Yes, this is a chapter for Nezumi. Even though he didn't die. I just thought it'd be interesting to do, and just as I've labelled it, you could always consider it a bonus chapter. In any case, as you'll soon see, this is AU for more reasons than the fact of Nezumi being alive in canon.

Miho gathered up the piles of folders and prepared to leave the classroom when she glanced over at Tsugiyoshi Sumino's desk, and realised the small jam-jar of flowers that had been put there to commemorate his very recent death were now wilted.

"Oh. They're wilted." Miho observed aloud, as she felt herself wilt a little at the sight. Why is it that I feel heavy thinking about him? Is it just because the news was so recent it's still a shock to me? I don't know…

"Huh, what's wilted?" Eriko asked, frowning.

Miho simply pointed-as best as she could considering she was holding a pile of folders she could barely see past-and waited for Eriko to follow the direction she was pointing in.

"Ohh." Eriko propped her broom up against the wall, and walked over to his desk to pick up the jam-jar.

"Huh, guess we'll need to change these before going, then. But is there any point in doing it now? It's Friday, someone'll have to do it on Monday anyway."

"Of course there's a point!" Miho responded hotly.

"Woah, what's with the reaction? Is it because you were seat-mates? Or, no, do you feel guilty about rejecting him?"

"What?" It took Miho a moment to remember. "No! That was ages ago!"

That's nothing to do with anything, anyway!

"It's just the right thing to do, that's all. It wouldn't be nice to leave them wilted all weekend, would it?" she responded, still a little flustered at Eriko's conclusion.

"Well, sure. I mean, I'm not sure he'd even care either way, but whatever. Then, can you do it? I'm already sweeping and everything."

Well, yeah, sure, he probably wouldn't. But...maybe he'd appreciate it anyway? But even if he doesn't, I care for some reason. Surely that's enough?

"Yeah, sure."

Pulling herself out of the reverie, Miho started to walk over to the desk, before realising that she wouldn't be able to carry the folders and the jam-jar at the same time. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she decided to leave the folders for now, and prioritise replacing the flowers. Sensei can wait a few more minutes, surely? It's not like I'm doing anything frivolous. So she dumped the pile on her desk, and then grabbed the jam-jar.

"See you in a bit, Eriko-Chan."

"Sure, sure."

Miho walked as fast as she could without running. Her plan was to go to see if the Gardening Club were still around and get replacement flowers from them. If not, she would just 'borrow' some flowers from the school garden, and message Suzuki on her class's group chat to explain that she'd done so. Or perhaps I could ask one of the teachers if I could use some flowers from their pot plants in the staff room…but that would be a little awkward, wouldn't it?.
Exiting the school through the back, she walked across the courtyard and through the short walkway to where the gardens were, and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that there were a few members there, busy working on the flowerbeds.

"Hello." She announced herself as loud as she could without feeling awkward.

One of the members, who Miho vaguely recognised as being a senior, turned around.

"Oh, hello. Did you need something?"

"I, um…I need to replace these flowers." Miho held up the jam-jar to show what she meant.

"Oh? Could it be, you're from Class 2B? Oi, Suzuki-kun!"

The sudden rise in the senior girl's voice almost made Miho jump, but it did attract the attention of her classmate, who was tending to flowerbeds slightly further down. He leapt up, and jogged over.

"What's wrong, Endo-san?" he asked.

"Sumino-kun's flowers are wilted." she explained, again holding up the jar. "Don't suppose you've got anything to spare?"

"Yeah, sure. That okay, sempai?" Suzuki asked the senior girl.

"Yes, yes, of course." The girl waved them away, and went back to what she had been doing.

Suzuki and Miho eyed each other awkwardly for a moment.

"So…well, give me that, I'll clear it out for you, you take a look round for whatever flower you want. Are you getting the same ones as these?" Suzuki asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, maybe something different." Miho responded after a moment.

"Eh, yeah, suppose it doesn't make too much of a difference either way. I doubt Sumino knew anything about flowers anyway. He was more interested in cheese, wasn't he?"

