When Yongsun started working at the Radish Flower shop she thought it would be fun. Sure, she loved flowers, the way they looked, the way they smelled, the way they felt when being handled – even the thorns – she knew what every different flower meant which made it all the better, not to mention she needed the money.

She blindly assumed that working part time at the small shop would be fun, but so far in the past week she had only had five costumers. And frankly, she was just so bored. Nobody ever came in and asked for her expertise, nobody ever came in in general and she thought to herself that if a customer didn’t show up in the next ten minutes she would literally start ripping her hair out of her head.

And somehow her prayers were answered as a young girl stepped in to the small shop. Yongsun paused her actions, studying the girl’s long legs clad in ripped skinny jeans to her ashen hair falling neatly over her T-shirt. It wasn’t until Yongsun noticed the slight scowl on the girl’s face did she call out.

“Welcome to the Radish Flower shop!” Yongsun called putting on her most professional smile she could “How may I help you?”

She attempted not to laugh at how the girl jumped slightly turning to look back at the worker. She smiled slightly as she walked towards the counter Yongsun was currently sitting behind.

“So, uh” The girl started quietly rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet “Do you know the meaning of flowers?”

“Yes!” Yongsun nodded enthusiastically “I do. What do you need?”

“Ok good” The girl smiled pulling what seemed to be a twenty-dollar bill from her pocket and placing it in front of Yongsun “How do I passive-aggressively say you in flower?”

Yongsun really tried not to laugh, she really did. But she found herself chuckling as she stood from her stool as she started the grabbing yellow carnations that were nearby. She made her way around the store picking the nicest of the flowers she’d need before going back to her counter. She quickly arranged them into a simple bouquet with a light colored paper. Yongsun smiled as she handed the bouquet over to the girl who was just staring at her wide eyed.

“This is too pretty to-” The girl gasped staring down at the flowers

“To mean ‘ you’ in flower?” Yongsun giggled “Not really, the meaning of each flower are all quite negative”

“What do they mean?” The girl asked blinking up at Yongsun before looking back down at the bouquet

“Well, the geraniums mean stupidity” Yongsun drawled pointing to one of the flowers near the edge with curved petals before moving on to a few that looked like a bell “And these foxgloves mean insincerity”

“I see” The girl smiled slightly before Yongsun continued by pointing at a bunch of little white flowers

“These meadowsweets stand for uselessness and these” Yongsun paused pointing to the first flowers she picked up “These yellow carnations mean, literally, ‘you have disappointed me’ which is pretty funny in my opinion.”

“What about this one?” the girl asked pointing down to the large lily in the middle of the bouquet

“Oh that one?” Yongsun grinned “Orange lilies stand for just straight up hatred”

The girl blinked a few times before bursting out into quiet laughter smiling up at Yongsun

“That’s amazing” She chuckled “Is that twenty enough or do I owe you more?”

“Tell you what” Yongsun smiled “Come back again sometime and I’ll give you a discount for today”

And with that the girl left with smile on her face, a passive-aggressive bouquet, and a promise to return.

--

The next time Yongsun saw the girl, she was crawling around on the ground attempting to clean p the dirt from a pot of daisies that a kid had knocked over before his mother dragged him out of the shop before she had to pay for the ruined flowers. It’d been about a week since the girl with the ash hair had stopped by and Yongsun was almost ready to lose hope of the girl coming back. But she did while Yongsun was literally in the most embarrassing position she probably could have been in.

The moment she heard a quiet clearing of a throat Yongsun popped up ready to greet a costumer, only to be greeted by the familiar ash hair and almond eyes.

“You came back!” Yongsun grinned wiping the dirt on her hands onto her jeans “I thought I’d have to hunt you down”

“I did, no hunting” The girl smiled “And you’re on the ground. Cleaning dirt. In a flower shop.” Yongsun could practically feel the judgement in her voice

“It’s in my job description” Yongsun shrugged slowly standing from her place “Anyways what can I do for you today? Do you need flowers or…?”

“Actually I do” The girl chuckled “How do you say I high-key want to burn your house down in flower?”

