#018
I suppose that’s some kind of occupational hazard too. The man gave a small nod toward Ban Hajoon.
“I came to buy flowers.”
“You came early.”
“I think it was good that I came early.”
The man spoke as if he had noticed that I was trying to close the shop early. His head, which had been leaning against the table, turned slowly. After scanning everything from the flowers I had put outside to the flowers kept in the showcase, he opened his mouth.
“I wonder if there are other flowers with meanings like forgiveness or something like that.”
He asked with a somewhat tired expression. It was fascinating that he was attempting reconciliation even after being hit like that. His partner who doesn’t forgive easily too.
Well, cheating isn’t the kind of mistake that’s easily forgiven. So why did he cheat in the first place? I really don’t understand. If he’s going to beg like that, then why… I unconsciously gave him a pathetic look, then quickly turned my head to choose flowers when I met the man’s eyes that were glowing sharply blue.
“There are some… but the flowers are too plain to use as the main ones.”
“Which ones?”
“They’re called peacock grass… It’s not exactly forgiveness, but they have the meaning of ‘stop being angry.’ These ones here. It would be boring to put just these alone, so how about mixing them with roses as the main flowers? I happened to get roses today so the flower condition is good too.”
The man nodded as he checked the flowers I showed him. Then he let out a deep sigh as if he was truly tired.
“Alright. Then.”
Thinking to make the bouquet as quickly as possible and send the man away, I immediately took out the flowers as soon as he gave his answer. I took out plenty of peacock grass, yellow pompon mums, Emma Wood roses, and white delphiniums. Perhaps because of the mums, the white and yellow colors harmonized well, making the bouquet cute even before shaping it.
The pompon mums I chose as a point seemed like such a good choice that I was secretly pleased with myself while wrapping it. Will they reconcile this time? After gathering and tying the stems, I laid out light beige matte kraft paper. I wrapped it carefully so the wrapping paper wouldn’t wrinkle and tied a white ribbon in the middle to finish.
The completed bouquet was genuinely cute. What if he hits her with this again? He shouldn’t hit with this one…
“It’s pretty. So this is peacock grass?”
The man really had no interest in flowers – even though I had clearly shown him the peacock grass, he was pointing at something else. Ban Hajoon, who had been watching me make the bouquet from the side, let out a sigh thick with pity. Does he not know what peacock grass is on his own?
“That’s a mum. This is peacock grass.”
“Ah. This one.”
“Please succeed in reconciling today.”
Please succeed so you’ll stop coming.
“…Twenty thousand won.”
I muttered while watching the man’s mood. Twenty. I had no intention of giving a discount this time. The man stared blankly at the bouquet with empty eyes, then let out a deep sigh and took out his wallet. He opened it and pulled out four fifty-thousand-won bills from the bills packed tightly inside and handed them to me.
But why does Kang Min have so much money? He’s just a nobody… If he had paid by card like that drunkard, I could at least have stolen a glimpse of his signature.
“Pretty things are bound to be worth their price.”
“……”
“I wonder if this will be worth its price?”
“…Wouldn’t it… be?”
“I’m curious. It seems too precious to hit with.”
The man waved the bouquet gently as he moved away. “See you again.” His voice, carried on the breeze that flowed through the open door, lingered around my ears.
“Ah.”
I probably shouldn’t have opened the flower shop. I’m just paying rent and trying to figure out who Kang Min is.
***
There was no conversation between Ban Hajoon and me. He kept looking at me with his arms propped up and his chin resting on them. When I asked several times why he was like that because it was burdensome, there was no answer. So I decided to ask again. This was the fourth question.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ranho-ssi.”
“Yes.”
“Part-time work.”
I had forgotten. No inquiries had come in, and everyone who opened the door and came in bought flowers and left, so I was too busy. I posted a part-time job notice, but how is it that not a single person asked about it? Maybe it was because the notice was posted too impulsively and the tiny writing wasn’t properly seen by people.
I should have posted the notice online to match the times… Ban Hajoon’s voice rolled into my ears as I was lost in thought.
“Since Ranho-ssi isn’t feeling well, I’ll help you. For no pay.”
“…What?”
“Ranho-ssi needs to go to the hospital and such, but you can’t close the shop. It was me who made your back like that.”
He spoke as if he really thought he would be helpful. Does he really think so? I didn’t hide the sigh that naturally burst out.
“…I’m sorry, but please don’t take this badly.”
Actually, things that start with “I’m sorry, but don’t take this badly-” are usually offensive. But sometimes you have to say them anyway. Just like now.
