If you asked her, Minji would describe herself as a simple person. An honest, simple and jolly person. Always trying to do her best on a daily basis, getting frustrated when people don’t listen to her or don’t respect her work, but smiles contentedly when she takes a step back and contemplates how good she is at her work. 

A simple person, indeed. Overjoyed at the sight of an appetizing homemade dish and comforted at the smell and scenery of beautiful flowers. Like any ordinary person, really. That’s why she had such a hard time picking a job. She liked too many things, she could have been satisfied in so many fields that in high school, she got to the point of feeling jealous over people who had their lives figured out, those who had a dream job. Well, that was in high school. She passed that time. Life itself taught her that nobody had anything figured out. You can plan things but nothing guarantees its sustainability. It won’t necessarily last and thus, planning things was as good as it could be counter productive. 

That’s why at a certain point, she realized she didn’t want to have everything figured out. She knew life wouldn’t make it easy for her, she knew what kind of life she would have but she didn’t care. It was her choice and her own life and she was okay with living it as she intended to. She only had one rule : love. And for her, love meant peace and comfort, it meant choosing her desires over social constructs. She never really thought about it, she just had been that way. She wouldn’t tire herself to leave up to others’ expectations.

That’s one of the reasons she woke up one day, walking to another boring day of school, stopping by a garden only to take in the beauty of it. The way the colors were dancing with each other, the wind was bringing all the sweet flavors to her and of course, the perfect symmetrical figures, the perfect proportions… The flawless laws of nature… It made her heart beat a little steadier and she knew she would love to work in that kind of world. 

That’s exactly what she did. She bought a shop, found the most trustworthy horticulturist to learn from, the one who got in that world for the same reasons as hers, the one who respected what nature would give and then Minji established her first ever flower shop right in a middle and cozy little  street of Seoul. She had to wake up early before opening hours, she grew fond of her regular customers and that was basically her everyday life.

Daydreaming while working her hands in the middle of thorns to take care of a new arrangement, she heard the sound of the front door. She was welcomed by a young man, smiling like an embarrassed teenager who just got his first kiss. Minji already knew he was intimidated and not very at ease in that kind of environment, that’s why she offered him the most honest reassuring smile she could gather. 

“Hello, I’m looking for flowers for my girlfriend, we’re celebrating our second anniversary.” He smiled all proud of himself. It wasn’t the first time clients opened up about their lives. It didn’t bother Minji at all. Quite the opposite, actually. The main reason is obvious : if she has a context or a story she could choose the perfect bunch and avoid weird situations. Like offering carnations for a date. At that point, Minji thought it was common knowledge not to offer carnations as it is the flower of mourning. But working in a flower shop made her realize how little people do know about the language of flowers.

“Well, congratulations.” She answered kindly. The second reason she likes to hear about her clients’ stories is simply because it always warms her heart to know why people buy flowers. It seemed like such a universal thing to do, yet every time an old woman comes into the shop for a few flowers to put in her living room, as domestic and  simple as that, it’s nice to know people like the company of flowers. 

“Thanks” The man in front of her blushed a little while scratching the back of her neck. Cute, Minji thought and smiled at the scene. Then the sound of the bell rang and a new client came into the shop. A rather tall, blond girl looking around the room a bit lost. 

Minji, being her professional florist self, bowed a little towards her and gave the sweetest eye smile. “Welcome! I’ll be right there with you after I’m done with the young man.”

The blond girl nodded and returned the smile silently walking between the plants. It was such a bucolic sight. The elegant, tall, thin girl focusing on almost every new flower she came upon. The smooth blond hair was flying in the middle of colorful petals. It’s in those particular moments that Minji feels very proud of the beauty of her shop. When beauty meets beauty it just… becomes sublime. Only, nothing lasts forever and Minji had to force herself to stir her attention away from the waiting girl. 

“Right, back to your anniversary.” Minji went back to the man in front of her. 

“Here’s the problem, though. I want flowers to tell her I love and she’s my only one but… she knows a lot about flowers and every time I bought her some I was totally off track.”

Minji giggled and nodded her head in understandment, “Of course.” This one was a first. It was a bit of a challenge yet at the same time she felt like she knew exactly what she was going to pick. She guided the young man to a corner of the shop and showed him a display of several small flowers with mild colors. “If she knows about flowers then I’m sure she will be more sensitive to those.”

