Jongin stood awkwardly in the store, sneezing every once in awhile from the pollen surrounding him. He had walked in without thinking about what kind of flowers to buy; he didn’t even know that certain ones were symbols for specific events. As the owner walked into the storage room to pick out the correct flowers, he let his mind wander.

“Kim Jongin.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You were the last person I would have ever thought to shoot off the target.”

“I apologize, sir.”

“Does apologizing undo that innocent man’s wound?”

He rubbed his temples, feeling the guilt take over him again. He walked around the store, admiring some of the more exotic flowers. The sneezing wasn’t getting any better, but it helped him forget what had happened last night. Temporarily.

“No, sir.”

“You are one of my best men, Jongin. I expect much more from you than the others. Do not make the same mistake again. This is your first warning. You may leave now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jongin couldn’t help but sigh, watching his breath push the bellflowers. He buried his face in his hands, feeling worse than before. He was so focused on the incident that he couldn’t hear footsteps approaching him.

“Excuse me,” the sweet voice of the owner spoke. “Are you alright, sir?”

She was holding a small vase of chrysanthemums and carnations in her hands. Jongin looked up, feeling embarrassed that he was caught in such a vulnerable state.

“I’m fine, thank you. Are those the flowers?” he asked confidently, attempting to mask his true feelings.

“Yes. The pollen in these flowers are not exposed, so it is very safe for patients to keep in their rooms.”

“I see. I’ll take those, then.”

About fifteen minutes later, Jongin finally arrived at the hospital. He carefully picked up the vase of flowers and walked to the receptionist's desk. His heart was beating fast, nervous about how the man would react. What if he throws something at me? Or worse, attacks me? Yikes. Nevertheless, he asked for Do Kyungsoo’s room number. After the lecture, his co-workers had informed him on who the young man was and strongly recommended that Jongin visit him. Apparently, it helps reduce the chance of the victim suing the department. He would have come either way, because he felt that it was the right thing to do.

However, he couldn’t find the courage to knock on the door. The wave of shame rushed over him. Not only did he allow a criminal to run free, but he almost killed someone in the process as well. Jongin thought about what to say. Hey, I was the one who shot you! Sorry about that, whoops! He scoffed at himself. The victim probably doesn’t even want to see him. Who would want to see the person who shot them, even if it was by accident? In the end, he knocked. From the other side of the room, he heard shuffling.

“Come in,” Kyungsoo shouted. Jongin opened the door slowly, peeking in. This surprised the young man. He was expecting his parents to come, not some random stranger. Some handsome, random stranger. His gaze lingered for moment before repeating his words again. This gave Jongin the confidence he needed to walk in.

“Hi, uh, my name is Jongin.” he gripped the vase with his fingers, the knuckles turning white. He started to sweat profusely.

“Hello. Are you sure you’re in the right room?” the young man was still confused.

“Are you Do Kyungsoo?”

“Yes.”

“...”

“Did you need something?” the awkward presence of this guy was starting to piss Kyungsoo off. This caused Jongin to gulp. I should have written a note instead. Slowly, Jongin placed the flowers on the drawer next to the bed.

“I came here to apologize. All of this is my fault, and I would like to make it up to you somehow. I know that I can’t undo what has happened, but something as small as getting you a cup of water would be something I’m willing to do.”

“So, you’re saying that you’re voluntarily asking to be my slave?” Kyungsoo asked, a smirk plastered on his face. This was not the reaction he expected from the victim. He stiffened, mouth agape. After thinking about it for a moment, he decided that at least this was better than nothing at all. Pleased, Kyungsoo smiled and spoke again.

“In that case, come at least once everyday for this week, since I’ll be discharged by the end of said week. Whatever time works. Bring some good food tomorrow. Also, you’re an .”