Since Asha will eventually become a queen, Punch's answer can carry both her cynicism and her hope. Punch has seen enough suffering to know the world is deeply flawed, but she refuses to let that truth extinguish kindness. Her wisdom comes from accepting both realities at once.
Asha: What would you do if you found out the wishes of those you love with all your heart will never be granted?
Punch: What? I'm serious.
She plucked a flower and twirled it between her fingers.
Punch: It would hurt. A lot. Because when you love someone, you start wishing for their happiness too. So when their wish dies, a part of your own wish dies with it.
Punch gazed toward the horizon.
Punch: Then I'd keep walking.
Asha looked at her in surprise.
Punch: Even if their wish can never come true, that doesn't mean their hope won't disappear. People are more than their wishes. A wish can fail. Dreams can fail. Plans can fail. But a person isn't a failure just because life said no.
Asha: Do you think this world is unfair?
Punch: Hahahahaha. That's an easy one.
Punch: It also needs fixing.
Punch: Both. The world can be unfair and still be worth fixing. Some people think admitting the world is broken means giving up on it. But I think it's the opposite. If nobody admits something is broken, nobody tries to repair it.
Punch plucked another flower and held it out.
Punch: This flower will eventually wilt.
Asha: Does that make it worthless?
Punch: Things don't need to last forever to matter. You know, Asha…One day, people are going to look to you for answers.
Asha: I don't know if I'll be good enough.
Asha: Heh……That's not encouraging, Punch. But the fact that you're worried about it?
Punch: That's a better sign than you realise. Grant them what you can. Sunflowers don't become roses. And roses don't become lilies. But each one still blooms. The world isn't fair, Asha. But every time someone chooses kindness anyway…..the world becomes a little harder for despair to win.
The bond between Punch and Asha reflects the central message of At All Costs: protecting hope even when the future is uncertain.
Asha is a girl who looks at the stars and sees possibility. She believes that every wish deserves a chance to be heard. When she learns that people's wishes are being taken away, she refuses to accept it. Her compassion drives her to challenge a system that asks people to surrender their dreams.
She has seen worlds fall apart. She has witnessed loss, disappointment, and the harsh reality that not every dream can be fulfilled. Unlike Asha, she does not believe that wishing alone is enough to change reality.
Yet she never stops caring. This is why their friendship is so powerful.
Asha teaches Punch to continue believing in possibilities she can no longer see for herself.
Punch teaches Asha that hope is not the absence of pain. Hope is choosing to move forward despite pain.
When Asha asks whether the world is unfair, Punch answers:
Those two truths exist together.
Asha wants to save every wish.
Punch knows she cannot save them all.
But she still chooses to help.
That choice embodies the spirit of At All Costs.
Not because victory is guaranteed.
Not because every dream will come true.
But because some things are worth protecting regardless of the outcome.
This idea connects deeply with the line:
"The stars are there to guide us, to inspire us, to remind us to believe in possibility."~ Asha
For Asha, the stars symbolise the future she hopes to build.
For Punch, the stars symbolise something different.
They are not promises. They are directions. A star does not guarantee that a traveller will reach their destination. A star simply reminds them where to go. In the same way, hope does not promise success. Hope reminds people why they keep trying.
This becomes especially important for Asha's future as queen.
One day, she will discover that she cannot grant every wish.
She cannot erase every injustice.
She cannot protect everyone from heartbreak.
But Punch teaches her that leadership is not measured by perfection.
It is measured by whether she continues to care.
Whether she continues to listen.
Whether she continues to guide others through darkness.
Just as stars guide travelers through the night.
Punch may have doubts about the world.
She may carry scars that make optimism difficult.
But when she looks at Asha, she sees someone capable of creating a kinder future.
And because she believes in Asha, she chooses hope once more.
That is why their friendship reflects the message of At All Costs. The song is not about certainty. It is about faith. Faith in people. Faith in tomorrow. Faith that even when wishes cannot all be granted, they are still worth protecting.
Just like the stars above Rosas. Not because they promise miracles. But because they remind people to keep searching for them.
