[CONTENTID1] 006 [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] Gerberas, Peonies [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Water droplets slid slowly from the leaves of the flowers down to the soil as Eunseo watered them idly. Staring at the droplets, it was the only way to keep her dropping down from extreme boredom. It was Saturday, the second weekend where she could relish in her own bubble, only to have nothing exciting to do.

“Goodness Eunseo, I’ve never seen you lack energy like this. Aren’t you happy it’s the weekend,” her mother questioned as she tapped her shoulder, nearly having her jump out of her skin.

“Mom,” Eunseo whined, “You scared me.” Setting down the watering plant on the nearest flat-surface, she moved strands of her bangs away from her line of sight.

“You wouldn’t be scared if you weren’t so busy being in a trance,” her mother retorted almost teasingly. “You still haven’t answered my question earlier.”

“Yes. But I don’t know, today just feels… off.” Eunseo answered, after struggling to think of words to describe how she was feeling.

It was from the previous weekdays of fulfilling very little in terms of changing Baekhyun’s views on love. Though they had gotten closer, the conversion itself felt like solving a rubik's cube - she tried numerous tactics that could come to her mind and failed to do it.

The movies? Didn’t work. Going to a romantic area? Didn’t work. Finding him a potential partner? Nothing. 

It all seemed hopeless.

“Is it because you couldn’t change Baekhyun’s ways?”

“Yes,” Eunseo replied with a sigh. 

“The boy obviously will not open his heart up anytime soon, whatever he experienced left something in him,” Eunseo’s mother placed her hands on her hips. “He’s stubborn, but not as stubborn as his grandmother.”

Eunseo snorted at the last statement, it was true that no one was as stubborn as Mrs. Byun. But besides that, she had always wondered what had led Baekhyun to think of love in such a way. She had always thought to ask but couldn’t bring herself to do it as it seemed invasive and could potentially erase all progress she had made with him. But one day, she hoped to ask, she was curious.

“Well, I don’t want to ask him directly. It would be like I’m trying to figure out his whole life, and he could take it in the wrong way.”

“That’s considerate of you, Eunseo,” her mother shifted some plants around. “I thought you simply missed being around him.”

Still from her mother’s word, she cleared and replied with, “I-I don’t.”

From her awareness, Eunseo had never felt a sense of missing Baekhyun. After spending an entire day with him, what else was there to miss? She was always ready to crash home and go along with her own business while hardly thinking about him - on most days.

“When you spend most of your time with someone, it feels weird not being with them for a long period of time. You simply go to them to fulfill that emptiness.” She chuckled and sighed. “That’s what I notice, especially with you and Baekhyun when you two were young.”

“That was over twenty years ago, I don’t do that now,” Eunseo groaned. “I’m embarrassed you keep on bringing it up.”

Recalling the time her mother mentioned that she snuck off to see Baekhyun after one week of not seeing him, Eunseo slumped her shoulders and pouted. How terribly embarrassing. 

“It could happen again, sweetheart. Here,” she walked over to the counter and came back with a bouquet of gerbera daisies and peonies. “Take this to Mrs. Byun’s bakery. She recently called in and said the previous bouquet died.”

“Okay. Do I have to return back here afterwards?”

“No, I don’t need any help anymore. Are you going to see Baekhyun?”

“Of course not, I’m not going to see him just because I “miss” him,” Eunseo held the bouquet with one hand and did the air-quote with her fingers with the other.

Eunseo’s mother broke into a smile, “I’ll believe you.”

Rolling her eyes, Eunseo took off her apron and set it on the counter before walking out of the shop with her bag. 

-

It had been awhile since Eunseo had stopped by Mrs. Byun’s bakery. She missed the scrumptious desserts that filled the entire shop with its sweet aroma and the sweet taste of them. Opening those doors after weeks, filled her with overwhelming happiness.

The bakery wasn’t as busy as there were a few occupants sitting at their tables, enjoying their baked goods. 

“Oh dear, is that Eunseo with my pretty flowers? I missed you!”

A smile spread upon Eunseo’s face as she looked at the elderly woman from behind the counter. Remembering what Baekhyun had mentioned about her condition, she quickly hid her sorrow with a bigger smile. “It’s been a while, Mrs. Byun. I missed you too!”

Stepping close to the counter, she handed the small bouquet to her, who took it from her hands with a “thank you” and turned to the kitchen area before calling, “Baekhyun, come here!”

Hearing his name being called, it was like a pot of flowers had fallen onto her head and left her in a haze. It was the second time in the row she would see him again on a weekend. She was curious as to why he was here and her eyes widened once he stepped into her view.

Baekhyun’s hair that was normally down was now teased up in an updo and it seemed like it was shaved a bit on the sides. Usually he wore baggy shirts but this time he was wearing a plain white t-shirt fitted with his torso. He looked like a city boy before, this time, it was like he had upped that image even more. She had to admit, he looked even more handsome than ever.

“Hey, Eunseo,” Baekhyun greeted, snapping her off of her daze. 

Eunseo sheepishly smiled and brought up her hand to wave, followed with, “Hi, Baekhyun.”

“He looks a bit different, doesn’t he,” Mrs. Byun said as she looked at her grandson. “He looks even more handsome,” she squealed before pinching his arm.

“Yeah,” Eunseo replied, her eyes remaining on his hair. “He does,” she continued softly.

“Take this bouquet and put the flowers in the vase for me before putting them on the display case, for me please,” Mrs. Byun directed as she handed the bouquet to Baekhyun.

“You got it,” Baekhyun replied, taking it from her hands. Turning to Eunseo, he flashed a small smile and held his hand up in a wave before disappearing to another room. 

“Alright, Eunseo, what would you like to get today,” Mrs. Byun asked, leaning herself onto the counter. 

“I’ll take a chocolate-filled croissant, please.”

“I just baked a new batch, they’ll be ready for you soon. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Nope, I’ll wait at a table.”

“Oh good! That’ll be 8300 won.”

“Yeah,” Eunseo reached into her pocket and handed her money toward the elderly woman as she processed her order at the register. 

“Thank you sweetheart. I’ll call you when they’re done.”

“Okay, thank you, Mrs. Byun,” Eunseo smiled before making her way towards an empty table by the shop’s window.

As Eunseo sat herself down at the table, she brought out her tablet and sketchbook to start on a commission from a new client. The shop itself always led her to be productive when it came to her job, what better way to take advantage of her time than come to the bakery and start a new project?

Opening the email from her new client on her tablet, Eunseo flipped to a blank page of her sketchbook and scribbled down any notes and suggestions before brainstorming ideas for the piece. Her mind was flowing with ideas, way too many. Writing them down in a long list, she reviewed them over before decisively crossing out the ones she didn’t think would fit.

“Here’s your croissant.”

That voice definitely did not belong to Mrs. Byun. Looking up from her sketchbook, she nearly jumped at the sight of Baekhyun holding her pastry in his hand while standing less than a foot away from her.

What was