Kyungsoo hums a low tune as he walks along the familiar street with slow steps. The weather is nice and he feels all giddy and warm inside his stomach, sensing something good will happen. It is half past six and the ray of March sunlight is peeking between the two-storey buildings, showcasing shadows over the figures on the street, some are jogging with earphones plugged in their ears or some are strolling without rush in the vacant morning.

Carrying a bag of warm foods packed in plastic containers and a thermos of milk tea he brought from his home for his fellow co-workers to enjoy breakfast, Kyungsoo saunter down the road towards the direction of his flower shop. At the same time, he often glances and greets the passerby and owners of the shops getting ready for the start of the day with a big warm smile. They greet him back with a pleasant ‘have a nice day too,’ and resumes their own works.

Not too long after, Kyungsoo arrives in front of his colourful flower shop, located next to a bookstore at the end of the street. It was his late mother’s dream to open her own flower shop but she doesn’t have the chance to as she was detected with lung cancer and her critical state of health eventually lead her to heaven. He relishes his mother’s longing dream with the help of his father and here it is, the shop situated in the heart of the town; elegant turquoise signboard held the name of Serenity crafted nicely. The male flashes a wide grin at his reflection on the glass door and pulls out the key from his jacket's pocket, unlocking the shop in a second.

Kyungsoo breathes in the earthy smell of various flowers once he steps into the shop. The walls are painted peach and a beige colour opposite of each other, creating a contrast with the flowers' natural tint scatters around, all in different kinds arranged in pots of different types and sizes. Some of them were placed on the racks and low tables in either glass or ceramic vases at the centre of the shop while tall containers filled with weeds are spotted on the corners. There are bouquets of flowers assorted in the three-doors cooler across the polished grey counter, rows of gift cards arranged in tiny shelf situated next to the cash register. With the tender rays of sunlight marvelling through the display window, the flowers make a great job on lightening up the atmosphere through the shop as their colours mix together in a nice harmony and soften the eyes gazing.

The moment of peace is short lived when the glass door of his shop is pushed open by none other than his co-workers, Baekhyun, Luhan and Minseok. The three of them wear a big grin as they walk to their boss’ direction who is standing beside the counter, fiddling with the cash register, bags of breakfast situated next to the latter.

“Morning, Kyungsoo~,” Minseok, the chubby-cheeked man greets his little boss as he passes the latter to reach the staff room at the back of the shop while ruffing the male’s fluffy hair, indirectly making fun of his height. Kyungsoo should have been mad and elbows the older on the ribs if not for another person busy squishing his cheeks as a greeting.

“Soo, good morning to you!” The person pampering the short male, Baekhyun exclaims giddily and bolts to the staff room as fast as lightning before Kyungsoo manages to mark blue eyes on him and harms his precious beautiful face, quickly snatching the breakfast bag on the way.

The other guy, Luhan just chuckles as he sees his boss’ reactions on the face. Because seriously, Kyungsoo is so amusing to be teased especially in the morning before they start working. “Hey Kyungie-ah, relax. It’s bad to have that frown in the morning before you start work or else the flowers won’t bloom with that kind of expression,” he jokes lightly.

Finally, Kyungsoo acknowledges the presence of the other after staring intently at the closed staff room’s door, boring heavy glare towards it as if it will burn up with his invisible laser. “Oh, hey Luhan-hyung. Blame them for my stress in the morning.” The short male releases a sigh in return. Be grateful that they’re older than him or else he would have done slaughtering them a long time ago and they won’t even be able to stand on their own legs to work at his shop, bet him.

But everyone knew that Kyungsoo won't even hurt a fly yet alone his closest friends. In other words, he is most likely had to keep up with their famous shenanigans.

“Nah. Don’t take seriously about it because you know yourself that we’re just teasing you. We don’t mean it, just chill up! It’s always fun to joke around, you know.” Luhan slings an arm on Kyungsoo’s narrow shoulders and pulls him as an attempt to shorten their distance. The male doesn’t put his fingers on it, just crosses his arm together and puffs his cheeks out, discontentment riles up his heart. He just feels offended because it hurt his pride as a man. He is the boss here!

