A/N: Hello everyone!

Sorry about the kind of delayed update, I've been working on this bit by bit since last week and finally got it to the point where I'm somewhat pleased with it. School's currently kicked into full gear for me, and I've recently earned a promotion at my work! These are all super good things, but they also mean I might not be able to update as much as I want to.

I will say that I definitely have plans for an update or two for Soul Mark as a giant thank you all for over 200+ upvotes, as well as all of your kind comments and support. However, everything might take a super long time to get updated. I might crank out a few oneshots every now and again (hopefully). We'll see. For now, please enjoy!

*Chief Operating Officer

Day Three, Part Three: Growing

It’s more than difficult for Joohyun to focus after Seulgi’s abrupt departure from the flower shop. She nearly forgets to turn the sign on the door back to “Open” behind the business woman. Her memory had only been jogged after she’d thrown away her salad. She’d turned back towards the door in vain, hoping to discover Seulgi standing there, only find someone studying the shop’s hours posted on the window with a puzzled expression.

Her mind is more than preoccupied with thoughts of the party to come later in the evening. She wonders which hairstyle she should wear her thick black locks in, what makeup to put on, which heels to pair her outfit with. The options are endless, and she quickly becomes too frazzled to remain idle within her store, waiting for another customer to walk in.

Glancing at the flower adorned clock mounted on the wall behind her, Joohyun sighs. It’d only been an hour, give or take, since Seulgi had swept into the store with her characteristic leisure. The florist had to bear two more hours before she could start getting ready for her and Seulgi’s…date? Oddly enough, Joohyun was finding herself comfortable calling the excursion a date, giddy even.

In all her twenty-six years of living, Joohyun had never thought of women in the way Seulgi was making her now. Though she’d never truly been interested in men to begin with, Joohyun had always seen herself settling down with a man. Her parents had ingrained in her the stereotypical image of being a stay at home mother, raising children and cooking meals.

Perhaps her somewhat narrow-minded thinking could also be explained by the stigma society pinned on anyone and anything that went against the norm. Or maybe Joohyun just hadn’t been paying enough attention to what she really wanted out of life. She’d always enjoyed being a homebody; she often opted to stay in during weekends and cooked her own meals rather than going out to restaurants.

Joohyun smiled to herself as she counted down the cash register, thoughts filling with Kang Seulgi. Now, rather than imagining herself waiting for her hard-working husband to come home to her, Joohyun was envisioning Seulgi sweeping her up into a lingering kiss after a long day at work. In her mind’s eye, she watched Seulgi smile at her from across Joohyun’s dinner table, saw Seulgi opening doors for her and surprising her with gifts.

The whole scenario was easy enough to picture, now that she’d been seeing Seulgi more and more frequently over the past few days. Kang Seulgi and Bae Joohyun. She liked the ring of their names together. “Bae Joohyun,” the florist practiced the way she’d give her introduction at the party underneath her breath, “Seulgi’s girlfriend.” Joohyun let out a high-pitched giggle before repeating the phrase to herself once more, absolutely gleeful at the way it sounded.

Reflecting back on the matter once more, Joohyun realizes that she’s never been one to follow societal standards. Rather, she preferred to break them. No wonder she wasn’t bothered coming to terms with her growing attraction towards the business woman. Suddenly remembering that tonight wouldn’t truly be real, since her and Seulgi weren’t actually dating, put a little bit of a damper on Joohyun’s mood, however. The woman turned back to the task at hand, brooding slightly at this fact.

Joohyun was so engrossed in shuffling the bills, she didn’t notice when the door opened and closed shut silently. “Have I always been into women?” The florist muttered to herself, ignorant of the sound of soft footsteps over the hardwood floor. A strangled gasp emitted from the bundled up figure who’d entered the store causes Joohyun’s heart to leap into . Her eyes flick up from her work to catch sight of Seungwan standing in front of the counter.

Relief floods through her instantly. At least she hadn’t just come out to a complete stranger, or a customer. Her best friend’s hands are covering , and her wide eyes are bulging out of her head in obvious shock. Seungwan’s always been one to overreact, and now was of no exception. The two women stare at each other, suspended in time, before Seungwan pumps her fist in the air.

