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It was a quiet day. The sun was shining in the sky, and it was pleasantly warm – luckily not too warm, was all Donghyuck thought of as he stood behind the counter of his flower shop. Actually, he didn’t own the shop at all, it belonged to his brother, Taeil, but he was on vacation and had given him all the responsibility. Donghyuck really couldn’t complain because he grew up in this shop and if there was one thing that intrigued him it was the flowers and the reasons why people bought those flowers. It’s crazy what you learn from selling flowers.
He was about to turn to do a flower arrangement when the doorbell rang, along with a voice.
“Why can’t you just tell me what’s the problem?” the voice sounded annoyed, as if the person had a very long a day. “Come on yang. It’s not fair!” less than a minute later the conversation was over, and the boy looked even more stressed than before. Donghyuck looked up and down at the boy, simple black skinny jeans with a white t-shirt. He wasn’t particularly tall, but Hyuck could see right away that his personality could take up a whole room. The boy looked up from his cell phone and found Donghyucks gaze, he let his eyes wander for a second – not too long and not far, which Hyuck admired.
“Hello! My name is Donghyuck or Haechan, how can I help you?” he broke the, slowly becoming uncomfortable, silence between them.
“I need flowers.” was all the other answered as he let his gaze slide over the flowers.
“I have enough of that here; can you tell me more precisely for what occasion you need it?” he probed.
“Renjun, my name is Renjun.” replied the other. It seemed like Haechan wasn’t the only one who could read people’s questions before it left their lips.
“Okay Renjun, what do you need flowers for?”
A short groan. “The short or the long variant?” Haechan was sure that he had never met someone who sounded as stressed as Renjun.
“As you like. I like details and stories.” He gave the other his famous smile.
He took a deep breath before starting to talk. “My boyfriend and I have been together since high school; he was an exchange student from Taiwan, and I was the only one he could talk to.” Haechan interrupted him, “so you’re born here?” he asked curiously. Renjun looked confused for a moment before answering. “No, I’m from China. We just got stuck with each other. and at some point, we became more. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t a moment with him that I regret. I wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world – but he’s just too much sometimes. He’s a drama queen and he loves to create drama when there’s none.“
“Wow, I’ve never seen such a loving smile before” shoots through Haechans head while listening to the other person.
“Small arguments are normal, but I’ve been working too much lately and today it seems like he had enough. I know I work too much, but I just want to make a good life for us. So basically, I’m here to apologize to him and what could be better than flowers?“ a dry and somehow sad laugh echoed through the otherwise empty shop.
Haechan looked at the boy in front of him once again. Tangled hair, hands that nervously played with his T-shirt, dark circles under the eyes. He admired him, despite of everything said, he stood here ready to apologize to his boyfriend, even though he did all this for him.
“Do you want to hear my opinion?” he broke the new silence.
“It can’t do any harm, can it?” the other looked at him skeptically.
“No, probably not.” He began “but if I wanted to build a life with someone, I would prefer that they are there to enjoy life with me. I find it remarkable that you work so much for your friend to be able to offer something, but I think you forget that he chose you. He chose a life with you, not just yours.“ There was silence while the other fixed his gaze on him and tilted his head slightly. Thoughts in Renjuns mind raced. Haechan turned his gaze on him for a while before turning around and looking for a particular flower.
“Hyacinth.” He muttered to himself until he found the plant he was looking for. “The purple hyacinth” Renjun just looked at him more confused than before.
“The purple hyacinth, represents forgiveness. In many fairy tales it was also seen as a flower to ward off harm. If you gave someone a bouquet of it, you want to express that you are sorry and that from now on you will be sincere to that person. And besides, you want to protect them from other things too.“ he finished his short talk.
Renjun let the word sink in, but one part caught him off guard. “sincere to that person?” he softly mumbles to himself. “I never lied to him!” he sounds defensive.
