It was somewhat ironic, as her friends would say, that Soyeon disliked the rain so much.

As a florist, one would imagine that she would have developed a certain appreciation for the rainy season by now. Yet, Soyeon had a tendency to prove people wrong.

She didn’t disagree with the general sentiment. Furthermore, she would also admit that having rain was better than being in constant drought. However, the rain also made deliveries inconvenient, customers sparse, and it became so cold that the staff barely had enough energy to run the store.

There was only one thing in the world that Soyeon detested more than rain, and that was Valentine’s Day.

It was just a string of bad luck for her to find that this year, the two things she disliked the most in the world, decided to join forces to ruin her mood in a single weekend.

Valentine’s was one of their busiest periods, along with Mother’s Day and Graduation, so they couldn’t really afford a shortage of staff. Yet, her best friend was off spending the day with her girlfriend and Minnie was currently stuck in the middle of a delivery because she had chosen to walk to the venue instead of take the car.

It was physically impossible for her to get upset with Soojin. Her best friend was one of the kindest people she had ever met and she could hardly stay upset with her for more than a few minutes. Kim Minnie, however, was another case altogether.

“Unnie, I told you to take the car, didn't I?” She said, keeping her tone even.

“Yes, it was my fault for not thinking ahead… I’m really sorry, Soyeon-ah... I’ll rush back the moment the rain lightens up so please cover for me for a little while!” Minnie’s tone was apologetic, and Soyeon could hear the aegyo seeping into her voice. She could almost imagine the pout the other girl would be sporting if she could see her face. “Don’t be mad…I’ll even treat you to fried chicken later!”

Fried chicken was tempting. However, she had been craving something else recently.

Soyeon hummed, pretending to consider the offer. “Get me a pizza instead and I’ll consider the apology.”

“Eh? Ah, don’t be like that... People are stingy with tips nowadays, you know? Just now, I used my body to shield the flowers from the rain and the teacher didn’t even give me a tip after that! Could you believe it? She started taking pictures of the bouquet instead, and I had to hold them for her!” There was an audible huff on the other end of the line. “She told me to leave after I put the flowers down, even though it’s pouring here. What kind of person does that?”

Soyeon wanted to laugh. Whenever the other girl whined, she would always wonder whether Minnie was really older than her.

“It’s okay unnie, just come back safe and don’t catch a cold.” She reassured her. The likelihood of customers coming into the store were significantly lower, due to the rain, so she didn't feel like it would be too overwhelming. “I’ll take care of things on this end.”

There were a few more “sorry”s before the call ended and the store was plunged into silence. The gloomy atmosphere seeped into Soyeon’s consciousness as she listened to the rain beating against the pavement. It was a steady pattering that drowned out her thoughts until her mind started to blank out.

A sudden gust of wind caused a heavy splatter of raindrops against the window. It sounded like a flurry of rocks had been thrown against the glass.  

Startled, Soyeon instinct at the sound, and felt a sense of melancholy wash over her. Everything was blanketed in shades of white and grey. It looked like someone spilled a glass of water on a painting, and the colours had bled through, leaving only the bleak outlines behind.

It was a blurry mess of nothingness and it certainly felt the same.

During moments like these, she had to remind herself that there were shops on the other side of the road. The world didn’t stop existing at the door of the flower shop. She wasn't alone. Minnie was a twenty minute walk away, and she would have been back but for the sudden downpour. If anything, Soojin was a phone call away.

After a few seconds, she retreated towards the staff room behind the counter. It was against their employee code of conduct to leave the store unmanned, even for a second, but it wasn’t as though there would be many customers walking through the doors at this time. Soyeon assumed she was safe to take a short break since she was alone.

She had just taken a sip of water when the familiar jingle of the front door startled her. She glanced towards the entryway, wondering who in their right mind would be out shopping on the street in such bad weather.

Perhaps Minnie had kept her promise and hurried back. Logically, it didn’t seem that way since the rain seemed to have gotten heavier instead, but Soyeon wanted to preserve that possibility.

