Sunflowers
"Haah."
"...It's a little warm."
"Tell me about it. What is the weather even trying to do?"
For a moment the breeze off the road—no, a hot wind—caught hard enough to steal a little of my breath. I hadn't felt it inside the café, but the instant we stepped out, the sunlight and the smell of asphalt heating up were closer to early summer.
"It is a bit hot. Shall we go anyway?"
"Yeah. It's warm. I like it."
Ju Hayeong smiled, bright and clear, and leaned into me. She really did seem much lighter, and if I was right, today would only steady her further. We headed for the flower shop right next door, where a woman was arranging pots out front.
"Unnie... ah..."
She started to call the owner and let go of my hand. I caught it gently and kept hold. I knew what she meant to do. She didn't want to embarrass me the way the others sometimes did.
"Hm? Oh, Hayeong, you're—here?"
"...Mm..."
The woman looked up from her pots, found Hayeong, and smiled softly—then her eyes went round at me, at Hayeong, and at the hands still joined between us, and she stumbled over her words. Hayeong flushed and answered in a small voice. I offered them both a gentle smile and spoke.
"Hello. We came to look at some flowers."
"...Ah, yes... R-right. The weather's turned warm all of a sudden, so the flowers are lovely."
"Um, unnie... please look after us..."
"...We'll talk later. You."
"Mm... Then, Shin— no. Shinwoo, I'll just be looking at the pots over here..."
I nodded, quietly pleased by how shy she was with the owner.
"Looking at pots, young man?"
"No. I need a bouquet. Do you have flowers?"
"Aigoo, perfect timing. A few orders were canceled today. Those would do, if you don't mind."
"I'd be glad to take them. I can look first and decide, though?"
"Of course. Come on in."
"Yes."
I followed her inside, and the fresh scent of flowers made my nose glad. Her expression had been so pleasant that working in a place like this had to be good for the mind—though service work, in the end, came with more than its share of stress.
"This is everything we have."
"Oh. There's a lot."
"Yes. We can manage most things. Is the gift for that friend over there...?"
She leaned in with a sly little smile and whispered. I smiled back, and whispered too.
"It's just that I don't know flowers very well."
"...Ah. A man wouldn't. That's all right."
"I want to give it as congratulations. Someone with a clean image—fair skin, a pure sort of look."
"Ah. Then how about something a little showy? Pink roses as the main, and it'll be beautiful."
The color was the sort that belonged in a bridal bouquet. Hmm. Well, it was pretty, and it would suit Hyunji. I thought of those baby-pink heels. I'd liked those. She seemed to like pink, too.
"Then please make it pretty with those."
"All right. There's a fifty-thousand-won and a seventy-thousand-won."
"The seventy-thousand, please. More is fine if it needs it. Not so much it's a burden, but pretty. Nothing too excessive. I know that's a difficult order, saying it myself."
"Don't you worry. I know the feeling you mean. My, that woman is enviable. A man bringing flowers and all..."
"I'm just short on ideas. Nothing else that seemed right to give."
"Aigoo, what are you saying. If a man gives you a bouquet, you take it on your knees. It's every woman's dream."
"Come on. It's not that much."
Of all things, that was a dream. Hyunji had so much money there was hardly anything left worth giving her. I hoped a bouquet would please her, and if it was Hyunji, I believed this would be more than enough. Picturing the look on her face left my own chest faintly ticklish.
"I'll put real care into it, young man. It'll take about twenty minutes, though..."
"Oh, I don't need it right now. I'll come back for it sometime between five-thirty and six. Is that all right?"
"Of course. We're open until eight. Then the payment..."
"And."
I cut in carefully, then leaned closer and whispered.
"What about these sunflowers?"
"Yes? What?"
"For the person blushing like that back there. I think these sunflowers would suit her. Would that be strange?"
At that she stared at me blankly, then smiled softly and nodded.
"...How did you know?"
"Sorry?"
"Hayeong loves sunflowers. She likes all flowers, really, but her eyes change only when she looks at sunflowers. I thought I was the only one who knew..."
"She does?"
"Yes. I wondered what on earth made our Hayeong bring a man in... You seem like a very good person."
"I'm not. I don't have much to offer. I can't even treat her as well as I should."
"A man's worth isn't anything so grand. Look at the face behind you."
She tipped her chin toward the back of the shop. I turned without thinking, and the sight of Ju Hayeong pulled a smile out of me. Crouched before a small pot, sweeping her hair back behind one ear, she looked pure, and the smile on her face was warm and happy. She was pretty enough that I wanted to take a picture and keep it.
"It's been so long since I've seen Hayeong that happy. Young man. Even I'm grateful..."
Then she leaned in and whispered.
"I'll give you this one as a gift. Too much would be a bit much, wouldn't it?"
"No. Of course I should pay."
"It's all right. I want to... congratulate the two of you."
The smile she turned on me was exactly what her words were. I couldn't feel any other feeling in it. I knew Hayeong's usual nature well enough, and a bond like this was rare these days. I nodded.
"All right. Then nothing too much..."
