[CONTENTID1]Red Salvia[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Twenty-Six[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

The familiar chime of a bell welcomed Yoonhee as she pushed open the door. She put the small wooden crate she was carrying on the countertop and gazed around. Her flower shop had acquired a new appearance in the past week; the wooden floorboards had been polished and the walls painted white, rendering any damage caused by Sooyoung invisible. The shelves and displays were currently empty, but Yoonhee was about to change that.

It was Sunday afternoon, and the long-anticipated reopening of her shop would take place tomorrow. The green witch was overflowing with excitement and couldn’t wait to be back in business. Baekhyun had tagged along today to help her fill the shelves and get everything ready. She also received support from Yerin and Junmyeon who had joined the other couple.

Yerin in particular had been glued to Yoonhee ever since her return from Aeri’s clan. The two women had often spent the afternoons together, visiting Seoul and ordering coffee in one of the city’s many cozy cafés. Surprisingly, the vampire had developed a sweet tooth after Yoonhee had introduced cheesecakes to her.

It had been Yerin who had urged Yoonhee to reopen her shop soon, reigniting the witch’s passion for her beloved flower shop. Baekhyun had helped Yoonhee paint the walls a few days ago and thoroughly enjoyed seeing his soulmate thrive. After she had recovered from her injuries, she had become quite energetic and spent a lot of time in the garden where Kyungsoo had offered her a large unused space she could use to grow flowers for her shop. They flourished with a little sprinkle of her magic, crowding the garden behind the house.

“Hey, Yoonhee, where do you want me to put this?” Junmyeon asked and distracted Yoonhee from her thoughts. She turned and smiled at the clan’s leader.

“The peonies should go over there,” she pointed at an empty table near the sunny windowfront. It was already decorated with a small wooden label reading “peonies.” “Thanks, Junmyeon!”

Her green eyes gleamed when she made her way back outside to a truck they had rented for this occasion. She passed Baekhyun who brought more flower pots inside her shop and chuckled upon noticing her cheerful beam—he would do anything to get a glimpse of that pretty smile whenever possible. Yoonhee grabbed another crate with flowers from the truck and one of her favorite books on plants and their various genera.

The endeavor took about two hours. Yoonhee arranged all of the flowers and put them in suitable places—those who needed sun were placed close to the windows and the others further in the back. She decorated the windows with new pastel-colored curtains and set up the register so that everything was ready for tomorrow’s reopening. When she was happy with the result, her shop looked prettier than ever before, and she was bursting with anticipation, the smile on her lips never losing its intensity.

“Now that we’re done, why don’t we have dinner in town?” Junmyeon suggested while Yoonhee turned off the lights and locked the front door.

“If you don’t mind,” she said, taking into consideration that food wasn’t a necessity for them.

“What do you want to eat, sweet pea?” Baekhyun asked and put his palm on the small of her back. As usual, her soulmate was gorgeous today; when they had left the house earlier, she had gawked at him because he looked dangerously attractive with his black leather jacket and ripped tight-fitted jeans.

Yoonhee’s cheeks heated up when she met his blue eyes. “How about barbecue? I know a great restaurant not far from here.”

“Lead the way!” Yerin urged and linked her arm with Yoonhee’s.

The first day back in business was hectic. Yoonhee was occupied with fulfilling her customers’ wishes and chatting with old regulars who had returned after hearing about the reopening. She was bombarded with questions about her long absence and dodged them elegantly without blurting out any of her supernatural secrets. Deep down, she was relieved that her shop was just as popular as it had been before the closing.

However, this time she had made several changes to her business and employed two florists who would support her. Yoonhee would only work for half of the day since she wanted to spend time with Baekhyun and her clan during the other half.  

Kim Bora and Lee Siyeon had previous work experience. Yoonhee had employed them because they had proven their knowledge about flowers and their friendliness in a short interview, so she was sure her customers would be in good hands with them. It was a relief to have more helping hands in her shop; she already noticed this on the first day when she showed them the ropes. They were a little younger than Yoonhee and got along well, probably because they shared their passion for flowers and anything related to them. Bora and Siyeon could spend hours creating the prettiest bouquets for their customers, arranging the flowers so that their colors complemented each other and adding decoration here and there.

