The rain had stopped, leaving the air fresh and cool. Through the open window, the scent of damp earth mingled with the fragrance of flowers. Min leaned against the counter, scribbling messy notes about flower meanings into a tiny notebook.
"Roses… love," he murmured, flipping a page. "Camellias… longing. Lilies… um, purity?"
Kei's voice cut in, low and steady. "Correct. But lilies can also mean renewal."
Min jumped a little, nearly dropping his pen. He hadn't realized Kei was standing so close, looking over his shoulder. "Ah! Y-you scared me!"
Kei raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "You're too easily startled."
Min pouted but returned to his notebook, scribbling quickly. As he wrote, he noticed how Kei's sleeves were rolled neatly to his elbows, revealing slender wrists dusted with pale flower pollen. His hands moved gracefully, every motion careful, almost artistic.
Min's gaze lingered longer than it should have. He bit his lip, quickly ducking back to his notes. Why did he suddenly notice things like that?
"This looks more like scribbles than handwriting," Kei remarked with a hint of amusement.
Min groaned, hiding the notebook to his chest. "Don't say that! It's just… creative, okay?"
Kei gave a small huff that almost sounded like laughter. "If you say so."
Min stared at him in disbelief. Was that… a laugh? From Kei? The usually serious florist actually laughed at his handwriting?
Somehow, Min's chest warmed at the thought.
As the shop settled into comfortable silence again, Min stole another glance at Kei. This time, he caught the faintest curve of his lips—the kind of smile that was easy to miss if you weren't paying attention.
Min looked away quickly, his cheeks heating. Maybe… just maybe, he was starting to understand why customers always lingered in this little shop longer than necessary.
To be continued...