“Oh, I think you did. Not only to him but yourself too.” The two looked each other firmly in the eye. “You work so hard to have a good life for yourself, but where is he? You asked him on the phone about his problem and you already know it. Stop running away from something that was long overdue.” His gaze fell on the sunflowers at the entrance – his favorite flowers. “Did you know that sunflowers don’t just represent the sun? Actually, they don’t stand for the sun at all, but for making someone happy. And for loyalty.” He looked at the other expectantly.
“Loyalty and joy huh?” a smile formed on his face. “Sorry, I just had to think about our first official date and how happy it made me. I’ll have both. The sunflowers and a boutique of purple hyacinth.”
“Gladly. I’ll finish it right away.”
And when the doorbell rang the next time, Haechan knew that he had just done something good. Maybe even something big for a boy who came to this country as an exchange student and stayed here for his love.
The calm did not last long as the doorbell rang again and this time a man was standing in the shop halfway through. Calm eyes, die driving through the store before they fall on the brown-haired one behind the counter.
"Hello!" Dimples. All that Haechan could focus on were these incredible dimples. The man in front of him seems cozy, as if nothing could upset him and even if he did, he would simply find a solution. He looked like the kind of person who, unlike Renjun, bought flowers as an excuse, but for an event. He was so distracted by him analyzing the person in front of him that he didn't even notice what the person was saying.
"Sorry! I was thinking of something , could you maybe repeat that again?" he said as he smiled apologetically. His famous smile, the kind of smile that everyone would forgive him.
The person in front of him just laughed. "Of course. I just said I needed flowers for my fiancé. We're celebrating our anniversary today and I wanted to make him happy!"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm selling my flowers, but isn't that a bit too little for a relationship anniversary?" he told the man as he was curious about it. Donghyuck was afraid that he had gone too far with his questions, but the man just smiled at him and answered very calmly.
"Ahh yes, it would normally be, but my fiancé is not into all these big love rallies. He's a pretty quiet guy, but he deserves a few flowers every now and then." another smile of love today.
"That sounds nice.. how long have you been together, if I may ask?" he took one last look at the man before he began to look for a particular flower.
"10 years. Today is our 10th anniversary."
Haechan turned to the guy in surprise. "10 years ??? wow you must have been pretty young?" it slipped out of him. He quickly put his hand over his mouth, but unfortunately couldn't take the words back. The person in front of him looked at the roses he had just looked at and grinned at him.
"Quite curious, aren't you?" he hesitated to say his name.
"Haechan. My name is Haechan." He says.
"ah Haechan, nice to meet you. I'm Jaehyun!" he held out his hand, which he shook directly. A warm but firm handshake. "But yeah, you're right. I was 16 and he was 18 when we got together. Met each other in high school."
Why does most of the great loves meet in high school? it shot through his head.
"Tell me more if you like so I can find the perfect flower." That was a lie, he already knew which flower he wanted to give to him. But he just loved stories like that and would use any moment to hear another.
The guy just nodded. "He was in the photography club, and I had just been accepted into the basketball team. It was pure coincidence that he was taking pictures of the basketball team for the school newspaper that weekend and I was thinking, 'wow, I've never met a man that beautiful' Long story, in a nutshell: I accidently hit him on the head with a basketball, took him to the hospital room and had one of the best conversations of my life. Now it's ten years later and I still have the best conversations of my life with him." Warmth flowed through Haechan with these words, and he wanted to know how it would feel to love someone for so long and still speak of him with so much warmth. It's remarkable and left a slight pang of jealousy.
"wow." was all he could mutter.
Again, the warm laughter of the person in front of him echoed the room. "I know, I know. Even after all these years I'm still so disgustingly in love with him. But I can't and don't want to change it. I hope that I'll be here again in 10 years and buy flowers." The man's smile only warmed hyuck's body all the more.
