#007
What the hell did he contact me so much for…
「Ranho-ssi, I’m sorry. You’re really angry, right? I’m really sorry.」 8:45 PM
「Ranho-ssi, is tomorrow okay for you?」 8:52 PM
「Ranho-ssi, I want to apologize.」 8:58 PM
「Ranho-ssi, why aren’t you answering the phone? Do you hate talking to me?」 9:11 PM
「Ranho-ssi.」 9:18 PM
「Ranho-ssi, is something wrong?」 11:52 PM
「Ranho-ssi. Please answer the phone.」 12:16 AM
「Ranho-ssi. Nothing’s wrong, right?」 1:28 AM
The disgustingly numerous accumulated messages mostly started with “Ranho-ssi” and ended with question marks. Though there were more periods toward the end.
「Ranho-ssi, are you resting today…?」 11:15 AM
「Are you sick somewhere…?」 11:27 AM
「Please answer the phone… please…」 12:01 PM
It seemed he had also come to the flower shop, as some messages had nuances suggesting he was in front of the store. I was roughly skimming with my eyes and turned off the window completely when, like a ghost, a call came from Ban Hajoon. I was so startled I threw the vibrating phone in my hand, then caught my breath and pressed the call button.
“Hello.”
– Ranho-ssi?
“Yes. The time is… quite early, what’s the matter?”
– …Why is your voice like that? Were you sick somewhere?
I heard the rustling sound of fabric being crumpled from the receiver.
“I was tired so I rested. My voice is like this because I slept a lot.”
– Is it okay if I come now?
“Now…? Why?”
– ……
“Ah, maybe that day that… it’s ambiguous to call it that. Anyway, that day… I mean, if it’s because of that, don’t worry about it. I’m okay now.”
Only Ban Hajoon’s breathing could be heard. He seemed to open his mouth but then close it again, as no sound came through. He must feel sorry, right? I recalled Ban Hajoon who didn’t make a single sound when I kicked his shin hard. It must have hurt, so I felt unnecessarily sorry. I wasn’t really sorry about kicking him, but there was a kind of sorry feeling for not controlling my strength properly.
“Um… come deliver coffee later. If you’re that sorry.”
– …I will.
“On foot. With different types of coffee packed heavily in a carrier with both hands. The herbal tea was tasteless. Fruit juice or ade would be good.”
– I will.
A weak laugh was heard, followed by a brief silence, and I hung up first. Not long after putting down the phone, a message with three words 「Sleep well.」 came in.
I felt a bit strange. Is he doing this because he really wants to be close friends with me? But still, it’s a bit weird. For a man to go this far with me… His expression is a bit strange, but this is the first time someone has been so persistent in showing friendliness like this, so I don’t know what to do.
***
My throat hurt, and it turned out to be a cold after all. I could endure it a bit if it wasn’t for the cough, but the cough that felt like it would make me cough up my lungs had me visit the hospital from morning to get cold medicine prescribed. Then I immediately opened the flower shop. The blurry fingerprints were quite bothersome. I roughly threw my bag and medicine on the table and carefully put on a mask while coughing.
I went to the mart, bought glass cleaner and cotton cloth, and went outside to start cleaning the window where the drunk had left a bunch of fingerprints.
“I’m freezing to death. Just let me meet that damn drunk… Cough- Cough!”
I sprayed cleaner pssh- pssh- and scrubbed with the cotton cloth. As the window became clean, my body, penetrated by the chilly cold, trembled and shook. I have no energy and am dying, but what kind of hardship is this from morning? My anger toward the drunk grew. Apart from the window being cleaned with squeaking sounds, my stamina was being squeakily scraped away.
I was really going to work hard today, but I used up almost all my stamina doing this. I left some of the drunk’s remaining fingerprints here and there for later and threw the cotton cloth that had become a rag into the trash.
“Ahh…”
Hearing the crystal-clear sound of the wind chime, I unfolded the blanket neatly folded on the table, draped it over my shoulders, and turned on a small mini heater. The sound of sniffling echoed pitifully.
“This drunk bastard… Cough!”
I fumbled on the table with my hands frozen from the cold and picked up my phone. I had to voluntarily report before Gyoyeon came to kill me. Opening a chat window with Gyoyeon, who occupied the top spot among my few contacts representing my shallow human relationships.
Right below the threatening message about killing me, somewhat servile messages were sent consecutively.
「Gyoyeon, I caught a cold…ㅠㅠ I did sleep, but I slept because I was really sick. You were worried, right?」 9:48 AM
「Sorry, I said I’d contact you after getting my act together, and it’s only now… You must have gone to work. Call me when you have time^^」 9:48 AM
「Fighting today too!」 9:49 AM
It seemed a bit bland, so I searched through the emoticon window.