“Ha! Oh my god, I ing knew it!” The café owner’s tone is overflowing with excitement, and Joohyun watches as she nearly knocks over one of the flower displays beside her. Other than her obviously blushing cheeks, Joohyun was managing to keep her composure, with her poker face trained on her best friend’s celebratory gestures.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the florist said after she’d finished counting the drawer, though there were the tiniest hints of a smile about her words. She flicked her ponytail over her shoulder with nonchalance. “Admit it, Bae,” Seungwan snickers, not listening to a word of Joohyun’s protests, “You’ve got it bad for the one and only Kang Seulgi, that woman you brought into my shop the other day.”

Eyeing the growing array of flowers next to the cash register from the business woman, the florist knows it won’t help to deny the fact any further. “Okay, okay,” Joohyun confesses, “You’re right.” The Canadian lets out another whoop, “I knew there was something going on between the two of you!” Amusement lilts across Joohyun’s face at Seungwan’s reaction, “And how’s that, Agent Son?”

The café owner shrugs, though she’s still obviously pleased by her guesswork. “Easy-peasy.” Confidence oozes out from Seungwan’s grin, and she runs a practiced hand through her wavy chocolate colored locks. Joohyun knows the look shimmering inside her best friend’s almond colored eyes all too well. The florist settles back down onto her stool, ready for Seungwan to begin bursting forth with enthusiastic words.

 “For starters, we’ve been friends long enough for me to know that it takes time for you to open up to new people, Joohyun-ah.” Joohyun had to admit, Seungwan did have a point. Even with Seungwan frequently flying back and forth between Canada and Korea, the duo quickly cemented their relationship. “I know I can be shy at times, but it took me three tries to even to get you to look at me when we first met, remember?”

At the mention of that embarrassing memory, Joohyun cringed behind the register. “Yah,” the florist covered her ears, “Don’t remind me! I was shy as a kid!” Rolling her eyes, Seungwan continued, “When you brought Seulgi into my coffee shop a day after meeting her, that was pretty huge indicator that there was something up between you and her.” Joohyun frowned and opened to protest, only to be silenced by Seungwan once more.

“Literally the moment you guys sat down,” the café owner went on, “it was like you’d both gotten lost in your own little world with each other.” Joohyun supposes Seungwan has a point, seeing as she can’t really remember much from her and Seulgi’s coffee date other the parts that included the business woman. “Who are you texting?” The florist questions, seeing Seungwan’s satisfied with her sleuthing conclusion, sliding the rack of money back into the register. The café owner had whipped out her smartphone, thumbs flying across the screen with an almost inhumane speed.

“Sooyoung and Yeri,” her best friend replies hastily, “They each owe me 20,000 won.” Joohyun’s right eyebrow flicks up towards the ceiling, “Wait a second…the three of you bet on my uality?” Seungwan snorts as she finishes up her texting, “Of course we did! They came into the café a week after you hired them, and the three of us got to talking.”

The Canadian reaches out a hand to pluck one of Seulgi’s flowers out of Joohyun’s vase, “We’ve all been waiting ages for this moment of truth, Joohyun-ah.” Twirling the stem of the Lotus flower in between her nimble fingers, Seungwan shoots her another smirk.

 “Honestly, I think I’ve always known this about you, though,” Seungwan shrugs, “We grew up together! You know you can’t hide anything from me.” The Canadian gently sets the flower back into the vase and reaches for Joohyun’s hands, unclenching the florist’s tense fists with her warm grasp. “It’s alright, Joohyun,” Seungwan murmurs tenderly, sensing Joohyun’s sudden hesitation towards her.

“You know nothing’s going to change between us. We’ve been through so much together, I’m one hundred percent certain nothing could shake the bond we have.” Seungwan’s looking at her with such tender eyes, Joohyun can’t help but look down in embarrassment, overcome with emotion. “We’ve faced the world together, Joohyun-ah,” her best friend murmurs, “I want nothing more than for you to be happy…and I think I can do that by encouraging you to pursue your interest in Seulgi.”