Luhan sighs amusedly, seeing the short male’s adorable expressions. He releases his grip on Kyungsoo and ruffles his messy hair courtesy of Minseok, and replies, “Now, cheer yourself up and we need to trim the stems, right? Let’s get changed into our uniforms.” Kyungsoo nods and trails after the pretty guy to the staff room where it fills with small girly giggles.

He perks up to the sounds when he enters the room as he sees Baekhyun is applying on his eyeliner in front of a mirror beside the lockers and chuckles to the jokes Minseok tell him about. While the latter already dressed with their navy blue polo shirt and full-body white apron on, busy stuffing his mouth with gimbap Kyungsoo had prepared. Luhan doesn’t waste any time to rush towards Minseok as he sits next to him and snatches the thermos whilst taking out plastic cups in the bag, silently exclaims 'milk tea!' when he smells the aroma filling the room.

Kyungsoo heads to his locker and pulls out his polo shirt after picking a piece of gimbap from Minseok who kindly fed him. He shrugs off his jacket and is in the midst of pulling off his grey long sleeve shirt when a pair of hands tickling his sides and make him splutter out loud. He does not need to turn around to see who the person in crime is as Baekhyun always find any chance to start the morning by launching his tricks (Minseok had once also been pranked when he ate wasabi-filling buns brought by the stupid bacon and Luhan was completely done with Oreos after eating toothpaste-cookies which he had a trauma with). This explains the reason why Kyungsoo prepares breakfast meals for his co-workers. Nobody trust Baekhyun with foods again. Ever.

On the other hand, unfortunately, the eyeliner diva's victim is sensitive Kyungsoo for the day.

“Yah – Baek – ehehe – stop it, it tickles – hahahaha!”

The whole room fills up with laughter as Baekhyun tickles Kyungsoo’s sides while the short male having difficulty to control his posture and sensitiveness, shirt bunched at his arms, hanging loosely in the air and feeling helpless with the situation. “We need to work – hehe - stop it!” Kyungsoo pleads as Baekhyun still tickles him mercilessly and Luhan and Minseok being jerks busy laughing their asses off, not caring about Kyungsoo’s pitiful state. It's fine for them to laugh as long as they won't receive the ends of Baekhyun's tricks again. Well, they have received enough, it seems.

At last, Baekhyun stops his ministrations on the male and Kyungsoo heaves a sigh of relief, sending a glare to the former while completely pulls off his shirt. Already grown accustomed to the glare, Baekhyun sticks out his tongue playfully and pats the short male’s bum. “You’re so sensitive, Soo~”

Kyungsoo suddenly shoots out his hands and pinches the other’s cheeks as a counterattack for his tickles and squished cheeks earlier, making Baekhyun yelps in pain and loudly mutters, “Ow, ow, oww!! Let me go, you evil Satansoo! It hurts!” Sadly, he pinches harder and has Baekhyun cries for mercy, eyes glassy with tears threatening to pool at the corner because the short male’s grips on his cheeks are bruising.

Being soft-hearted and can’t-be-mad-for-long he is, Kyungsoo releases his grip and Baekhyun immediately pats his swollen cheeks as an attempt to soothe the burn. The short male proceeds to put on his polo shirt and apron while ignoring his victim’s whines of his smudged eyeliner and red throbbing cheeks.

“You deserve it, Baek. Be fast and help us trim the flowers.” He reminds the other as now-already-changed Luhan and Minseok quickly stuffs the foods and drink down their throats, cheeks bulging like chipmunks as they rush to follow Kyungsoo into their secluded, wide workspace next to the staff room.

Without being informed, Minseok and Luhan swiftly take the vases and jars filled with colourful flowers from the shop in which they arrange them on their large wooden table for disinfection of the vases and water exchange. Kyungsoo is getting ready with their stem cutters next to a sink, dishwashing liquid and sponge in front of him. Baekhyun who already fixed his appearance after the small incident (his cheeks are still throbbing, though) is quick to help Kyungsoo setting up their workplace by picking out flower foods from the cabinets.

