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Chaewon's trapped in a shift at the flower shop she works at, and no matter how much she loves botany, she'll always love sleeping more.
The night is still relatively young - the city's still awake, but honestly, when does it ever go to sleep? She crosses her arms on the desk in front of her, staring at the door, hoping for the unlikely possibility of someone coming in just so she'll have something to do.
Her coworker, Jiwoo, had decided to leave early that day, which leaves just her in the shop, completely alone at 12 in the morning. Her phone is dead, as well, and she forgot her charger at home. Come to think of it, isn't this how horror movies start?
Just as Chaewon turns her gaze from to door to the rows of flowers next to it, the bells chime, letting her know that a customer has arrived.
A girl with black hair flowing down her shoulders walks in, looking almost uncomfortable. She has no idea why the girl is even here, but she's not in a position to question it.
"Hi, how can I help you?" she asks, approaching the stranger.
"I need a batch of flowers? Preferably orange?"
"Who's it for?" She's strolling down a random aisle with the stranger now, looking around and wandering somewhat aimlessly.
"My sister," the girl says, "I forgot to buy her birthday present and it's tomorrow." That would explain why she's here so early in the morning.
"You could get a chrysanthemum, those represent long life and joy. Do you want a variety or just a single type?"
"Variety."
The conversation carries on a little while longer in relative smoothness until it falls into silence, Chaewon ringing the girl up at the counter.
"What's your name?" The stranger blurts out suddenly.
"I'm Chaewon," she introduces, waving at her name tag. The other girl flushes. It's endearing, and she smiles.
"I'm Hyejoo," Hyejoo says back. The girl is only seeming more and more familiar.
"Well, Hyejoo, I hope your sister has a good birthday." She hands the reciept to the no-longer-stranger.
That's the first, but certainly not last time she sees her.
-
Hyejoo returns to the flower shop a week later, this time for a different purpose.
"Can I have a book? With the flower meanings?"
"We're out of those, sorry." It's true, they ran out just earlier that day when someone has mass bought 15 of them and then left without saying a word. So, despite having reasonable stock just that morning, they have nothing now.
The expression on Hyejoo's face dissolves, forming a cute pout.
"It's okay, what did you need it for?" Chaewon would have probably left any regular customer to fend on their own by now, but she wants to help.
"Tattoo design. I work at the shop over there," Hyejoo explains, gesturing at the small tattoo parlor from across the street. There's where Chaewon's seen her.
"What specific message were you using it for?"
"I was honestly just looking for something meaningful," the girl admits.
"What about a Hydrangea?" She looks up the meaning and shows it to Hyejoo. "Though you might not want that." Not only does the Hydrangea represent heartfelt emotion, it can also represent coldness. She tries not to show the other girl that part.
Hyejoo smiles, and she's not sure whether the girl is aware or unaware of the negative meaning of the flower.
"It's good. I like that one."
-
Chaewon sees Hyejoo not at the flower shop this time, but instead soaked in rain.
She's driving home from a shift in a rainstorm, and she can't really stop herself from wanting to help.
She slows the car down at the side of the road.
"Hyejoo?" the blonde calls. The other girl looks up. "Do you need a ride?"
She looks like she's torn between saying yes or no, but she's visibly shaking, so Chaewon walks out with an umbrella to meet her.
"You're really cold," she notices when she touches Hyejoo's arm. "How far away is your house?"
The girl states a street name, stuttering slightly from the cold.
"That's far, do you want me to drive you?"
Hyejoo shakes her head.
"My roommate wanted me out of the house, but the person whose apartment I was supposed to be staying at went out of electricity and they left," she manages.
"You can't just stay out here," Chaewon announces. She pauses. "Would you be comfortable staying at my place just for a day?"
When Hyejoo doesn't respond, the blonde starts talking again.
"It's fine if you don't want to, but I just want you to be safe, and you don't really even need to talk to me much-"
"Chaewon, it's okay. I guess I'll come over, I need shelter. I mean, if you're fine with it?"
"Of course."
She nods.
"Get in the car?"
They head in, and Chaewon starts driving home.
-
"What do you want to do?"
She knows that technically Hyejoo doesn't have to do anything, but she's a little bored, and she can tell that Hyejoo is too.
She shrugs, but something seems to catch the other girl's eye.
"Mario Kart?"
Chaewon looks over, the game is there. She nods at the tv.
"Do you want to play?"
"Sure," Hyejoo answers with a smile. They each grab a remote, and Chaewon can feel her competitive tendencies begin to show.
"Let's play Rainbow Road," she says at the start menu. Usually, people object or at least give her a weird glance, but Hyejoo doesn't give it a second thought, agreeing easily. The sleeve of the sweater the other girl had borrowed comes up too short on her arm, exposing her wrist that's currently turning in circles to relax.
"You're on." It's honestly like a shift in behavior for the previously shy Hyejoo.
The other girl proves to be a surprisingly good player - she seems to know her way around, stays in second for most of it, and even has a few close brushes with first. Chaewon exclaims excitedly when she finishes at number one, as expected, and Hyejoo pouts.
"Rematch."
"No rematches, I won fair and square!" she argues.
"Why, are you scared I'm going to beat you?" Hyejoo teases. Chaewon sighs, but repositions her hands on the controllers, anyway.
"Fine, but I hope you know I'm still going to win."
They start the game again, this time with the other girl as the lead.
Chaewon pulls ahead in the middle of the first round, getting first and keeping it for most of the rounds. Hyejoo plays undoubtably better this time, though, hitting Chaewon with a blue shell that almost makes her lose her lead.
"I won again," she says to Hyejoo at the finish line.
"Last rematch." This girl really isn't giving up.
"Okay," she replies, giving in much easier than before.
This game is a close one, with Hyejoo and Chaewon constantly edging in front of each other. Blue shells are each other's greatest weapons, and they play all three rounds in absolute silence.
At the end, Hyejoo's character sits victoriously at first place on the screen.
"I win!" Hyejoo announces with glee.
Now it's Chaewon's turn to pout.
"At least I didn't cheat," she grumbles.
Hyejoo gasps, almost offended.
"Shortcuts aren't cheating!"
"Can we sleep?" Chaewon says, feigning annoyance.
"Only once you admit that I won."
The blonde scoffs.
"I won, but fine. You win."
Hyejoo cheers, and Chaewon pulls her up from the floor to go to bed.
-
After doing their nighttime routines, it's time to figure out sleeping arrangements.
"I'll sleep on the sofa," Chaewon offers.
"No, I'm a guest, I'll sleep on the sofa," Hyejoo argues.
"Not if I beat you there first," the blonde says, running towards the couch, the other girl trailing after her, their competitive traits still prominent after Mario Kart.
She lets our a triumphant "ha!" when she flops down onto the object, holding onto her blanket.
Hyejoo sighs but heads toward the other bedroom anyways.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Chae," the girl says, adding a nickname, "good night."
"Good night," she calls back.
The lights turn off, and soon, they're asleep.
-
"What's your favorite color?" Hyejoo asks Chaewon when she enters the store a week later.
"Green, why?"
The girl looks through the flowers.
"I got the book. The flower book, about the meanings. Gardenia means 'you are lovely,' right? And Calla Lily is magnificent beauty." Chaewon doesn't know where her friend is going with this. "Can I have a bouquet of Gardenia and Calla Lily?"
After paying, instead of leaving with the flowers, Hyejoo gives them back to the blonde.
"It's for you."
Chaewon looks, dumbfounded, at Hyejoo's retreating figure.
A small slip of paper accompanying the money has a few numbers and two words scrawled on it.
XXX-XXX-XXXX
call me