Growing up, you love to run around in the garden touching flowers. Trying to smell all the flowers that your dad has planted in your back yard. As if you could. Growing up, you hear your mother tells you how each flower smells like, but you could never understand. Growing up, you hear you dad explain to you each flower and their meaning behind it. Everything he got your mum flowers. You asked once, on why he would get your mum flowers every week. In which he replied to you, smiling, saying that your mum loves flowers. And flowers make her happy. That’s when you decided, in the future you’re going to married someone who would buy you flowers every week like your dad does.

Growing up, you couldn’t smell anything. Everything you ate taste bland. Sure, you could taste it, but with your nonexistence smell, food is just unamusing and unappetizing to you. You hated it. You didn’t understand why you can’t just enjoy eating and smelling nice stuff. You rant out to your mum. Only to be told that it is a special thing that everyone will grow up with. Either one of their senses is not functioning until you meet your soulmate. Something about first meeting is very magical. Just like how she found your dad and fell head over heels in love with him. And how she knew that he would be the perfect one for her.

In high school, all your friends started finding their soulmate. Be it seeing colours for the first time, hearing music for the first time, finally stop tasting what their soulmates eat for the first time and even hearing about how your closest friend found their soulmate as sparks was sending through her body when they first touch. It makes you wonder how would meeting your soulmate for the first time be like.

In college, everyone started asking you about your soulmate. Asking if you had found yours. You’re kind of tired of receiving their pity looks, when you tell them you haven’t yet meet your soulmate. Not only that, people started to recommend you to sign up to find your soulmate. A portal that is design to find your other half. You never really took interest in it. Because you think that soulmates will find each other someday. One way or another, right? Since we bound to each other, and they are our other half which we would spend the rest of our life with. So, you never really cared.

But at the age of 23 now, even your relatives started becoming worried for you. Worried that you would end up not finding your soulmate. It wasn’t common that someone would go so long without encountering theirs. To the point where you started questioning yourself. If you really did have a soulmate. But it doesn’t make sense. You couldn’t smell, and it’s not like all your senses are working perfectly fine. So, you must have a soulmate out there, somewhere, right?

Few months has pass since your 23^rd birthday. Growing up, what you were most scared of was watching your parents growing older. It scares you that one day, they might not be with you anymore. It’s not helping when your mum is worried about the lack of soulmate you have. Worrying about what would happen to you if they are not around anymore. Who could you lean on. But you didn’t care. Because part of you lost hope of finding your soulmate. The disappointed eyes and pity eyes you always get when you’re ask if you found your other half. Every time you answer, the looks that they give you demolished more hope in you, of ever dreaming of finding him. At least what keeps you happy is that your parents are still so loving towards each other. Something you feared deep down. Because you feel like you would never experience this kind of love. And how you could never know the smell of your favourite flower, baby breath. And if you ever find love, that is not your soulmate, could you love them the same as how other soulmate love each other. Could you ever fall so deeply in love with them, just like how soulmates does.

Pushing all those thoughts aside, you didn’t want to think about it anymore. Pushing it to the back of your head. Because what is more important now is that you finally got your first stable job. It’s nothing special. Just an office job, doing some admin work. The pay is not that good, but average. You didn’t mind, you just want to stay to get some experience before finding a job that you truly enjoy. You know deep down what you want to do. But you could never get yourself to achieve that.

Because you couldn’t smell. How could you run a floristry if you could not tell your customer what flower smell nice and how different it smells compared to other flowers. Yes, you have knowledge of different types of flower and it’s meaning. But how could you go selling flower if you don’t know how nice or bad it smells like? How does fresh cut flowers smells compared to the ones that has been pick for some time? Shaking your head, you push yet another thing to the back of your mind. Laughing at yourself, at how you could even dream of being a florist. Chuckling at how ridiculous you could be. You proceed typing on your computer, trying to finish the work given to you.

The buzzing of your phone cuts you off from your trail of work. Picking it up, you couldn’t stop thinking about it after you put the call down. Asking for the rest of your day off from your supervisor. You uber yourself to the destination. Getting off the car, walking into the building, you bet this place reeks of bitter medicine and sharp alcohol rub. Not that you could smell. Well, it’s the hospital after all, how could it possibly smell like. Taking the elevator to the floor, you walked to the room where your mums name was on it. Walking in, your ran up to hug her.