"I wish that for you." this time he gave him a warm, honest smile before pointing at colorful flowers in front of him. "They are Matthiolas. They stand for a long happy life and a long life of contentment. They also come in different colors." he points to each individual color before beginning to explain the individual meanings. "Whites are mostly used at weddings, but in yellow they mean luck, in red and pink they stand for love, passion and romance. And finally, blue, and purple, ones that represent joy." he looked at him in the eye for a moment before looking at the roses on the other side. "Red roses, very classic, symbolize love." Then he looks at him expectantly. The room fell silent again.
"I would like the Mattiolas in any color except white, which I save for the big day." he was smiling again so that you could see his dimple. "and a bouquet of red roses. A bit of tradition can't hurt."
"okay, I'll finish them right away!" Haechan smiled at the other before hurrying off towards the counter. On the way he glanced at the sunflowers again and without hesitation he reached for two. When Jaehyun later asked where the sunflowers came from, all he said was that they were a gift and should ensure that the two are happy. Jaehyun thanked him and left the shop with the doorbell ringing again.
Sometimes he wished that this ringing wasn't the last thing he would hear from some costumers. He gets invested in their stories and wishes he could put some endings on them.
The next customer, for the first time that day, was no stranger. He came almost every week and always wanted the same thing. He was Haechans favorite customer, even when he was just helping out here.
"hey!" shouted the older with a nervous smile. "Can you help me? I need the perfect flowers!" enthusiasm mingled with his words.
"That’s what I'm here for! what can I do for you?" Haechan himself could hardly wait for the anticipation of the story - it was the same every time and yet the older one told it differently every time. Or else he himself perceived it differently every time.
"Okay so I'll just tell you then, okay?" he didn't give the other time to answer before starting. "I met this boy, we went to the same lecture - in the end it turned out that I chose the wrong one, but I kept going back just to see him. I think he knew..."
‘Yes’, thought Haechan, he did. Doyoung knew that Taeyong had only ever come to the lecture because of him - "He didn't even take notes and just stared at me the whole time and he really thought I wouldn't notice." Doyoung once said after Haechan asked him about Taeyongs story.
Taeyong continued, ignorant of Haechans thoughts. "The whole semester I tried to take my courage and ask him out, but I never did it... even thought about putting letters in his bag, romantic right?" Taeyong looked at him expectantly and the younger nodded in agreement. "I think it would’ve been really romantic! Well on the last day I didn't ask him out either... but when I wanted to go out, someone suddenly grabbed my arm and there he was - Doyoung. Asked me out on a date and of course I acted really cool. As if it were the most normal thing in the world to be asked out on a date by the love of your life." At this point he always stopped and Haechan always expected anew that he would suddenly jump up and remember everything. But of course, that didn't happen. After a short pause, he continued with his story. "And now I'm here and I need flowers because I have to be in the café in less than half an hour. Help me, please!" huge desperate eyes stared at the younger one and even after all these times he was powerless against her.
"Naturally." he pretended to think about it for a moment, eyes on the peonies. "Peonies symbolize happiness, love and honor - so perfect for the 'love of your life'" he winked at the other. He just nodded enthusiastically and followed him to the counter.
"hey Taeyong, do you like sunflowers?" Haechan slipped it out before he realized his mistake.
"hey how do you know my name?" Confusion formed on the others face.
"You mentioned it briefly! When you just walked in." he put on his most innocent smile and prayed to all the gods that it would be enough.
"oh ... sometimes I’m a bit screwed! but yes, I like sunflowers, why?" curious eyes that followed Haechans movements as he picked up a sunflower and handed it to the other.
"It stands for joy, and I see it as a symbol of luck. Good luck with your date and that it is really the love of your life!" smiled the younger one before he held out the bouquet of flowers to Taeyong.
"Thanks! And that's him, I can feel it!" a huge smile. So much joy and how much he wished he could tell him that his date is indeed the love of his life.
But the doorbell rings over the door and his mouth stays closed.
