Last Saturday

5

Sooyoung feels like she's about to faint right now.

She isn't sure if it's her nose that's super sensitive or if it just smells way too strong in here for her liking. She's even starting to get dizzy.

"God the scent here is killing me." Sooyoung says while scratching her nose.

"First time in a flower shop?" The lady behind the counter asks.

Sooyoung hums, "Wouldn't call it that. First time in an indoor one, I guess."

The lady smiles, "I see. Other than our windows being open, maybe we do have to get the ventilation fixed in here!" Sooyoung slightly chuckles at her remark.

When she finishes arranging the bouquet, she immediately hands it to Sooyoung, who indulges in the scent of tulips to drown out the other strong combinations of flowery scents irritating her nose. She forgets she hasn't paid yet.

"That's...62 thousand won." The lady laughs when Sooyoung snaps out of her trance.

"Right, right, my bad." She quickly brings out her wallet to pay.

"Do you mind me asking, who your tulips are for? Or what you're using them for...?" The seller shyly asks Sooyoung.

"Oh," she awkwardly coughs, "they're for my girlfriend. She's- yeah. My girlfriend."

Sooyoung hesitantly answers and thanks the seller again. She takes her receipt from her hold but she oddly pulls it back. She tugs it again but the seller's grip was iron. Sooyoung frowns in confusion and manages to catch a glimpse of the printed text and ink writing for a good three seconds before the lady quickly snatches the receipt away from her hand.

"Oh- uh, hold on- I think it was printed wrong! I'm so sorry-" She leaves before Sooyoung could even have the chance to reply.

"Boss, I think our cashier register is broken!" The lady shouts as she goes into the staff room.

When the seller is out of her line of sight,  Sooyoung pretends to smell the bouquet again to quietly giggle.

'She did not just put her phone number on my receipt.'

The manager is blabbering as he comes out of the staff room along with the lady following behind him, "Why would it be broken? We've been using this for years!"

The lady tries to answer him but stutters when she makes direct eye contact with Sooyoung who was already looking right at her.

"Apologies for the inconvenience ma'am." He prints the receipt and gives it to her. "I think my employee didn't get enough sleep today." He laughs.

"I'm so sorry ma'am!" The lady bows numerous times.

"No no no, it's totally alright...Hyunjin." She slightly squints trying to read the nametag on the lady's shirt. "I'll be going off now. Thank you!" Sooyoung exits the store with the bouquet, then shuffles the receipt in her pocket and enters her car.

She reminds herself to share this hilarious encounter with the others later.

—————————————————————

"You will not believe what just happened to me back in the flower store." Sooyoung enters the hallway already laughing, the others confused and slightly terrified with her unusual behavior.

"What's up?" Jongho asks.

"The cashier lady tried to hit on me by writing her digits on my receipt. I was talking about how these flowers were for Jiwoo and she immediately grabbed it away from me."