09: Nothing and Something

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Seungmin picks gardenias for the ceremony and roses for the afterparty. He's told that nobles and royalty from many different kingdoms and regions are coming to the wedding, so it's kind of a big deal. And if that many people will be seeing his work, he at least has to make it look good.

Seungmin recruits Jisung to help him set up the arrangements when he's not on duty  in the venue- the palace's ballroom. Jisung arrives on site with a smile so large that Seungmin thinks Jisung might have either seen a real life unicorn or ingested a rainbow.

"What is it?" Seungmin immediately asks as Jisung takes a seat across the table from him, picking up a flower and fiddling with its stem.

"He asked me out." Jisung says so fast that Seungmin almost doesn't catch it. But he does, and his jaw drops open for a second before he congratulates his friend.

"That's great, Sungie." Seungmin smiles, before his focus returns to all the flowers he has to propagate in the next few hours. "Love is just in the air, I guess."

"Don't sound so bitter just because your prince is getting married off to some unwilling princess." Jisung rolls his eyes.

Seungmin reaches over the table and shoves his shoulder lightly. "Shut up."

"Honestly he'd probably bone you if-"

"Oh my god! Shut up!" Seungmin repeats with wide eyes as he frantically looks around to make sure no one else is in the room.

"What? We were both thinking about it," Jisung smirks. "Right?"

"Shut. Up."

The doors of the ballroom creak open, and Seungmin sees Chan and Changbin's head peek through the doorway.

"Okay, go, go," Seungmin hears Changbin whisper, and he raises an eyebrow.

Hyunjin stumbles into the room and the doors slam closed behind him. He's facing the opposite way at first with his back to Seungmin and Jisung, but he quickly orients himself and waves at the two.

"Hyunjin?" Seungmin asks slowly, his other eyebrow raising to meet the first one. "What are you doing? Why are you here? How are you here? Your parents will be so mad-"

"They're out for the day, taking Yeji back home so she can have her dress fitted." Hyunjin smiles and capers over to Seungmin and Jisung. He scooches a chair next to Seungmin, snug enough that their shoulders are touching, even though there's dozens of other seats in the room at a table that's longer than Seungmin's entire bedroom.

Seungmin catches himself smiling at the affection and wipes the expression off his face, but not fast enough for Jisung to miss it because he flashes Seungmin a smirk and winks. Seungmin glares at him in warning.

"Need help?" Hyunjin asks, a smile still plastered on his face, and Seungmin doesn't have the heart, nor the want, to send him away even though he knows Hyunjin has absolutely no idea what he's doing.

"Sure," Seungmin smiles back, and while Seungmin and Jisung- who had a few days' experience as a florist's hand in Seungmin's shop back when they were teens- work in tandem to snip flowers off their stems and arrange bouquets, Hyunjin watches Seungmin's hands at work and helps to arrange the occasional flower when Seungmin needs an extra hand. He seems happy to just be there and not stuck in a lesson more than anything.

"Thanks for letting me hang out," Hyunjin waves to Jisung and hugs Seungmin when they're done. "See you tonight?"

"Like always." Seungmin nods, and Hyunjin slinks out the door like he was never in the ballroom to begin with.

Seungmin turns back around to see Jisung grinning with one eyebrow raised.

"Right."

...✦

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