When Chaeyeon turned the knob, the familiar sweetness of flowers was enough to rejuvenate her lungs after spending a week of smelling the air of a busy city. She took one long whiff before she climbed up the stairs to the apartment she shared with her sister and right as she expected, she found the girl splayed across the couch in the exact same position she was in when Chaeyeon bid her farewell.

“I’m home! Miss me?”

Chaeryeong barely spared her a passing glance before she turned back to watching her show. “Oh you’re back. Did you bring anything back for me?”

What a typical response, she thought as she rolled her eyes at their usual routine whenever she comes back from a trip. The older sister fished for the cold metal that weighed in her coat pocket and flung it at Chaeryeong who caught it before it hit her face.

“Woah, who’d you get this from?” She asked as she eyed the timepiece in the light, examining how the silver shone with nary a scratch as well as how the gold letterings of ROLEX glittered arrogantly.

Chaeyeon shrugged the coat off her shoulders and placed it on the arm of their couch. Chaeryeong scooted her legs so her sister had room to slump down. “Some guy bumped into me and didn’t apologize. He won’t be missing it anyway; if you saw the guy, you’d bet he has a whole closet more stashed in his house.”

Chaeryeong lightly kicked her sister on the shoulder, earning a scowl and a slap on the ankle. “Why’d do you stop with a watch then?”

“I thought about it, but I had a meeting with Doc and you know how she is with punctuality.”

Chaeryeong let out a quiet hum as she placed the watch on the coffee table and then turned back to the television that showed a rerun of an old black and white show. Growing bored by the lame storyline, she switched channels but eventually settled on the music shows that Wonyoung liked to watch.

“What do we have to get this time? Another rusty sword? A painting?” She raised a brow but her sister only sighed, a telling signal that Doc’s ninth request was going to be a pain.

“This time,” Chaeyeon scratched her head and chuckled nervously. “It won’t be as easy.”

“Ugh,” Chaeryeong groaned, kicking her leg on top of Chaeyeon’s lap and slapping a hand to her forehead. “Of course it never gets any easier,” she grumbled as Chaeyeon patted her knee for comfort.

“How soon can you call the others over?”

Chaeryeong opened but another voice, making Chaeyeon jump from surprise, quipped from the hallway. “I already sent a message to meet us tonight, but, knowing them, they’ll probably come running when they get the text.”

“Oh, it’s only you.”

Said woman attempted to fix the tousled bangs that strayed on her innocent-looking face, a tell-tale sign that she just woke up, while a roguish grin greeted the exasperated faces of the Lee sisters. Clad in sweatpants and a sweater Chaeyeon swore her sister owned, Shin Ryujin gave a little wave before she sauntered over to the kitchen to quell her empty stomach.

“So, Big Chae,” Ryujin bellowed as she raided their refrigerator and cabinets looking for something to eat. “When are we going to change our name? No offense, but I have a few complaints about being called White Feather by every news on TV. It doesn’t exactly scream badass, if you know what I mean. You’re the boss, so just say the word and I could totally make a fake website, hijack a news report, make a viral image—you name it, I’ll do it. I already have several names in mind too but I’m open to suggestions.”

“How long have you been thinking about this?”

“Right when you left.” Chaeryeong was rubbing her temples to soothe the headache that only appeared when Ryujin was around. “She picked the lock and moved in while I was sleeping.”

Ryujin took a sip of the soda she snatched and leaned on the kitchen table. That smug grin was present on her face, the grin she knew made girls get weak in the knees, but Chaeryeong only replied by sticking her tongue out. “Don’t lie to yourself Chaer Bear, you’d have been so lonely without me.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you too.”

Chaeyeon was quick to grab Chaeryeong by the hood of her sweater before she pounced on Ryujin who happily drank the sight of the normally composed girl blush scarlet in frustration, or was it embarrassment? Ryujin may not have been an expert on humans as she was on computers, but she had the sensibility to acknowledge that Chaer Bear could potentially smother in her sleep so she swallowed her comments for the time being. Instead, she blew a kiss which made Chaeryeong’s face flush an even deeper color that reached the tips of her ears.