However, the person at the entrance of the store, shaking off the residual rain drops like a puppy who had just gotten a bath, was definitely not Kim Minnie.

For one, there was definitely a height difference between the stranger and her cat eyed colleague. A direct contrast to Minnie’s startlingly long red hair, the girl in front of her had black hair that ended just above her shoulders. On hindsight, the two bore no similarities at all.

The girl’s back was facing her as she checked whether her belongings were wet from the rain. Water was still dripping from the ends of her hair. Some of the water droplets had dripped onto her already damp hoodie, darkening what had originally been a light shade of pink. The rest made their way to the floor, creating a small puddle around her.

Not being one to forget her manners, she found herself extending a tissue box towards the stranger.

“Do you need a tissue, miss?” It only registered a few seconds later that tissue was probably less than helpful considering the situation. It wasn't as though she kept an array of towels in the staffroom. However, the girl accepted her offering gratefully.

“Oh gosh, the rain is SO heavy right now, isn’t it?” The girl’s exclamation took her by surprise, considering that most people wouldn’t be so informal to someone they’ve just met. Her voice was loud and it echoed against the glass panels of the otherwise quiet shop.

Soyeon cleared before she formally replied in the affirmative. She couldn’t shake off the awkwardness of the situation but there wasn’t anyone else that the stranger could possibly be addressing. There was a beat that passed as the girl looked around her.

“Oh, this is a flower shop.” The comment seemed to be observatory and aimed more towards herself than to Soyeon, but the florist felt compelled to respond all the same.   

“Yes... Are you looking for anything in particular?”

The girl seemed to hesitate at her question. “Well, I’m honestly not really a flower person. I don’t really know much about flowers.”

“Oh, that’s fine.” She was probably getting something as a present, Soyeon figured.

Switching back to business mode, she turned to the bouquets of roses on display.  She mentally thanked Soojin for asking her to memorise the Valentine’s catalogue the day before. She had complained in the beginning but it had actually come in handy. “We have special bouquets for Valentine’s that you can customise for your-“

“Ah, wait, that’s not necessary!”

As though the girl became aware of the volume of her own exclamation, her eyes went wide for a second.

Soyeon could almost pinpoint the exact moment the realisation hit her, because there was a surge of pink that blossomed in her cheeks. It reminded her of the batch of azaleas they had just delivered recently. However, despite her embarrassment, her eyes turned into crescents as she burst into laughter. “You’re very kind, but I was actually on my way home when I got caught in the downpour. I’m uh... I’m not seeing anyone…at the moment.”

The girl cleared . “So, uh, no special person that I need to customise anything for.”

In the awkward pause that followed, Soyeon felt the urge to laugh. She hadn’t asked for an explanation, but she appreciated the girl’s candour and direct answer. If anything, the girl’s motive for coming into the store was obvious now. She supposed Minnie had attempted something similar during her delivery. At least this girl had the decency to look guilty, unlike her friend.

However, it wasn’t as though she was inherently doing anything wrong. Furthermore, Soyeon wasn’t someone who would throw a person out of her shop during a storm.

“Feel free to stay as long as you’d like.” Soyeon stated lightly. “The weather is terrible right now.”

Customer service wasn’t exactly her forte. On normal days, Minnie was the one who handled the counter and Soojin handled designs and orders.

The three of them had been a team for as long as she could remember; the division of labour had always worked. The original idea for starting a business together had been hers. Despite warnings from their peers, Soojin had supported her and backed her up all the way. The only area they were less confident about was customer service, which was where Minnie came in.

She definitely wasn’t used to taking up the role but she’d seen Soojin bring out the tea set for important clients and customers who were making bulk orders or customising their flower arrangements. She didn’t know where the tea was kept but the staff room wasn’t that big. It probably wouldn’t take too much effort to locate them.

