Ever since that weird excuse of a 16-year-old Kim Hanbin gave her an apple (pshh, can you believe it?) Hayi has been steering clear and out of his way. She really does not want to get mixed up with him again, not after last time or the time after that. Hanbin is popular compared to her, way popular in fact, and he attracts attention even if he wants to or not and she certainly does not want that right now so she veers left or right whenever he's walking down her way.  

She's doing a pretty good job at it too, if she may say so herself. Whenever she sees, hears, or even feels him around, she'd brisk walk the other way faster than you can say her name.  

She didn't want to deal with Hanbin and his crazy antics, she has enough crazy to deal for a lifetime just hanging out with Park Jimin, who she befriends with only a hint of hesitation. She's slightly delusional and very loud, but Hayi can look past that. Jimin is the only one who can understand her, and Hayi wants to make sure she's the only one who can. 

Hayi doesn't want to get attached to anyone too much, not forever, but just not now.  

After what happened, she's not really adjusted to society like before. She knows now not everyone is as accepting, is as understanding, is as open-minded as she had thought.  

Everyone shuns her, and she shuns them in return, if that was possible. Nobody really dared to even look at her, much more talk with her. And perhaps she's fine with that, perhaps she's fine living without any friends to bother with.  

So instead of going to that all-day barbeque party from someone her grade, she stays at home taking over the flower shop while her grandmother rests upstairs. Hayi wants to do all the work today, even if she is feeling a little lazy, because her grandmother can't handle the bustle, not at her age.  

Today was a Saturday, the weekend, and usually, the flower shop would be crowded with all these costumers. But ever since a few months ago, visitors have been coming in less and less until one day, they just finally stopped coming. It's hard for Hayi, but harder for her grandmother. 

The flowers she puts effort into growing in the greenhouse on their roof... knowing they'll dry up before being sold... Hayi thinks it's because of this that her grandmother gets depressed a little more every single day. Her brother was the first blow, the flower shop is the second. Hayi doesn't want for their to be a third.  

She thinks of ways to cheer her grandmother up while serving the first costumers of the day; two ladies from Incheon who chatter about buying flowers first before going to their friend's housewarming party in Seoul.  

Hayi doesn't mean to eavesdrop, but she couldn't help but overhear about the two cities, but it's obvious which one she really would like to go to if ever she had the chance, and perhaps the money.  

"Do you think Jieun would like these?" one of them ask. Hayi is lurking by the daffodils, as the two women converse to themselves in front of the violets and pink roses. They're holding and looking down at the bucket of lillies, contemplating, wondering whether or not to purchase the purely white flowers.  

"I'm sure she will. She's always liked the color white, Jieun did." 

Hayi turns her back to them, strangely she likes the name 'Jieun'. She shakes her head at this thought.  

"Yeah, but does her boyfriend like it?" 

Hayi couldn't listen more till there, because the chimes sound and her head turns to the door, ready to greet the person. 

She has a smile on, a slightly real one. 

It's Hanbin. 

Her smile instantly slips into a scowl. 

"Hey Ha -" 

"Excuse me, we'll take these lillies.. please?" 

They make eye contact, not the Incheon ladies and Hayi, but Hanbin and Hayi. At that moment, she wish looks could kill because why is he here again? 

She rolls her eyes at him when neither of them breaks eye contact for five seconds straight. Customers first, she reminded herself before walking over to the two. All the while as she wrapped their orders into decent looking bouquets, she kept glancing at Hanbin who was now walking around the shop, seemingly interested at the flowers, a lazy smile on his ridiculous face.  

She forces a smile of her own at the two women. "Thank you, come again when you can." she says nicely, trying to imitate an Incheon accent. She confirms through their looks that her imitation failed. The chimes above the door sound again, and Hayi is now left with Hanbin. 

She heaves out a large, heavy sigh before turning around to face the boy.  

Her heart flutters, just a little, in surprise when she sees the flower in his hands.  

"Hey, how much was this again? I'll just be buying one." he says nonchalantly, that lazy and easy-going smile plastered on his fresh, youthful face. And he's looking straight at her; at her pupils, at her irises, at her cornea, at her. 

Hayi looks away in embarrassment, although she wonders why she's embarrassed in the first place. Perhaps it's a girly reflex. Nobody has really ever looked at her ever since what her brother did. "Why not two?" she finds herself asking, glancing down at the alyssum in his hand.  

"Hanbyul just wants one."  

"What about your mom?" 

"My mom? Aww, how thoughtful, Hayi." 

She snaps her attention back at him, only to see him smirking at her in a way that she thinks is borderline childish and immature. Like the way he said the previous words that came out of his mouth. Hanbin means mischief today, and Hayi doesn't want to play with him. 

A roll of the eyes and shake of the head is what Hanbin gets from her. "You can get it for free if it's for your sister then." 

Unexpectedly, he frowns. "Why?" Hayi looks at him in a way she wishes it'll make him insecure. What is with this boy? 

"Hanbin," she says his name carefully, coming to a realization he may have not heard her well. "I said the flower is for free, take it and go." 