“That’s enough you two. Save that energy for the meeting tonight. As for now, how about we have breakfast first?”

At the mention of the Lee’s famous breakfast, Ryujin’s face happily lit up while Chaeryeong’s grumbling stomach answered for her. Even when it was half past noon, breakfast had a special way of keeping order in the normally rowdy house.

“Breakfast!?” Three muffled voices chorused.

Suddenly the door opened and three bodies scrambled over themselves to find a space in the dinner table designed for four. Wonyoung caught a seat near Ryujin while Yena and Yujin pushed each other to claim the remaining chair with victory leaning towards the younger in due part to her height. Ryujin was right, they really must’ve came running.

“Hey, kids,” Chaeyeon spoke as she whisked pancake mix in a bowl. “Can you set the table while you’re there.”

Yena pointed to the short-haired girl who laughed at their childish complaints. “What about Ryujin? What’s she going to do?”

“Well, someone has to do the dishes.”

“What, really!?” The hacker then felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck and she knew Chaeryeong was glaring daggers at her. “Okay, will do. You won’t hear a zip from me.”

After that, the house settled into a steady rhythm of cooking pancakes two at a time with the Lee sisters at the helm and voracious eating. Chaeyeon wiped the remaining batter on her apron as she leaned at the counter, watching the kids eat with an affectionate smile on her face.

Wonyoung saw the missing figure of their makeshift family and mouthed, Are you going to eat? Chaeyeon shook her head and pointed downstairs, an indication that she was going to open up shop although it was a bit later than schedule. Wonyoung nodded and mouthed that she’ll be down to help when she was done.

Chaeyoung made her way downstairs and went down her mental checklist to check before she unlocked the front door. Checking the back room first, she was glad that it wasn’t as much of a mess as the other times she came back. Chaeryoung dethorned most of the flowers that arrived while she was gone, probably while she hid from Ryujin’s teasing, and placed them in correct bouquets, so most of her worries were for nothing. Nako also plotted the new seasonal seeds, evident by how none of the plants were stored above the tiers above her approximate height, and posted a small note of their names. Chaeyeon breathed a sigh of relief when she found that none of the pots were broken; a new record for the hyperactive kids.

She checked the basement last to see that most of their documents and equipment were left untouched since the last heist. It was clean in a “we-know-where-things-are-approximately-are” sort of way, so she waved it off and went back upstairs.

By the time she unlocked the front doors, Wonyoung arrived to work on making new bouquets and Chaeryeong busied herself with taking inventory of the new stock. Same business as usual. Same old, not-illegal, business as usual.

Chaeyeon greeted and waved at the locals that frequented the shop and placed a bowl of water for the cats that liked to doze off in front of her store. The cats were mostly harmless and were friendly enough to pet, but there were always a stray or two that were rougher than the others so Chaeyeon made it a habit to be more safe than sorry.

Chaeyeon crouched down and checked the flowers in display for any chewed leaves or unearthed roots. Seeing one leaf eerily chewed, she lifted a potted succulent up to see clearly.

“It’s you.” A voice spoke in Japanese behind Chaeyeon.

She froze momentarily, her tight grip breaking a portion of the pot’s lip. No, this wasn't possible, this can't be happening.

“The one from the plane. That was you, wasn’t it?”

Chaeyeon turned around to see the same rose-colored hair and intelligent eyes that squinted at her with certainty. Her clothes were different now, choosing to ditch her coat for a simple black cardigan that endearingly made her already small figure tinier, and she tied her hair up in a small ponytail.

False alarm.

“Oh! It’s you again!” Chaeyeon swallowed her worries down to the pit of her chest as she set the pot down on the stand. She wiped the remaining suspicion off of her face and offered all the politeness she could offer. “Good to see you’re awake now, Miss…”

“Miyawaki Sakura. I didn’t think I’d see a familiar face so soon.”

