The person who almost bumped into them was a tall, broad-shouldered Asian man. With a remarkably graceful appearance, he was surprisingly someone Ally knew. He was with a man who was slightly shorter than him, with fair skin and black hair.
“Ally?”
Ally’s eyes widened in surprise. To run into a customer from her grandparents’ flower shop here was unexpected. Her memory was hazy, but she thought his name was Siwoo, or something similar. He was a very warm-hearted customer, and both Ally and her grandparents liked him.
“Oh my gosh, is that you, Siwoo?”
“I didn’t expect to see Ally here.”
Siwoo spoke in a very friendly voice, confirming that Ally’s memory was correct. The corners of his eyes crinkled in a smile. She had felt it at her grandparents’ flower shop, but Siwoo was indeed a very beautiful man. Facing his bright, warm, and kind face, she felt a rush of joy as if she were meeting an old friend.
“I feel the same way. I can’t believe we’re meeting here, not in London. What brings you here?”
“Ah.”
Siwoo smiled a little awkwardly.
“Well, I think I’ll be staying here for a while. I’m not sure how long, though.”
Siwoo affectionately pulled the shoulder of the man standing next to him closer. Then he turned back to Ally.
“Is this your shop, Ally?”
Siwoo looked over Ally’s shoulder at the small flower shop. His gaze was very gentle as he took in the cute sign and the buckets filled with flowers.
“Yes, it’s been about two years. I’m just getting used to it now.”
“Oh, congratulations!”
Siwoo said warmly. His sincere congratulatory tone made Ally feel very happy, even though her gaze kept drifting to the man with black hair standing next to Siwoo.
“Let’s say hi again next time, Ally. And let me know how your grandparents are doing.”
Siwoo tilted his head with a smile, promising to meet again. Ally also smiled brightly in return. Yes, see you again. It was just as the two men were about to pass by the flower shop. While Siwoo and Ally were chatting, the man with black hair, who had been silently gazing at the flowers in the bucket with clear eyes, finally spoke.
“Is this the flower you mentioned, Hyung?”
Siwoo turned to the man beside him, saying, “Huh?”
“Notting Hill flower shop, wildflowers.”
Looking at the man, Siwoo let out a small laugh. “Yeah, isn’t it pretty?” The man nodded lightly. “Yes, it’s beautiful.” A short reply came back.
“……”
Ally quietly watched the two men converse. For some reason, her heart felt fluttery. “Yes, it’s beautiful.” The short reply from the man with black hair left a strong impression on her. She didn’t know why. It just felt like the man’s voice lingered in her ears.
Siwoo gave Ally a nod and said goodbye, then walked away with the man beside him. As she watched the two men’s backs recede, Ally quietly closed her mouth. You’re just as beautiful as the flowers. A slightly embarrassing murmur lingered on her lips. It was strange. She felt like she had never experienced this feeling before.
It wasn’t long before she realized that this was what people commonly referred to as “falling in love at first sight.”
Ally decided to change Buddy’s walking route. She would head in the direction of where Siwoo and the man with black hair lived. That way, she might see the man with black hair more often. Ally thought she was being a bit sneaky, but there was no way to resist what her heart wanted.
Since their chance encounter on the street, opportunities to meet Siwoo and the man up close had been rare. She would occasionally see them from a distance. In particular, the man with black hair often passed by Ally’s flower shop. Judging by the book he held in his arms, he seemed to be on his way to the nearby library.
Of course, it was nice to see them like that. But how could a person’s heart be satisfied with just that? Ally was not content. She playfully asked Buddy, “Buddy, I think you’ll like that man too. You’ll like the new walking route as well. Is that okay?”
Fortunately, Buddy liked the new walking route. They say pets resemble their owners, and it seemed Buddy also liked Siwoo and the man with black hair. Whenever they passed by the house with the blue roof, Buddy, who usually walked quietly, would bark excitedly. Thanks to that, Ally had exchanged greetings with Siwoo several times. The man with black hair was always by Siwoo’s side.
When they encountered each other a few times on their walks, Ally saw Siwoo make a troubled expression for the first time. He still smiled kindly at Ally and greeted her warmly, but he clearly looked uncomfortable. Around that time, Siwoo started visiting the flower shop a few times.
“Ally.”
It was the second day after he bought a bouquet of red flowers when Siwoo came to the flower shop again. This time, he bought a small potted plant. Ally filled the time by explaining how to care for the plant and chatting about various topics.
“I met the man you live with not long ago. I had a conversation with him for the first time, and it was really exciting.” Ally hesitated for a long time about whether to bring that up to Siwoo. She hesitated for the same reason she hadn’t mentioned the man with black hair to Siwoo before. She had a feeling that they were not just simple roommates.
