Snowdrop

Orchid

I hate him. Stupid Wonwoo. Why do I have to help him with his hopeless crush? I have to take time out of my busy schedule to assist him in his pathetic attempt to whoo his crush of 5 years. Wonwoo is my best friend but he's such a pain in the ass.

'Go do research. He likes flowers. Help your bro,' he told me over the phone, not even twenty minutes ago.

'Why can't you?' I replied, annoyed because I have to study.

'I have things to do; my mom won't let me out of the house, either. Look, the floral shop is just down the street from your house. It'll only take a few minutes.' He hung up. I knew I wasn't getting out of this.

So, here I am, the florist shop in view, the sun nearly set. I take an annoyed breath and open the door.

"Hello?" I hear rustling in the back. "Is anyone here?"

A faint voice comes from behind a closed door, "We're closed."

"Look, I really need some flowers for my friend. He wants to confess to his crush. Help me out, please?"

"I said we're closed."

"The sign says open. It's rude to push away a customer." I see the door open, an obvious sigh is heard. A boy with pink and blue hair - wait - pink and blue? I couldn't be.

"Xu Minghao?"

"Fuck. How'd you know it was me?"

"Your hair. You work in a flower shop?" He walks swiftly over to me and grabs my shirt in a fist.

"Yes, and if you tell anyone that I do, you're dead, got it?" I nod quickly and he lets go. After fixing his shirt, he says, "So, this friend, what was he looking for?"

"I don't know. He wants to confess, and he knows that the guy he likes enjoys flowers, specifically their meanings."

"So, your gay friend wants a bouquet saying 'I love you, love me back, please'?"

"Sounds good. I hope you know what you're doing."

He cocks a grin, "you underestimate this delinquent." He began to walk away, toward the rows of refrigerated flowers. He pointed out a few giving their meanings, "This is called Arbutus. It means to love only the person receiving the flower. What color did you want the bouquet? It'll help with pick out which ones will go together with both aesthetic and meaning."

"I don't know, let me ask," I say, whipping out my phone to call Wonwoo. "Aye, Wonton, what color do you want the flowers?"

"Mingyu likes red," he says, then the line goes dead. I let out a dejected sign.

"Wonton?" Minghao asks jokingly.

"It's a nickname. He said his crush likes red." I notice a twinkle in Minghao's eyes when I mention red. He hurries around the shop, gathering flowers in different shades of red, pink, and white. The only flower I recognize is the rose. He shows off his finished bouquet to me with a bright smile on his face.

"So the red flower in the middle is a rose and it symbolises love and respect, and this one is... You know what? I'm going to write it down. Your friend might want to know. I have a feeling you'll forget," He says, pulling out a piece of paper.

"That's nice - wait - rude. I'm smart! I'm good at memorising!"

"Sure you are," he scoffs, continuing to write. "That'll be 20.49." I pull out my wallet and give him the money. Wonwoo owes me so much. "Is that all you wanted to get?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're only here for your friend? Are you gunna confess to your crush?"

"Oh, I don't have one."

"There's no lucky girl?"

"Why would she be lucky? And girls are gross."

"Ah, so you like boys," he says, a smirk evident on his golden features. I know for sure my face is red. I hate this topic so much. "There's no boy you're crushing on?" Yeah, but I'm not going to tell you that.

"No, how many boys at our school are out of the closet, anyway? There's no point in having a crush on them."

"You have a point. It's still fun, though. To think about, you know?"

"You say that like you've thought about it."

"I'm not into them, but lots of boys have crushes on me. Imagine it from their point of view. Sounds like some cheesy fanfiction or something."

"I guess if you factor in your giant ego, it does sound like some kind of romantic comedy," he let's out a sweet giggle, and I feel my face heat up once again. "Maybe I should get something for my mom and little brother. They might like that." He grabs my wrist and leads me through the shop, naming flowers and giving a basic run down. I end up getting a single white rose for my mother and a bundle of daisies for my little brother.

"Do you know how to make flower crowns?" I ask at the register.

"Yes. Your total is 7.68." I hand over the money.

"Could you make one out of the daisies? I think he'd like that."

"Sure thing." He begins to wrap the flowers around each other into a pretty crown, carefully weaving the flowers around each other so delicately.

"You know, if I had run into you at school, never in my wildest thoughts would I have pictured you as the flower type."

"My mom owns the shop," He responds, shortly, a light blush evident on his cheeks. "Have a nice evening, Jun." He sets the crown on my head and I grab the rest of my things. Heading down the street, only one is thing on my mind: how did he know my name?