They proceeds to work with Minseok and Luhan pouring the flowers' old water into the sink and washes the vases and jars, Kyungsoo cut the stems in a snap and Baekhyun fills in new tap water while adding portion of the flower foods which he quickly places the flowers given by the petite boss into the clean containers back. In the midst of the process, chuckles and laughter fill the workspace as they play around by splashing water to each other, foam from the dishwashing liquid sticking to their shirts and aprons. They may be adults, but they are always five years old in the heart (pun intended).

Somehow, chatters about boyfriends pop up in the middle of their works.

"Hey, Kyungsoo, when will you get yourself a boyfriend?" Minseok asks the shortest among them while his hands efficiently rub over the surface of the jars with a soapy sponge.

Without stopping his hands' movement, Kyungsoo just rolls his eyes while replying sarcastically, "Oh come on, I'm perfectly fine with my single status. Even if I have one, I don't think that he would tolerate my obsession with flowers. Because guys with flowers? Ha. Ha. Ha. I bet that he would say 'you're not manly' to me once we meet."

Baekhyun who can't miss the chance to talk about guys or gossips quickly intercepts in their conversation. "But not every guy are like that, Soo! Maybe you are okay with your life, but I can't stand looking at you living alone like a retired old man and all I want is to have my son live to the fullest!" He promptly ignores the other's retort of 'who says you're my mum' while continuing with a wink, "would you like it if I introduce Chanyeol's friends to you? As far as I knew, he has great eye-candies buddies."

Kyungsoo immediately retaliates by splashing water directly to Baekhyun's face, the latter squeaks loudly by the sudden act as the boss responds in sass, "You mean he has hot tattoo artist buddies? You may have tattoo kink but I don't swing that way, bacon. Tattoo is way out of my league." He pays no heed to the other's scandalous gasp as Minseok stifles his chuckles and Luhan burst out chortling from the response. They are aware that Baekhyun always brags about how hot his boyfriend's phoenix tattoo on the back and the diva has informed them about his daisy tattoo on his stomach which made by no other than Chanyeol. The 'tattoo couple' literally worship each other, it seems.

"B-But Soo, I really don't have tattoo k-kink! I mean, tattoo is another way of art other than flower designers!" Baekhyun is quick to reply back with pink cheeks although stuttering in the way.

Luhan voices out with amusement in his tone, "Deny it all you want, Baek, but we know how you basically can't stop babbling about Chanyeol's iness every single day!"

Blushes spread all over Baekhyun's face in response as Minseok teases the eyelined-diva with 'if your boyfriend's tattoos are hot, then how hot he is in bed?', Kyungsoo's smirk plastered on his face, completely satisfied by the remark.

But the shortest male couldn't help the ponder regarding boyfriend as a partner in his mind while carefully dealing with the stems. It has been god knows for how long he is single and the one moment he had feelings toward someone was when he received a box of chocolate on Valentine's Day during his senior year. Sadly enough, he didn't even know the mysterious person who had given him the sweets so Kyungsoo who doesn't want to eat them without any recognition gave it to his older brother. Sounds like lonely enough.

Maybe he does not have any chance yet to find the lucky one.

But little did he know that fate has a twist for him today.



❁



After handling the flowers, vases and jars, they arrange half of them outside of the shop, setting the pots hanging next to the glass doors and on the front of the display window as flowers fill the entry for passerby's view. Big vases and jars are arranged on small wooden benches placed on the street.

Once they finished, Kyungsoo turns around the 'closed' sign on the entry to 'open', indicating the start of the business to the busy people wandering down the street. Minseok and Baekhyun reach for water sprayers in their workspace and begin to spray mist all over the perishable items, busying themselves for the first hours before customers arrive for flower purchases. Luhan stands behind the counter and fiddles around with the cash register, humming happily as he's playing with the gift cards next to him.

Not long after that, their regular customer, an old man who always bought a bouquet of bright daisies and hydrangeas for his bedridden wife in coma arrives, purchasing the same bouquet as he tells the florists that his wife's condition is improving each day in which Kyungsoo wishes the couple lives long and healthy and getting a warm smile in response.