“Hmm… that’s a little harder” Yongsun smiled tilting her head and placing her finger on her chin “Lemme think”

With a happy sigh Yongsun began moving around the shop again grabbing three types of flowers and arranging a small bouquet and handing it back smiling widely.

“This one’s very blue” The girl commented cocking an eyebrow

“The flowers I used are the borage flower, flax, and the German iris” Yongsun shrugged “In that order they mean, roughly, abruptness- rudeness- bluntness, next is a domestic symbol, and lastly flame. Do basically if you put those together-”

“It shows that I wanna burn their house down” the girl grinned “I like it”

“I’m glad then”

“Byulyi” the girl said as she pulled her wallet from her pocket

“Excuse me?” Yongsun asked tilting her head to the side cutely

“My name.” The girl chuckled handing over another twenty-dollar bill “It’s Byulyi”

Yongsun blinked at the girl for a moment before reaching her hand out with a grin “I’m Yongsun”

“Well Yongsun” Byulyi smiled taking Yongsun’s hand “I promise I’ll be back again”

This time Byulyi left with name, a smile, a small bouquet, and a possibly a piece of Yongsun’s heart.

--

“What’re you doing?”

Yongsun squeaked hearing a voice behind her, almost causing her to fall from the short ladder she was standing on

“Byulyi!” Yongsun chided climbing down carefully “Don’t scare me like that!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be climbing ladders in a dress then” Byulyi chuckled softly “You’re lucky it was just me and not some creep”

Yongsun’s face turned a deep shade of red at that causing Byulyi to laugh and insist she was just joking. Byulyi had become a common part of the flower shop at this point, coming in once or twice (Sometimes even three times) a week to talk to Yongsun. They’d become quite close after a few weeks, and all though all they ever really talked about were flowers, they still considered each other friends.

“Speaking of creeps” Byulyi sighed as she hoisted herself to sit on the counter top as Yongsun was putting the ladder away in the corner of the room “I need a bouquet”

“What do those things have to do with each other?” Yongsun frowned turning to face the younger girl

“Yongsun, how do you say ‘leave me the alone’ in flower?” Byulyi asked “There’s this dude who keeps following me and asking me out and frankly I’m not interested at all in him- or any dude for that matter”

“Are you sure giving flowers to a creeper is a good idea?” Yongsun cocked an eyebrow

“Well I’m gonna include a note telling him to leave me alone”

Yongsun shrugged quickly grabbing two different types of flowers and wrapping them humming softly to herself as she did, still grinning as she handed the other the small bouquet.

“Butterfly weed and striped carnations” Yongsun informed smiling slightly as Byulyi looked at her in awe “They basically mean ‘let me go’ and ‘I can’t be with you’ so that’s an ok way to tell them to go away, right?”

“You can always do that so quickly” Byulyi remarked tracing one of the petals with her forefinger “That’s really impressive Yongsun”

“I try” Yongsun joked attempting to hide her blush “Flowers are my passion after all”

“That’s fair” Byulyi chuckled taking a few steps toward the door “I gotta get going soon though, I wish I could stay longer”

“Byulyi wait!” Yongsun called quickly grabbing a single gardenia as she made her way over to the other “This is for you, not for the bouquet.” She smiled placing the white flower down in Byulyi’s palm.

“What is it?” Byulyi smiled

“Secret” Yongsun teased sending a wink toward her before turning back and walking through the store

That time when Byulyi left she had a rejection ready, new insight on flowers, and a confession of secret love.

--

“I’m sorry” Yongsun bowed slightly to the man standing in front of her “I’m not interested”

“Oh c’mon cutie, gimme a chance” The man leaned over the counter and she had to take a step backwards “I know you’ll have fun”

“I’m sorry sir, I can’t” she shook her head “Y’see I’m very gay”

“Maybe I can change your mind on that sweetheart” the boy winked and Yongsun wished that she had a coworker to kick him out, but unfortunately she worked alone “Lemme take you on a ride” he continued

“Why don’t you off?” Yongsun’s breath hitched as familiar ashen hair came into view “She said no, so leave her alone”

“And who’re you?” he asked eyeing her from head to toe

“I’m- uh- I’m” Byulyi paused and took Yongsun’s hand in her own “I’m her girlfriend, now if you’d kindly off I’d like to be alone with her”

“Ooh I see” The man grinned “What you saying is that we should have a three some”

And at that Byulyi punched the guy the face and dragged him out of the store before walking back to Yongsun who just stood there blinking.