From now on it should only be 3 hours for Doyoung to come in and get his money back. He and Taeil have a deal and Haechan didn't question it.
He was right, because after exactly 3 1/2 hours a rather tired looking Doyoung entered the flower shop.
"Hyuck?" rang a voice, which made the younger one looks up. Funny, he thought, the doorbell didn't ring at all? Instead of worrying about it, he let Doyoung know where he was.
"hey kid how are you?" Hyuck looked up briefly from his work to give the other an annoyed look before continuing to work on the arrangement.
"I'm not a kid anymore. But the adult Hyuck is fine and you?" Doyoungs warm laugh filled the shop.
"I'm doing well too." a silence fell over the two of them. Doyoung has always been Donghyucks favorite person since Taeil introduced them to each other. Back then the world was different, and his smile was still real. His eyes found that of the older one and he gave him his famous ‘Sunshine smile’. This made Doyoung laugh.
“I love you." Just a whisper.
"I love you too, little one." Doyoung ran his hand through the others hair, which shocked the younger one indignantly. "hey! stop it!" Of course, he didn't listen to him and a short time later both were just a bundle of arms and legs. Laughter and warmth filled the otherwise empty flower shop.
"Okay okay I'm giving up!" with his hands raised, Doyoung looked down at the other.
"You have no chance against me either, old man!" and before the older one could say anything, Donghyuck had already started running. "You little ..." rang out and the two were engrossed in a wild game of catch. The race ended with the counter between them, the two of them gasping loudly. Well and a broadly grinning Donghyuck.
"I really don't know how you can be Taeils brother." was all Doyoung got out - still way too exhausted from running around.
"For that I know how you can be Jenos brother." he grinned at the other who just rolled his eyes and pointed to the cash register.
As Haechan reached for the money in the till, a question formed in his head.
"Have you ever told him?" for that he got a confused look.
"told what?"
"That you knew Taeyong was only attending the class because of you. He told me the story again, but I don't think I've ever asked you that before."
"He would just forget it again." was all he got in response.
"I don't mean now; I mean before the accident. Have you ever told him?" he just couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore.
Doyoung took a deep breath and let it out again. "No. He was always so happy, you know. Used to tell everyone that I asked him out on a date. He always said it like it was the best thing that could happen to someone, to him… and he still does it today - Even if it hurts a lot, it's nice to know that nothing has changed." a sad look that crossed Haechans own. "I like the thought that he will forever think he was successful at something. I mean, he was successful at a lot, but he can't remember anything."
"Nothing except the fact, that you asked him out on a date. Kind of nice, right?" asked the younger.
"Yes, somehow." This look. Haechan knew exactly what that look meant - Doyoung wallowed in memories, moments that only he can remember.
Not for the first time, the younger one wonders how stressful it must be when you can remember a whole life with one person, while they will only remember your first and, for them, last conversation.
The next time the door opened, Haechan looked up from the counter and saw an oversized teenager. The boy seemed to be talking on the phone rather desperately.
"But Hyung!! This is the most important game of his career, and it has to be something special!" Haechan couldn't hear what the person was saying, but he heard his annoyed reply "2 1/2 years. We've been together for 2 1/2 years and I haven't missed any of his games - just like he didn't miss any of my events." a brief moment of silence before "I don't care. I have to hang up now, bye!" he didn't even wait for an answer before hanging up and looked around the shop. He gasped when he saw Haechan, who’s obviously been watching him.
"Ehm hi?" the boy suddenly stuttered very nervously.
"Hi! How can I help you?" He was the exact opposite of the boy across from him. Since the guy had ended the call, he seemed to have lost all his self-confidence and he was just a nervous wreck.
"I need flowers." 'What else would you come to a flower shop for?' Haechan thought.
"Okay and what kind of flower do you need?"
“Something nice?" That sounded more like a question than a statement. Haechan took a deep breath before walking towards the boy, who backed off automatically. He couldn't help but laugh a little, which only made the boy look more nervous (and Haechan really didn't know how that was even possible).