A quick glance towards the glass windows confirmed that the storm would probably last for quite a while longer. Hence, she turned to the customer whose gaze was already drawn towards the flower displays. “I can make you some tea and you can have a look around the store in the meantime.”

It took more time than she would like to admit, and a few messages to Soojin, for her to find out where the tea pot and tea leaves were kept. In short, it wasn’t that much of a shock for Soyeon to find that the customer wasn’t where she had left her. She placed the tea gently on the garden table and peered around the flower displays. She hadn’t heard the sound of the door so she was relatively certain the girl was still somewhere in the shop.

After a beat of silence, she heard a yelp. There was a clatter of what sounded like empty flowerpots; or rather, ones that she hoped were empty. Instantly, she followed the sound to the clusters of flowers that were hidden behind the main display.

To her amusement, the girl was clutching onto a bunch of dried lotus flowers while trying to prevent another pot from tipping over.

As a shopkeeper, she was well aware that she should be the last person laughing. After all, this was a mishap in progress. Moreover, it was taking place in her own store. However, she couldn’t prevent the snicker from escaping once the short haired girl realised she wasn’t alone.

To give herself credit, her instincts as a florist won out the moment she caught sight of the flowers in the girl’s hand. Crossing the room, she carefully rescued the stalks from the girl’s grip. She could feel the other girl’s gaze on her as she scurried to find another pot. Once she had placed them safely in another pot and checked for any other damages, she felt like her lungs could accept oxygen again. It only occurred to her then that she had forgotten to ask whether the girl was hurt.

She had a reason for being so protective though. Those sunflowers were secretly one of Soyeon’s favourites. She had personally sourced for the seeds required to cultivate species of sunflowers that bloomed into various colours. Most of them had to be ordered from overseas. Due to their rarity, they had been placed in a separate location from the regular flowers. She had no idea how this particular customer managed to end up in this situation.

She barely noticed the shuffle behind her until the girl spoke.

“Uh, excuse me, I’m really sorry about just now... It was an accident and I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

Soyeon turned towards the girl who had her head tilted down in apology. As far as she was concerned, there hadn’t been much harm done. She was about to say something to that effect when the customer stood upright abruptly.

“Oh right! The tea!”

~

She had originally anticipated stilted conversation and gaps of silence. It was only natural, after their awkward beginning. However Yuqi, as she soon found out the girl’s name was, was as vibrant as the sunflowers she had almost killed earlier.

Despite being one year younger, Yuqi was surprisingly expressive and easy to talk to. Her bubbly personality made all her hesitation and discomfort evaporate. It was refreshing to meet someone who wasn't caught up in formalities.

Within a few minutes, she also discovered that Yuqi was the complete opposite of her. For one, Soyeon was more or less used to having differences of opinion. Yet, Yuqi was actively trying all ways and means to find something that they had in common. It was rather adorable.

The tea had long since finished but they were too absorbed in their conversation to notice. At some point, Yuqi had nearly knocked over their tea in the midst of making one of her gestures to illustrate her story, so it was probably for the better that Soyeon hadn’t made her another cup.

“I can’t believe you don’t like the rain!”

“Why not?”

“Well, for one, you work in a flower shop. Rain is necessary for flowers to grow beautifully. Shouldn't you be thankful for the rain?”

“Actually, too much water also kills the flowers and some plants need delicate conditions to flourish.” Soyeon pointed out. Some flowers grew better when watered with rain water, due to the natural nutrients present in the water, but she didn't feel the need to offer that piece of information. “Nowadays, the rain has become more acidic due to pollution, so it’s not always good.”

“It’s also inconvenient since I have to work…” She added thoughtfully. Their business was always affected one way or the other when it rained.

To make matters worse, the rain somehow made the people around her more sombre and thoughtful. She often caught Minnie lost in thought or scribbling endlessly in her notebook whenever it rained. People who didn't believe that the weather affected moods were in denial.

“Even so, it’s peaceful and calming.” The girl continued. “It gets way too hot when the sun is out and it’s hard to concentrate on anything.”

