Another day surrounded by flowers - not that Minji minded - but this time the sky was grayer than usual. Therefore, as much as it seemed a mundane matter, it impacted a lot on Minji’s commerce. A cloudy sky meant less customers, less happy and spontaneous people coming into her shop to just grab a garnished bouquet for no reason except for the fact it was summer and flowers were part of everyone’s idea of summer. 

Approaching rain meant more time alone in between her four walls but also more time to spend with her beautiful plants. She cherished those days because she felt more human, less like a flower factory. She could afford spending more time on every single petal, on greeting every falling leaf… And it was important for Minji. 

It didn’t mean she didn’t like having customers, quite the contrary. She missed them. Yet, with the windows wide open and the fresh wind coming into her shop, it was enough to fill the human void. Everything seemed more comfortable and just meant to be. You know what they say, after the storm, the sun will shine. Though to Minji, before the storm, the weather was nice and heavy. 

Minji was a simple person. She liked the smell of rain hitting the dry streets and roads. She didn’t mind a little summer rain. She even loved it because she knew it was part of nature taking care of its creation. 

It was grayer and darker by the minute on that particular late summer afternoon, and Minji grew comfortable with the idea that no one would show up in her shop for the day. Yet, she was wrong. 

A loud growling thunder resonated in the street and Minji wondered if she should close the windows or not. A few raindrops would be more than welcomed between her plants. But she had no idea how strong, how long and how heavy it would be. She wanted it to damage her neat shop, too.

Yet, deciding to not care for the rest of the day, she shrugged her rational thoughts off and went to open the door and look at the people hurrying their way home. It was time for young parents, businessmen, students and other working people to go back home to their children, loved ones, pets, or even plants… Minji wasn’t really envious, she was simply glad to live in a world where people were excited to come back home to love. 

She smiled at one man under his umbrella, making the biggest footsteps she had ever seen. She hoped for him to have a happy life and to go back to the comfort of his home. She hoped he would be welcomed by a wife, a boyfriend, or dog or any other kind of love. She could picture him opening his apartment’s door only to be welcomed by a freshly made batch of cookies. She smiled at herself and sighed in content. Yes, the world wasn’t all messed up after all. 

Her happy thoughts got disturbed by hurried steps coming louder and louder, meaning they were getting closer to her. She only had time to turn her head to realize that Yoohyeon was running towards the shop, with only her bag on the top of her head as if it could protect her from the heavy rain. 

“Oh my god.” Minji whispered under her breath and stepped aside to let Yoohyeon inside the shop. “Yoohyeon?”

“Hey.” She responded, out of breath. Clearly she had been surprised by the weather and rushed to the shop. 

“Are you okay?” Minji asked, putting her hand on the back of Yoohyeon still trying to catch her breath. She only got a thumb up as a response and smiled. 

“I am. Sorry, I thought I could reach here before the rain would hit but obviously…” She made a gesture showing all the wet spots on her clothes - and there were a lot of them. “I didn’t.” 

Minji frowned. “You wanted to come to the shop?” Minji asked, a bit lost, she thought she had come inside only because of the rain. But the wide teeth smile on display in front of her made it all clear. 

“Of course! I said I would show you updates on my succulent, didn’t I?”

Minji nodded, a bit dumbly. 

“Well here I am doing it.” Yoohyeon explained while taking her phone out of her pocket. Only before she could unlock it or show anything more, Minji asked her to wait for her and flew out of her sight.

A few seconds after, Minji resurfaced from the back of the shop with a towel. “Here, take this. I know it’s the end of summer but I wouldn't want you to catch a cold.” Yoohyeon took the towel and started drying her damp hair. 

“Aren’t you cold?” Minji asked again as she witnessed how Yoohyeon’s bare shoulders were starting to shiver. She really got the answer to her question already but as she asked, the thunder resonated inside the shop and the rain started to pour hard inside. She ran to the windows and closed them while Yoohyeon shut the door. 

Once they were safe from the rain and the noise, Minji thanked Yoohyeon and remembered what she was going to ask. “I’m going to make something hot to drink. Do you want coffee or tea? I have both.”

Yoohyeon smiled at how at ease Minji seemed to be with her. Somehow it didn’t feel like it was only the second time they met. It felt comfortable and she appreciated the caring person in front of her. 