"Mm, I think so. Like when Kamiya-kun came back from France with those samples after the summer?"

"Yeah, like that. He got really excited about it, do you remember?"

"I remember." It was one of those rare times he actually seemed interested in what we were doing in class. " 'No two cheeses taste exactly alike', he said."

"What?" To Miho's surprise, Suzuki-kun stopped smiling and stared at her. "He never said anything like that. He just hogged all the cheese and thanked Kamiya for his good taste."

Huh? But I remember it….Miho thought back to that day when Kamiya had come in with the cheeses, and tried to figure out when exactly it was that Sumino had said that to her. But the more she tried to, the more it seemed to slip away from her. Weird…

"Oh. Never mind." Miho shrugged sheepishly, and held out the jam-jar.

"Yeah, take a look around and give me a yell when you find something you like, and I'll take care of this." Suzuki said, taking it and walking away.

Still a little unsettled, Miho walked over to the flower beds, and started to look at the flowers, examining each one carefully, and as she did she found herself thinking more about Sumino. She remembered when he'd confessed to her, now she was thinking of it. At the time, it'd been a simple, easy question and answer, and he'd seemed so unbothered and they'd gone back to being normal classmates that it had been easy for her to forget that it had happened. Yet now she was thinking back, she found herself thinking that there had been something more, that even if she would have ultimately rejected him, there were so many other ways that moment could have turned out. That there were deeper, more serious things Sumino had wanted to tell her. And much like she could have sworn Sumino had told her that no two cheeses tasted exactly alike, she felt like she remembered these, even if it was impossible to remember something that had never happened.

And, that's what Sumino was about, wasn't he? The possibilities. Most conversations they had seemed to have these strange after echoes of different things that could have happened when she recalled them now. And Sumino himself had liked to talk about that sort of thing, about choices and different paths, and to Miho he'd sounded like he knew what he was on about. Like he was made of possibilities.

And that's why I feel so strange, don't I? Because they're all gone.

Miho's train of thought skidded to a halt as she came across a spray of light purple flowers, all with many small petals, sort of like a daisy. Curious, she bent down and took a closer look, before straightening back up and turning around.

"Suzuki-kun!" she called.

"Coming, hold on!"

A moment later, Suzuki was next to her.

"Found one?"

"Yeah. What's this?" she asked, pointing to the flower.

"Oh! Aster tataricus! "Suzuki exclaimed, earning a blank stare from Miho.

"Aster what now?"

"Aster tataricus. Shion." Suzuki clarified. "They have a meaning of remembrance. Or, specifically 'I won't forget you'."

Yes, that sounds about right.

"Yeah, then a few of these, please."

"Sure thing!"

Suzuki snipped a few for her, then placed them carefully in the fresh water he'd poured in the jam-jar, before handing it back to her.

"There you go, Endo-san."

"Thanks, Suzuki-kun."

After bidding him and the senior girl goodbye, Miho dashed back to the classroom as fast as she could without spilling or dropping the jam-jar.

"Took your time, didn't you?" Eriko teased (though not unkindly) as Miho came through the door.

Miho murmured a non-committal response, and crossed the room to Sumino's desk and gently placed the jam-jar in the middle of the desk before stepping back to regard it. Ah, that's much better, isn't it? She smiled for a moment, and grabbed up the folders again, ready to take them down to their teacher.

"Oh! What flowers are those?" Eriko asked, just noticing.

"Shion." Miho paused at the door. Thought about pronouncing the Latin name, but decided it was better she didn't for fear of mangling it.

"Oh. They're pretty."

"Yeah, they are." Miho agreed, continuing on her way.

And maybe there's a possibility that somewhere, somehow, Sumino-kun can see them too.

And with that, this collection is finished! I do hope you enjoyed it! I will be mostly returning to focusing on my ongoing DR fic now this is done, but I do plan on writing other Juuni Taisen fanfics in the future. That, and I'm helping out on the 'Juuni Taisen: The Thirteenth Season' fic that Colton989 is doing, though I'm not doing the main work on that. So, yeah, I guess I'll see you around then, and thanks for reading!