“Oh… I had in mind something bigger?” He looked curiously at Minji. It’s not his fault, she thought, he just wants to show his love and he wants to make a big thing out of it. It’s not her place to judge. And she won’t. It’s just that it’s sad to see how people keep coming from big and strong plants when fragile and small ones are just as beautiful if not more meaningful. 

“Alright, then show me what you had in mind ?” Minji offered. 

He stayed in his place and looked around a bit pensive before he just said “I was thinking about something more like red roses?”

“Of course I have a few, but if she knows about horticulture, I can assure you that she will like eglantines.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll take your words. You know more than I do.” He raised his hands in the air in surrender with a nice laugh and asked for a bouquet. He chose the colors and Minji assembled it before he paid and exited the shop all smiles, leaving the two girls behind. 

Minji rearranged the eglantine section quickly before she turned to the other client, still patiently waiting while looking in awe at the plants. 

“Alright, I’m all yours. Sorry for the wait.” Minji finally came to her.

The blond girl turned around and smiled while saying it was more than okay and she didn’t mind taking in the beauty of the place.

“What can I do for you?” Minji inquiered.

“Why not roses?” The other girl answered with another question. Something that threw Minji a little off guard and had her rethink about the words before understanding what she was talking about.  

“Well, he asked for something original and roses really aren’t. Plus, if she has knowledge in horticulture, I’m sure she knows about the story behind roses.” Minji explained.

“What story?”

“Roses don't grow in the wild. Roses are a human invention. People took eglantines and modified them to have more petals, stronger ones and brighter colors. When you think about it, it doesn’t scream love to me.”

“Roses don’t mean love to you?” The blond girl asked, more than invested in that conversation. 

“Nowadays it is, so I can’t say it isn’t. But nature is so beautiful and perfect on its own that I wished the flower of love was something a little more humble and natural. 

“It makes sense.” The other nodded. “I had no idea about that.”

Minji chuckled away at the fact that she just put out her flowers’ philosophy, if that’s even a thing, to a stranger. So she tried to change the subject. Maybe feeling slightly embarrassed. She returned to her professional self and spoke again. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to hear lessons on flower history, so what can I do for you ?”

The girl laughed softly. “I didn’t but it’s a nice surprise. I have absolutely zero knowledge when it comes to anything green with roots in the ground so it’s nice to learn a thing or two.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Minji was now all smiles.

“I know so little that when someone offers me a plant, I look at it everyday trying to figure it out but then it always ends on the brink of death.” The other winced at her own lack of experience. “And I felt like a horrible person until I decided to stop by a flower shop and ask for help.”

“Ah.” Minji laughed, finally understanding why the girl was in her shop in the first place. Not that she minded. Not at all. “So that’s why. Do you have the name of the plant or maybe a picture?” Minji asks softly in comprehension.

“I have both actually.” Taking her phone out of her pocket, the girl showed Minji the state of her supposed-to-be green plant. “I’m pretty sure they said it was a succulent?”  

“Yes, it is a succulent. It’s not that bad, actually.” Minji said as she looked at the picture. “May I?” She asked before zooming on it, on the edge of the leaves. 

“It’s dying and you find it’s not that bad?” The blonde joked, feeling like Minji was trying to lessen the situation. Maybe even to not hurt her feelings. 

“It happens often, don’t worry. How do you water it?” Minji asked, now, focusing back on the client next to her. 

“I mean a glass of water every two days?” She answered as if she knew she was saying something wrong. 

“It’s too much for that kind of plant. Try to water it once a week considering we’re at the end of summer. Don’t do more than that. When the weather will be more mild, space it to every two weeks or every month in winter.”

Minji looked at the girl nodding enthusiastically and seemed like she opened her note apps to write down what Minji was telling her. Literally drinking every word she was saying. 

“Don’t put the water on top of the plant but emerge it in a bath for about 15 minutes.” Minji explained more. 

“Okay.” The girl kept typing it on her phone. 

“What about warmth? Where is the succulent in your place?”

“I’m not sure? I mean it’s in my bathroom.” 

Minji winced a bit, knowing how humid the air is and how it’s not the place for a succulent even if she knew people liked having small plants there. “Okay so it doesn’t do good for the plants. Try to choose the room with the most lights, the room with the longest sunlight. Or if you have a balcony or a window you can put it there. Succulents are really fond of warmth. Just like humans.” Minji finished with a light remark. Trying to pass on the fondness she had for plants was the same as taking care of someone. Just as vulnerable, just as beautiful.  

“I mean I do have windows so I’ll put them there. It’s still hot outside so…”

“They’re going to love it.” Minji said overjoyed. 

