#035
But wait, if Kim Yujin-ssi is calling her “mother,” what’s her relationship with Woo Dohwan? She wouldn’t call a stranger mother, and since there’s no resemblance, they definitely aren’t blood relatives. That leaves only a few options. Either lovers or an engaged couple.
In other words, the kind of relationship where they’ll soon be tied together as family.
“Mother, I want to order a bouquet here.”
Ah, they must be an engaged couple.
Kim Yujin-ssi smiled with an extremely happy face. What the hell, pinwheel. He said there was nothing between them. That was a lie. If she’s preparing a bouquet, that means the wedding is imminent.
“Don’t rush just because you want to do it before your body gets heavier. Your body comes first. Understand? If it’s hard, it’s okay to postpone it.”
Based on their conversation, she’s not alone in her body. I could be certain of that just from Lim Nanhee’s voice filled with worry, concern, and affection. Her gentle, affectionate voice resonated softly.
“Yes, mother. I’ll be careful.”
“Good. You should.”
A gentle hand patted the round shoulder, and she turned her gaze, which had been meeting affectionately, back toward the flowers.
“By any chance, do you know what the flower language of this flower is?”
I looked at the fingertip pointing to the dahlia and moved my lips.
“Huh? Ah, ah, that’s ‘Thank you for your love.’ Actually, dahlias have slightly different flower meanings depending on their color. What I told you is the flower meaning of red dahlias, and this is also in the red family if you consider it red family, so…”
“I see. That’s interesting.”
I shook my head vigorously to clear my slightly dazed mind and gathered the flowers spread out on the table.
“All flowers are like this, but keeping them in a cool place rather than somewhere too warm is the way to keep them looking pretty for a long time. Keep the water cold, and each time you change it, cut the stem tips diagonally little by little.”
I placed dahlias and peonies as the main flowers and filled the surroundings with anemones, stock, and roses. I thought it would be prettier with more green, so I added a few leaves of aspidistra around them and then secured the stems. I wrapped it with white tissue paper and light gray cloud paper to finish the packaging, tied it with white ribbon, and handed it directly to Lim Nanhee.
“Here you go.”
“Wow. Really… I’m surprised that your skills are better than I expected.”
“You’re saying you like it, right? Thank you.”
“It’s not just that I like it.”
She held the bouquet in her arms and made an expression as if seeing the most beautiful thing in the world. So pretty. The exclamations that came from her mouth were usually like that. That’s when it happened. Kim Yujin-ssi’s voice interjected between the obvious gazes that crossed through the air.
“I… um, I’d like you to make it with those roses you made for me before. You know, the ones.”
“What?”
“Back then, what was it? The one you made for me. That one.”
“What was that… what was it again.”
I muttered while rubbing my chin as if I couldn’t remember. Even though I remembered everything. What emotion should I call this… hmm. Swept away by the waves of an unfamiliar emotion I couldn’t understand, I barely pulled myself together and smiled at Kim Yujin-ssi.
I felt so pathetic and disgusting. Why am I being like this? What kind of relationship do I have with Woo Dohwan anyway? I quickly reminded myself of reality and reached for the showcase door.
“Clarence rose. The rose I gave you back then.”
“Ah! Right! That was it! That was so pretty.”
“Is a mixed bouquet okay?”
“Yes, anything is fine. Please make it prettily!”
Kim Yujin-ssi had a smiling face throughout. So brightly that I felt sorry for being petty.
“…I’ll make it pretty for you.”
Since it’s good to see pretty things during pregnancy. I really need to make it pretty. But the child in her belly would be Woo Dohwan’s child, right? That day, they really, really seemed like just friends. That pinwheel bastard… I sighed without properly knowing why I was feeling such disappointing emotions toward him.
Is it because I heard him say there was nothing between them?
I reached out and quickly took out Clarence roses, white calla lilies, apricot gerberas, and tuberoses. I felt there wasn’t enough green, so I also took out shepherd’s purse and eucalyptus before starting to shape the bouquet. Since she said she liked roses, I placed the Clarence roses in the center and inserted calla lilies and gerberas in between. Finally, after adding the orange tuberoses, it became very bright.
But the lack of green was still too obvious, so I carefully arranged the shepherd’s purse and eucalyptus as well before securing the stems.
Mm, it has a lovely feeling. It’s a bouquet that resembles Kim Yujin. I wrapped it with beige tissue paper and kraft paper, then tied it with an ivory ribbon to finish.
“Here you go.”
“Wow, amazing… it’s really pretty. Really, really.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Mother! Look at this. It’s really pretty.”
Kim Yujin-ssi held out the bouquet toward Lim Nanhee. Happy emotions were evident on both elegant and lovely faces.
