Perhaps running a flower shop wasn’t Sana’s best idea.

 

Of all the things in the world, she just had to like flowers. Not that the liking flowers part is the problem. In fact, Sana is happy that she gets to make a living out of something she is genuinely interested in.

 

What makes her want to rethink her career choice is her customers.

 

As expected, her market is mostly comprised of people who either just want someone else to feel special or did something wrong that they have to apologize for. Either way, those said customers have someone in their life to give flowers to, and Sana doesn’t.

 

She tells herself that it’s fulfilling, that even though her romantic life is practically non-existent, at least she gets to help the ones who are in love.

 

She tells herself this because it’s the only way to make herself feel less lonely.

 

(It never works.)

 

This loneliness is the worst when mixed with the annoyance she feels when handling customers whose hearts aren’t in the right place. Sana thinks if you are going to give someone flowers, then you should mean it, not do it just for the sake of doing it.

 

Not that she refuses service to people who buy flowers for that second reason. Besides, it’s none of her business. The flower shop is her business. She’s there to sell flowers to people who are willing to pay for them, regardless of their intention.

 

And so everyday, she feigns patience and fakes smiles for this trade she chose for herself.

 

Today is not any different.

 

Honestly, Sana thought it was love at first sight. It’s not everyday that Sana gets to see such a perfect mixture of hot and cute walking into her shop after all. Still, her shop is a flower shop, and this stranger is most likely going to buy flowers for a significant other, so Sana really should know better than to let her heart flutter at the gorgeous woman wrapped so cutely under a thick, fluffy, red scarf and an even thicker, fluffier, black jacket.

 

However, that feeling quickly goes away as the girl starts talking.

 

“Do you do deliveries?” The girl asks Sana after approaching the counter.

 

“Yes, of course,” Sana confirms with a bright smile. “We need the order placed at least a day before the delivery though.”

 

“That’s fine,” the girl replies with a nod. “I’m in no rush. Well, not about the delivery at least.”

 

“Oh, okay.” Sana gets a notepad and a pen to write down the details before asking, “When do you wanna schedule the delivery?”

 

“Umm, can I have it delivered on Valentine’s Day?”

 

At that, Sana stares back at the stranger. “… It’s December.”

 

The other girl is unfazed by Sana’s reminder. “Is that a no?”

 

“I mean, if you’re paying, I don’t see why not,” Sana says and writes down ‘Feb 14’ labelled as the delivery date.

 

Sana hears the woman let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, good.”

 

“Must be for someone really special if you’re planning for Valentine’s Day this early,” Sana observes, and to her surprise, the other girl lightly scoffs.

 

“She’s nothing special. I’m just doing it now because I’ll probably forget to do it later.”

 

Sana has encountered countless customers like this one, but her stomach still drops in disappointment. For a minute there, this girl had Sana dreaming that one day, someone might adore her so much that they would spend months planning about how they could make her happy, only for that same stranger to tear that dream down to shreds.

 

Maybe it serves Sana right for having such high hopes.

 

“Oh, I see,” Sana replies flatly, her chirpiness from earlier now nowhere to be seen. “Do you have any specific flowers or arrangements in mind?”

 

“Right. I haven’t thought about that.”

 

Of course she didn’t.

 

“Do you want me to tour you around the shop and tell you about the flowers we have, so you can choose what flowers to send?” Sana offers.

 

“No, no, I’m in a hurry,” the girl declines while shaking her head. “I want this to be done as quick as possible.”

 

Ah, so this girl would neither give thought nor time for the person she is giving flowers to. Now, Sana’s belief that love is fake cannot be any stronger.

 

“Okay, then maybe just a bouquet of her favorite flower?” Sana asks still calmly even if her heart is slowly shattering on the inside. After all, business is business, and a customer is a customer.

 

“I don’t think she has one.”

 

“You don’t think so, or you didn’t ask?” Sana asks, more rudely than she intended, before she can stop herself.

 

“I don’t really need to,” is the other woman’s reply, and Sana wonders why this kind of person is currently in an actual relationship while her own romantic life is rotting.

 

“What about her favorite color?” Sana asks next, trying harder to keep her cool.

 

“Black,” the girl answers simply.

 

“I mean, you don’t really wanna give her black flowers, right?” Sana says but realizes the girl probably doesn’t care about that at all. “Does she like any other color? Something a bit brighter?”

 

“I don’t know, blue?” The stranger says it with so much uncertainty that Sana decides to take another route.

 

“How about a message? Flowers have different meanings, so what do you want your bouquet to mean?”

 

“How about something that says you’re not alone and unwanted?”

 

There is something in the way the girl says it that makes Sana believe that she genuinely meant it, unlike everything else that she uttered today.

 

However, the girl ruins it by continuing with, “You know what, that’s too weird. Just do the usual red roses. Let’s just get this over with.”

 

“Maybe you should allot more time and thought for the next time you wanna make a girl feel special,” Sana snaps, unable to hide her frustration.

 

Instead of getting mad, the girl smiles at Sana amusedly. “Do you just give unsolicited romantic advice to everyone?”

 

“Yup,” Sana replies sharply with the fakest smile. “Just wanna help. My business thrives on relationships after all.” Sarcastically, she adds, “Perhaps you want me to write down on the card for you, too?”

 

“That’s actually a fantastic idea, thanks,” the other girl replies, which just makes Sana’s irritation even worse. “Just write ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ and address it to ‘Chaeyoung.’”

 

“Wow, do you want me to sign it for you as well?”

 

“You’ll do that? Please do.”

 

At this point, Sana is fuming, unsure if the customer is screwing with her just to make her even crosser. “Are you serious?!”

 

“Okay, no, just leave it unsigned,” the girl states, changing her mind.