"OK...?" he stopped briefly.
"Jisung, my name is Jisung." and the name was so familiar to him as if he knew it from somewhere.
"Okay, Jisung. What do you need the flowers for? Birthday? Girlfriend?"
"Not a girlfriend!! boyfriend." He stared at him with big round eyes. "My boyfriend has an important basketball game and I wanted to please him.”
“Is there something special that your boyfriend likes?”
“No, not really. Chenle tend to pretend he doesn't like anything romantic, but I know exactly how much he loves it." he was so absorbed in talking about his boyfriend that he didn't even notice that he was not nervous anymore.
'Cute' is probably the best word to describe the boy in front of him.
"Okay so you need something to cheer him on?" He asked skeptically.
Jisung watched him going in for a moment before groaning slightly.
"No? But somehow yes." He took another deep breath before continuing "The game is really important to him, and I just want to give something to him. Jaemin said I don’t have to, but people always look at him as if he already has everything. People in our school loved him and he could have had anyone, but he still chose me, even though I'm so exhausting and he always has to protect me." Jisung's gaze wanders through the whole flower shop except Haechan.
"You want to show him how grateful you are?"
"Yes, I think that's exactly what I want to say.”
"You're a pretty insecure person, aren't you?" he asks as he made his way to the back of the store, closely followed by Jisung.
The boy laughed slightly. "It used to be worse, but Chenle's confidence rubs off on me." he smiled slightly at the other.
"Would you like to tell me how you guys met?"
"Is that important for the flowers?" Jisung asked.
"In some case, because it helps me to find the right ones."
And to quench your curiosity, huh?" Jisung replied cheekily.
"Wow, weren't you shy three seconds ago?" he laughed. Which only earned him a sneaky grin from the boy. What a strange person.
"We met by chance. He was the captain of the basketball team in our school, and I was on the track team. We had to train together at some point because someone messed up the plan." Before he could continue, Haechan interrupted him. "He didn't throw a ball at your head, did he? I already had a customer today with a story like this!" He said as he looked expectantly at Jisung.
"No. I think our story is a little more complicated than that." he said as he smiled slightly. "I wasn’t really popular back then because I was way too shy to talk to anyone. My only friend was Jaemin, the boy I just talked to on the phone. Well and my brother, but he doesn't count. And Chenle... Chenle was the star of the school. His parents have a lot of money, and he had a lot more options than most people. But everything has its advantages and disadvantages.” Jisung seemed to be reminiscing... far from all the flowers and Haechan. Haechan went in search for a specific flower as he continued to listen to the Jisung’s story.
"Anyways, after training he always stayed longer to throw a few more baskets, while I stayed longer to run a few more laps. I stayed longer than him most of the time, so I always saw him leave the field, but there’s this one time when his car didn't start up and I was the only one left. That was the first time we talked to each other.” another dreamy smile.
How much Haechan wanted to experience something like that. The way the younger one talked about his friend made him warm but also a little jealous. Listening to the stories of others every day only made him realize how little he had to tell.
"Teenagers can be pretty mean, especially to a shy boy like me, but from the day I drove him home he was somehow always there to protect me. And he still is today. I want to thank him for that. I think I do, because I'll never be able to give back everything, he gave me, but I still try to because he deserves to receive the same love he gives. And even more." He says as he looks determinedly at Haechan. "I need a bouquet of flowers like that."
Haechans big smile widened even more. "I have the perfect one." He says as he pointed out to a flower behind him that looks like the sunrise. Jisung couldn't explain his train of thoughts, but that's what they looked like (in his eyes). "These are alstroemeria. They stand for unconditional support and devotion. And zinnias," he pointed to a pink flower. "It stands for respect and honor. The perfect combination to show your boyfriend how grateful you are to him and that you will always support him, no matter what." he looked at him expectantly, but the boy just looked at him with wide, puzzled eyes. "What?" Haechan stuttered uncertainly.
