed at the ryokan, she clutched her research notes tightly.

The weight of her family name—the legacy of the Hai Qiu intellectual dynasty—rested heavily on her shoulders. She was the last of them. Her survival, her work, her knowledge… they were all that remained.

But to move forward, she had to face the past.

The lavender flowers may have marked her grief, but Ai would never want her to remain frozen in sorrow.

She closed her eyes, murmuring into the quiet of the night.

"I’ll honor your name, Mom. Dad."

Outside, the wind carried the scent of lavender and jasmine, whispering secrets only the stars could hear.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

After all, She's a Hai Qiu Family. They'll never stop learning, and neither will she.