Ally looked up at Siwoo’s soft call. Siwoo smiled at her, looking a bit awkward.
“Ally. I want to ask you something… Please don’t misunderstand that it’s a strange question.”
Ally nodded and looked at Siwoo. Her intuition swelled in her chest again.
“Do you like Sanho?”
The name Sanho was one she had never heard before. But Ally immediately realized that it was the name of the man with black hair. Siwoo, watching Ally’s expression, smiled again, looking a bit awkward.
“Well, we had a bit of a situation.”
“Excuse me? What….”
“The reason I came here from Korea was a bit complicated. It was a situation where I wouldn’t want to let people know that Sanho is here. It’s almost wrapped up now, though.”
It was a story that was hard to understand easily. Siwoo continued calmly.
“So I couldn’t introduce Sanho to you, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize….”
“He’s my partner. Sanho.”
Ah. Ally’s mouth opened slightly. Her intuition had taken on a solid form. Siwoo spoke to Ally, who looked flustered, in a voice full of regret.
“I’m sorry for not introducing you to the person I love until now.”
“……”
“Um, I’m also sorry for being childish and feeling jealous because I thought you liked him.”
Siwoo looked at Ally with a genuine smile.
“If I misunderstood, I’m really sorry.”
Ally stared at Siwoo for a moment, unable to say anything. She felt a mix of emptiness and frustration. But on the other hand, she also felt relieved. She never expected to hear such a perfect and clean rejection. After looking at Siwoo for a while, Ally raised her eyebrows and forced a smile.
“I had a feeling, just in case.”
“Did you?”
“Yes, those things can’t be hidden.”
Ally held out the potted plant to Siwoo and smiled again. Although she felt a bit bitter about her unrequited love ending so emptily, she didn’t feel bad. Siwoo was truly a wonderful man and a great person.
“Is it okay for the three of us, or four including Buddy, to be friends?”
Siwoo smiled slowly, his eyes crinkling. “Yes, of course.” Just before his answer came to a close, Buddy barked loudly. Sanho? Ally watched as Siwoo opened the glass door and stepped outside.
Today, Buddy was lazily lying in front of the flower shop. After several days of cloudy weather, the sky was clear for the first time in a while. Under the warm sunlight, Buddy’s golden fur sparkled. Kneeling beside Buddy, Ally gently petted his head.
“Buddy, do you know how it feels to be rejected before even confessing?”
Woof. Buddy slowly raised his eyes to look at Ally.
“I thought it would be really sad, or really unpleasant.”
Ally smiled brightly.
“But it’s not as bad as I thought. I guess it just makes you nod your head.”
Woof! Buddy lifted his head and looked at Ally. He rubbed his moist nose against her hand. Ally petted Buddy’s head again.
“Well, it’s okay. I really think they make a great couple.”
Ally’s gaze, which had been murmuring toward Buddy, suddenly landed on a pair of white sneakers that approached her. Following the white sneakers, her gaze was drawn upward.
“Um….”
It was the man with black hair, the one named Sanho. Ally’s mouth fell slightly open.
“Hello.”
Sanho said. Ally couldn’t tell if he was greeting her or Buddy, so she just blinked. Seeing Sanho’s gaze linger on Buddy, it seemed like a greeting for him. Ally slowly stood up, straightening her knees. Sanho’s gaze slowly moved toward Ally.
“I wanted to apologize.”
Sanho’s words were completely unexpected. Ally’s eyes widened. Apologize? For what?
“It must have been a precious flower.”
“What….”
“The red flowers that were in the bucket here not long ago.”
Ah. Was he talking about the large bouquet Siwoo had wrapped? When Ally met Sanho’s gaze, he lightly tilted his head toward her. It was a gesture that seemed to indicate he was indeed apologizing.
“I threw that flower away.”
“Oh….”
“Because I was upset.”
Ally couldn’t understand what Sanho was saying at all. Sanho continued to look at Ally with a calm gaze.
“I don’t dislike flowers. I thought I would start to dislike them, but I probably won’t dislike them in the future either.”
Sanho hesitated for a moment. Then, with a faint smile, he added his last words.
“I hope to see you and Buddy again.”
Suddenly, Buddy jumped up and wagged his tail at Sanho. Woof! As he barked happily, Sanho’s faint smile gradually brightened. It was a smile so radiant that it made one wonder if he could smile like that. As Sanho petted Buddy’s head, Buddy barked again. Ally also smiled back at him.
