Downpour

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

They're all recent, he notices. Every single fallen petal is fresh.

He can't have been alone for long.

He takes a step forward, treading carefully to avoid slipping on the wet floor. Immediately, the sun dazzles his eyes. He puts his hand on his face, squinting.

It all feels very surreal.

It all feels like he could wake up at any second. If he concentrates, he can feel the bed sheets pressing against his skin.

He's so close to waking up.

The writing on the windows is huge and in bright green letters. They're mirrored from his perspective inside the store, but he can just about make out what they say.

Jeonghan's flower shop.

It's uninventive, and even the phone number and email address printed underneath seem to echo the same blandness.

The letters cast a shadow on the tiles from where they block out the sunlight. As Chan steps forward, they shine onto his feet and trousers, distorted and unreadable.

He pulls the handle of the door.

Nothing happens.

He can't open it, no matter how much he tries. The door doesn't even open a slightest bit. It's locked.

He can't get out of the shop.

The streets seem to mock him, and the feeling that someone's watching him is back. The flowers seem to laugh at him, but the silence of the shop only amplifies, getting louder and louder as he feels more and more alone.

What's he supposed to do?

He's never been in this situation before. Usually he just stayed still and waited until everything started to happen around him, and then he'd fall asleep. But now there was nothing. No way out, nothing to do.

Except wait.

Hoping that something will happen. He doesn't want to be trapped in the shop any longer than he has to be, the aroma of the flowers making his head pound with their sweet scent.

He makes his way back to the seat.

As he sits down, he realises that the watering can is on the floor again. It's moved from where he put it on the desk, and the puddle has completely disappeared.

No, not disappeared.

He looks closer. The watering can is full, a drip from the spout hitting the floor every so often. The can and the water have gone back to where they were before he knocked it over.

It's reset.

He can make out his reflection in the water, his own tired eyes staring back at him. There are dark bags on his cheeks. He looks incredibly tired, considering all he's done is sleep.

It's through the reflection that he sees the figure behind him.

He's too tired to jump, or even be the slightest bit scared. Instead, he identifies the man as Jeonghan.

The wait is over.

"How long have you been here?" Jeonghan asks, pulling out a chair that Chan swears wasn't there a minute ago and sitting next to him.

"Long enough." Chan replies.

"You look tired."

"I am tired."

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow. His eyes bore into Chan's, and the younger shivers. Jeonghan gives him a strange feeling. Like knows all his secrets just by saying one word. Like he knows the secrets to the universe.