“It’s a small world, isn’t it Miyawaki-san? Never thought I’d see the person who sleeps with their eyes open again.”

“I do not sleep with my eyes open! Stop lying,” Sakura playfully punched her shoulder.

“You do! When I looked down to check if you were sleeping, your eyes were wide open and staring at me. It gave me a heart attack!”

“Sakura is just fine, Lee-san.”

“If you’re going to be like that then just call me Chaeyeon.” Chaeyeon assured with a smile. The other woman’s smile was certainly infectious. “I didn’t know we’d be on a first name basis already.”

“If you are going to be like that then I should ask when would you like me to pick you up for dinner?”

Wait, was Sakura flirting with her? Was she flirting with her? Get it together, Chaeyeon!

Chaeyeon stuffed her hands in her pockets to hide her jittering. Her flirtation game was in dire need of practice, but she wasn't entirely clueless. “You’ve known me for five minutes and you’re already asking me out on a date? You’re very bold.”

Much to Sakura’s credit, she didn’t miss a single beat. “I’d say I’m confident.”

“Confident in yourself?”

This woman had the audacity to tilt her head and bite her lips, looking at her with that sensual look in her eyes. “I’m confident in you saying yes.”

Oh God, red alert. SOS. Someone save her. 

In the first time in years, Chaeyeon felt her heart race just as fast as the moments she feels the etched frame under her gloved fingers and prepares to swipe it from its hinges. But in this situation, there were no threats of life in prison, only mild humiliation if she said something embarrassing.

Miyawaki Sakura is a dangerous woman, Chaeyeon decided. A very dangerous, yet interesting woman.

It seemed that her face expressed everything she was thinking because Sakura hurriedly waved her hands to dispel the misunderstanding. Her eyebrows were knitted together and she smiled kindly to reassure Chaeyeon's heart. “On second thought, you can decline if you’re already seeing someone! I was just asking since you were so nice to me at the plane, I wanted to repay you and get to know you more. As friends!” She shouted the last part as an afterthought.

Chaeyeon watched her, stifling a giggle with her hand, as words tumbled recklessly out of Sakura’s mouth. She was practically seducing her one second and next she’s charming her with her clumsiness. A woman of many sides, she could relate to that.

“—and I can assure you that I am no homewrecker!”

Chaeyeon had to step in any minute or else Sakura was surely going to spontaneously combust with how flushed her cheeks were. “Sakura.” Waiting for the woman’s head to look up, she looked into her eyes and answered, “I would very much like to have dinner with you.”

“O-Oh, that’s great.”

“Also, here’s a tip. You should save your money, if you were thinking about buying flowers. As you can see, I have a lot,” she joked as she gestured to the multitude of flowers that surrounded her.

“Very funny.” She rolled her eyes. “Do you work here?”

“I own it actually.”

“You’re quite the lazy owner.” She teased without an ounce of ill will. “You’ve been spending so much time talking to a customer instead of working.”

Chaeyeon feigned a pang of hurt. “Ouch, do you need to hit me where it hurts? But you’re right though, you distracted me from pushing daisies.”

“Pushing daisies? I’m not familiar with that saying.”

“It means ‘being dead’ so in other words you helped me from dying of boredom.”

“Ah,” Sakura nodded her head in understanding, committing the new information to memory. “Are you fluent in both Korean and Japanese?”

“Pretty much. Why?”

She took out her phone. “If it’s not too much, can I please have your number? I think I would be more comfortable knowing there’s someone I can call in case I get lost. I’m not exactly all that familiar with the city.”

Chaeyeon nodded her head as she handed Sakura her own. “Are you new to Korea?” She questioned as she typed her number down under the contact name ‘Jjaeyeon.’ Throughout her conversation, Chaeyeon had observed that all her mannerisms screamed foreigner, down to the wandering eyes and casual pace, but she lacked the overly sized backpack and bulky camera that would have labeled her as a tourist.

“It’s my first time so I’m a bit disorientated.”

