𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏 ➼ 𝐭.𝐚𝐨𝐧𝐞

0.01 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒

"The closest you can get to gifting sunshine, sunflowers can make a person's day much brighter"

Tears flowed freely down your cheeks as you walked home that evening. You had failed yet another test, you had multiple overdue assignments, and all in all, you were just barely hanging on by a thread.

Said thread snapped when your boyfriend and the supposed love of your life broke up with you.

He did it with absolutely no warning. Just a measly "We're over" text before blocking you and showing up with a new girl the next morning.

People stared and whispered as you passed but you couldn't find it in you to care. Let them stare. Their lives are probably just as miserable anyway.

At that point you found it impossible that the day could get any worse.

And naturally fate took that as challenge. A sudden downpour of rain was added to your list of bad happenings. You cursed silently as you tried and failed to shield your head with your bag. Only to stare in horror as your school folder splayed out on the sidewalk, getting all your notes wet in the process.

If you could've screamed without looking like a madwoman, you would have.

Instead, you bit back the sobs threatening to spill from your throat and hurriedly gathered your things then blindly stumbled into the nearest shop.

To your surprise, it was a flower shop.

It was confusing since you'd walked this road plenty of times, but not once had you ever seen it.

It was empty from what you could see, and it looked like the owner was still in the process of setting up. Nonetheless, the shop was beautiful with all the bright flowers they had put up in the front.

"Wow," you marveled, running your fingers along one of the multiple sunflower plants on the counter.

The loud clearing of someone's throat made you jump. You frantically let go of the petal and whipped around nervously, expecting to find some cranky old lady about to chew you out for touching her plants. What you found was so much worse.

It was a man. A very huge, very scary looking man.

Apologies and excuses tumbled from your lips as you instinctively stepped back, hitting over the same pot you were looking at earlier. The loud crash startled you both, and when you looked back at he was staring right at you.

Jolts of fear raced down your spine as you tried to apologize again, even offering to buy a few flowers to make it up to him. He ignored your rambling completely and walked towards the back where he had come from originally.

You were more confused than relieved. You had just broken his, probably new, flower pot. Wasn't he the least bit upset? For a minute you debated whether or not to go after him, but then decided that following a man you didn't know into a back room probably wasn't the safest choice.

Instead, you took an estimate of the cost of the broken pot and now ruined flowers then left the money on the table along with a hastily written apology on a sticky note.

You had just turned to leave when he suddenly reappeared. You were too scared to check if he was still angry so you ignored it and tried to leave anyway.

Apparently, he had other plans. A large hand pressed firmly against the door, successfully locking you in. You stammered in a mix of shock and fear as you tried to open it, scared that he would try to hurt you.

To your surprise, he seemed to notice your struggling and immediately let go and stepped back. It was only when you had the door open that you looked back at him.

He looked apologetic as if he noticed how much he had frightened you. He stepped back even more than reached his hand out, offering a towel to you while the other hand gestures to your soaked body.

Your grip on the door handle loosened as you hesitantly took the towel and dabbed it along your face. It was soft, and smelled nice, like a mix of fresh flowers and spring rain.

The strange man left you there as he grabbed a dustpan from one of the nearby boxes and started cleaning up the mess you had made. You offered to help but he shook his head to tell you no.

"I'm sorry again. I swear I didn't mean to."

At his lack of response, you tried again. "I also left the money on the counter to pay for the pot. And the flower too since I'm pretty sure you were going to sell it."

Once again he didn't respond. Guilt settled in your stomach at the thought that you were probably annoying him even after all the trouble you had just caused. Your cheeks warmed from the embarrassment.

"I'm gonna go now. Thank you again for the towel," you bowed respectfully, and when you came up you noticed he was finally looking at you, though he still didn't speak.

Instead, he gestured to the rain still pouring outside.

"It's fine" you assured him. " My house isn't that far from here. A little rain won't kill me." You lied.

He shook his head and sighed, reaching into yet another box to pull out a small yellow umbrella and a pair of scissors. He cut the flowers off from the plant on the floor, then tied a ribbon on them, handing it to you as well as the umbrella.

You stared in shock at both items before hesitantly taking them.

"Is it for me?" You asked, staring at the beautiful flowers. He nodded again, this time his cheeks had the slightest tint of pink to them.

"I noticed you crying earlier." Was all he said, as he gently pressed them into your hands.