Hyacinths, Hydrangeas, Tulips, Roses, Chrysanthemums, Aster, Irises, Moon flowers, Daisies, Cosmos, and a thousand plants flourished from wall to ceiling to cooler to counter. Filling up the entire floor in disarray only the owner understood its maze. The colors were plenty, assorted from bright yellows to girly pink.

It was the smell of the earth spectacularly captured within four walls. Every inhale similar to breathing in life’s essence.

The first time Oh Sehun visited one was when his grandmother was ill in the hospital. Three weeks before she passed away Sehun had gone to buy her flowers. For some undeniable reason, flowers seemed one of the appropriate gifts for the hospitalized. A widespread common comfort he guessed.

His first step inside a cute yellow shop with white sidings and he was overwhelmed by the thousand flowers surrounding him. Gawking like a loser as he explored the innards of the small shop. Randomly plucking an arranged bouquet out of a black bucket, Sehun rendered himself ready to checkout.

At the astonishingly white counter next to a creamy white pillar, where on its side hung a calendar of puppies, a woman in a white dress decorated with millions of tiny blue flowers, was currently wrapping up flowers for an elder man. Her long, slender fingers skillfully working as they shared conversation.

Standing a way back Sehun watched her curiously. Big round eyes narrowed into crescents when she laughed. Her smile was pretty and alluring, drawing him in hypnotically as she spoke in words he could not hear. Age had not done its time on her and he was glad for that. Life burst onto her face sparkling her eyes as the elder man told a joke. He felt his heart miss a beat and trip forward.

Though still standing, Sehun sweated almost feeling foolish. The elder man’s voice faded in volume as he passed, the bouquet in his hand crinkling as he exited the store.

“Can I help you?”

Jolting awake face reddening slightly, Sehun stumbled forward. So embarrassed he’d tripped over the toes of his feet. The bouquet in his hand landed hastily onto the counter.

Instead of apologizing the words flowed out of his mouth, “It’s not for my girlfriend. They’re for my grandma. She’s sick. In the hospital.”

The woman glanced up at him a half smile on her face. “I hope your grandmother feels better.”

Sehun’s entire body felt like a furnace that had been left on too long. Every square inch of him was burning, his pores seeping sweat, and he hoped Dear God he did not stink.

The woman turned away to grab a sleeve for his bouquet. He saw her long black hair ran down to her mid-back. She’d pinned it back and he liked how it framed her face elegantly. Sehun’s expression tightened when she faced him.

“That’s twenty dollars today.” She said.

Digging his wallet out he handed her his card. Watching full of grand wonder as she worked the register. Roving his eyes over her, because gosh if he could tell her how pretty she was...

“Here’s your card.” The smooth of her voice glided through his ears.

“Thank you.” Grabbing the bouquet, he started walking away, pivoted, and eyed the counter again. The woman was focusing on some sheets of paper away from the register, her face out of his sight.

He thought about her all the way to the hospital until he went to sleep. The following day after a grueling day of work, he drove up to the familiar structure. Parking his car, he pulled down the driver mirror, made sure his hair was in place, nothing on his face, or stuck between his teeth. For extra measure, he tossed back a breath mint and finally stepped out.

Tugging on his clothes to ensure there was no embarrassing creases or bad wrinkles, he walked up to the glass door. Despair showered him when saw a white paper taped to it. It read, business closed.

A peek inside verified the fact. Lights were off. The store appeared dank and empty. All the flowers he’d seen yesterday had vanished like they’d never been there.

It didn’t make sense!

Backing up, Sehun stared at the cute yellow shop that had come to an end. He couldn’t believe it.

His mood fluctuated during dinnertime, so he ended up shoving the mass majority of his mother’s side dishes to the side. Showering he retreated to bed and life went on for several days. Over the weekend he turned the television off and went for a drive around town.

It was a humongous city, how many florist shops could there be? According to a search on his phone, there was more than a dozen. He visited three that day. Two more over the course of the week. Four the next weekend. Squeezed one in during his lunch hour. Every time he stepped into differently arranged places drowning in flora, he found no familiar face. Despite the long minutes trekking around purposely, discreetly staring at the checkout counter.