Soyeon had to disagree at that. At least when it was sunny, her friends were more upbeat and cheerful. They could go out for meals and carry out their daily activities without feeling the need to carry umbrellas or worry about the rain ruining their plans. The plants needed sunshine to grow as well.

“What about dogs or cats? You have to like at least one of them. Animals are universally everyone’s soft spot.” Yuqi trailed off for a second and paused. “Unless, you’re a psychopath.”

“I hate to disappoint you,” Soyeon had to bite back a smile as she responded. “but I’m allergic to their fur.”

The girl’s dumbfounded expression was one she wanted to remember. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She shook her head as Yuqi tried to reconcile her thoughts with reality.

It took a second of silence, where Soyeon could hear her own thoughts, for her to realize that she could no longer hear the sound of the rain falling against the ground outside.

Looking over, she was surprised to see the yellow rays of sunlight streaming in from the glass windows in the foyer. Despite such heavy rainfall earlier, she hadn’t even noticed that the rain had finally stopped.

It was an afterthought but Minnie was probably on her way back too.

Her movement caught Yuqi’s attention. The younger girl seemed to take it as some form of cue because her expression fell slightly before she recovered with a question.

“Unnie, if you were to receive flowers from someone, what would you like?”

The question caught her off guard, but Soyeon didn't let it deter her from answering.

“I wouldn't want flowers.” She replied immediately. “I have more than enough flowers at the shop to take care of. I don't need more.”

The younger girl tilted her head to the side and studied her for a moment.

“Ah, okay. Well, I’d like to get a bouquet of sunflowers if you have some for sale.” Coming from someone who had proclaimed that she was not a flower person, the statement was decidedly odd.

“Sunflowers?” The florist instantly glanced up in suspicion, and the other girl raised her hands in innocence.

“I- uhm, I’ve decided to get them as a present, and also to thank you for your hospitality.”

It wasn't necessary to make a purchase in Soyeon’s opinion, but from a business perspective, it would be questionable for her to refuse a sale to a willing customer. Part of her felt a bit disappointed, because she hadn’t thought of Yuqi as a customer from the moment she caught the girl about to murder her favorite stalks of flowers.

After a couple of seconds, she decided that it was better to just accept the offer. She didn’t want to seem rude.

She could feel the other girl’s eyes on her as she wrapped the sunflowers Yuqi chose in pink. It was a fitting match with her sweater, she thought. It was the longest time they had spent in silence since they met, but it wasn't a bad feeling. However, as though Yuqi read her thoughts, she spoke.

“You know, it’s a pity that you already decided that you don't like the rainy season…”

Soyeon smiled despite herself. Yuqi really wasn't giving up with this topic.

“Why is it a pity?”

“Because you won’t even give it a chance!”

“There’s no reason for me to suddenly develop a liking towards the rain.” She replied. “It’s still inconvenient.”

“So you’re saying that given the right circumstances, you could possibly end up liking the rainy season?” The hope in her voice made Soyeon feel almost tempted to actually agree with her statement.

“Thank you for your purchase, miss.” Soyeon replied instead, handing the flowers to the eager-looking girl.

She was about to say something else, when Yuqi cleared and she found the flowers back in her hands.

“Actually, it’s me who has to thank you for your company this afternoon, unnie.”

“What?” Frowning, Soyeon was about to give the flowers back to her, but Yuqi swiftly moved out of her reach.

“We don't have much in common, but you work in a flower shop, and you like the sun. It’s probably really dumb of me but I’m going on a wild guess that you would appreciate these a lot more than I would.” For the second time that afternoon, the dark haired girl looked embarrassed. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I usually hope for rain so that I can sleep in, but this weekend, I’ll wish for the weather to stay sunny.”

This girl was unexpectedly sweet, she thought to herself. Yuqi was already backing away towards the door.

“Oh, and happy Valentines’ day.” As though she wanted to ensure that she would have the last word, Yuqi called out as she darted out of the shop.

