W. 5pm
2
The meeting outside dragged on longer than expected. By the time he left the building, the sun had already completely set. Seokjin paused for a moment on the street, where streetlights were flickering on one by one. It was a completely different landscape from what he'd seen during the day. The map was on, but the streets on the screen and the real alleyways didn't quite match. Similar corners and signs kept repeating. No matter how many times he changed directions, he felt like he'd returned to where he'd started. He must have been heading home, but even though he'd clearly been to this neighborhood before, it felt unfamiliar. Perhaps it was fatigue.
The more I changed direction, the less certain I became. I stopped and looked around. Had I passed by during the day, it would have been a street I wouldn't even remember. Low buildings, closed shutters, unlit signs. Instead of human noise, the only sound was the low hum of an air conditioner unit emanating from somewhere.
At this point, I felt like heading home, but I didn't feel like calling a car right away. There was no reason. I just wanted to stand there a little longer. Then, a light appeared at the end of the alley. Unlike the others, it wasn't bright. It wasn't particularly bright, and even from a distance, it didn't stand out like an advertisement. As I approached, I could tell they were flowers. Not fancy bouquets, but pots planted in the dirt. They weren't dried or overly manicured, just as they were. I didn't plan on going in. But before I could reorient myself, I needed a place to pause. A place where I didn't have to say anything. A space that didn't require explanation.
The moment I grabbed the handle and opened the door, the bell rang.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
"are you okay."
“Is this a flower shop?”
"yes."
.
.
3
As the door closed, a bell rang briefly. Seokjin stood there for a moment. Unlike inside the flower shop, it quickly darkened outside. The lights in the alley were intermittent, and the quiet air that had existed just moments before was now clearly divided by a single door. The flowerpot in his hand caught his eye first. "I'm thinking of bringing it home," he recalled. Holding it in his hand now felt more real than when he'd said it out loud. He couldn't remember the last time he'd brought anything into the house. Everything he needed was always already there, and if he needed something, someone else would supply it. The only things he'd chosen himself were ties and shirts that changed with the seasons.
The flower didn't belong anywhere. He walked slowly down the alley. His sense of direction was even more hazy than before, but strangely, he didn't feel anxious. Seokjin took out his phone as soon as he took a few steps.
“I’ll send you my current location.”
“Yes, sir, I will have your car ready right away.”
Only after hanging up did he look down at the flowerpot in his hand. The quiet air from just a moment ago still seemed to linger in his fingertips. Unlike inside the store, the outside world was quickly returning to reality. Finally, headlights flashed from the end of the alley. A black sedan slowly approached. Before the car door opened, Seokjin took one more look at the flowerpot. He knew it was out of place, but he didn't put it down. He got into the car and said.
“Please load it carefully.”
"All right."
The door closed, and the car began to move again. The alleyway stretched out beyond the window. The flower shop sign quickly disappeared from view. Seokjin leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. Of all the things he'd seen that day, the most inexplicable thing was moving with him.
4
When he arrived home, the interior was, as usual, quiet. Automatically turned on lights evenly illuminated the living room, and Seokjin's home was overly organized, more like a prepared exhibition hall than a place for anyone to stay. Standing in the foyer, Seokjin briefly glanced down at the potted plants. Most of the items in this house had been brought in out of necessity or chosen for him by someone else. Few had been chosen on his own. This potted plant, in particular, felt particularly unfamiliar.
“Why did I buy this?”
He entered the living room, muttering softly. He immediately placed the flower pot by the window and stepped back. He thought it would get some sunlight during the day, that was all he needed. He stood there for a moment, staring at the spot, then sat down on the sofa. He pulled out his phone, scrolled absentmindedly through the pages, then stopped. He typed a few letters into the search bar and deleted them. "What was the name of the flower shop?"
Only then did he realize he'd gone in without even looking at the sign. He searched his memory again. The name of the neighborhood, a flower catching its breath. A few photos popped up, and a screen similar to the window he'd seen during the day caught his eye. He read the name of the store once and turned it off. Even after he finished showering, his gaze unconsciously drifted to the window. The flowerpot was still there. There was no change, no sound. Seokjin went into the bedroom, turned off the lights, and lay down. He closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep right away. The house was still perfectly quiet.