"Nothing. I was thinking of simple roses, but these are much better. Even if he probably won't know the meaning, but I do. And I've never been good with words. Thank you." Haechan has not seen so much honesty and gratefulness in a long time.
The two were already at the counter and Jisung was ready to pay when his gaze fell on something behind Haechan. "Uhm... Can I also have a sunflower?"
"should I put them in the bouquet?" Haechan looked at him expectantly
"No, it's for me. For courage." the other's laughter sounded comfortable, very different from before.
"It stands for loyalty. I think it suits you perfectly." Haechan smiles, and Jisung gave him another shy laugh.
Once again, the doorbells did not ring when Jisung left the shop, but the shop suddenly feels emptier. How much Haechan wished for something like that... he had so much love, but he had nobody he could give it to.
After this eventful afternoon it got a little quieter in the flower shop. Quite the opposite was happening outside. The sun disappeared bit by bit before the world was plunged into complete darkness. It wasn't long before the rain fell from the sky in torrents. Every now and then Haechan could hear a thunderstorm, and sometimes he could even perceive lightning in the corner of his eyes. For him, storms have always had something magical, as if they were trying to wipe away the bad days with a bit of thunder and lightning. He loved the way the sun peeked out from between the clouds and drove away the darkness afterwards. Like a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel - at least that's what his mother had always told him. Deeply lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the door being pushed open and a boy stumbling in. He only came to Haechans awareness when he almost toppled a plant pot over.
In front of him stood a completely drenched boy roughly about his age. You could tell that he had been running through the rain from hid breathing rate.
Haechan stepped up to offer his help, just as he did with any customer. "Hello! How can I help you?” He already suspected that this wasn't a regular customer.
And the moment the boy looked up; his premonition thickened. "To be honest, I just forgot my umbrella, and this was the only open shop on this street." The stranger grabbed the back of his head with his right hand and looked at him apologetically. But Haechan didn't care about what he said. In front of him stood the most beautiful boy he had ever seen. Dark brown hair with individual blonde strands, sharp chin lines and big, dark eyes. He had difficulty averting his gaze from the other until he realized what condition the boy was in. He also missed the stressed expression on the other's flawless face.
“Excuse me, do you happen to have a charger? My phone is empty.” Just the sound of his voice gave the florist goose bumps. Totally confused, he simply nodded without asking the other about his mobile phone brand - but who doesn't have an iPhone these days?
The stranger, apparently. Because when Haechan held out his charger, he just held up his Samsung cell phone in embarrassment. Hyuck always wanted to prevent such moments. If there was one thing the younger one knew about, it was flowers and problems of others - not his own! - but the boy in front of him apparently neither wanted to buy flowers, nor did he have problems that the other could solve for him. So, he tried to focus on this uncomfortable situation and to find a way to keep himself occupied without embarrassing himself. With another look at the other boy, he noticed once again how soaked he was, and how cold he must be.
"Uhm... do you maybe need something else to wear? We have spare clothes in the back if you want to change?” He stuttered helplessly. “I mean, of course you don't have to! But it doesn't look like it will stop raining anytime soon and you can at least dry your jacket!” The boy in front of him looked at him as if he had gone crazy or as if he had been flooded with too many information. It was probably the latter, but the first option wasn't that unrealistic either. This time it was Haechan who grabbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"A new t-shirt and getting rid of my jacket would probably not be a bad idea." he said with a wry smile.
"Yes! Of course. I'll show you where you can change and hang your jacket.” He didn't dare to look the other boy in the eye; therefore, he simply showed the way with his hand before walking ahead towards the staff room. The whole way neither of them talked - it didn't even take a minute, but to Hyuck it felt like hours. He broke the silence when he handed the other a new T-shirt: "Here, you can wear that and hang your jacket over there on the heater." His gaze directed at the floor; he also noticed the other’s-soaked shoes. "You can also put the shoes underneath it; we have a lot of slippers here that you can put on," he added quickly. Far too fast for it to sound natural.