It was quite satisfying to see her shop in such a lively state after it had been empty for weeks, even months. Yoonhee enjoyed being back at work, and when her new employees weren’t looking, she added a dash of magic to the flower’s buds so that they would open up sooner. Staying in her shop was a delight since she was surrounded by the natural magic that resided within the plants. In the first week after the reopening, she received a few surprise visits from her clan members who were curious about her shop. Kyungsoo in particular had been eager to see it since he shared her enthusiasm for gardening.

Friday evening arrived in a blink. Yoonhee was about to finish a bouquet someone had ordered when she heard the chime of the bell as the door opened. A familiar sensation washed over her. The smile lighting up her face was as warm as the sun. She knew exactly who had arrived just now, and she hurried to finish her work so she could greet him soon.

“How may I help you?” she heard Siyeon say in the other room—she was currently at the register while Yoonhee worked in the back of the shop.

“I’m looking for Yoonhee. Is she here?” Baekhyun asked, pretending he didn’t already know the answer. He had caught her flowery scent the second he had walked in, and he had heard the euphoric, fast beats of her heart. Baekhyun couldn’t hold back a smirk. Someone was eager to see him.

“I… uh… will get her. Please give me a moment,” Siyeon stammered. She didn’t know why she was so nervous all of a sudden. This man was strangely alluring, but for some reason, she found his mere presence intimidating.

“Thank you,” he answered.

Siyeon left the register and walked to the back of the shop, halting next to her boss. “Someone’s here to see you… I forgot to ask his name, he’s got black hair and—”

“He’s my boyfriend,” Yoonhee nodded, taking note of Siyeon’s surprised expression.

“O-Oh, really?”

Yoonhee’s gaze returned to the flowers on the table, her lips curving up into a tender smile. Siyeon was taken aback, questioning her first impression of the stranger.

“I didn’t know he would stop by today, but this is a great surprise.” Her shift was about to end, and naturally, Baekhyun knew the precise time when she would leave her shop.

“So he’s thoughtful and handsome!” Siyeon blurted out.

“He is,” Yoonhee grinned, knowing full well that he was listening in on their conversation. His ego was well-fed today…

Siyeon studied Yoonhee, inwardly swooning when she caught the fond smile and warm gleam in her eyes. Being a hopeless romantic, Siyeon was intrigued and had to bite her tongue in order to hold in her gushing. Even though she got along with Yoonhee and they already acted like friends around each other, she still wanted to be professional in front of her new boss.

“What is it? I can tell you got something on your mind,” Yoonhee pointed out, glancing at her before she finished wrapping up the rose bouquet she had been working on and put it in a vase.

“Have you been a couple for a long time?”

The witch inclined her head and put her finger on her chin. “Yes and no? It’s complicated. I moved in with him months ago, but we haven’t been a couple for long. It’s only been a few weeks since he confessed.”

With this, Yoonhee only fueled Siyeon’s wild imagination. The human’s eyes were practically sparkling, cheeks pink with delight. “So you’re roommates turned lovers? That’s so cute!” she rambled. “Reminds me of the drama I recommended to you, you should check it out.”

“Sure,” Yoonhee laughed, and together they left the room. “It’s called ‘My roommate is a gumiho’, right?”

Siyeon giggled and nodded. When they returned to the register, Baekhyun had a hard time suppressing a grin after listening in on the women’s chatter. He removed his hands from his pockets and spread his arms, inviting his soulmate for a hug. She gladly took the opportunity, jumping into his arms.

“You’re here!” she exhaled and nuzzled her face in his neck.

“Hello, petal. I had business in town and wanted to drop by afterward. Are you in the mood for a dinner date? You must be hungry after working all afternoon.”

“Petal?!” Siyeon breathed from behind the counter, pressing her hand on her lips to hold in her squeal—they were even cuter than the couple in her favorite drama.

“Yes! I’m just… not dressed adequately.”

“Nonsense, you’re gorgeous. Come on, let’s go!” He tugged at her arm as he walked towards the door, surprising her with his impatience. Yoonhee barely got a chance to say goodbye to Siyeon.

“Sorry, Siyeon, I have to go now. See you soon and don’t forget to lock up after your shift.”

“Have fun, lovebirds,” Siyeon waved and smiled at them, her mirthful gaze following the couple until they were out the door.

“You’re so impatient, Baek,” Yoonhee giggled and caught up to him. They walked close to each other, Baekhyun’s steps matching hers—it had become a habit for him to copy her pace since he, as a vampire, tended to walk much faster.

“Hey, can you blame me? You’ve been working all afternoon and I want to at least spend the evening with you.”

“Haven’t you been working as well?” She quirked up her eyebrow as she watche