#041
I cleaned up the messy table. I gathered things like cut stems and leaves and threw them in the trash, then caught my breath for a moment. I checked how many flowers were left with my eyes and estimated how many bouquets I could make with that amount.
If I only use roses, I could probably make about six. As I opened the showcase door while gauging the quantity, the wind chime rang as if announcing that break time was over.
***
It was three hours that truly taught me the meaning of the phrase “whirlwind.” There weren’t many flowers left in the showcase either. There were a few varieties remaining, but they were small flowers that weren’t often used as main pieces. I brushed off my hands that were thoroughly soaked with the smell of grass and headed toward the entrance, leaving the table behind. I flipped the small sign that read [OPEN] to [CLOSE] and turned off the shop’s lights.
Ah, my whole body aches. Have I ever made bouquets this frantically before? I don’t think so. I’ll have to check these kinds of holidays in advance and close the shop next time. I opened the showcase and took out all the flowers that were left, just one or two stems each. Without bothering to arrange them properly, I gathered the stems together, tied them with string, filled a vase with water, and stuck them in. I was planning to take them up to my apartment.
Looking at the completely empty showcase for the first time since opening was quite moving. To think I would sell flowers this passionately. The resolution to never sell more than five bouquets a day had disappeared long ago. I was laughing absently while cleaning up the shop when the entrance door swung wide open. At the clear ringing of the bell, I reflexively turned my head and saw Ban Hajoon… Ah, damn. I couldn’t bear to look at him directly, so I turned my head away.
“Ranho-ssi!”
He walked carefully into the shop with an extremely bright expression, holding a Pepero tower bigger than his own body.
“What is this… what,”
“Do you know what today is?”
“Looking at you coming in with that, I’d figure it out even if I didn’t want to, wouldn’t I?”
“Wow! You know what day it is! I thought Ranho-ssi wouldn’t know since you’re not interested in these things and are pretty oblivious.”
Is that an insult? Ban Hajoon looked at me as I furrowed my brow in disbelief and smiled brightly, very brightly. By the way, unlike the snacks I saw today, that one looks like he made it himself.
“I made this myself.”
As I thought. I could tell just by looking that it was handmade. Both the packaging and the shape of the snacks that looked like he put in so much effort he practically poured his heart into them.
“I made it to give out as service to customers who came to the cafe today.”
“Then why didn’t you give it to the customers and bring so much here instead?”
“I thought Ranho-ssi might like this kind of thing too? Sweet snacks covered in lots of chocolate.”
Even if I like them, this amount would probably make me sick of them. Did he bring this much hoping I’d get sick of them? More than that, did he think I could eat all this by myself?
“It’s too much.”
I should keep just enough to eat and send the rest back with Ban Hajoon. Having finished that thought, I nodded.
“Want to try some?”
“Yes. I’d like to try some.”
At my answer, Ban Hajoon took off a snack from the very top. A plastic pack containing three or four small sticks was carefully placed in front of me. He looked at me with sparkling eyes and an extremely expectant expression.
I rustled the narrow plastic pack open and stuck my hand inside. I grabbed the end of the snack that didn’t have chocolate on it and slowly pulled it out, revealing the thick coating of sweet brown chocolate on the top part.
“Wow…”
He makes cakes himself and bakes bread too, but the decoration was no ordinary thing. This was really at a level that should be sold for money. To give something like this as service. It seemed too good to eat.
“Hurry up and try it. People say it’s delicious, but I’m curious if it suits Ranho-ssi’s taste too.”
“If everyone else found it delicious, I probably will too.”
Despite my calm voice, I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth. I took a bite of the chocolate-coated snack. Rather than being crispy, the moist snack melted gently as soon as I put it in my mouth. It literally just melted away. My goodness. How can something taste like this? I opened my eyes wide and took another bite of the snack. The Pepero that broke off smoothly and entered my mouth melted and went down my throat before I could even chew it a few times.
“How is it?”
“It’s delicious. This is no joke.”
With those words, I devoured the snacks like I was possessed. My speed of tearing off the Pepero stacked like a tower increased. The snacks that melted as soon as I put them in my mouth were—though it’s embarrassing to put it this way—the best I’d ever eaten in my entire life. He makes cakes well too, and his skills are no ordinary thing. He should be getting together with Gyoyeon, so why is something like Yeo Dongju clinging to him.
“But Hajoon-ssi.”
I chewed and swallowed the snack in my mouth while wiping the crumbs from my lips with the back of my hand.
“Do you have a girlfriend—”
“No!!!”
The answer burst out before my question was even finished. His answer that jumped out like he was startled made me flinch in surprise. If you don’t have one, just say you don’t—why react so intensely to say you don’t?
