It’s a beautiful sunny day. Small fluffy clouds come across. Silence. There is no wind. Good.
Today is the first day of summer vacation. All her classmates went somewhere, only those who were born here remained in the city. She was one of them. She has nowhere to go, all relatives are here, even grandparents live under the city.
She stretched, stretched her shoulders, threw her light brown hair behind her back, slowly walked toward the center of the city. She knew that there would be able to see one girl with whom she wanted to make friends since elementary school. But since she is timid herself, it always seemed to her that it was a bad idea to offer herself as a friend.
Shy, timid and silent. So she described herself. The only friend at school was a translated girl from Taiwan. Choi Tzuyu.
The girl who liked her was cheerful, always cheerful, it seemed that she could handle everything. Many were drawn to her. She knew that the girl had friends, older than her, because she heard her call them “onni”. Friendly, fun company.
She so wanted to join their team, she often caught herself on such thoughts. But for this you need to have the courage to approach that girl, say hello, and offer friendship. Only here is the courage, where to get it?
A familiar road led her to a flourishing store, the girl she was thinking about just left it, smiling broadly, affably asking customers what flower they had chosen.
She stopped at a distance, the shadow of a tree blocking her from sight. For some reason, the heart began to tremble treacherously while her eyes looked at her with admiration. She liked how, in a matter of minutes, buyers agree with her choice, smile at her, and say that it is imperative to return here. She treated them as if they were her friends, and therefore many buyers always returned for a new bouquet here. Therefore, she herself came back here and just from the side watched her life in the store.
After standing still a little, she decided that she would try to talk to her tomorrow. She was already turning around when they called to her:
- Hey girl! Yes, yes, I am turning to you - that girl said pointing her finger. - Come here. Go, go.
She felt her face flush, and she knew that the girl was seeing her redness. And yet she came up.
“Hi, I'm Kim Dahyun, and I really want to make friends with you, Son Chaeyeong.”
She blinked in surprise, the girl knows her name, but from where.
“We are in the same music class, Chaeyeong,” she recalled, smiling. - You always tilt your head when you come to class and almost never remove the headphones from your ears. When I tried to talk to you, you just nodded my head and left. Almost running from me.
“I'm sorry,” Chaeyeong-whispered, hiding her eyes.
“You often come here,” Dahyun noted, the hem of the apron. Something fluttered in her smile, but she still remained on her face. “And you look in my direction all the time.” Why?

“I ...” did not know how to begin her prepared speech. She rehearsed many times in front of the mirror, but now, standing on the opposite of the girl, all the words fell out of her head.
“Are you busy right now, Chaeyeong?” - DaHyun did not insist, deciding to herself if she wanted, she would say, I won’t press.
“No,” she shook her head, shyly glancing from under her eyebrows at her.
- well! Then let's go, help me rearrange a couple of flower pots - without ceremony, I took it by the wrist and dragged it behind me to the store, by the counter. “I waited for Momo-unnie and Mina-unnie to come, but they wrote to me five minutes ago that they would linger.” And buyers always see this stuff when they go inside. So ashamed. Therefore, you will help me with the cleaning, right?
“Uh ... yes,” Chaeyeong said, looking at her joined hands.
“Hold on, this is for you - letting go of my wrist, she handed her a spare apron, gloves. Chaeng took them, put them on herself, waiting for instructions. “Now come here,” DaHyun asked, waiting for her in the corner of the room, there were several dried flowers near her feet. “I took care of them, but they dried up as luck would have it anyway,” she complained to her.
Chaeyeong looked at her sympathetically. How flowers could dry, after such care and love from DaHyun, Chaeyeong did not understand. She was sure that the girl put her whole heart on them to bloom.
She squatted, reached out and carefully picked up one flower. He swayed in her arms and crumbled a little while she carried it into the offered bag.
- What was it called? - asked Chaeng.
“Surprise,” answered DaHyun, carefully watching how he disappears into the trash bag. “I called him that, because that day when they brought him to me, I met ...”
- Met whom? - Chaeyeong asked, when the girl fell silent half a word. She noticed how DaHyun bit her lower lip, how her eyes ran around the room, then when she saw that she was looking at her, a smile shone on her face again. “I'm sorry, if you want, don’t speak.” This is none of my business.
“I met a man who is very dear to me,” DaHyun finished, so as not to draw out an awkward silence, she pointed to the next flower. - I called him “Waiting”, but the one that lies leaning against the wall gave him the name “Impatient”.
- And this one? - smiled Chaeyeong, holding a flower in her hands. - What is his name?
“She's,” DaHyun softly whispered, coming closer, gently touching the bud - “Strawberry Princess.”
- Strawberry? She asked, looking incredulously at a small bush, with a small bud in the middle. - Strawberries do not grow in pots! I know for sure! I collected it all the time on the roof of the school. In the greenhouse.
“And who do you think put them there?” - slyly squinting, asked DaHyun.
- You? I thought it was a supply manager, now I understand why he looked at me like that when I asked. He allowed me, and I just took them, and then thanked him with a chocolate bar.
“The chocolate was delicious, thank you.” The smile that she always liked blossomed on her lips. The smile that she thought belongs only to her. - Did you like strawberries?
“Very sweet,” Chaeng smiled again. As she thought before, it’s easy to communicate with a girl, you immediately feel comfortable.
“You have a beautiful smile, Chaeyeong - my heart is beating faster.”