Joohyun doesn’t even realize she’s crying until Seungwan reaches out and brushes the offending liquid off of her cheek. “Thank you, Wannie,” Joohyun whispers, doing her best to keep her head held high. “I’ve got news,” Joohyun says once she’s composed herself, causing the Canadian to lean forward onto the counter. “Seulgi and I are going on…a date tonight.” Squealing childishly, Seungwan’s eyes light up brighter than the sun itself, causing another smile to stretch across Joohyun’s lips.

“Wait a second before you start with your fist pumping,” Joohyun giggles, calming the Canadian down. The florist takes a deep breath in, then exhales out slowly. “It’s not actually a date-date. Seulgi asked me to come to one of her work parties and be her fake girlfriend for her.” Holding her breath, she waits for Seungwan’s reaction, and is puzzled when she finds the Canadian completely unresponsive. The florist reaches out a hand to tap the other woman on the shoulder.

“Um…Wannie?” Joohyun taps the Canadian once more, but she still only receives a blank stare in response. “Son Seungwan?” Joohyun tries again. “Do you know what this means?” The café owner bursts out suddenly, clapping her hands together. Joohyun topples over onto the stool, taken aback by the unexpected noise. Shaking her head, Joohyun mutters, “No.”

 In exasperation, Seungwan stomps her foot against the floor. “Joohyun-ah, Seulgi is obviously interested in you! She probably just mentioned the fake girlfriend thing as a rouse to get you to play along in case if you weren’t into her the same way.”

Now it’s Joohyun’s turn to be confused, “What?” Rolling her eyes, Seungwan sighs. “You really need to brush up on your gay culture, Joohyun-ah. A beautiful woman has been buying you flowers for the past three days, then she suddenly asks you to be her plus one to a fancy work party? Trust me, there’s no way she isn’t into you, Joohyun-ah.”

**

Day Three, Part Four: Growing

Seungwan convinces Joohyun to close the shop an hour early, with the florist only conceding because she claimed she couldn’t remember if her apartment is in a state of disarray or not and needed more time to clean if Seulgi was going to come over. Both of the young women know, however, that Joohyun’s flat has never seen a speck of dust settle.

“Are you nervous?” Seungwan chirps as Joohyun locks the front door behind them, encircling their arms together to fend against the stinging winds. Despite the bitter weather, Seungwan was only wearing a thin windbreaker over her clothes, and was kicking piles of snow with her scuffed vans. Joohyun marvels at the other woman’s ability to withstand the chill creeping into her bones, and wonders if she’d ever get used to Seoul in the winter.

“More than I’ve ever been before,” Joohyun confesses. The corners of slide upwards, “But I’m also more excited than I’ve ever felt about a date before.” Every word was the truth. The majority of dates the older woman had been on always had some sort of falling out. Joohyun would find herself merely enjoying the other person’s company as a friend instead of as a potential lover, or she’d realize she wasn’t excited at all in the way she was supposed to be.

The prospect of tonight, however, gave Joohyun a thrill that was setting her heart on fire. Seungwan claps her free hand over Joohyun’s back, roughly smacking the other woman as she leads them to Joohyun’s apartment. “That’s my girl!” Joohyun blushes at the title before wincing, “Yah, that hurt!” Her best friend had invited herself over to try and help Joohyun overcome her nerves, and perhaps pick out a pair of pumps and a hairstyle as well.

The pair continue walking together in comfortable silence, making sure not to stumble over patches of ice, and throwing a few snowballs at each other on the way. A few minutes later, Joohyun’s keys jingle against a solid oak door, and the pair step inside her humble abode.

“I see you’ve changed things up a bit since the last time I came over,” Seungwan notes as she shuts the door behind them, blocking out the below freezing temperatures from seeping into the cozy room. Her gaze wanders over the room with a fondness not lost on Joohyun.

“You’ve got one sharp eye, Wannie,” the florist compliments as they take off their shoes, “I rearranged the furniture a little bit and added a new rug!” Rearranging and redecorating was a habit of Joohyun’s. Every once and a while, she’d give her rooms a bit of a makeover. “You could be an interior design consultant if All in Bloom ever fails,” Seungwan remarks over her shoulder, praising the older woman’s work.

The two of them pad into the kitchen, where Joohyun begins fixing them cups of tea. Seungwan takes her usual seat at one of the stools by the counter, and watches Joohyun work with her chin propped up on her fist. As Joohyun reaches for a set of mugs, her eyes magnetically drift towards the clock blinking down at her.

