By the time the last customer left, the flower shop was wrapped in the golden glow of evening. The rain had stopped hours ago, leaving the streets damp and quiet.
Min stretched his arms high over his head. "Whew! We survived another day." He grinned at Kei, who was calmly rearranging a vase of lilies. "I think I'm getting better, don't you?"
Kei didn't answer immediately. He adjusted one stem, stepped back to inspect it, then finally said, "Your wrapping is less disastrous."
Min puffed out his cheeks. "Less disastrous? That's your way of saying I'm amazing, right?"
Kei gave him a sidelong glance, unamused. "Don't push it."
Still, Min swore he saw the corner of Kei's mouth twitch, just barely.
As Min began tidying the counter, his stomach let out a loud growl. He froze, eyes wide. "Uh…"
Kei raised a brow. "Hungry?"
Min scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "I skipped lunch because I was practicing bows…"
Kei set down the vase, wiped his hands, and walked toward the back. "Wait here."
A few minutes later, he returned with two steaming cups of tea and a small plate of biscuits. He placed one cup in front of Min, sliding the plate between them.
Min blinked. "You… made this?"
"It's just tea." Kei sat opposite him, picking up his own cup with quiet grace.
Min wrapped his hands around the warm mug, feeling the heat seep into his fingers. He took a sip—and his eyes widened. "This is really good!"
Kei shrugged, sipping his own calmly. "If you say so."
For a moment, the shop was silent except for the faint ticking of the clock and the soft rustle of flowers in the breeze. Min found himself studying Kei's face in the golden light—the sharp line of his jaw, the calm in his violet eyes, the way the steam curled gently around his silver hair.
Before he realized it, his chest felt warm, not just from the tea.
"…Thanks," Min said quietly.
Kei looked at him, expression unreadable, but his gaze lingered a second too long before he turned back to his cup.
The silence between them felt comfortable. Like the kind that didn't need words.
To be continued...