“I’m glad you like it. But um… I’m sorry, but I’m planning to close the shop a bit early today. I’m not feeling well.”
“Oh my, oh my, your complexion did look pale. I’m sorry, it was too sudden, wasn’t it?”
“No, not at all. You can come anytime. It wasn’t sudden at all.”
I spread my palms wide and waved them in the air while looking at the two people who felt too sorry. Lim Nanhee held the bouquet in her arms and opened her wallet. Her elegant hand placed a black card similar to what Woo Dohwan had offered in front of me.
“Please charge this.”
“Eighty thousand won each, so one hundred sixty thousand won.”
“Are you giving a discount by any chance? Why is the price so cheap?”
Lim Nanhee’s eyes became sharp at the price that didn’t even reach one hundred thousand won each.
“What? No. Not at all! The flowers used aren’t that expensive.”
I smiled awkwardly, swiped the card, entered the numbers, and pushed the signature pad toward her. Lim Nanhee, still not erasing her suspicious expression, finished signing with elegant handwriting. I was looking at the receipt printing out with a whirring sound with a bored face when I reflexively let out a deep sigh at the sound of the door opening.
“Today I’m closing—”
I muttered the words that spilled from my lips before even raising my head and tore off the fully printed receipt. It was the moment I raised my head toward the customer who had entered while holding out the thin paper along with the card.
“What.”
“What? You little bastard, what do you mean ‘what’ to your mother, you bastard!”
“Kim Yujin?”
“Ah, ha… what? Haha… Mother, let’s go now.”
Kim Yujin-ssi waved awkwardly toward Woo Dohwan and whispered to Lim Nanhee, who was blushing as if she might grab the back of her neck and collapse at any moment, while supporting her. Though it was a whisper that could be heard anyway. She glanced at Woo Dohwan while leading Lim Nanhee away.
“I told you to tell me before coming.”
Woo Dohwan blocked the two people’s path and spoke with a menacing face.
“No, it happened suddenly, suddenly.”
“If you’re not going to work at the gallery tomorrow either, bring the card back right away. Got it?”
My gaze and Kim Yujin-ssi’s met in the air with the mother and son between us. While giving each other awkward smiles, I organized the table and Kim Yujin-ssi pulled Lim Nanhee along.
“Mother, let’s go. I’ll buy you dinner. I’m hungry.”
She smiled brightly while stretching her words with a cute voice. Kim Yujin-ssi passed by Woo Dohwan with her arm around Lim Nanhee’s shoulder, winked once, and said “call me.”
“Take care.”
When I greeted their departing figures, both Kim Yujin-ssi and Lim Nanhee turned around, bowed lightly, then quickly left the shop. Ding-a-ling— the clear sound of the wind chime rang, leaving Woo Dohwan and me alone.
He stared blankly at his departing family members, then moved his feet while pressing his temples firmly as if he had a headache, keeping his gaze on me as I awkwardly stood reorganizing the already organized table.
Approaching with long strides, he leaned against the table with his upper body slightly bent and closed his eyes tightly. He seemed to be choosing his words while moving his red lips, then closed his mouth tightly again.
“My mother—”
“She said the flowers were pretty. She didn’t say anything particular.”
I spoke first to get ahead of him. Since she really didn’t say much else.
“Sorry. I told them not to visit so suddenly like this. I told them to ask me first. They should at least visit when you’re not busy.”
Woo Dohwan seemed a bit anxious. It was unfamiliar to see him carefully reading my mood. Why is he acting like this? Is it because he said there was nothing between him and Kim Yujin-ssi when there actually is something?
“Kim Yujin—”
“Wait a moment.”
“……?”
“Both of you didn’t behave rudely toward me, and I wasn’t very busy today. And I don’t really know what you’re trying to say, but it’s not related to me… And, I’m not curious.”
“What?”
Woo Dohwan’s eyes widened at my words. His fluttering eyelashes moved up and down rapidly, then closed tightly before slowly curling up again to reveal his black pupils. Ah. He opened and closed his red lips several times while making sounds, holding back his words.
“I thought you’d be curious.”
“……”
“Since you like me.”
“I’m going to close the shop now. As you can see, I’m a bit tired.”
“I just got here, Ranho-ya.”
Woo Dohwan habitually frowned. With his handsome face, he cast a spell that made even the mischievously crumpled wrinkles look lovely rather than hateful. I shouldn’t be enchanted by that face. How can my heart flutter for a child’s father? I steeled my resolve and turned my gaze away, pretending not to notice my pounding heart.
“I’m just going to dry the flowers and go in. I’m tired.”
“Should I help?”
“No?”
“Why are you being so cold today? Are you angry? Did I do something wrong to you?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
