The late afternoon light filtered through tall windows as Livi sipped quietly on a vanilla matcha at the capybara café, her phone resting facedown beside her. The air smelled like warm hay and toasted mochi. Around her, capybaras dozed in cozy piles of fur, unbothered by the soft buzz of student voices and jazz playing overhead.

One by one, the others arrived.

Sora was first, nodding with a calm “hey” as he handed her a cheese tart and promptly sat cross-legged beside the largest capybara.
 Then came Hikari, eyes lit by a smile only she could wear—gentle, knowing. She slipped into the seat beside Livi like she’d always belonged there.
 Ren barged in next, holding a drink from another café entirely. “It’s not contraband if you share,” he said, tossing a cookie toward Livi’s plate.
 Dylan trailed in moments later, camera already in hand, crouched and whispering to a capybara like it was a wise elder. “Hold still, sensei,” he murmured. Click. Click.

The table was full… almost.

They were laughing over whether Ren actually got banned from three cafés or just one when the door chimed.

And in walked Mina.

Uninvited. Uncoordinated.
 And yet… right on time.

She wore a plum-colored hoodie, a soft smirk curling at her lips, and a bubble tea in hand. She paused when she saw them, head tilting.

“Well damn,” she said. “Didn’t realize I walked into a Bloom reunion.”

The table fell silent.

Ren blinked. “You just show up here?”

“On my day off? Yeah.” She walked over like she’d already claimed the empty chair at the table. “What, you thought you had a monopoly on good vibes?”

Livi was the first to speak, smiling. “You’re welcome to join.”

Mina dropped into the seat beside Ren, popping her straw into the drink. “Cool. ‘Cause I was coming whether you said yes or not.”

The group chuckled, tension melting away.

A few moments passed. Then Mina looked around the table — really looked at each of them.

“You know…” she said slowly, leaning her elbows on the table, “you guys are kind of like a bouquet.”

Ren raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

“A spring bouquet,” she clarified. “Everyone’s different, but it works. You’ve got the quiet flower.” She motioned to Sora. “The spiky one.” To Ren. “The glowing one.” Hikari. “The artsy emotional one.” Dylan. “The root system with attachment issues.” She winked at Livi.

“And what are you?” Sora asked, hiding a smile.

Mina shrugged. “The wildflower that shows up late.”

That got a laugh from the whole table.

Then, she leaned back and said it casually—too casually:

“We should call ourselves the Bloom Pals.”

The words landed like a pin dropped into water.

Dylan looked up from his camera.

Hikari’s smile twitched.

Sora blinked.

Ren nearly choked on his tea.

Even Livi tilted her head, surprised.

“…The Bloom Pals?” she repeated, amused.

Mina sipped her drink. “You got a better name? I mean, we bloomed together, right? Last spring, best spring. Found family vibes. Come on—it kinda slaps.”

No one had an argument.

Ren shrugged. “I hate how good that is.”

Dylan lowered his camera. “Sounds like an album title.”

Hikari nodded. “I love it.”

Livi looked around the table—at the faces that had somehow become home—and smiled wider than she had in weeks.

She opened her phone.

New Group Chat
 💮 Bloom Pals 💮
 Added: Sora, Ren, Hikari, Dylan, Mina

Caption:

No plans. No rules. Just us.

“Welcome to the crew, Mina,” Livi said. “It’s official now.”

Mina smirked. “Took you long enough.”

Dylan stood suddenly. “We’re doing a photo.”

He pulled out the tripod attachment, set it up, and pointed to the café’s cozy wooden wall near the biggest capybara pile.

“Everyone in. No arguing.”

They huddled together, warm shoulders bumping, drinks in hand, half-fake smiles turning real. Mina leaned her head on Livi’s shoulder. Sora blinked awkwardly as Ren threw up peace signs behind him. Hikari wrapped her arms around Dylan and laughed right as the timer clicked.

Click.

The camera caught them mid-laughter. Unposed. Unfiltered. Together.

Their first photo as the Bloom Pals.

And in that moment, not one of them felt like a background character.