“…There’s nothing.”
Looking at the window with only basic emoticons, I pondered a bit more, then sent a bear pouring hearts from a basket and closed the message window. I should do some emoticon shopping later.
“Ah, cough- I’m dying.”
I leaned against the sofa backrest and closed my eyes. The cold medicine I’d taken on an empty stomach seemed to spread, as hot heat spread from my eyeballs. Sleepy and drowsy. I have to go to the flower market tomorrow too. I barely lifted my drowsy eyelids to check the calendar. There are three bouquets just this week.
“Haah…”
I let out a deep sigh that could cave in the ground when the jingle of the wind chime rang. The clock on the wall was just passing 10 o’clock. I seriously considered pretending to be asleep.
As the thudding footsteps approached, I slightly turned my head.
“Eek!”
“???”
A tall man seemed genuinely startled as he put his hand on his chest and panted.
“You startled me! I thought no one was here.”
“Flow- ahem- did you come to buy flowers?”
I looked over the clean-cut man. He looks somewhat familiar…
“Right?”
“No.”
I spat out a negative answer without even a second of thought. Whatever it is, no. The man chuckled softly at my immediate response.
“You’re the person who called me a drunk and bought me this ring, right?”
Ah. He’s quite decent when sober.
“You sent me in the pretty car with blue and red lights.”
The drunk took the ring from his pocket, pressed the button, and held the glowing ring toward me. He rambled as if he remembered everything.
“I was really grateful that day. I would have frozen to death if you hadn’t looked after me.”
“……”
“I came yesterday too but the door was closed… I’m glad I came today just in case.”
“…It’s okay. Actually, I had no intention of helping you. On the window- Cough! Cough-cough! Kek.”
I really wouldn’t have helped the drunk if he hadn’t pressed his palms on my flower shop window.
“You caught a cold.”
“Anyway, it’s okay. From next time, don’t drink that much and find your way home properly. Some kind of homing instinct…”
“Yes!”
That guy’s way of speaking comes out even when he’s sober. I cleared my scratchy voice with ahem-ahem and pulled up the blanket that had slipped down.
“But I don’t know much about flowers, could you wrap one for me?”
“Who are you giving it to?”
“Just… to someone I want to give something pretty to.”
The sheepish addition reminded me of that night. He said he wanted to buy something pretty to go home with. He really likes pretty things. The moment I neatly folded the blanket I had pulled up to my neck and stood up, I staggered from dizziness. Ah, I was planning to work hard today, but it seems like that’s not going to happen. I should just make a bouquet for the drunk and close the shop.
I brushed off the drunk’s hand that showed quick reflexes toward my staggering body and trudged to the showcase to pick flowers.
“Do you have a favorite, ahem- favorite flower?”
“Uh… no. I don’t know much about flowers.”
“Then should I just pick something pretty in my eyes?”
“Yes. That would be good.”
The drunk nodded his head greatly. I looked back and forth between the flowers in the showcase and the drunk, then picked flowers and opened the glass door.
I took out coral peonies with large flower heads and white-petaled hyacinths. Thinking it might be a bit bland with just those two, I also took out butterfly ranunculus and shepherd’s purse. After trimming the stems, I gathered the flower stems together, fixed them with string, and spread overlapping layers of light beige floral paper. I wrapped it carefully so the wrapping paper wouldn’t wrinkle, tied a ribbon in the middle, and as I always do, pulled it out into the air to check. The peony had large flower heads, so the bouquet looked big.
My pupils rolled around restlessly, examining the bouquet. As expected, it was good that I included the butterfly ranunculus. Thanks to the yellow petals, the bouquet became more vibrant.
“Wow…”
“Do you like it?”
“Very much. Wow… really… amazing.”
With the drunk continuously uttering exclamations in front of me, I decided to consider the possible probability. The probability that the clean-cut man in front of me was Kang Min. Unable to hide my suspicious gaze, I thoroughly examined his appearance once more. The drunk looked particularly like a gigolo today…
“Hah…”
It’s not like I’m looking for Kang Min, and trying to suspect everyone even slightly connected was more annoying than expected when I’m already sick and dying, making me even more irritated.
“Coral peonies are originally expensive.”
“I see. So this is what a peony looks like? Interesting. What’s this? Something like a butterfly.”
“It’s butterfly ranunculus.”
“Cute name. It looks like a butterfly, and the name is butterfly too.”
The drunk seemed to like the butterfly ranunculus.
“Two hundred thousand won.”
“…What?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