“I like yours too,” she said embarrassedly, looking away from her gaze. There was an awkward silence than no one knew how to close it, so both sighed freely when they heard the bell ringing. Visitors came.
- DaHyun, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we were late - both girls said when they entered the store.
“Momo-unnie, Mina-unnie,” she rejoiced to her friends. “You, of course, were late, but you have already helped me.” Meet my savior, Son Chayeong.
“Nice to meet you, unnie,” she politely bowed back, Chaeng. She felt superfluous as soon as her friends appeared. - I'll probably go - once again bowed and went.
“Wait, I'm with you”, DaHyun said without hesitation, already looking imploringly at her friends.
Those silently nodded their heads. She smiled, hurried after the retreating girl. DaHyun caught up with her near the very tree from where she had called.
“For such a little girl, you walk fast -” DaHyun smiled a little out of breath. “Are you free now?” Let's go play a slot machine.
“But how is your work?” - surprised to see the girl next to her, asked Chaeyeong.
- My shift has come. I am free. And you? Asked DaHyun once more.
- I, too. All summer vacations, to be precise, answered Chaeng.
- well! Then all this time is mine! We are friends now, right?
- Friends? Yes, we are friends - she smiled happily, showing a dimple, Chaeyeong. - I know, one place where you can play any games, and they do not take expensive. Let's go to?
“Let's go,” she nodded, still not taking her eyes off the dimple.
She bewitches me with her smile - she thought to herself, following the little girl.
***
Many years have passed since then. 5 years to be exact. Their friendships grew as fast as their real feelings for each other. Chaeyeong, under the strict guidance of DaHyun, became not so shy, often laughed, had fun. She made 7 more friends, because DaHyun made her often meet with them, recognize them, and make friends. After the summer holidays, Chaeyeong found out that DaHyun was older than her, so she took offense at her friend for a long time, but always received only a bright smile.
They really became the closest of friends. Their connection was so strong that they often heard jokes in their direction:
- Lovely doves, coo again ...
- Lovely doves swear again ...
 And so on. They only laughed in response.
*
Today was a beautiful day. Sunny and calm. No clouds were visible at all. Clear blue sky. She tried to peer into the sky trying to catch at least some lost cloud, but they were not there.
“Whom are you looking for, honey?” - closing his eyes with his hands, someone whispered in his ear.
“You, of course,” the girl laughed, turning to face her friend who had come. - You…
“I arrived at exactly the appointed time.” Here - pointing to the clock, DaHyun quickly said. - 13:00.
“I wanted to say that you look beautiful, unnie,” she laughed, looking around her admiring glance at the yellow chintz dress. “And you repainted again.”
- Do not like? She said worriedly, running a hand through her hair. Sweet habit, when nervous, straighten your hair.
“Absolutely everything suits you, DaHyun-ni,” Chaeyeong said honestly. And that was true. - Let's go to?
- Oh, for a long time I have not visited this store. I wonder if he changed after I left? Probably the new owner changed it.
- Let's go - confidently pulled towards the center, remembering well the road to the flower shop. “Unnie, do you remember how you dragged me there?” - after a short silence, Chaeyeong asked timidly.
- It has been exactly 5 years since that moment. Then it was the same sunny day, you hid under the shade of a tree and burned your eyes on me. I waited for you to come to me, but did not wait, I decided to come up. You have no idea how nervous I was. I had to gather all my courage into a fist to take a step! And when she came up, I had to quickly come up with a plan for you to come with me.
Chaeyeong: You asked for help.
DaHyun: Yeah. And you agreed.
Chaeyeong: So those flowers ...
DaHyun: ... were just an excuse to detain you. But the names I gave them a long time ago.
Chaeyeong: Can you tell me now what those names meant? "Surprise" ...
DaHyun (looked into her eyes for a long time before deciding to reveal the whole truth): I unexpectedly met you.
Chaeyeong (holding his breath): "Waiting"?
DaHyun (paused, took her palms in hers): I waited for you to take the first step.
Chaeyeong (forgot why they went to the flower shop at all. She did not take her eyes off her friend’s lips now, waiting to hear what she had long dreamed of): “Impatient”?
DaHyun (smiling shyly): I watched you. I wanted to make friends with you, therefore, I then looked like a stalker. My friends themselves gave me such a nickname.
Chaeyeong (laughed softly): "Strawberry Princess"?
DaHyun (swallowed, but took a bold step): Everything is simple here. I love strawberry. And I fell in love with a girl who was picking strawberries.

Chaeyeong (took a step towards them, they practically touched their noses. Looking at such a sweet smile that always belonged to her, she said): You are lucky that I love chocolate.