However, that night, I felt like a meaningless blank space had been removed.
5
The next evening, Seokjin took a slight detour into the alley on his way home from work. He didn't think it was intentional, but he didn't hesitate to turn the steering wheel. It was darker than yesterday, and it was late at night. Most of the shops had their lights out. But the flower shop was the only one with its lights on. He could see a person through the window. It was the woman who had picked the flowers for him the night before. She seemed to be pulling something inside the shop.
Seokjin quickly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. He walked toward the store, oblivious to the sound of the door closing. As he got closer, the sounds coming from inside became clearer. The dull scraping of a flowerpot's bottom, and the sound of a short, exhaled breath. As he opened the door, a bell rang.
"uh-"
She raised her head, as if startled. She was holding a large flowerpot with both arms. Her body was tilted slightly, as if she was losing her balance.
“Just a moment.”
Seokjin approached and grabbed one of the flowerpots as soon as he spoke. It was heavier than he'd expected. As he tightened his grip, she finally let out a deep breath.
“Wow… thank you. Really.”
His speech was breathless, but his expression was smiling. It was a slightly embarrassed smile, more like someone who had been caught than someone embarrassed.
“It looks like it would be too much for you to do alone.”
“Yes. I was moving while thinking about that.”
“Where should we move it?”
“Oh, this way. Be careful on the floor, there’s some dirt spilled.”
Seokjin slowly walked in the direction she had pointed. The moment the flowerpot hit the floor, there was a dull sound. They both let go of each other's hands at the same time.
“Ha… I survived.”
She straightened her back and spoke. She ran the back of her hand over her forehead, then looked at Seokjin.
“Are you the person who came yesterday?”
"yes."
“Do you come to this neighborhood often?”
“No. But… I remembered what I bought yesterday.”
She blinked briefly upon hearing that, then nodded.
“Oh, that flower pot.”
"yes."
“Are you still doing well?”
“Yes. Not yet.”
“It’s enough for now.”
The tone was strangely light. It was closer to saying things would get better than saying it was okay.
“But your timing was really good.”
"why?"
"I was doing this alone and almost collapsed here today. I just need to move one more thing... If you have time, by any chance."
“Where should I move it?”
She glanced at him briefly, and this time, she smiled a little brighter.
6
She glanced at him briefly, then stood beside the flower pot and wiped her gloved palms on her pants. A muddy stain remained, but she didn't seem to mind. She immediately handed the cleaned gloves to Seokjin.
“Oh, but you keep helping me like this….”
He smiled, his words trailing off. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached out his hand.
“I- This is my shop. The name… I didn’t tell you, did I? It’s Yeoju. Im Yeoju!”
Seokjin took the gloves and briefly examined her hands. They looked much more alive than the ones he'd seen at the flower shop. Unlike most flower shop owners, who were covered in dirt and greenish marks on their fingernails, Yeoju's hands were so unblemished they could almost be called princess hands.
“This is Kim Seok-jin.”
“Oh, Seokjin. Please… just call me Yeoju.”
“Aren’t you the boss?”
"Oh, I don't use that. Here, I'm the boss, an employee, and a handyman."
He shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. Seokjin found that reaction funnier than he'd expected, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
“Then, Miss Yeoju.”
"yes."
“Where should I move this?”
As he pointed to the flower pot, the heroine quickly returned to work mode.
“Oh, over there. You should put it against the inside wall, not the window. It gets a little cold at night.”
“Do flowers feel the cold too?”
"They're more sensitive than people. They don't show it, but they sense everything."
She said this and led the way. Seokjin followed, holding a flowerpot. The store was quieter than during the day, and the air, mingled with the scent of earth and moisture, lingered subtly.
“I think Seokjin would be good at raising flowers.”
"why?"
“I see you’re asking. It seems like you’re not the type to just leave things as is.”
“That’s… because it’s my first time.”
“The first time is the most nerve-wracking.”
The heroine smiled and nodded.