The student council decided to meet at the Academy's community garden for the rest of the week. There was no announcement made about Reyna, but the council wanted to pay their respect. The sun sat high overhead, beating down on the rows of flowers and vegetables. The four wore bamboo hats to keep their face from the heat. Swords, snipers, and staffs were left behind and in their place were shovels, hoes, and watering cans.
"I'm beat," Kai announced, pausing to lean on his shovel. He wiped sweat from his cheek with his forearm "I didn't think it would take this long."
Stella knelt near the edge of one of the plots, using a hand trowel to loosen the roots. "It always does," she said as she routed weeds out.
Cedric worked in silence a few rows over, adjusting the spacing between plants where they'd been set unevenly. Yumi was making a mess of her section. Dirt clung to her gloves and sleeves. Her shoes filled with soil that made her stop to shake her shoes. The crew worked in silence.
Stella shifted closer and continued digging. As she brushed loose dirt aside, something small moved near the edge of the plot. A snail crawled slowly across the ground, the shell shone from the sunlight. Stella paused to watch it for a moment, remembering that snails were Reyna's favorite animal.
Kai noticed she wasn't moving across the rows as she was previously. "You good?"
Stella nodded at Kai and went back to work. A few minutes passed in silence. The only sound for the next passing minutes were gravel being moved and water pouring out of the spout.
"If only there was a way to buff your gardening skills–" Kai started, then paused at the thought. He exhaled and adjusted his grip on the shovel. "Nevermind."
Yumi glanced up at the comment, but didn't give input.
They worked until the sun began to dip and the shadows stretched longer across the soil. The rows weren't perfect and some plants still leaned off-center. A few clusters of flowers remained unfinished. Near the edge of the garden, Stella placed a small wooden signpost. She carved a simple drawing into it earlier that day, careful not to rush the lines. A drawing of Reyna she made earlier the week.
They stood side-by-side for a moment, hats now tucked under their arms. Cedric brushed the dirt from his hands and looked over the garden.
"We should head back," he suggested. "Tools need to be returned before the shed closes."
They all nodded as Stella grabbed the wagon to put the tools in. As they walked away, Stella glanced back to the garden. The snail was still there, inching its way along the damp soil. One of the watering cans sat forgotten beside the plot, but she didn't turn back to get it.