“And yet you still asked me to dinner? Without knowing the city?”

She rubbed her nape shyly. “I assumed you knew where you wanted to go if I asked.”

And there it is again, that demure demeanor. “How about I show you around the city and then we’ll have dinner after. Does that sound good?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

"Are you two done?"

Nako—how long had she been standing there?—cleared . She pointed to the entrance the two so forcibly blocked as they conversed. Her normally cute face stared back at Chaeyeon with a teasing smirk she would often see from Yujiin. 

“It seems we’ve attracted an audience,” Sakura coughed while she looked at something behind Chaeyeon back.

She turned her head to see that all the kids, even the trio upstairs, had gathered around the cashier counter to watch the two of them. Yujin and Yena’s faces wore Cheshire smiles and that was never a good sign. Nako had snuck herself inside the the store to join them. God knows how long they’ve been there or how long they’ve been listening in, but she knew she wasn’t going to here the end of it.

“I think I should get going now. I don’t want to keep you from your responsibilities anymore than I have already.”

“Don't worry about it,” Chaeyeon replied as she patted her on the arm. “Feel free to come by anytime and if you need any help with anything, don’t be afraid to call me.”

“Same goes to you. It was a pleasure seeing you again, Chaeyeon.” She held her hand out. "I will look forward to our date."

“Likewise.” Chaeyeon shook her hand but she held it for a second more than necessary. The softness of her hand was something entirely new under her calloused fingers but there was a firmness that knew hard work, that knew hardship.

Sakura waved good-bye and started walking the direction she came from. Probably to wherever she’s staying.

Chaeyeon called out, “Don’t get lost!” But she wasn’t sure Sakura heard her above the noise of cars and people that resided in the city. She trusted her sense of direction, but the winding streets are capable of confusing any lonely local. In her lonesomeness, she had a moment to recollect herself.

Wow, did that just happen? Did she just land a date out of the blue with a beautiful stranger?

Her rosy hair no longer standing out amidst the sea of black. Sakura was gone from her sight. 

And then she was bombarded by a million questions at once when she stepped inside the store.

Yujin had whirled her around and shook her shoulders. "Chaeyeon! When were you going to tell us that you got a girlfriend?"

"Did you meet her in Japan?"

"How long have you been dating?"

"How old is she?"

Questions like that went one ear and out the other as she had trouble comprehending left from right and up from down. 

"W-wait one at a t-time." She slapped Yujin's wrist who released her when she saw that she had trouble standing on her own. 

Nako, their latest addition, asked from her place behind the counter. "What's her name?"

"Miyawaki Sakura."

Fast as lightning, Ryujin whipped out her phone. "Mi-ya-wa-ki Sakura."

"No, Ryujin. Don't even think about it."

"I was only going to conduct a small background check!"

Chaeryeong grabbed Ryujin's wrist and set it down. "Your background checks involve digging for their credit card information and finding their exact location. My sister finally found someone that likes her, we can't scare her off yet."

"Fine," 

"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question," Yena butted in. "How'd you meet her?"

"Would you believe me if I said I met her on the plane."

"You work fast. Teach me your ways, Chaeyeon."

Wonyoung, ever the romantic, sighed dreamily. Seated next to Nako, she placed her head on her hands and leaned forward. "I think she's really pretty, Chaeyeon-unnie."

Although the compliment wasn't aimed at her, Chaeyeon blushed anyway. The idea that someone so beautiful noticed her was flattering.

To save her from further teasing, she played the managerial card. "Don't you guys have work to do!"

"But there's no one here!" Yujin raised her hand and exclaimed. "It's empty!"

"It's because you're scaring them away."

A small meow was heard and Chaeyeon motioned to the plump tabby cat that regularly made their counter her bed for nap time. "Now you made Coco feel bad."

Yujin sighed dramatically but still crouched down to pet her behind the ears as apology. The cat purred, delighted that she was receiving affection. 

That was when Chaewon barged in, helmet in hand and leather jacket zipped up. 

"So, what did I miss?"