“When did you say Seulgi would come around?” Seungwan asks cheekily, noticing where Joohyun’s gaze was trained. Anyone could see the obvious anticipation written across the florist’s features, how eager she was for night to fall and for Seulgi to drop by. “Nine o’clock, sharp.” The kettle whistles from the stovetop, and Joohyun gingerly pours them each a cup of piping hot liquid.

“And she’s bringing you what she wants you to wear?” Seungwan queried, her tone skeptical. Joohyun nods patiently, pouring in a few teaspoons of honey into her drink. “How does she even know your measurements?” Seungwan scoffs to herself. Joohyun merely passes her the honey and smiles reassuringly at her best friend. “I’m sure Seulgi’s figured it out in one of her many mysterious ways,” the florist replies lightly.

Relaxing a bit, Seungwan takes a sip of her tea. “You’re right, you’re right,” the Canadian breathes out, pressing a hand to her forehead. “It’s just…I guess I’m a little nervous about this, too.” She looks Joohyun in the eye and mutters, “Who knows what the other guests are going to be like, Joohyun-ah? What if they’re all posh and snobby? You still don’t know what Seulgi even does for Christ’s sake.”

Resting her mug of tea on the kitchen counter, Joohyun pulls Seungwan into her arms. The florist feels her best friend’s shoulders unclench slowly, and the Canadian’s slender arms criss cross around her. “Hey,” Joohyun murmurs, rubbing comforting circles into Seungwan’s back, “Nothing bad is going to happen tonight.” She leans away to look into her best friend’s eyes, “And if something bad does happen, you’ll be the first person I’ll call for backup.”

Forty-five minutes before Seulgi’s supposed to drop by her apartment, Seungwan decides to take her leave. “Why do I feel like a mother sending off her only daughter on her first date?” The Canadian laughed as she slipped on her shoes, though there were in fact tears glittering in her eyes. The florist feels touched, her own eyes beginning to glitter. “Hey! No tears!” She cries out, smacking Seungwan’s shoulder playfully.

“Sorry, sorry,” Seungwan said, “It’s just that I’m so happy to finally be seeing you happy, Joohyun-ah.” They embrace once more, with Seungwan listing off ways to contact her just in case if she didn’t answer and ways to escape from chokeholds. Joohyun giggled at Seungwan’s antics before sending her on her way with one last, “I’ll be fine, Seungwan-ah.”

Once she’s alone, Joohyun takes a quick shower to freshen up, then carefully applies her makeup and dries her hair. She and Seungwan had decided that Joohyun should take a more natural route for the party. “You should be yourself tonight,” Seungwan had said after they’d finished their tea. “You’ll probably feel more comfortable looking yourself rather than if you went all out, trying to be someone else.”

Joohyun lets her long, midnight tresses flow down past her shoulder blades in natural waves. Opting for her usual makeup look of subtle blushes and eyeshadows paired with long lashes and lipstick, Joohyun is in the midst of setting her makeup when the doorbell rings. A rush of adrenaline shoots through her, shocking her out of her seat. There’s only one person it could be. Kang Seulgi.

“Coming!” The florist calls out before she’s even made it out of her bedroom. Joohyun speeds over to the door, standing on her tippy-toes for a split second to peer through the peephole. Whoever’s standing outside has their hand covering the hole, yet Joohyun catches a glimpse of heels and dark brown hair. “Who’s there?” Joohyun calls out playfully, still looking through the glass. The hand lifts to reveal Seulgi blinking back at her with a confused look, “Joohyun-ah?”

Seulgi’s voice is muffled through the hardwood, yet still holds its tenderness. Joohyun feels her heart racing. “Are you ready?” Grinning from ear to ear, Joohyun steps back to fiddle with the locks on the door, then swings it open. At the sight of the business woman, Joohyun feels her stomach twisting into knots. “Hi,” Seulgi beams at her, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to Joohyun’s cheek as she invites herself inside.

Unconsciously, the florist brushes her hand over the spot as she clicks the door shut. Seulgi shrugs off her white Sherpa lined coat with ease and lays it over the edge of one of the couches in the living room. She turns to s