✔️ THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS ; lee jeno

03 | love lockets

THE DAY OF DONGHYUCK'S WEDDING comes earlier than you were expecting. Between taking you out to dinner and going on bike rides around the city, Jeno has kept you busy. Busy enough to forget your troubles, or at least for you to be able to cope with them in a relatively healthy manner.

You hear three knocks on the door, and as you go to open it, you see Jeno standing there, in the emerald green tuxedo you picked for him and the matching tie. His shirt is a pale green, so pale it can be mistaken for white, and gel gives his hair a wet gleam.

He smiles innocently, and it outshines all the charm his outfit has.

You fell in love with all of Jeno, after all, not just his appearance.

Your sage green dress flows past your ankles, and it would drag on the floor if you weren't wearing heels. They're tall, but even with them on, you are still only the same height as Jeno. He grins at you, and carries you, bridal-style, into the lift lobby.

"Leave some room for the grooms later, stop trying to one-up them," you joke, but Jeno only hoists you up into a more comfortable position.

"No can do," Jeno says cheekily.

You don't pursue it.

—

A surprise awaits you in the car. As you open the door to the passenger side, you find that it's filled—and so is the driver's seat. Your heart skips a beat, thinking you must've gone to the wrong car, but the sight of the driver's face makes you do a double take.

"Jisung?"

Jisung offers you a shy grin. "Yep, it's me."

"Is it really you? I thought... I never thought I'd see you again! How–" your words come out from your mouth before you can think them through, your rapid-fire Korean faltering in your confusion.

"Donghyuck and I are friends, remember?" You don't really, but if Jeno and Jisung are friends from college, it makes sense that Donghyuck would know them both too.

You clap a hand over your mouth, mind reeling. "So... you were invited to the wedding too?"

Jisung nods. Then, he gestures towards the lady in the driver's seat. "I also have to introduce her to you. Y/n, meet Yeji. Yeji, Y/n."

Yeji offers her hand for you to shake, and you take it, wondering where you've heard the name before. Yeji, Yeji, Yeji... Ah. You've got it. "Hwang Yeji?"

She's the artist who organised the exhibition Soyeon had given you tickets to view. It was there, at the museum, that you saw Jisung's art. If she really is Hwang Yeji, then everything will make sense.

Yeji nods. "Pleasure to meet you."

She picks up a small bouquet of pink peonies, orange tulips and heather, presenting it to you. "Jisung showed me a few of your pieces, mostly older ones," she says by way of explanation. "They had the potential to become something more. I heard from Jeno that you'd seen my exhibition, so I know you probably like flowers, and you know that I like them too. So this bouquet is an invitation for you to work with me some time, for us to perhaps collaborate on another exhibition in future."

You are taken aback by the sudden offer, but you're not an idiot. You remember the way you had collapsed into Jeno the week before, scared that you would never be able to get your art out there. Now, your chance is right in front of you.

You take it.

Gratefully receiving the bouquet, you don't miss the symbolism of the flowers, the goodwill the arrangement holds. You know it is intentional.