Chapter Text
How troublesome.
They’re the first words that come to mind when Sieun opens up shop for the day, the busy crowds and traffic around the store filling the air, doing nothing to ease his morning headache.
He supposes that he should be grateful he has a job at all— something to take him away from home and those endlessly pitying stares from his father, or the awkward meal invites from his mother that he always knows will end in a rushed work call that would eventually pull her away.
Still, he can’t help but feel a prickle of annoyance as he rolls up the shutters and takes in the morning deliveries, sweating slightly from the effort. He was never very strong unless pushed to his absolute limits, but he supposed that work was work.
At least the store rarely received customers, and was quiet enough with the door closed for him to do his university work during the day, before heading off to his night classes. With a sigh, he hoped that this would be one of those days.
When he’s finally done setting up shop, he immediately sits down at the counter and moves to pull out his textbooks.
Let’s start with the second volume for physics.
He barely has time to draw a line through his notebook when the door swings open, the ring of the bell making him wince.
Already? Couldn't he catch a break?
He looks up to see a tall boy with short, cropped hair and a helmet underneath his arms, panting slightly, but expression otherwise bright and open, almost hopeful.
Sieun’s eyes dull slightly at the sight— already a customer that he has to deal with— and he sets his pen down.
“Welcome to Park’s Florist. What can I do for you?” he asks.
“Can you get me a glass of water?”
Sieun blinks momentarily, before raising an eyebrow.
“Excuse me?”
“Water. I need some water. It’s so hot out today, and I spent all morning doing deliveries,” the other says, already starting to fan himself.
Sieun squints at the other for a moment, before his expression melts into a frown.
“This is a florist,” he says.
“I know, but can’t you just spare a glass?” the other asks again, almost pleading.
When another moment of silence passes, he decides to change tactic.
“How about if I buy some flowers?” he offers.
With a sigh, Sieun finally stands up.
Ignoring the other would be more trouble than it was worth.
As he walks briskly to the back, he can hear the other fanning himself further, before beginning to pace around the shop.
All Sieun could hope for was that the other didn’t touch or break anything while he was away.
After a few seconds, he finally returns with a bottle of water and a glass.
Before he can even set the items down to pour the water, the other suddenly takes the bottle from him, and gulps it down all the way until there’s nothing left.
Sieun recoils back, startled.
He had never dealt with such a customer before.
“Thanks, you really saved my life,” the other finally lets out, after taking a moment to breathe.
Sieun blinks back, unsure what to say in response.
“Say, this is a really nice place you have here. You run the store?” he suddenly asks.
Internally reeling from the whiplash of the other’s chosen topics of conversation, Sieun only stares back blankly.
“No, I just work here.”
“Oh. I guess I figured so, since you have a baby face and all,” the other gestures at him, before breaking into an easy smile.
Sieun frowns slightly at that.
A baby face?
Nobody had ever said that to him before.
Sullen was the word that they tended to use.
“Oh, and so cute when you frown too!” the other suddenly exclaims with a grin, leaning against the counter.
Stepping back, almost flustered, Sieun decides to ignore the comment.
What a weird person.
“Is there any flower in particular that you needed?” he asks bluntly.
“Wow, so cold!” the other responds with a laugh, before scanning his eyes around the shop.
“A deal’s a deal, though. Hmm, I guess I could get something for my grandma? Say, what’s a flower that stands for gratitude or maybe just familial relationships?” he asks.
“I don’t know, I just work here,” Sieun stares back blankly.
“Wow, no passion at all,” the other exclaims with a raised eyebrow.
After taking another scan of the shop, he finally settles on a particular flower.
“The yellow ones there, I’ll get those,” he says.
Turning to look at the flowers, Sieun nods.
“How many?”
“Maybe two? Or just one….I’m still trying to save up some funds,” the other adds on sheepishly.
With a singular nod, Sieun walks over and cuts one out, before moving to wrap it up with trained expertise.
He wasn’t going to judge— there were a lot of people struggling to make ends meet, and he was in no place to say anything.
“Thanks for your purchase. That’ll be 5,000 won,” he says.
“Only? Maybe I should come here more often then,” the other grins.
Sieun only sighs internally in exasperation.
Please don’t, he thinks.
He had already had enough of a headache as it was.
“Would you like a receipt?” he asks instead.
“I’m fine, thanks…Sieun-ssi,” the other grins, reading his nametag, before tucking the flower into his messenger bag, and fastening on his helmet.
“You take care of that baby face, alright?” come his last words, before he swings out the doors like a hurricane, gone as quickly as he had come in.
After that experience, Sieun can’t help but stare after the other, albeit with eyes dull.
Really.
How troublesome.