“At least the part-time worker should know how to make bouquets so I can feel at ease leaving the shop open to them, but Hajoon-ssi doesn’t know flowers well and the only thing you properly know is lisianthus. Even if I leave the shop open, it wouldn’t help, no… anyway.”
“……”
“I’ll just accept the sentiment, just the sentiment. I can go to the hospital after closing.”
Perhaps hurt by the words I spoke too sincerely, his already gentle eye corners drooped downward. Even if I feel sorry, there’s nothing I can do. Rather than beating around the bush and making him not understand, causing him to insist on giving unnecessary help, it’s better to speak properly and nip it in the bud.
“It’s really okay.”
Leaving Ban Hajoon in the shop really, truly wouldn’t help. After patting his drooped shoulders, I moved my body again. Past six o’clock, I started organizing the shop by cleaning up the table and moved to turn off the sign.
That’s when it happened. A middle-aged man with an urgent expression opened the flower shop door.
“Are you closed by any chance?”
“Excuse me?”
“I was busy all day and only now found time… I’m sorry, but are you closed for business?”
I couldn’t bring myself to say yes to his anxious question, asked with a face mixed with traces of time, worry, and uneasiness, so I put down the sign light.
“I was just about to close, but come in. I wasn’t about to close right now.”
At my answer, he finally relaxed his expression and let out a breath filled with relief.
“Tomorrow is the day I go to see my wife, but I was busy all day and forgot to buy flowers. I have to leave home early in the morning, so if I don’t buy them the day before, I can’t take them with me.”
His voice and attitude were full of apology, as if he was very sorry for showing up unexpectedly after closing time. I smiled lightly at the man who was quietly explaining his situation and answered.
“It’s okay, so please come in. I’ll make them for you quickly. And sometimes I stay open past 6 o’clock. Do you happen to know what flowers your wife likes?”
“…No. Because I didn’t know that, I bought only chrysanthemums every year to visit her.”
“……”
“…Sorry about that.”
An awkward expression and bitter voice. Chrysanthemums and every year. Even with that much, I could infer where he was going to see his wife. I stopped scanning the flowers and turned my head to look at the man. When I met his bloodshot eyes, a hollow smile spread across his tired face.
“Then may I recommend something?”
“What kind…”
“What’s your wife’s age range, if I may ask?”
“…Forty-eight.”
“Hmm… just a moment.”
I took out reddish zinnias, white pompon mums, white hydrangeas, and white delphiniums. I took out plenty of iberis and cut the stems diagonally. I took out oasis foam and stuck it at the end of the stems, then shaped it. Since only the zinnias had color, it was both bright and solemn because only those flowers had color. After arranging the round mums as the final touch, I gathered the flower stems and tied them, then wrapped the stem ends with transparent wrapping. Then I spread white kraft paper to wrap the bouquet and tied a light pink ribbon in the middle to finish the packaging.
After making one bouquet like that, I made another bouquet with zinnias, mums, pink hydrangeas, and delphiniums.
“This one has water sponge stuck at the stem ends, so it’ll last well through this evening. When you get home, keep it in a cool place, and this one… I took out too many flowers so I made one more.”
“……”
“I think it would be good to keep at home.”
“…Thank you.”
I held out the bouquet toward the man who smiled with wrinkled eyes and asked.
“Would you like me to tell you the flower names?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Standing across from each other with the table between us, I pointed to the flowers and explained them one by one.
“This, this is a zinnia and this is a mum. The balloon-like ones. And this is a hydrangea, which you probably know… and this is delphinium. Are you curious about the meaning of any of these flowers?”
When I asked while gently touching the zinnia petals, his gaze also turned toward the bouquet.
“This one, the zinnia. It’s a very familiar flower but I don’t know the meaning. What does this flower mean?”
“‘Longing for someone who has passed away.'”
“Ah.”
“Um… did I perhaps make a mistake?”
“…No. No, you didn’t. You didn’t.”
At my cautious question, the man gave a faint smile and shook his head.
“Have a good visit with your wife.”
“…Thank you for telling me. It’s pretty. Enough to feel sorry for only buying chrysanthemums every time.”
The man’s gaze went toward the zinnias. His trembling hand caressed the red petals and then he bowed his head.
“Fifty thousand won.”
“Here.”
I completed the payment with the card he offered and handed it back with the receipt. He bowed several times even as he turned to leave. I also saw him off to the entrance, repeatedly telling him to get home safely. As I watched his retreating figure holding the bouquet in his arms and untied my apron, Ban Hajoon, who had approached at some point, stood beside me with tears in his eyes.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
