#029
It wasn’t a long time, but dealing with Yeo Dongju had rapidly worsened my mood, leaving my expression unpleasant.
“Then what are you doing at a flower shop?”
Right, exactly. You come to a flower shop to buy flowers.
…It was the right thing to say, but strangely it made me feel even worse and my brow furrowed automatically. Right, if you came to buy flowers, let’s sell them quickly and get it over with. I unfolded the neatly folded apron again. He quite perceptively caught the meaning of my actions and smiled, stretching the corners of his mouth. What a really unpleasant man.
Why does Mo Gyoyeon have such poor judgment when it comes to men? Ban Hajoon would be a hundred times better. Yeo Dongju smiled with his eyes crinkling as if trying to lighten the ominous atmosphere. He strode up to the showcase and asked while peering inside the glass window packed full of flowers.
“Which flowers are pretty?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t really know which flowers are pretty. They all look similar to my eyes. Um… I’d like Ranho-ssi to choose for me. The person receiving them is a bit prickly, so please match that.”
As soon as I heard the word “prickly,” I had a strong feeling that the recipient wasn’t Gyoyeon. When Gyoyeon liked someone, she couldn’t act prickly. Her charm was her honesty, and even when in love, she boldly and honestly revealed her emotions. Still, thinking there might be a possibility, I opened my mouth. I had to confirm.
“You’re giving it as a gift to Gyoyeon, right?”
I moved a couple steps away from him. Thinking it would seem strange if I appeared to be avoiding him too much, I asked while touching the rough dried flowers with my fingertips, and Yeo Dongju’s gaze whipped toward me.
“It’s not for Gyoyeon.”
Ah, so it’s not.
“Actually, I’d prefer if you didn’t tell Gyoyeon that I came here today. Could you do that for me?”
Yeo Dongju wrinkled his nose bridge. My expression automatically crumpled at his coquettish smile.
“You’d understand since you’re a guy too. It’s not like we’re married, so how can you only meet one person? When you’re not even sure.”
“…What?”
“Of course, even though Gyoyeon and I are in a serious relationship, sometimes there are those you meet casually for light encounters… It’s not strange, right? Everyone has those originally. Right? You know, Ranho-ssi.”
His narrowly folded eyes looked me up and down. Crazy, what am I supposed to know?
“And where are there friends between men and women? In my eyes, Gyoyeon and Ranho-ssi aren’t friends but potential prospective lovers.”
Dongj— no, Yeo Dongju spouted bullshit in a very matter-of-fact tone. What potential prospective lovers, are you insane? It was the kind of statement that would make Gyoyeon grab the back of her neck if she heard it. Yeo Dongju saw my face harden coldly at his words and scratched his forehead awkwardly. Even that action looked vulgar to me. I take back what I said about him being handsome. All the handsomeness has frozen to death.
“Ahem, hmm, so which flowers are pretty today? You said roses were pretty that day.”
Sparks that started at my toes instantly spread up my entire body. My contemptuous gaze and expression weren’t well hidden. Actually, no good words were coming out either, but I wondered if I might have misunderstood that bastard’s meaning, so I stammered to choose my words.
“So. The flowers…”
…Ha, fuck. Even a guy like that has a girlfriend. And she’s way too decent and nice too.
“If you walk just one block from here, you’ll reach a big intersection, and if you go into the main street from there, there are several more flower shops.”
When I explained locations instead of recommending flowers, bewilderment spread across Yeo Dongju’s face.
“If you cross the street and keep going straight, you’ll find several flower shops. You can go into any of them and buy something suitable.”
“I was hoping Ranho-ssi would choose—”
Did he trade his sense for shit?
“When I’m telling you nicely that I’m not selling flowers, please understand it nicely.”
I answered irritably without realizing it. I shouldn’t have done that. But it was already too late to change my hardened expression and disgusted tone. What am I supposed to know just because I’m a man? It’s always the half-decent looking ones who act like this. That bastard who looks like half-eaten ice cream…
“You’re not going to keep meeting Gyoyeon after spouting such nonsense in front of me, are you?”
“What?”
I rummaged around and opened the counter, taking out all the cash bundles I had only put in but never taken out. Envelope… there’s no envelope. Right, I picked up a black plastic bag that was lying around and opened it. I put enough money in to make the bag sag heavily, tied the opening tightly, and tossed it in front of Yeo Dongju with a thud.
“I put together something for you to take and get lost. Still, I can’t tell you to leave empty-handed when I’m supposedly a building owner. So take at least that. You seemed to be asking if I was a building owner hoping for that kind of thing.”
“Seo Ranho-ssi. What is this rude behavior you’re doing right now? Do you know who I am—”
Does he think he’s been polite this whole time? It wasn’t even funny, so I snorted.