Your mum: Hey… I’m alright.

Y/N: What happen?

Your mum: My blood sugar just ran a little low.

Y/N: You sure you’re alright?

Your mum: I’m chirpy. The doctors said that they just have to monitor my blood level for 2 days before I could go home.

Y/N: That’s good. Where’s dad?

Your mum: He went back home to get some clothes and essential I need. You should back and rest as well.

Y/N: Is dad going to stay here tonight?

Your mum: Yup, he requested to pull out a bed for him tonight. So, you should go home and rest instead. The room is so small, there is no space for you to stay.

Y/N: Tell me about it. Fine. Rest well alright. I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.

Your mum: I love you too.

-

Waking up, your glad that it was not from the alarm of your phone. Bless the lord up there that it’s the weekend. Getting up and ready to visit the hospital. Getting out of your house, walking down the streets to get something to eat for yourself and both your parents. 2 full bags of food on your hand later, you walked further down wanting to hail a taxi there. But came to a stop when you saw a shop you have never seen before. Guess a new shop just open up around your area. Walking towards it, you admire the buckets of flower put out front of the shop. Making your mood brighter with all the colours you’re seeing. Deciding you should get some flowers for you mum. You browse around the front if the shop picking up some of your mum’s favourite. Until a hear a voice beside you.

Min Hyun: Do you need help picking the flowers out.

Y/N: Oh no, I’m fine. I’ll just get these.

Upon that, you handle a few stalks of flower on your hand, that you have gathered. Handling it to the shop owner. Which he kindly took it from you. Finally looking up at him, wanting to thank him. You smile at him. Eyes meeting, and he smile back at you. You can’t help but notice how cute he is. But both of you freeze all of a sudden. Realising something.

Y/N: Do you..?

Min Hyun: I think I do…

Y/N: Wait…

Bending down to the flowers he had on his hand, that he took from you. You smell it. Wait, what is this. You mind suddenly went blank. Did you really smell something? Is that what flowers smells like? Not believing it, you tried again. A grassy flowery smell hits your nose. It’s the first ever time you smell something. Does that mean? Looking up at the guy. His smile hits him. As you chuckled, bewildered about the situation your in. Staring at you with a smile, he raises his hand to you.

Min Hyun: I’m Min Hyun.

Y/N: I’m Y/N.

Min Hyun: Nice to finally meet you, soulmate.

Y/N: Nice to finally meet you too, soulmate.

Min Hyun: Took quite some time, don’t you think.

Y/N: By that you meant, you’re late huh.

Min Hyun: So… sunflowers huh.

Y/N: It’s my mum’s favourite.

Min Hyun: So, what’s yours?

Y/N: Baby breath.

Min Hyun: Huh. Purity of love..

Y/N: Just like how your purity of love for flower made you open this shop. Even when you couldn’t smell.

Min Hyun: I took a risk. This is my dream.

Y/N: I guess we have the same dream then. Just that you’re braver than me.

Min Hyun: Well, we could work together. That way our dream is fulfilled.

Y/N: Is that your way of proposing to me?

Min Hyun: Too quick. It’s my way of asking if you would like to see me again. And maybe more, in the future.

Y/N: I would like that.

Looking at each other. You smile. His hand reached for yours, lifting up to his lips, he places a soft kiss at the back of your knuckle. Smiling up at you.

Walking away with two newly wrapped bouquet flowers you got, for free, you smiled. Getting in the cab, you stare at the sunflower for you mum. And the baby breath for you, that he insisted on giving to you. Something about wanting to give you, his soulmate, a gift that you could remember him by. Which made your smile even wider as you smell the bouquet of baby breath. Your first ever bouquet of flowers you received. Fragrant, floral yet calming. You though to yourself. You think you might have found a man that you have unknowingly wished for, when you’re young. And you got a guy that is going to be preoccupying your mind from now on.

It's funny how one person could take all the thoughts you push back, at the back of your mind, all away. Just with one encouter. How he just took all your worries and doubts with him. With just one look. Making you at ease as your problems and thoughts are all cleared. Is that why they say that your first encounter with your soulmate would be a special one? You might not have fallen head over heels with him, just yet. But you think you could. With time. Definitely.