 

“What, you’re not even gonna sign it?” Sana questions in disbelief. “Is this an anonymous gift?”

 

“Not exactly…”

 

“Then why not?” Sana doesn’t even know why she even bothers asking. The customer is obviously going for exerting minimum effort on this thing, so Sana suggests, “You know what, just tell me your name and I’ll write it down for you.”

 

The girl heaves a heavy sigh, looking down at the floor and lowly utters, “Chaeyoung. My name is Chaeyoung.”

 

“Wait…” Sana blinks in confusion, checking her notepad to see the details she has written. “I don’t understand. I thought you were sending the flowers to Chaeyoung.”

 

The girl (Chaeyoung?) nods. “I am.”

 

“Okay,” Sana starts, slowly dragging the last syllable of the word before resuming, “so does your girlfriend have the same name as you, or are you sending flowers to yourself?”

 

“Look, it’s not that I’m weird or pathetic,” Chaeyoung jumps to the explanation instead of directly answering Sana’s question beforehand. “I just made a stupid deal with my flat mates last February because I didn’t think they’d remember. I forgot about it myself, and I only remembered when they mentioned it yesterday.”

 

“What deal?”

 

“They kept setting me up with people because I was the only one who didn’t get any flowers last Valentine’s Day. I told them to stop, but they didn’t, not until I said I’ll go on all the blind dates they’ll set up for me if I don’t get any flowers next Valentine’s Day.”

 

“So you are sending flowers to yourself,” Sana answers her own question.

 

Chaeyoung laughs. “Okay, so maybe I am a little bit pathetic.”

 

“What, because you’re single? Does that make me pathetic, too?”

 

“Wait, what, you’re single?!” Chaeyoung exclaims more than questions, startling Sana. “Why?!”

 

“What do you mean why? How can I even explain why?”

 

“Well, I can explain why I’m single. For one, my friends say I’m passive. I prefer to consider myself as realistic though.”

 

Sana raises an eyebrow. “Realistic in what way?”

 

“Realistic as in I’ve never asked anyone out because I think all of the people I’ve ever liked are out of my league.”

 

“That’s not realistic,” Sana argues. “How do you even know what’s ‘real’ if you’ve never even asked?”

 

“I’m just saying they can’t reject you if you reject yourself for them first,” Chaeyoung replies, and as she sees Sana opening , she stops Sana from talking by resuming with, “I know, I know, I’m a negative thinker blah blah blah. I hope you don’t find this rude, but I’d really like to skip the lecture because that is going to be a long, pointless discussion, and I really should leave before anyone sees me here buying flowers for myself.”

 

That makes Sana refrain from talking and before she can change her mind about that, she hears Chaeyoung ask, “How much do I owe you?”

 

“It’s on the house,” Sana replies, her bright smile finally making its way back to her face. “Take it as a gift from one lonely soul to another.”

 

“I insist,” Chaeyoung asserts. “I can pay.”

 

“But you don’t have to,” Sana counters. “I won’t accept it.”

 

With a huff, Chaeyoung gets something from her backpack and places it on the counter. “If you don’t let me pay for the flowers, I’m gonna leave my wallet here.”

 

Sana shakes her head at Chaeyoung’s stubbornness. “Look, how about you just pay me back in another way?”

 

“How?”

 

“Get out there, and ask someone out!” Sana proposes. “Go on a date! Have fun!”

 

“Umm I don’t think I can do that any time soon.”

 

“Why not? Don’t tell me you’re not interested in anyone.”

 

“I wasn’t, not until recently,” Chaeyoung mumbles. “She’s definitely out of my league though.”

 

“Nope.” Sana shakes her head. “Not gonna accept that reason. Try again.”

 

“She’s too pretty for me?” Chaeyoung attempts.

 

“Shut up. You’re gorgeous. Try again.”

 

Sana swears she can see Chaeyoung’s cheeks lightly turn pink, but the other girl laughs it off. “Look, I really can’t do this. I don’t even know her name.”

 

“Then ask her!”

 

“O-okay,” Chaeyoung nervously stutters, and then, “What’s your name?”

 

Oh.

 

“Just to be clear,” Sana begins as she puts the pieces together, “you wanna go out with me?”

 

“That’s a really long name,” Chaeyoung jokes. “Do you have a nickname?”

 

“Sana,” she replies with a chuckle. “Call me Sana.”

 

“Well, to answer your question, Miss Sana, I do. I would like to go out with you.”

 

Sana’s smile widens. “I’d like that too.”

 

“Oh,” Chaeyoung utters, like she’s surprised she got that answer. “Okay. Good. Thanks.”

 

Sana can’t help but laugh at the other girl’s awkwardness. “Oh, Chaeyoung, what am I gonna do with you?”

 

“Date me, apparently,” Chaeyoung responds. “I’ll do my best to not make you regret it.”

 

“I’m looking forward to it.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay,” Sana repeats. “See? That wasn’t so hard, right?”

 

“It was!” Chaeyoung insists. “I thought my heart was gonna burst out of my chest! I’m very awkward.”

 

“You’re very cute,” Sana retorts, making Chaeyoung blush again. “Definitely too cute to be sending flowers for yourself.”

 

“Well, if all goes well, you’ll be doing that for me, right?”

 

Sana gasps dramatically. “I knew it. You’re just interested in the free flowers.”

 

“I’m interested in you,” Chaeyoung answers, and there goes Sana’s heart fluttering again.

 

“Okay, Miss I’m-Too-Nervous-To-Flirt,” Sana says with narrowed eyes. “Why are you still here? Weren’t you in a hurry?”

 

“Not anymore.” Chaeyoung steps forward to lean against the counter and closer to Sana. “I think I can stay.”

 

Sana grins.

 

“Then stay.”

 

---

 

A/N: You can find me at twitter.com/minamyouwu