Mako bustled around her apartment, watering plants and talking cheerily to them. Plants calmed her and were always there for her. They were like family. And there was nothing weird about talking to your family was there? Plus it helped the plants grow!

She paused in front of the miniature rose bush she kept indoors and smiled tenderly. She loved all plants, but these flowers were her favorite. Mako touched her trademark rose earrings and thought of the sempai who'd ended up breaking her heart.

"Y'know, Mako-chan, you remind me of a rose," he had said.

At the time she'd been too flustered to do anything but turn red as a rose and squeak out a "Thanks!" So she wasn't sure what exactly what he'd meant. But after long conversations with her friends analyzing and reanalyzing the conversation with sempai she decided he'd meant this:

Roses are dangerous but beautiful. They're passionate and can protect themselves.

Sempai hadn't realized how right he'd been. She was destined to become a bishoujo senshi, a pretty guardian. One who combined femininity and strength in a way that her country's culture wasn't used to.

Yes, Mako was beautiful. But she wasn't some shrinking violet, she was a rose. She was monster-strength Jupiter! Mako would use her powers to defend those dear to her. "Yes," thought Mako, "roses suit me well."