“Manners? You should mind your own manners. How close are we that you’d say all that stuff, disgustingly. You don’t seem to have proper judgment either, so how did you even become a team leader? Are you perhaps related by blood to someone who owns company shares? How can such an idiot who can’t judge properly lead a team…”
“Seo Ranho-ssi!”
“Don’t call my name. It’s disgusting. And what if I know who you are? So what? You obviously look like you have less money than me.”
Yeo Dongju’s face turned all sorts of red and blue at my harsh words.
“Just try continuing to meet Gyoyeon. You’ll experience firsthand that what I’m best at isn’t making bouquets, but using money to boss people around.”
Yeo Dongju seemed to realize his mistake and held out both palms in a gesture as if to calm down.
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or whatever, just go. I’m leaving too.”
I got tired. I was folding the unfolded apron neatly again and passing by Yeo Dongju when it happened. A hand shot out instantly and roughly grabbed my wrist.
“Ah…!”
Because my body was suddenly turned around, my back that I had strained while supporting Ban Hajoon struck the table edge directly. It hurt so much that no scream came out. This crazy bastard, my back…! My back again!!!
“Look here, Yeo Dongju-ssi.”
I barely held back my groaning and gritted my teeth. I raised my head and met Yeo Dongju’s eyes. I opened my mouth, pretending not to notice the spreading, tingling pain.
“Don’t do something you’ll regret and let go of my hand.”
“What do you think I’m going to do?”
Sharp gazes clashed in the air. I couldn’t understand why he was glaring at me with axe eyes when he was the one who did wrong. Seeing Yeo Dongju, who was even shameless, my blood ran cold. What was Gyoyeon thinking, meeting such a guy?
I shook off the grabbed wrist several times and Yeo Dongju held on even more firmly. That’s when it happened.
“Ranho-ssi. You had your sign down—”
Ding-a-ling, the clear sound of wind chimes rang and a familiar voice was heard. Mine and Yeo Dongju’s gazes instantly turned toward the entrance.
“Ranho-ssi?”
Ban Hajoon, sensing the unusual atmosphere, rushed over to me and Yeo Dongju. He immediately pried off the roughly grabbed wrist with a sharp motion and hid me behind his back.
Even to a stranger’s eyes, the atmosphere between me and Yeo Dongju must have looked menacing. While it would be a bit difficult to say we were fighting, the threatening atmosphere emanating from Yeo Dongju was something anyone could easily notice.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
“…Well,”
“It doesn’t seem like you fought, so are you perhaps getting angry at Ranho-ssi one-sidedly?”
At the fierce question, Yeo Dongju smiled broadly and shrugged his shoulders. He even made a very wronged expression while making excuses.
“That can’t be. I came to buy flowers. I asked Ranho-ssi to choose some flowers for me but… it’s not going very smoothly. He hasn’t even taken off his sunglasses since earlier.”
“How many flowers are you trying to buy that you’re ordering with such a murderous atmosphere? Making Ranho-ssi uncomfortable. Ranho-ssi doesn’t make more than five bouquets at once.”
Ban Hajoon deliberately muttered loudly as if for him to hear. That’s right. I don’t make more than five bouquets at once… no, crazy. I was nodding as if in agreement when I unconsciously rolled my eyes at Ban Hajoon’s off-point remark.
At the gaze following me hidden behind his broad back, I pressed closer to Ban Hajoon and hunched my body. Still, he’s better than that guy. Plus, the pinwheel’s really promiscuous nature, that kind of tendency, was something I really didn’t like.
“This is our second time meeting, right? Ban, Hajoon-ssi. Have you been well?”
Yeo Dongju greeted with a very polite and slightly slimy voice, unlike when he had said “You know, Ranho-ssi” to me in a provocative manner. He even deliberately paused when calling Ban Hajoon’s name. Does he flirt regardless of gender?
“That day, I had quite a hard time carrying Hajoon-ssi. I don’t know if you heard from Gyoyeon.”
The way he leaned his long body diagonally against the table and spoke while scratching his forehead somehow drew attention. His refreshing features curved in lines. His long-stretched eyes and lips all formed arcs. Ban Hajoon stiffened his expression and bowed his head, perhaps remembering his disgraceful behavior that day.
“Ah, yes. That day, yes, that, that was, yes.”
What are you doing… When Ban Hajoon couldn’t speak properly and was stammering, Yeo Dongju struck again.
“Ranho-ssi.”
“……”
“I’ll come back later to buy flowers. Make sure to make them for me then too. Show me your face that day too.”
His long fingers tapped around his own eyes. The voice that had said “What man is so pretty?” overlapped. For some reason that bothered me again, so I bowed my head even lower, and Yeo Dongju’s voice mixed with laughter followed.
“The bouquet you gave Gyoyeon that day was really pretty. It’s at my house.”
“……”
“Cut the stems diagonally, change the water often, with cold water. I remembered.”
“I’m really not feeling well today. Please leave.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