"Thanks." The other looked at him expectantly while Haechan just stared at him in confusion. "I would like to change now." He pointed with his hand at the room behind him. Only then did Hyuck realize what he meant and his whole face flushed. Without another word he almost sprinted out of the room - leaving behind the other behind in laughter.
How embarrassing. He didn't even know the other person's name and already made a joke of himself. The people coming to his shop usually had problems. Real problems, not just a dead cell phone. The young florist knew how to deal with those things, knew exactly what flowers to sell to improve his client’s situation. But this customer didn't want flowers, just a place to take shelter from the rain. Which meant that he certainly doesn't want a clingy employee by his side.
It's sad how many stories about love he had to listen to every day without ever having experienced something similar himself. But that's how it was when you worked in a flower shop.
Once again, he was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the other coming. He jumped in shock when a hand came to rest on his shoulder. He turned at lightning speed and stared straight into the other's wide eyes. "Oh, sorry!" The stranger raised his hands over his head. "I did not mean to scare you. I just wanted to let you know that I am changed."
Still confused, he just smiled at the boy. "It's okay."
There was an awkward silence between the two of them, and it wasn't a pleasant one. Haechan watched the other as he let his gaze slide over the flowers. Even his side profile was to be envied, especially those jaw lines. He was sure that he had never seen such a perfect face. And this hair, oh what he would give to run his fingers through it once. It looked like it was perfect for driving through while watching movies.
"You're lost in your thoughts a lot, aren't you?" The voice of the other broke the heavy silence.
"Haechan. My name is Haechan. "
"Haechan." He said his name as if he had to let it melt in his mouth first. "Is that your real name or just a nickname?" He looked at him with interest.
"Nickname. My name is actually Donghyuck, but nobody calls me that. Just Hyuck or Haechan. “It gushed out of him.
"I like that. My name is Mark - actually Minhyung, but nobody calls me that either." Mark smiled at Haechan in embarrassment. All that went through Haechans mind was how beautiful that smile looked.
"Nice to meet you, Mark." He smiled back. "How old are you?" He then asked.
"I'm 23 and you?"
“Then you are my Hyung! I'm 22.“ Haechan could swear Mark's eyes were shining. And that smile again. After all, Haechan was only a weak boy .
“I guess I am. Do you mind if I look around a little?"
"Sure, it seems like you will have to stay here for a bit." He replied, looking at the weather outside. Mark averted his gaze from the flowers to the outside and nodded defeated. "Seems like it."
Mark strolled through the shop and took a close look at everything - obvious to the eyes that followed his every step. Haechans head was filled with questions that he would like to ask the older man, but none of them left his mouth. He'd never been good at communicating with people who didn't want anything from him. Haechan learned at an early age that people always want something from you or ask for something afterwards. The silence around them thickened, Haechan felt as if he was about to choke on it. Why can't the other man ask about flowers? Anything would do. It would be so much easier to start a conversation with him. He couldn't deal with people without problems - because who does not have problems? But what was even harder to deal with were people who look like the man of his dreams.
Dreamy, with his eyes still on Mark, he propped himself up on his elbow. He watched as Mark went from one flower to another until he suddenly stopped in front of one. Yellow Carnations. Haechan would have laughed if he hadn't slipped out an “Oh no” at that exact moment, drawing Mark's full attention onto him. The older one looked at Haechan in confusion, who took a deep breath before explaining his outburst. "The flower you are standing in front of." He pointed with his finger at the flower behind Mark. "Is a Yellow Carnation and it means rejection." Mark's eyes widened and he took a closer look at the flower.
"Does every flower have a meaning?" He asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Most of them at least.” This was Haechans element, he was finally able to have a conversation.