“Coffee seems nice.” Yoohyeon smiled as a thank you and watched Minji nodding before bringing back to the front shop the coffee maker. She turned it on and sighed as her gaze stopped on the windows. Yoohyeon, on the other hand, was looking subtly at Minji : how her eyes softened, how the corner of upped, yet the most beautiful - at least to Yoohyeon’s eyes - was how the shop owner filled her lungs and smiled serenely. 

“I love the smell of rain.” Minji said under her breath. 

Yoohyeon could have sworn she fell in love in that instant. It was so simple yet very honest and intimate. She also could have sworn she looked like a fool, dumbly looking at Minji. Lucky for her, the thunder woke her up from her reverie and Minji looked back at her, gesturing to grab a seat and sit down next to the wide counter. 

After two cups of coffee were poured and a few minutes were spent in silence, Yoohyeon finally unlocked her phone to point it to Minji. On display was a photo of a very green succulent in a very bright morning light. It was almost as if Yoohyeon wanted to show off. Of course, it was cute. Minji never had someone coming back to brag about their plants just because she gave them tips. 

Nevertheless, it warmed her heart. The days were becoming shorter and fresher but Yoohyeon was warming her heart. Nature finally remembered how to take care of the plants as if it was raining after a few dry and hot months but somehow, Yoohyeon made her feel like everything made sense again. Everything was getting back on track. 

It felt good. 

“It looks very healthy! Good job!” Minji smiled brightly at the photograph.

“Well it’s only thanks to you. I think it desperately needed lights and warmth.” She paused before adding what Minji said to her the time before : “Just like people.”

Minji caught on that and chuckled. Nodding as to show she understood what she just did and repeated it again softer. “Just like people.” She paused before adding, “Fragile just like people.”

Yoohyeon was deep in her thoughts about what they were talking about. Was it that Minji seemed like she was taking care of human beings more than plants that moved her? Was it the comforting ambiance of the shop that was playing tricks on her mind and heart? She wasn’t very sure. And in a way it didn’t matter. 

“You might think I’m crazy, but plants really are like people. You have to love them and take into account what they need in order to survive.” Minji said with a smile. Then she sipped on her coffee and turned to Yoohyeon. 

“I never thought of them like people, otherwise I wouldn't have put it in a place where it can see me .” Yoohyeon cracked a joke and figured why not. 

Minji laughed out loud. It was such a beautiful and joyful laugh. “I’m not saying it has eyes, either.” She explained, clearly amused. 

“What are you saying then?” Yoohyeon softly invited Minji to open up. A subtle way to make her talk about herself and explain the depth of her thoughts. 

“Okay.” Minji nodded while looking down for a short moment before searching for Yoohyeon’s soft gaze. “But don’t make fun of me, okay?”

Yoohyeon put her hands in the air, like she was showing her innocent self. “I would never, I promise.” Yet the little grin plastered on her lips was screaming how playful she was. 

Really, Minji found it cute. 

“Well, I wasn’t always good with plants. Actually, I at it when I was younger. I remember clearly how dry and dark my plant was looking but then I gave up and gave it to my mother so she could take care of it. Little did I know, it only needed some nurturing love.” Minji smiled brightly as she explained. “Then my mom said something to me that is still stuck in my head, and I still don’t know if she was completely serious or just messing with me, but she said that you need to talk to the plants. Of course I knew they were sensitive, I almost killed one with my own hands but talking to them?” Minji turned to look into Yoohyeon’s curious glare. 

“Did you?” She inquired as if it was the most thrilling with the most unbearable suspense ever.

Minji chuckled in embarrassment. Then with a simple gesture pointed at her flower shop. “I guess I did?”

Yoohyeon only looked at her in silence, until the spell that fell upon her the moment she walked in the shop and shared a few seconds with Minji. 

“That’s why I would never judge someone if they don’t know how to take care of plants. You kinda have to learn how to, it’s how it works. Same thing with people, really.”

“Is it?” At that point, Yoohyeon felt self-conscious about her never ending questions flow but it felt so right to have this conversation at that very moment. Minji never seemed to get tired of her. So she kept going and it felt natural. 

“Of course. People need to communicate if they want to keep going. We need to share our stories, to learn from each other and we need to take care of each other in order to keep the goodness in the world going. Otherwise it would be ruled by selfishness and pride. I don’t want a world like that, that’s why I felt the need to add some delicacy. With flowers.”

“Flowers that need to be treated like humans.” Yoohyeon summarized.