Soyeon looked at the flowers in her hand and shrugged. It didn't feel right to put them back on display since they were a gift.

It was as though someone had snapped their fingers and things returned to normal. Now that the rain had stopped, the store seemed even more quiet than before. Yet, the acute awareness of how lonely the place was, had been replaced by a sense of calm.

She had been staring at the sunflowers in the staff room for a while before Soyeon realized that she didn't know much about Yuqi, apart from the girl’s name. The girl was a year younger than her, so she was probably in her last year of university, but that was it.

Their conversation had shifted past the introductory questions rather quickly, so apart from their names, they didn't share much else about their personal lives. On the other hand, it had only been one afternoon, but she felt like she knew more about Yuqi’s personality and interests as compared to some of her other acquaintances.

She wasn’t someone who went out of the way to know other people, but she had a feeling that this girl might be worth the effort.

The peace was broken not long after she had returned to the counter.

“Soyeon-ah!” The voice drowned out the jingling bell of the door. “I brought fried chicken!”

“Minnie unnie, you’re back.” She greeted, at the sight of her friend. The brunette looked like she was about to wave, but realized her hands were full. It wasn't an unusual sight, and the familiarity of the situation made her smile.

There was a rustling of plastic and she was met with the familiar smell of fried chicken from her favorite fast food chain. She had almost forgotten about that.

“Here! As promised.” Minnie deposited the box in front of her. “You have to finish it all, okay?”

Soyeon had already opened the box in anticipation of food while Minnie was speaking. She was about to tuck in when something seemed off about the portion size. She narrowed her gaze in suspicion.

“Unnie-“

“Oh, and by the way, if there’s some stuff missing, it’s probably due to the recent increase in service tax …” The older girl added innocently, even though Soyeon caught her shamelessly trying to wipe off some of the batter from corner of her lips. She stared at the older girl, unamused, for a few seconds.

She looked at the half empty box of chicken and decided that some chicken was better than nothing.

“How was the delivery?” Soyeon asked instead.

“Oh, right. You wouldn't believe the girl I had to deliver the flowers to. Are we allowed to blacklist customers? After I called you, I had to wait for the rain to stop before I could leave to get food, and she told me to wait outside. It was FREEZING! Who even does that?” As if she had flicked a switch, Minnie launched into her own recount of her afternoon that Soyeon figured would take the rest of the day at least. She hoped that the other girl wouldn't realize the sudden appearance of the sunflowers in the staff room.

“I hope you didn't have too difficult a time on your own. Although with such heavy rain, you’d have to be crazy or desperate to still be shopping.” Without even waiting for a response or acknowledgement from her, Minnie continued. “Oh and then I must have looked horrible because the teacher finally took pity on me after a while, as though that made up for everything…”

Soyeon took a bite out of her already cold chicken as she listened to the older girl’s story.

She had food, friends, and she had an enjoyable afternoon. She supposed Valentines’ hadn’t turned out to be too bad this year.

~

Truth be told, seeing Yuqi again was not part of Soyeon’s realm of expectations.

People normally bought flowers for special occasions. Hence, even if they were to become repeat customers, it wasn't every day or every week that they would place orders for flower displays or bouquets. 

Considering that Yuqi wasn't even interested in flowers, the chances of her returning were less than 1%.

It had been fun while it lasted, but the entire situation had felt so surreal that it was almost questionable whether such a thing could have really happened.

In any case, she had enjoyed their conversation and, if she were being honest, wouldn’t mind meeting her again. However, while she knew little about Yuqi, the other girl knew where she worked, so if she really wanted to come by, she would have.

Yuqi was just being friendly, she supposed. After all, she seemed like the type of person who could make friends easily. Soyeon, on the other hand, took a while to get familiar with people.

Perhaps, it was for the better. They were so different that conflict was bound to happen. At least, that was what she told herself.

