The boys eventually forgot about the botanist that CL had shared. They thought she was just goofing around to add life to the party. Besides, CL was always doing ways to make things fun, or was always joking around.

Finally, 2NE1 released their new music video, which was shot at the greenhouse. Yong Hwa was at the beef restaurant, helping his helpers in serving customers. He was bringing the tray of savory spicy beef to a group of high school students when one squealed.

"Bom is so cute!" she said.

"Wow! I like their clothes!" another said.

Yong Hwa looked at the video on TV before silently serving the beef. When he went back to the counter, he looked at the girls singing while touching the flowers. The video reminded him of Juniel's "Illa Illa."

It was then that he remembered the botanist that CL was talking about. He remembered that the botanist was working in the greenhouse, but he did not ask CL where the greenhouse was located. His interest was suddenly aroused, so he asked his helper, a 2NE1 fan, where the greenhouse was located. The location was a bit far, far from the heart of the city, but it was worth it.

"Jung-jangnim, kkot areumdapseumnida (the flowers are beautiful)," the helper crooned as he looked at the video. "My halmeoni used to go to the greenhouse to buy flowers during nae harabeoji's birthday, and I would go with her."

The helper grabbed a pen and paper, and drew the direction because he could not describe properly, and he might confuse his boss. Yong Hwa smiled and looked at the drawing. He just wanted to see the botanist.

"I recommend the botanist's roses and gladioli. You will not regret it," the helper said.

"Gomawo," Yong Hwa replied, flashing his signature side tooth which made his smile adorably to die for.

****

That afternoon, Yong Hwa went to Hongdae with Jong Hyun to listen to the indie band playing some cool indie music, and he asked his friend for a possible gift to a girl. Jong Hyun and his girlfriend had been steady for years, and Yong Hwa thought Jong Hyun might have an idea on what to give.

"Flowers," Jong Hyun replied instantaneously.

Yong Hwa looked at him bluntly.

"I will be driving to a place with flowers. Why will I give one to my recepient?" Yong Hwa asked.

Jong Hyun's burning eyes flashed.

"Aha, you will be going to the botanist!" he said, trying to pry. "I have seen 2NE1's new video, and I can say, the flowers are extremely awesome!"

"Will give me an idea or not?" Yong Hwa asked in frustration.

"Why don't you pretend to buy, and give that flower to her as a gift? She might even be surprised," Jong Hyun explained.

Yong Hwa rolled his eyeballs and hit his buddy on his biceps. Though Jong Hyun had a girlfriend, he loved skinship with his friends, so he slapped Yong Hwa's arm back.

"Ya, that may be the lamest," Jong Hyun said. "But..."

"But that indeed is the lamest," Yong Hwa scoffed.

Jong Hyun was of no help, so Yong Hwa left after listening to the indie band.

****

He drove to the greenhouse and found a giant building with skylights. It must be warm in the mornings, he thought. He got in the building and saw the pretty botanist talking with an old couple.

"Ne, Harabeoji and Halmeoni," the botanist said, showing them some poinsettia.

The old couple followed the botanist when they noticed the young man standing near the bunch of sunflowers.

"You seem to be expecting a visitor," the old man told the botanist.

Shin Hye looked up to see a handsome man looking at the sunflowers. He looked so tall and manly that her cheeks flushed like Dawn's own rosy fingers.

"You are single, are you not?" the old woman teased the botanist.

"Ah...ne..." the botanist replied.

"Shin Hye-ssi, do you think it is time to find some lover?" the old man asked before laughing.

"Ne?" she asked.

The old man called Yong Hwa, who pointed at himself.

"Who else would I be calling?" the man asked.

Yong Hwa got embarrassed, most especially when Shin Hye looked at him. Like her, he was also blushing. He approached the old couple and the botanist, and the old woman started to talk.

"Young man, if you are looking for beautiful flowers, you need to come here," she said. "Yeobo and I come here everytime we want to bring flowers for our son for his niche in the columbarium."