Then his grandmother passed away.

“I’m glad grandma went peacefully,” his older sister sadly said. “Now she and grandpa and can be together. He won’t be so lonely anymore.”

“We should donate her belongings.” The second older one suggested. “Grandma would like that.”

“Aren’t we rushing?” Sehun asked. “We should wait for mom.”

“She’s having a hard time as it is. I fly back home in a week, so it’s best we do it now.” His older sister stated.

“I also have a seminar to give,” his second sister explained tossing one flower of consolation after another into a garbage bag.

“No, wait!” his grandmother’s toiletries dropped from his hand as he leapt toward the bouquet in his sister’s grasp. “Not this. Don’t throw it away.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” frowning at him absurdly, she questioned, “Are you out of your mind?”

Hugging the familiar bouquet to his body, he exclaimed, “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m good.”

“Weirdo.” She rolled her eyes at him.

The flowers were already withering becoming crispy and dry. Nonetheless, Sehun brought the bouquet home with him, set it on his bedside table, and wondered.

A week later he ended up throwing the flower away because it was rotting so bad. By then he’d visited all the florist shops.

Summer transitioned into chilly fall. Soon white snow was covering the grounds. A crash on the road forced traffic to detour and Sehun took the long way home. Frigid winter lasted months until the cold surrendered and spring restored the earth’s greens.

Couples and children took to the streets. Recreational parks reopened. Streets bloomed with youth. Pet owners took their dogs out again. Chatter and joy echoed everywhere. Sehun also took to the trails jogging Saturday mornings. Stopping to view the glistening river and soak in the breeze, breathing in the flourishing activities surrounding him.

A new coworker at work asked for his number the following week. He guessed why not. He enjoyed a couple coffee dates with her. He thought something might really be getting started for him, but an evening after work there was a flyer stuck under his windshield swiper. An ad for a new florist shop in the district near his workplace.

Tossing the paper onto his passenger seat he drove home, showered, and went to bed. In the morning the paper was still on his seat. Out of curiosity he picked it up again.

That day after work, he walked up to a stoic black building. A couple of baskets of flowers hung from the side of the building. Fragile green leaves poured out of them. Pulling the black framed glass door open he stepped inside.

A setup of disorganized flowers burst around him in colors. He smelled the earth and heard a laugh. His head shot right toward the clean white counter. Slowly taking one step at a time he peeked through the gaps between the wall of flowers. Until the last tall flower ended and he had full view of the counter.

There she was. At the counter.

So he stared like an idiot.

When the customer at the counter finally left, Sehun randomly grabbed a bouquet of roses next to him and shuffled up to the counter.

“Did you find what you need?” she asked.

“Yes.” His stare continuously lingered over her.

“Roses, huh?” she smiled.

And he was enamored. Even if she didn’t recognize him.

He took the flowers home and set them in his room. Then he came again the next day. Taking longer browsing around the store, peeking over his shoulder, keeping the counter in sight as he strolled around the florist shop.

Sehun repeated this over the course of two weeks. Spending probably over a hundred dollars on flowers pointlessly. Bouquets and baskets of flowers littered his apartment. No one to give them to. He almost didn’t even have room to sit and eat.

Skipping another coffee date, Sehun walked into the florist shop. Making his pick he went over to the counter.

The woman smiled prettily at him making his heart flutter a thousand times. By now his heart should be in failure because of it.

“Your girlfriend must really love flowers,” she mused. “You’re nearly a regular now.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh…” her lids fluttered surprised. Immediately apologizing, she said, “I’m sorry. Then…is it for your wife?”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She blinked. “What?”

Pulling a Lily out of the bouquet, he handed it to her. “I’m Sehun.”

Glancing at the flower she grabbed it, twirling it awkwardly between her fingers. “My name’s Namjoo.”

His heart accelerated. “Are you free tonight? Let’s have dinner.”

***THE END!