-the flower shop | 양정원

2. chrysanthemum.

chrysanthemum - joy, and optimism within friendship

(💐)
|raon's pov|

Great, I can't believe I gave that flower with my stupid letter without saying a word. Ugh, I'm such a fool...!
          I'm in my grandparents' house. Grandpa is out for a chess game with his friends, and my grandmother is downstairs, probably watching her soap opera while I'm here—questioning my life choices.

That is when the thought hit me, Neighbors! I forgot to greet them since the day I arrived. I then slipped on a 'presentable' hoodie, aka my old high school hoodie, and changed into a pair of jeans since nobody wants to see a girl coming out of an old couple's house wearing shorts that are so short it's practically invisible.

I rushed downstairs, grabbing the tiny box of cookies my grandmother made this morning, "I'm greeting the neighbors, grandma! I'll be right back ASAP!" I called out. Huh, 'ASAP'... sounds familiar, ain't it? "Huh? Yah, okay okay" she shouted in reply, her eyes almost glued to the TV screen.

.
.
.

"Holy... shit." I gasped, the house looked completely different from ours. It was like a millionaire's mansion, just a tad bit simpler. "I bet there's a chandelier in there..." I sighed as I then stepped onto the pathway to the door, the marble steps felt me in shock as I then shivered even just to press on the doorbell. Finally, I gathered up the courage and pushed the mere doorbell button, clutching onto the cookies my grandmother made.

Soon, I heard faint footsteps coming close to the door. The door then finally revealed a tall boy, he looked my age, and his gaze was sharp—possibly sharp enough to cut through the strong boulders alone. "H-Hi, I'm Raon. I recently moved back here so please have some of my grandmother's cookies" I stuttered.

          "Oh, thank you" The boy replied. His gaze softens as his lips curved into a soft smile. "I'm Jay, nice to meet you" he introduced me as I then bowed immediately. "N-Nice to meet you too!" I stuttered again. "Enjoy the cookies then," I friendly smiled, "Thanks I will," he replied. "O-Oh, wait a sec," he called me out as he then rushed inside of his house, leaving his door open. Just as I suspected, the house had a chandelier... a very huge one. Those that have millions of thousands of gemstones and crystals. I was so stunned, that I didn't even notice that Jay was in front of me. "H-Hey" he snapped me out of my daydreams of that very chandelier. "Ah! Sorry," I apologized, later on, I noticed what Jay was then handing me.

          It was a box in a vivid emerald green color, I could see tiny gold printings in the box's design as a fragrant, earthy scent spreads through the very packaging. "It's tea, I recently brought it so please have some," Jay insisted. I was going to decline it out of manners until I saw the price tag hanging out of it. "F-F-Fifty Thousand won??? For one box of tea???" I gasped mentally. Great... now I can't decline it... a sly move, Jay. "W-Wow, thank you," I thanked.

          "I'll see you around then?" I asked.
                   "Yeah, thanks for the cookies by the way"
         "No problem! See you!"

I arrived home after a couple of steps, grandma was still on the couch watching her soap opera. "Raon-ah," she called out.

"What is it, grandma?"
"Can you get the laundry? I think it finished drying,"
"Fine..."

I dragged my feet to the balcony of the house as my eyes landed on a school uniform. It looks brand new, judging by how rich the color of the navy blazer looks and how the skirt's pleats remained in shape. "Grandma! Did you buy this?" I cried out. "I did, it's for your new school year after all... Grandpa went all out trying to find the newest school uniform for you," she mentioned and walked toward you. "Aww... I should make dinner for us as thanks" I mentioned.