“I don’t have one. I don’t. I’m not seeing anyone, never tried to see anyone, don’t exchange contacts with anyone. Naturally no one I’m having a fling with, and there are absolutely no women around me. Absolutely, never.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. What kind of question was that to make him rattle off such passionate explanations? I found myself nodding enthusiastically too. I see. So there’s no one by his side. In that case… Even while drawing up a romance simulation between Gyoyeon and Ban Hajoon in my head, my hands were busy unwrapping packages and putting snacks in my mouth.
The problem is that they both genuinely think of each other as just friends…
My thoughts didn’t continue for long. The snacks Ban Hajoon made were too delicious.
“Hajoon-ssi would really treat a girlfriend well if he got one. You make cakes well and snacks well too.”
“Even if not a girlfriend, I’d really treat someone well if I had someone I liked. I’m confident about that.”
“Wow.”
The more I looked, the more appealing he became. At first, being too nice seemed foolish, but the more I got to know him, the better he seemed as a person. On top of that, Ban Hajoon has money, makes bread well, and makes snacks well too. Oh right, he makes drinks well too. He seems diligent, and though I haven’t seen it properly, he seems sincere too.
“I see.”
I popped the snack that had only a little bit left at the tip into my mouth and chewed it thoughtfully.
“Then do you have someone you like?”
“I do.”
“Ah… you do?”
Gulp, only the sound of swallowing the snack rang out loudly. That’s a shame. Since he said he wasn’t seeing anyone, I naturally thought he wouldn’t have someone he liked either. As I smacked my lips, Ban Hajoon diligently unwrapped Pepero and placed it in front of me. I used Ban Hajoon’s thoughtfulness as an excuse to diligently pull out and eat the contents.
“…What about Ranho-ssi? Do you have someone?”
A cautious voice rang out hesitantly.
“Have what?”
“A girlfriend or… well, someone you like. Or someone you’re interested in lately.”
Ah, so that’s what he was asking. Ban Hajoon turned red from his cheeks to the nape of his neck to the tips of his ears, as if that question was so embarrassing. Yet he didn’t avoid my gaze.
“Well. Not particularly…”
For a moment, someone’s image flashed sporadically in my head. Rather than interest, it’s more like… someone I’m concerned about. I shook my head vigorously and gave an appropriate answer.
“I’m too busy to have time to meet people.”
Ban Hajoon narrowed his eyes at my slightly delayed answer, then opened a water bottle and placed it in front of me as I stuffed the entire snack in my mouth at once.
“Didn’t you eat lunch?”
“Mm, I was really busy today. I had a lot of customers. Thank you for this. It’s really, really delicious.”
I hastily swallowed the contents that filled my mouth.
“Not at all. I made a lot from the beginning with the intention of sharing anyway. The cafe was busy too, but here must have been busier.”
I stared intently at Ban Hajoon as he nodded in agreement with my words. His jawline that fell away smoothly without excess, his slightly downturned eye corners, his eyes that were closer to chestnut than black, and his fine skin texture. Every time he blinked, his long eyelashes fluttered up and down, creating shadows that made his eyes look even deeper.
“Why are you staring at me like that? I’m getting a bit embarrassed.”
“Huh? Ah, ah. Sorry.”
Without realizing it, I had been staring intently at Ban Hajoon and quickly turned my head away. Isn’t it a bit unfair to be handsome and good at making bread too? As I awkwardly scanned the interior, my forward-facing gaze naturally reached the front window.
“Ah, that, that.”
I reflexively bolted upright. Those words—damn, crazy—incomplete sentence fragments burst out of my mouth.
“Yes?”
“What time is it now?”
“A little past 4 o’clock.”
At my question, Ban Hajoon rolled up his sleeve slightly to check the time.
“Ah, that drunkard.”
“Yes?”
Without time to explain about Ju Isin, who was rubbing his face against the glass window and unable to properly control his body, I walked straight ahead. That drunkard is already drunk when it’s barely this time. The glass window is dirty because I didn’t clean it…! The way he was mercilessly rubbing his forehead and cheeks was similar to the first day I saw Ju Isin.
With a ding-a-ling sound, the door opened and Ju Isin’s head, with both cheeks flushed red, turned sharply.
“Oh- you came out, hyung.”
Along with his tilting body came a strong smell of alcohol.
“You smell like alcohol.”
“Do… I smell… a lot?”
Ju Isin, who seemed frustrated that even he couldn’t pronounce properly, spoke word by word and let out a stupid laugh that went “hehe-.” He must have fallen on the way here because his perfectly fine pants had dirt on them and his palms were scraped with drops of blood on them.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