Next, a young lady enters their shop and requested pink flowers in the season where Minseok eagerly recommends carnations, peonies and roses in a bouquet made by skilful Baekhyun and the lady couldn't get happier with the decision, skipping down the street with a wide grin after purchasing it.

Later on, a man with fancy clothes, also one of their friends, Joonmyeon decides to buy a bouquet for his boyfriend who would come back to Korea after staying in China for a long time, so Luhan picks purple-hue flowers which are bluebird roses, lavender dendrobium orchids, catmint with Kent beauty oregano and oh boy, Joonmyeon couldn't resist the harmony of the colours. The florists end up sending 'fighting' gestures to the man when the other informs them that he would propose to Yixing during the carefully-planned romantic dinner that night.

As the florists busies themselves by arranging the flowers in the cooler, a group of woman comes into their shop and informed that they need silk flowers for a nature wedding event, so Baekhyun and Luhan comes up with the sample of pure white roses, yellow-tint orchids and roses combined with pale green petals, foliage and berries which the women exclaim in joy for the outcomes. Kyungsoo quickly places their orders and the wedding date's on the calendar while Minseok discusses their next meeting prior the event to handle the arrangements.

Other than that, they pick bunch of vibrant flowers and wraps them into colourful bouquets tied with silk ribbons or wires during the afternoon for surrounding displays, harmony between different flowers carries the significant meaning of their skilful touches that captivated the passerby.

A busy day as usual.

Although it is exhausting as they have to move around to handle the fragile flowers, this does not deter their commitment towards the satisfaction of the precious customers. It is worth their sweats when the customers' joy and contentment fill up their shop, lighting up the spirit of blooms to continue the day.



❁



It's quarter past four in the afternoon and the Serenity flower shop dulls into a low hum as the business slows down at the last end of the hour. Kyungsoo stands behind the counter as his co-workers are taking a break in the staff room, complaining that their legs almost numb after hours of sauntering around the shop. Well, just because they are older than him that the short boss didn't even try to hinder their attempts to rest. At least the three has worked hard throughout the day.

Playing with the water sprayer in his hand, Kyungsoo mindlessly sprays the mist up the air in front of him, eyes focusing on the tiny, colourless droplets spreading over the background when the glass door to the shop is opened from outside. He quickly hides the water sprayer on the floor before greeting his customer but the sight has him speechless.

A young, high-school looking boy strolls languidly into the shop, head lolling around the surroundings to inspect the flowers in the display before sending Kyungsoo a small smile, making the florist's heart lose a beat at the sincere gesture. The boy then walks around while lightly touching the vibrant petals with the tips of his slender fingers and Kyungsoo couldn't help his stare but check out the mesmerising boy's appearance in silence.

The boy is sporting bronze complexion and has fluffy brown hair with bangs covering the forehead and eyebrows, almond eyes taking in the sight of blooms in vases and jars, straight nose sniffing the scent of jasmine and lavender once in a while with plump pink lips forms a grin every time he touches the flowers. A knitted maroon jumper covered the broad torso with lean legs clad in black straight jeans and grey high tops finish the simple look. Even though the boy's appearance held nothing significant, it looks effortlessly stylish in Kyungsoo's eyes. Almost a comparison to the orchid, a rare beauty among others.

After all, it is not every day to greet a young male customer - with the exception of special occasions such as Valentine's Day or Mother's Day - because boys do not hang out at flower shop just to sightseeing different species of flowers. Boys are manly, as many people would say that. They should hang out at shopping malls and cafès, go for dates or karaoke and never getting close to feminine store such as flower shop. In any cases, the male youth would always try to avoid the 'girly' shop on the street.

So Kyungsoo quietly ponders about the boy's reason to be inside the earthy store, eyes following the slim figure leisurely walking around, alone. Maybe the boy wanted to buy flowers? (Okay dumb question, of course, he would buy flowers because he is in flower shop). But the real question is for who? For what occasion? Is it for someone