“Exactly.”

“Your mother seems like a good person, if she’s the one who taught you all of that.”

“She is.” Minji nodded timidly. It was true, her mother was the most loving person she ever knew. Taking care was her love language and it influenced Minji’s in a lot of ways. Even herself didn’t know the end of it. Because truly, when we think about it, taking care of plants could also be a love language. To Minji, flowers were a love language on its own, offering some, receiving them, caring for them… It was all because or for love. Thus it is a language because some people communicate through them. 

Yoohyeon silently observed the girl next to her. Seemingly lost in her own happy thoughts, it was such a nice sight. Also it reminded Yoohyeon there were a lot of other wonderful things hidden inside that head of Minji’s and it made her curious, charmed and attracted. Like a magnet wanting to draw closer, but unlike a magnet there wasn’t the outgrowing force. It was a simple, nice and kind of attraction. Nothing pulling really, but gentle tinkles in her body.

With the heavy gray clouds spread in their sky, it was harder to discern time. At some point, Minji got up to turn on a little light by the door. The shop had never looked that comfy to Yoohyeon. The intimate ambiance caused by the unwelcoming weather contrasted so much with Minji’s warmth. What truly Yooheyon meant by Minji’s warmth was her moves, her laugh, her shop, her jolly features and kind words. It was all of it. All of her.

Unfortunately, time was ticking and she eventually needed to go back home. The heavy rain didn’t seem to stop anytime soon, that’s why she decided to run back to her apartment. That got great convincing skills to reassure Minji that she would be fine. Yoohyeon left with her goofy smile, thanking Minji for the coffee and the nice evening. 

Minji waved her goodbye and saw her running under the rain, standing against the door’s frame, looking almost like a worried girlfriend. Minji grinned and thanked the world for putting Yoohyeon on her path - or should she say in her shop. 

She turned back around to close her shop as it was getting late and that’s only when she realized the place felt emptier without Yoohyeon. She sighed as if she expected it. Taking care of the last few things before closing, she still held her head high and couldn’t help to think about the next time she would see the pretty other girl. 

That didn’t happen soon enough. Minji had other things to worry about, clients coming and going, plants trying to get over the new colder weather… She also had troubles with the shop’s water system, which because life needs water. Endless phone calls, plumbers soiling and messing with her flowers’ presentations all the time… It took a toll on her. It meant doing overtime, sacrificing her alone time, her house chores and family time. 

It finally got repaired after a couple of long weeks. And without even noticing it (even though she had hoped to cross paths with Yoohyeon just so the other girl could give her a little bit of energy and motivation), a month passed. It felt weird, yet at the same time, she only was going back to routine, to her everyday life she knew before talking only two short times with the girl. 

Then, one morning, as Minji was trying to shake off what was left of sleep in her clouded mind, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something seemed off. She was only putting the key into the shop’s lock, her eyes fell on a terracotta pot standing alone right in front of the door. 

She frowned and kneeled in front of it, only to see a poorly looking hydrangea with brown leaves and drying flowers. Slowly putting her hands in between what was left of green, she spotted a note stuck underneath the pot. 

I think it needs some soft talking.

Minji smiled and put her thumb on the handwritten words. “I will.” She whispered. Opening the door with the plant in her arm, she knew it was from Yoohyeon. She must have dropped it off earlier that day before going to work. And as easily as it gets, Minji was wondering again when would be the next time she sees Yoohyeon. Because, truth to be told, she may be missing her. 

At least now she had work to do, and a friend to talk to. Meaning the hydrangea. She knew the flowers meant to fall off that late in the summer, but the other part of the plant seemed kind of sick. So yes, she had to take care of it. For Yoohyeon. So next time she sees the girl, she gets to be the one bragging about healthy plants.

It seemed like an odd way of flirting. Something only nerds could come up with. Yet at the same time, it felt so genuine that none of them was overthinking the situation. What laid unconscious in their back and forth game was the proof and capacity of caring. Coming back to the shop, showing the succulent was a way to show she could take care of a plant but also of the shop owner. Thanking her could be misunderstood as formal politeness. But really, nowadays, who would pay a visit only for that? 

Minji with her whole shop of nature’s treasures, her nurturing person and the way she could smile and whisper to plants… It played a part in Yoohyeon’s desire to be closer. In a way, they were even. Nothing felt out of place. Just a little reprimanded feeling of missing the other.