Chapter Text
The apron was tied by its straps at your waist, the cool morning in the city receiving you at the flower shop like every work day. You took the ribbon around your wrist and tied your hair, approaching the back of the place where you greeted your boss as usual.
“Good morning” Your voice was soft as you arranged your turtleneck to look neat. “This needs to be delivered?” You asked, noticing the bouquet of roses prepared on the counter.
She was crouched on the floor not letting you see what she was doing, but she turned around and pointed at the front of the store before you could find out. “No honey, just give it to the boy at the counter!” She indicated. “I was making it and this fell off”.
“Oh, you would have called me” You could see plant residues on the floor that she was now picking up, rushing with the order so that the customer didn’t get angry.
You took the bouquet between your hands, adjusting the bow around the wrapper so it wouldn’t come loose and approached the counter through the thin curtain that created the illusion of privacy. You arranged the flowers by your instinct of perfectionism, keeping your head down even when you walked to the said boy. It was just a matter of looking up to see who you were selling it to, and discovering it wasn’t a boy.
His eyes lifted almost at the same time as yours, letting you recognize those delicate features in just a second. You couldn’t hide how you could never mistake that pointy nose and the mole on it as a diamond. In a sigh of clear surprise, his name escaped from your lips. “Minho”.
His face had grown sharper, his figure was no longer that of a slim, growing teenager. The aura around him was mature, you could tell, but the moment his lips lifted and his cupid’s bow curved, you knew that it was the same smile that was once elicited by you.
The one that appeared now was as genuine as all the previous ones. “Y/n” He recognized you in the same way. “Hi”.
His head tilted to the side, relaxing with the trust he believed there was between you two despite the long time. “You work here?” He asked something too obvious.
You nodded harshly. “My mom and my boss are friends, remember?” Your words instantly brought back memories of the days where you walked down the street and who your boss was now greeted you as both passed by the store. How could he forget it?
It was almost routine. Leaving that rented room used as a dance studio and walking the same streets every day. Not even having to look straight ahead when talking as your feet knew the way by heart.
“What are you doing here?” The curiosity inside you after years without seeing him made you ask.
He gave a small laugh that sounded more like an intermediary through the tension of the moment. “Well, I came home” He said casually. “I also have vacations like everyone else”.
You adjusted the fringe that fell on your face, extending your arms to deliver the bouquet once and for all. You cleared your throat to avoid sounding awkward. “That’s good”.
He searched your gaze when he noticed your head lowered, smiling with what he thought was shyness. He took the money from his wallet and handed it over, but you were quick to push his hand away before you could take it. “Oh no, no, it’s up to me” You tried to be nice. “What kind of old friend would I be if not?”
You couldn’t help but exhale through your nose heavily, suppressing a sigh. Your hand went up your arm, stroking the discomfort away. “Your mom would be disappointed if I charge flowers for her”.
He looked at the flowers and parted his lips to speak, not knowing how to say that it was not the occasion. “Oh, they’re not for my mom” He laughed nervously, not wanting to give a poor explanation that would be awkward.
You looked at him a little confused, doubting for a second if he had a girlfriend. But, why was that your first thought? Minho sighed, preferring to jump in and make up for lost time rather than look disinterested. “Don’t you think we should go out and catch up?”
“You think?” Your response was immediate, shaking your head after laughing. “I mean, yeah, sure” You agreed without deep thought. You feigned some kind of priority by looking behind you. “I don’t have much time this week because we are preparing orders, but later, whenever you want”.
“Okay” He accepted your offer with an even more radiant smile. He nodded in greeting and held the bouquet lovingly in his hands. “See you later then”.
You waved as he walked away, putting on the best smile. “See you”.
You visualized how he walked down the street through the glass, stretching out on the counter to check that he had already moved far enough to throw your head to it. Oh God, this couldn’t be true. This was a dream, you were asleep, you still hadn’t gotten up to go to work.
“Why did you lie to him?” Your boss’s voice made you realize that you were quite awake. And almost give you a heart attack.
“Ah, hell!” You started, turning around immediately. “You didn’t scare me” You tried to sit up as if nothing had happened.
“Why did you tell him we have orders?” She wiped her hands with the cloth she had on them, staring out the window as if she could still see him. “That boy was gorgeous!”
You contracted your features in pain. “It was Minho” You whined, coming back to perch on the counter. You couldn’t believe you were saying that.
“What?” She adjusted her glasses, unable to believe what you were saying either. “Minho? Your Minho? ” Her way of saying it reflected that the first correlation that people had was with each other. It had always been like this, and it will always remain that way.
“Yes, auntie” Your affectionate nickname for her was caught between your hands that were dragged across your face now. “My Minho”.
Thus, as if it had been a hallucination, he had just left that place. The seconds kept passing and you didn’t detach from the counter, observing the glass meters away from you as if he could reappear as unexpectedly as he did. He was in town. He was here again, in the same place as you. How could you even go out without fear? He had already seen where you ended up, now he would see the reality of your normal and boring life compared to his.
Accepting his proposal felt pure commitment and education, but you didn’t know if he would actually return. What were you supposed to do? Meet him and hear the incredible stories he would have to tell you of these years while you would only listen without having anything to give back? Minho was long gone to fulfill his dreams, and you had abandoned them like a coward by not having him by your side. This was a long story that was going to take a bit of conversation for the truth to come out.