The woman said it as if she was going to cry.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Yong Hwa said.

Nevertheless, the old couple acted as matchmaker to the two younger people. Shin Hye tucked some hair behind her ears as she blushed. She had never felt so embarrassed before. And as for Yong Hwa, he felt that his mind was going to get crazy. He had never been in this kind of situation before. He was more of used to facing complaining customers than be teased with a girl.

"Ah....," he said.

"Ireumi mwoyeyo?" the old woman asked for Yong Hwa's name.

"Jung Yong Hwa-imnida," he introduced himself.

"Ah, Yong Hwa-ssi, you will make a perfect boyfriend for our young bachelorette here," the old man said.

"Eojjeomyeon, geu imi yeojachingu isseumnida (Maybe he has a girlfriend already)," Shin Hye told the old couple.

"Geunde... Yeojachinguneun eopseumnida (But I don't have a girlfriend)," Yong Hwa burbled.

The faces of the old couple lit up.

"So? Just get to know each other now, and who knows, in a year, the two of you might get married and have kids!" the old woman said. She just loved to tease Shin Hye because the botanist was too demure and reserved.

"Halmeoni...." Shin Hye complianed cutely to the customer.

"Ahahah, all right, we will continue looking at the poinsettia, and we will just call you when we will be buying some," the old man said.

Shin Hye looked at them leave before getting to Yong Hwa in a professional manner.

"Park Shin Hye-imnida, and I am the botanist in this greenhouse," she said. "We have a floral shop in Hongdae."

"Jinjjayeyo?" he asked. "Wow, I should go there one of these days."

"How may I help you?" was her question.

Her eyes were too beautiful that he gazed at her absentmindedly. He remembered she was speaking to him as a botanist, so he asked for the four pink roses and four pink carnations."

"Do you customize bouquets here?" he asked, flustered.

"Ne. We also allow our customers to wrap the bouquet with my supervision," she said.

Yong Hwa nodded and went to the counter with his purchase. He choose a transparent light blue wrapper with curved ts at the edges, and he also bought a light metallic blue ribbon. He also bought asters to go along with the flowers. Shin Hye looked at him wrap the bouquet for himself, looking on because he did not ask for supervision. When he wrapped the flowers with the ribbon, he tied it like the way girls tie their ribbons of their hanbok.

"Beautiful," Shin Hye told him with interest.

"How much are all these?" he asked.

Shin Hye calculated the cost of the purchase, and after telling him the price, he gave his credit card for her to swipe.

"Your recipient will really love your gift," Shin Hye said.

"I am sure she will," he said.

The old couple went to the counter to tell Shin Hye that they had chosen their poinsettia, and they noticed the bouquet.

"It's beautiful!" the old woman said.

"Gamsahamnida," Yong Hwa said.

"Please excuse me," Shin Hye said while getting out the counter to attend to the order of the old couple.

"Jeogiyo," Yong Hwa called out, and Shin Hye turned to him.

The botanist and the old couple looked at the flustered and anxious beef restaurant owner clearing his throat and straightening his act. He stepped forward and handed the flowers to the botanist, who looked at him in confusion.

"For you," he told her.

He chose the flowers, chose the wrappers, the asters, and the ribbons, wrapped them up himself, and paid it with his money. Should it count already?

"Omo..." the old woman gaped. She did not expect the young man to be in courting mode.

"For you," Yong Hwa said again.

Shin Hye's hands shook upon holding the bouquet. She had wanted some flowers in her garden, but no one had ever gave her some. Of course, all were for sale, and she just grew up the plants to sell them.

"Gamsahamnida," she remarked to him, smiling sweetly with a blush.

The old couple looked at the cute couple and lit up a smile, and Yong Hwa flashed his cute smile to disperse the awkwardness. Shin Hye smelled the beautiful flowers and smiled back at him.

"Gamsahamnida," she told him again. "No one had ever give me flowers from my garden, and you are the first person to give me flowers. I love it."

She smiled back when Yong Hwa smiled at her with a blush.

 

~~~~