“S-sorry for uh saying-”

“That was so cool!”  Yongsun interrupted pulling Byulyi into a hug “Thank you so much oh my gosh”

“Uh yeah anything for a friend” Byulyi nodded hugging back

“Friend” Yongsun mumbled into Byulyi’s shoulder “Anyways~ what brings you here?”

“You mean besides my normal weekly visit?” Byulyi chuckled

“You don’t normally don’t come in on Thursdays”

“Ah you caught me” Byulyi raised her hands in defense “I actually need a bouquet”

“Fun” Yongsun grinned “What passive-aggressive you are we saying today?”

“Ah actually this time it’s more like an uh-” She paused scratching her cheek as a slight blush formed “More like an aggressive me”

Yongsun’s face fell, tilting her head to the side in a questioning manner as she felt her stomach form into a knot.

“I wanted to confess to my crush tonight” Byulyi smiled sheepishly “And I thought I’d come to the flower genius herself for the perfect bouquet”

“I see” Yongsun nodded solemnly “What’re you trying to say to her through the flowers? Anything specific? Because wouldn’t a normal bouquet of red roses work?”

“Well I wanted to be more special, y’see she kinda likes flowers so…”

“Ok” Yongsun sighed “What are you trying to say?”

“Well I’ve liked her sense I first saw her, it’s like when she smiles everything just gets brighter” Byulyi grinned “Like she’s so fascinating”

“Got it” Yongsun nodded walking slowly around the shop grabbing a few flowers here and there before walking to the counter and arranging the flowers as neatly as she could with her slightly trembling hands. “Done” she mumbled handing the bouquet over

“Are you ok?” Byulyi asked earning a nod “Will you tell me about these?”

Yongsun sighed as she moved closer “The tulips have two meanings, the yellow ones stand for ‘there is sunshine in your smile’ and the red ones stand for love.” She paused pointing to a red flower that dipped down in the middle “The gloxinia stands for love at first sight and lastly…” she paused again pointing to a few flowers with many petals “The red camellia blossoms stand for something along the lines of you are a fire in my heart… will this work for you?”

“Thank you Yongsun” Byulyi grinned “You’re the best”

“I wish you luck Byulyi” Yongsun attempted a shaky smile

And with that Byulyi left with a smile on her face and Yongsun’s slowly crumbling heart

--

Yongsun didn’t take her time closing up the shop that night. All she wanted was to go home to her roommate Wheein and eat ice cream and cry until she passed out. She cleaned everything that needed to and quickly walked out into the chill of the night

“Do you normally close shop this early?” came a joking tone making Yongsun jump

“Byulyi?” Yongsun blinked at the figure leaning against the wall of her workplace “What’re you doing here? I thought you were confessing tonight?”

“Well I kinda had to wait for her to get off of work” Byulyi shrugged as she moved to stand closer to the brown haired girl “Right?”

“When does she get off?” Yongsun asked, more out of curtesy than anything

“Just now”

“Shouldn’t you go to her then?” Yongsun tilted her head

“I’m talking to her right now dummy” Byulyi rolled her eyes “You’re kinda dense, you know that right?”

“I don’t understand”

“Well…” Byulyi sighed holding out the bouquet that was made earlier “I like you Yongsun. Will you go out with me?”

Yongsun blinked down at the bouquet that she begrudgedly made earlier that day, the bouquet she almost cried while making.

“Would you say something please?” Byulyi whined after a minute knocking Yongsun out of her daze

Yongsun slowly took the bouquet with shaky fingers, nodding her head quickly eyes not leaving the flowers

“So…” Byulyi paused “Is that a yes?”

Yongsun just pulled Byulyi into a hug rocking them side to side whispering “yes” over and over again into the younger’s shoulder.