Episode 19: What It Means to Nurture

The Impatient Desire to Help Hikappa Grow Faster

Hikappa had been growing smoothly ever since it sprouted in its hydroponic setup and was transplanted into a pot.

Every day, all it took was water. Little by little, its leaves continued to unfold.

Yuto watched over it with relief.

At the same time, another feeling began to sprout inside him.

Yuto found himself thinking:

“Maybe it's time to start giving it some fertilizer.”

Perhaps the phase where it could grow on just water alone was already over.

If he added fertilizer, wouldn't it grow bigger—and faster?

That quiet hope continued to expand in the back of his mind.

Then an even more extreme thought crossed his mind.

“What would happen if I poured undiluted liquid fertilizer straight onto it? Could ten years of growth somehow become three years?”

Deep down, he knew it was an overly optimistic idea.

Even so, he couldn't suppress one feeling.

“I just want it to grow faster.”

Consulting Miona-sensei

Yuto decided to ask Miona-sensei for advice.

Leaving Hikappa at home, Yuto visited the botanical garden carrying only his smartphone, which held photos of Hikappa.

After looking at the pictures, Miona smiled gently and said:

“It's growing beautifully. It looks like it has taken root well.”

Yuto honestly shared everything on his mind.

He wanted to give it fertilizer.

And if possible, he wanted to help it grow even a little faster.

Miona studied the photo for a moment before speaking again.

“Giving fertilizer is very important. But the way you give it is much more delicate than most people think.”

She reached for a blue bottle from the shelf.

It was a common liquid fertilizer.

“This fertilizer is perfectly fine.
But don't use it as it is.
It hasn't been very long since it sprouted, has it?”

Then she carefully explained how to dilute it.

“Dilute it to about a 2,000:1 ratio.
Right now isn't the time to push growth—it's the time to protect the roots. If it's too concentrated, it can damage the roots. That's what's called fertilizer burn.”

Yuto found the explanation surprising.

He had assumed there must be a way to make it more effective.

Noticing his expression, Miona smiled.

“I completely understand why you want it to grow faster.
That feeling is proof that you're sincerely trying to care for it.”

Then she continued.

“But every plant has its own pace of growth.
Even if you give it too much water or too much fertilizer because you're in a hurry, it can end up withering instead.
Sometimes, rushing has exactly the opposite effect.”

Yuto's Realization

Hearing those words, Yuto felt something click inside him.

He had wanted Hikappa to grow bigger and faster.

He had believed that desire came from kindness.

But perhaps he had simply been projecting his own expectations onto it.

Then Yuto realized:

“Asset building isn't something I can drag forward by force.”

Instead, it was about placing himself in an environment where growth could happen naturally—and letting time become his ally.

And quietly, Yuto understood that this environment was nothing less than the global economy itself.

Returning Home

When Yuto returned home, he diluted the fertilizer exactly as Miona had taught him.

Dilute it about 2,000 to 1.

So diluted that it looked almost identical to plain water.

He gave Hikappa only a tiny amount.

Nothing changed on the surface.

There was no dramatic growth.

No visible transformation.

Yet Yuto felt strangely calm.

Yuto quietly thought:

“This is the right way.”

As he watched Hikappa, another realization came to him.

What he was nurturing now wasn't only Hikappa.

He was also nurturing the version of himself that had learned how to wait.