"And you know them all?" Curiosity mingled within his voice.
"Yes... well, at least of every flower you find in here," he replied with a little pride in his voice. Mark gave him a challenging look before pointing to a flower to his right. Orange lilies. Haechan had always loved their color and how beautifully they rise like the sun.
“They are orange lilies and they mean pride and wealth. They can also be seen as a sign of loyalty. Perfect as a present for someone you wish success, but are not very close friends with.” He returned Mark's challenging look, but the other seemed to have just begun.
This time the other pointed to Daisys. "These are Daisys." Hyuck begins. “They stand for innocence and purity. I haven't heard of any special occasions where they are used, but people plant them in the garden or in the living room. "
"And you?" Asked the other.
"What about me?" Confusion crept across his face.
"Are you innocent?" Haechan almost choked on his own saliva as he gasped for air and probably turned completely red. But the other one just laughed and didn't even notice how he rubbed his face, embarrassed, because he was so busy with finding a new flower.
"And this one?" He broke through his crisis. It took the younger a moment to get back into the moment, while Mark still wore a satisfied smile on his face.
“This is a purple morning glory. It stands for nobility and beauty. It used to be the most planted flower in the Royal Gardens, ” he explained.
And so, it went on, flower by flower, meaning after meaning. Neither Mark nor Haechan gave up and were sure that they would win the game. The weather outside changed, and the first rays of the sun began to break through the dark clouds that covered the sun. The rain is long gone.
Suddenly Mark turned to him and looked him straight in the eye. "What if you want to get a flower for someone because it reminds you of them, but it doesn’t mean the same thing that you’re trying to say?” Haechan laughed because this was a regular occurrence; not many people knew all the meanings of different flowers, so it was okay.
"Is there a particular person you want to give a flower to?" Everything in him screamed not to ask that question, but this was his job after all. At the end of the day, the bubble had to burst anyway, so why not now?
Before the older answered him, his gaze slid outside, and Haechan knew that mark was probably going to head out soon.
"yeah, there is someone." His gaze caught onto the sunflowers.
Haechan felt a wave of jealousy as Mark stood right in front of his favorite flower, probably thinking about the person he wanted to buy them for. He was wondering who this lucky human would be. The Universe gave him one afternoon with his man and he was sure he would never forget it. Not his big round eyes, nor his sharp jawline or fluffy hair.
Everything about the man in front of him would stay in his mind. So, he tried his hardest to act normal when Mark pulled the prettiest sunflower out and brought it to the counter.
“Do you have cards, too? So that I can attach a note?” Haechan grabbed the tiny notecards they kept behind the counter, with a bitter taste in his mouth. He tried to peek at Mark's writing, but he couldn't see it because of the way Mark was hunched over the card. When he was done, he slid the card into the envelope and paid for it. Haechans head was once again filled with questions that he wouldn't dare to ask. Mark went to the staff room, to change back into his (probably still wet) clothes. Haechan had tried to keep him to wear his shirt so he wouldn't get sick, but the other insisted of wearing his own clothes. He probably wanted nothing more than to get out of this shop and rush home. And because Haechan didn't want to be pushy, he took the shirt back, ready to stuff it into his own bag to wash it at home. He took a moment for himself, breathing and convincing himself that was okay.
When he stepped back into the shop, it was empty. He rushed to the front, but Mark was gone. The only trace of him was the sunflower and the card on the counter next to Haechans phone. On the card, there was a doodle of the sun instead of a name. Nervously, Haechan opened it, finally able to see what Mark wrote: “who knew I’d find sunshine on this rainy day? – Mark.”
Underneath, there was a phone number scribbled. Without wasting a beat, Haechan sent a text, already counting the minutes until mark was able to get his phone charged.
This was the first time Haechan got a sunflower from someone. He always considered it his flower, but now he wonders if he was ready to share it with someone.
The End.
(or just another beginning?)