After a couple of weeks, it was as if their meeting never happened. Almost. Except, Soojin noticed that she had shifted some of the sunflowers to the main foyer on the off chance that Yuqi happened to pass by and she couldn't exactly lie to her best friend.

It was probably a sign from the universe that the day Yuqi burst into her life again, it had to be another rainy afternoon. She still mostly disliked the rain, but the sound of the raindrops reminded her of the younger girl. It was ironic that she was named after the rain but had a personality akin to sunshine.

“Unnie, I’m back!” Soyeon had looked up in surprise when someone bounced into the store. It took a moment for her to confirm that the girl standing in front of the counter was really Yuqi. The rain was lighter than it had been during their first meeting, but it was enough for Soyeon to reach for her tissue box again. Coupled with the circumstances, It was almost like a scene from a movie. However, the moment was broken when the younger girl’s eyes suddenly shifted behind her.

She felt the nudge against her spine and then she remembered that Soojin was still on duty. Before she knew it, she was being guided away from the counter. From the look her friend was giving her, she knew that there would be a lot of explaining to do before the end of the day.

The younger girl’s cheeks lifted into a grin as she approached her. As if she was already expecting it, Yuqi reached for the tissue in her hand.

“Is this a sign that I should be selling umbrellas?” Soyeon asked. “You could get sick if you always get caught in the rain.”

“If you start selling umbrellas then I would have to conveniently forget my umbrella each time it rains, and I don't think my wallet can handle it.” Yuqi replied despondently. There was a lilt in her tone that indicated to Soyeon that she wasn't being serious, so the other girl played along.

“Are you actually here to buy flowers this time?”

Instead of replying, Yuqi hummed innocently. “Maybe I would if you admit that you missed me.”

In another world, this would be considered flirtatious banter. Leading with one line, leaving hints for the other to follow up with. Two parties going back and forth with an unspoken understanding about their relationship. Soyeon could see and appreciate that possibility. However in this world, she wasn’t that brave.

“It’s bad to lie, you know?” She quipped back. As expected, Yuqi’s lips extended into an immediate pout, revealing her true feelings.

“Ah, unnie... I could have walked into any other shop, you know.”

“I know.” Soyeon acquiesced. After all, it wasn’t as if their store was the only flower shop in the district. There were probably many in the neighbourhood. Had Yuqi gone into another store that day, she would have probably ended up in the same position as she was now, with someone else.

There was a split second where Yuqi glanced towards the counter before the younger girl was suddenly a lot closer to Soyeon than she had been a while ago. Her instincts told her to take a step away but Yuqi spoke before she could follow through.

Yuqi’s voice was soft, as though she was sharing a secret. It was vastly different from the bubbly and loud impression she had during their first encounter. “I don’t just mean today, by the way.”

Soyeon couldn't help the frown of confusion that was probably evident on her features. Had she misunderstood something?

“What do you-“

At this point, Yuqi’s cheeks turned a shade pinker.

“Unnie, I asked you a question the last time I came to the store and you didn't answer.” She began. “Oh, you still don’t like rainy days right?”

“Well, I don't like them, but I don't hate them either…” Soyeon admitted. Yuqi was avoiding her question, as if she had unintentionally revealed something that she wasn’t prepared to explain.

The other girl looked away, seemingly hesitating about something. Soyeon waited; something she had already been doing unconsciously.

“Do you think in the future, there’s a possibility you might start liking the rain, even if it’s just a little bit?”

With that question, everything became clear. The realisation hit her like the rain, it started with a light sprinkle and then became a heavy downpour there was no going back from. It was clever wordplay on Yuqi’s part, she had to admit.

Soyeon considered it for a second. The future was as blurry as the outside of her store in a storm, but the idea didn't seem as despicable as it did before.

“Maybe.”

Yuqi’s smile was warm and bright, like the sun after a storm, and in it, Soyeon found peace.

The rain was still falling over the pavement; the sky was still overcast. Yet, to Soyeon, it felt like the day had just begun.