The shop was quiet in the afternoon, sunlight spilling through the window and catching the colors of every bloom.
Min leaned against the counter, chin resting on his hand. "There are so many flowers… I can't remember all their names."
Kei was trimming stems, his movements precise. "Then start small. Learn their meanings first."
"Their meanings?" Min tilted his head.
Kei placed a freshly cut rose into a vase. "Roses mean love. Obvious enough. But every flower says something. Customers often choose them for that reason."
Min's eyes widened with interest. "So it's like a secret code?"
Kei gave a small nod. "Exactly."
He walked over to the window and gestured toward the cluster of pink camellias.
"Camellias… they mean longing."
Min crouched beside the flowers, fingertips hovering near the petals. "Longing…" he repeated softly, as if the word itself carried a secret weight.
For a moment, silence lingered between them, broken only by the ticking clock on the wall.
Then Min looked up at Kei with a grin. "Okay! Teach me more! If I memorize them, I'll be the best assistant ever."
Kei blinked, then turned away with the faintest exhale that might have been a laugh. "We'll see."
Min pumped his fist with determination, but his gaze kept wandering back to the camellias—soft pink, gentle, and quietly blooming.
To be continued....