"You must have noticed—I read a room very well. Don't worry. Just three minutes."
"Yes. Please. Here's my card."
"Yes."
She took the card, finished the payment in a flash, and the moment she handed it back she drew three sunflowers, a few yellow roses, and a few white blooms, walked to the workbench, and began rolling them into brown paper. I moved off at an easy pace, looking over the flowers around us, and came to stand quietly behind Hayeong where she was browsing the pots.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah. Pretty, right? The nice pots are starting to come out now."
"It would look lovely in a garden."
"Yeah. Oh—right. Our garden has a lot of roses, and they're really beautiful in May. So..."
She hesitated, and I got there first.
"Then let's look at them together."
"...Yeah..."
I crouched beside her as she answered, cheeks warm, and we talked a little about the flowers she'd been looking at. Then the owner came out of the shop and held a bouquet out to me, and I couldn't help a small sound of admiration.
"Young man. Here."
"...It's really beautiful."
"It's all right, isn't it? I'm sure she'll love it."
Her claim to reading a room hadn't been empty show. She didn't so much as glance at Hayeong—only at me, and she even slipped me a wink. I let out a short laugh and took the bouquet.
"Wow, it's so pretty, unnie."
Hayeong clapped, her eyes bright on the flowers, sparkling more than they had over the pots. I chose well. Maybe I deserve a little praise.
"Hayeong, you eat lunch with me tomorrow."
"...Ah... yes..."
At the owner's lightly loaded words, Hayeong twisted a lock of hair at her temple and answered. I could guess well enough that I would be the subject, but there was nothing to be done about it, and the owner seemed kind. I wasn't worried.
"Shall we go, then?"
"...Yeah. Unnie, I'll... talk tomorrow..."
"All right. Have a good date."
"A d-date..."
I took her embarrassed hand, and she swallowed, then turned quickly away from the shop. Behind us the owner's hearty laugh pulled a chuckle out of me, but Hayeong was too busy being shy, fidgeting against my fingers.
"What's so embarrassing?"
"...Ah, someone I know... I just thought, so this is what it feels like, being seen with a boyfriend..."
"I'm not just a boyfriend, though."
"...Ah, that... since it's just the two of us, should I call you Master...?"
"Wait just a little."
"...Hm?"
"I'll work at it, and as soon as I can, I'll have you calling me the father of your child."
"..."
The hand holding mine tightened. She nodded without a word, and I drew her a little closer and walked on, slowly.
"...But the bouquet is so pretty. I really think she'll like it."
"I hope so. I like it too. The owner's genuinely skilled, isn't she?"
"She used to run a much bigger place. Won a lot of competitions, too."
"Then why scale down to a neighborhood shop?"
"...Her only child. Died in an accident, and they say she lost the heart for all of it."
"Aigoo. I see."
"Yeah. Unnie's a good person. She's kind to me, too."
"She seems that way."
It didn't have to be about us. There was no shadow in the way Hayeong chattered on, and that alone was enough to lift me. The smile she turned on me warmed me further.
"This is so nice..."
"It is. Aren't you hot?"
"I'm fine. Sleeping might be a little warm, though..."
"It's all right. This is just right."
Hand in hand, we walked the park path at an easy pace. It was a small park, so a full loop didn't take long, and that was fine in its own way. The trees smelled good, and so did the scent of Hayeong's skin beside me. She seemed to feel the same, bright-faced, offering this and that as she looked at me, and it was good to watch. Before long, though, her expression began to droop.
"...Time's going too fast..."
"We only had an hour. We'll have a proper date later."
"...Yeah..."
I watched her hang her head, then glanced around. We were in the middle of the path, and it was Friday, so there were people—but maybe this was all right. The framing wasn't bad. The light was good. Hm. This will do.
"Ah..."
The moment I let go, disappointment sat plain on her face, worry creeping in after it. She might have been turning over what she'd done wrong. Slowly I set my hands on her shoulders, turned her to face me, and met her eyes. Then I lifted the bouquet into the space between our gazes, and with the fully opened sunflowers half-hiding her face, I spoke, quiet.
"Here."
"...Huh...?"
"Sunflowers. I thought they'd suit you."
I held the bouquet out, and she stared, blank, from me to the flowers and back. She looked at the sunflowers as if the thought had never once occurred to her, and she was so endearing that I smiled. For a little while I only smiled at her, and let her have the moment. Her face reddened by degrees. Then she covered her nose and mouth with both hands, looked at me with eyes full of tears, and murmured.
"...Really...?"
"Yes. You'll take it, won't you?"
"...Yeah..."
With trembling hands she accepted the bouquet, cried, and smiled, happy, then hugged it tight against her chest. To see her this happy over so little left my own chest full. I thought I ought to bring her flowers now and then.
"Right now, Hayeong, you're beautiful."
"...Shinwoo..."
"Even the sunlight is just right."
"...I love you..."
"I love you too, Hayeong."
"...sniff... I love you more..."
"Let's keep being happy like this. And I'm not saying it empty."
I wiped her tears with both hands. A murmur rose behind us, but it didn't pull my attention away.