The other girl simply smiled at the flower shop owner and said nothing for a moment. Only finding cute how she felt connected to plants even when they’re not hers. For a moment she wondered if Minji was a mere seller, but it felt wrong. She was sure she was the owner. Then she looked around the shop and sighed in delight, taking in all the natural smells that perfumed the room before turning back to Minji. 

“Thank you very much. I’ll put it in a better place as soon as I am back home.” 

A silent eye smiled and it felt like a light conversation. Something very nice for both of them. 

“I’m Yoohyeon by the way.” Yoohyeon introduced herself. Unsure if she was coming too strong. What she knew was that she would regret not doing it at the moment it felt right. 

“Nice to meet you Yoohyeon. I’m Minji and I’m the owner.”

“I figured. You know what you’re talking about and I don’t know…” Yoohyeon looked around one more time before adding “the shop looks very like you.”

Minji looked a bit surprised at what seemed like a sudden compliment. 

“Bright and welcoming.” Yoohyeon explained more. 

Minji had to fight the war of blush coming to my face. Was she flirting with her ? So openly ? It only made Minji smile because of how cliché it seemed for people to think flower shop owners daily encountered flirts, when in reality all her customers came into her shop to buy something to win over a designated heart. It was never her. 

“Then I think I did a good job with the shop because it’s exactly what I wanted. For people to feel welcomed into a bright place.” Minji purposefully took Yoohyeon’s words back to answer. 

“You did.”  Yoohyeon smiled tenderly. Then she looked out of the window and saw how low the sun was in between the buildings. “Well I should get back home to take care of that poor plant.” She turned to Minji and bowed lightly. “Thank you again.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” Minji bowed back. “I’m glad to help when it comes to needing plants.”

Yoohyeon didn’t budge for a little while. It felt very long for Minji when really it was only seconds. Minji was honest with her words, she really was happy to help. She also was very glad the other girl somehow said her name and talked a little more than her usual clients. Minji wasn’t hermetic in the way she talked a little about her life and how she felt about plants. Most of the time Minji had to face people who thought they knew everything about flowers and plants so it was a nice change to talk with someone who seemed open to her advice. 

“Thank you, Minji. I’ll make sure to update you on that succulent.”

“Please, no empty promises.” Minji joked as Yoohyeon slowly made her way towards the exit. 

“I always keep my promises.” Yoohyeon winked at me before she opened the door and went out. What she didn’t, though, was the fact that Minji had a few windows open for the plants. Hence the fact that Minji heard the blonde girl groaning under her breath as if she felt frustrated with the fact she ended the discussion. 

“A wink, really Yoohyeon?” Yoohyeon whispered to herself even if Minji heard it. The flower shop owner chuckled at the cute display outside. So she was really flirting, Minji wondered to herself. 

Maybe ten minutes after the meeting, Yoohyeon was back in her apartment taking the plant out of her bathroom to put it in a better place, praying it would make a difference. Of course, while doing it, she couldn’t help but think about the cute smile of that calming shop owner. The way she didn’t judge her, the way she cracked a few jokes but especially the way she seemed to look at her when she thought Yoohyeon wasn't looking. Maybe it was all in her head, maybe it wasn’t. Yoohyeon wasn’t very sure, but she still ended up her day crashing face down on her couch. In the meantime Minji was saying goodbye to her last customers and thinking back to her day while closing the shop. 

It had been a good day. Sales didn’t really matter on a day like this one. For the simple fact that she felt like she did a good job even if she didn’t make a huge profit out of it. If she helped people with their lives, the way they wanted to talk about love, the way they needed to communicate or else, then it was a good day, nevertheless. 

So Minji breathed in the fresh and light perfume of the flowers and started cleaning the place for the next day. Watering a few plants in more need than the others and then turning back to check if every one of her babies was alright, Minji closed behind her and walked calmly to her place. The night breeze felt nice after a long day at work and it really was everything she needed. 

Sometimes she would make herself crack up at her own thoughts, making the simple analogy between her and a plant seemed so ridiculous. While drinking a glass of water and feeling the sun on her face, she felt like the most normal living organism on earth. And it felt as funny as it was liberating.

The simplest things in life could make a huge difference. 

Minji wasn’t exactly the proof but she witnessed it enough on a daily basis that it was part of her now. While, Yoohyeon was still trying to find the simplicity in her messy and tiring life. And somehow, thinking that having a nice healthy plant in her living room was no longer a burden, but a nice display of nature then it was a start. A start to learn how to do things simply yet rightly.