"But -" 

"It's for your sister," 

"Still -" 

"Take it," 

"Hayi -" 

"Just take it!" she doesn't exactly shout, perhaps a shriek would be close to describe the sound she made at him while uttering those three words. Just take it. Why couldn't he understand that? Why couldn't he just stop bugging her? She came to another realization that perhaps he was guilty, of before, when he left her in the dust.  

Hanbin's frown deepens, and her scowl worsens.  

She really doesn't want this right now.  

"I just want to help."  

His tone is sad yet firm. He looks at her with a wavering look, one that says he's ready to look away if she glares at him even harder. He now looks unsure and full of doubt in front of her. He looks like he wants to leave, and Hayi wants him to do so now.  

Typical of Hanbin to do the opposite. 

"Why won't you let me help, Hayi." 

He is unpredictable like that, she learns from back before.  

Hayi closes her eyes and sighs in defeat. She's tired, really she is. "Because it doesn't concern you," she says, and they both know what she's talking about. They both know. Several years of friendship, surely they could still read each other like open books and Hayi wishes Hanbin would stop reading her from now on.  

There is a pause, one that is long and scrutinizing. During that pause, Hayi fixes up the lavender and violets in their places. She tidies up the counter, glances at Hanbin, tidies up the counter again. The air is heavy, it is stale, and she's afraid now of what he might say next.  

"Help me then,"  

She looks at him and he is no longer carrying that doubtful look. He is emotionless, expressionless. He looks like her on days where the world is against her every will and wish. 

"Then you'll leave?" 

He nods stiffly. 

She presses her lips and thinks why not. 

"Fine. What is it?" 

He looks away from her, he looks down and around and anywhere but at her. "You, uhh.. could you umm..." and then she notices the way his ears redden as he kicks his worn-out sneaker against the tiled floor.  

"Could I what?" sharply, she says this. 

He looks up. 

She takes a breath. 

"Could you - could I ask for some salt?"  

A lot of things happen in three seconds. Hayi has her fists clench, she has her eyes shut, she has her jaw tightened and clenched, and she lets out a cry that is more of like a whine. "Kim Hanbin, seriously!" and he smiles and says "what? I'm being serious, I'm being serious" and he's laughing, just like that, and now she wonders if somehow he is bipolar.  

"If you want me to kill you," she says, taking three wide steps to face him directly. He towers over her, for a good five to six inches perhaps, but still this does not intimidate the palmtop tiger that is Lee Hayi. "Just say so next time, cut the crap and get straight to the chase."  

He chuckles, it's low and manly that Hayi is surprised and she is caught off-guard for a few seconds. Hanbin has matured in ways that are physical, but obviously not mental. "Sorry, but I am serious, really. Mom made me buy salt, but the stores were overpricing it. I know for a fact you'd give it to me for free." He grins a lopsided grin that Hayi liked on her brother, but not on him.  

"Why would you think that?!" 

"Because you gave this for free when I mentioned Hanbyul," he smiles, lifting his right hand to show the flower to her. Her eyes momentarily flicker towards it's beauty. "We need the salt for our bossam, and the meat'll go to Hanbyul's stomach." he says in a hopeful manner. "I know you have stacks of salt. You need them for your vases, don't you?" 

She leans back a little, surprised. She looks at him, him who is smiling rather goofily again at her, and suddenly Hayi sees him in a new form of light. "How did.. why do you know that?" last time she checked, Hanbin is too much of a boy for floral knowledge.  

He lifts an eyebrow and he looks at her in a way that says you forgot?  

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she lifts her own eyebrow up. 

He gives a sad smile. "Hayi, we were friends. Of course I know stuff about you."  

Something in her feels heavy, causing her to avert her eyes the other way. She purses her lips. "Right," she mutters and flicks her bangs to the side, she's trying to grow it out but all it does is get in the way of her sight. But right now, she might need it because the last thing she wants to see is Kim Hanbin.  

She clears , still not looking at him. "I'll get the salt." just so you'll leave.  

He nods, and his mouth is placed on a thin line, trying not to do anything with it: not to frown, or to smile.  

Hayi turns her back to him. 

"Hayi," 

She widens her eyes when she sees her grandmother standing at the bottom step of the staircase, her hand on the railing as she looks past her, at Hanbin, with squinted eyes. She turns her head to look back at him, but he's already bowing down at her grandmother. 

"Good afternoon, ma'am." he says in a voice that is full of firmness and respect.  

"Hayi, who is he?" 

"I'm Ki -" 

"Grandma," Hayi steps in front of him, shooting him a look before facing her grandmother again, a worried expression on. "He's nobody, just a.. a.. umm, someone from school. His name is Hanbin." 

"Han -" her eyes light up with recognition, while Hayi's face is filled with dread now. This can only lead to one thing. "Oh, Jungah's son. Hanbin, hello, come in, come." 

Hayi looks back at him, biting her lower lip as she shakes her head in a obvious way that is visible to both Hanbin and her own grandmother. 

Hanbin ignores her. He smiles, bows and says "okay" before the real suggestion is said.

"Come and stay for tea,"  

> ; <

happy lunar new year!
hope you guys will comment on what you think so far c: