Mariposa // RM

Chapter 1

A pleasant breeze wafted throughout the shop as the scent of fresh flowers reached your nose. Taking in a deep breath, you smiled as you tended to the roses and the various lilies that had arrived early this morning. "Like this...? No, what if I move them to the right... Arrange them by colour..?" You bit your lip in thought as you eyed the colourful display in front of you, trying to decide exactly how it would look the most appealing. In the end you decided to arrange them by colour, from the most passionate of red to a vibrant violet. You took pride in your shop, even though it was only as big as the neighbourhood bookstore. Lips puckered, you whistled a tune as you swiped the floor to remove any traces of dirt or fallen petals before you opened the shop, carefully placing the sign outside. You squatted down and grabbed a piece of chalk as you tried to draw a pretty flower on it. Admittedly it wasn't exactly a Monet, but you'd made a valiant effort... even if your rose resembled a daffodil. You felt giddy as you made your way inside, watering some of the plants as you passed. Owning your own flower shop had been your childhood dream and you still couldn't quite grasp that it had become reality. Sure, it was small, but the atmosphere was homely and welcoming and there was no denying that the customers really enjoyed it as they all left with a smile on their face and the occasional laughter that ensued from your born talent for comedy and your unconditional hospitality. You were often amused by the people that stopped by, teenage boys that nervously ordered a bouquet for their girlfriend, the occasional elderly man that bought a single rose for his wife. There was even one time when a long haired metal fanatic waltzed into your shop only to buy a beautiful bouquet for his mother's birthday.

Had there ever been a bad day? Why, yes. There had been plenty of times when men tried to seduce you and when you politely refused them, sparked their anger. Your little shop was also often the victim whenever a fought broke out on the streets, when you had to swipe up broken shards of glass the entirety of the next day. But, all of that didn't really matter. Sure you had some tougher days but seeing the happy faces of your customers made up for it by tenfold. Taking a rag, you swept your counter until it sparkled brilliantly, ready to welcome your customers. The day passed slowly, the occasional customer picking up a bouquet they had ordered or the bakery across the street bringing in some fresh bread for you to enjoy during your break. Quickly wiping your hands on your apron, you set the small basket behind your counter as you heard the bells that hung above your door chime. Looking up, you observed the rather tall individual that had just entered. You chuckled softly as he had to bow down ever so slightly to fit under your door. He raised his hand to push his hair back, the sleeves of his shirt riding up ever so slightly, showing the various tattoos on his arm. You trailed his line of sight until you saw a little girl waddling behind him, in awe at the pretty colours that decorated your humble abode. A smile tugged at your lips as she quickly ran forward, holding onto the back of his legs, making him stumble slightly. The man turned towards you and cleared his throat, probably hoping you hadn't seen him stumble. Too bad, you had. You smiled, "Hello, how may I help you?" your eyes trailed back to the little girl as she peeked at you from behind the tall stranger. The man seemed to be lost in thought for a bit before answering. "Well, my mother is in the hospital so I was looking for a bouquet... Well of course I am, else I wouldn't be here... But... Well you get the idea." he rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

You hummed in thought as you walked out from behind the counter towards the rows of flowers you had arranged this morning, the man and the girl trailing behind you as she grabbed hold of his hand. "Well we have a variety of roses and lilies in all kinds of colours, you can go ahead and see which colour she would like and I'll arrange some flowers for you then." The man nodded slowly as he scanned the flowers. You watched the little girl as her eyes were fixed on the lilies. Walking up to her you leaned down a bit to look at the flowers with her. "Do you like these flowers?" You asked, the little girl looked at you and nodded excitedly. "Nari really likes lilies." The man stated as he looked at each flower carefully. "Nari? How fitting." You smiled as you took a single lily and clipped it before tucking it behind her ear. The little girl looked in awe as she saw her reflection in your window, giggling happily and twirling around, showing off her blue sundress and the flower. She ran back to the man and tugged at his shirt. "Appa! Appa!" she chanted. The man looked down at her and smiled as he saw the flower, showing his dimples. "Am I pw-pwetty?" the little girl struggled with the word as she looked at him expectantly. He scooped her up in his arms and nodded. "Very pwetty." you couldn't help but giggle as he mimicked her. Nari smiled brightly and looked at you. She stared until she beckoned you closer, raising an eyebrow you took a step forward.

The man smiled as he seemed to know what his daughter was up to as he watched her reach for the lily and tucked it behind your ear instead. "Pwetty?" You asked. "Pwetty!" Nari beamed happily. "Appa! Isn't Eonni pretty?!" She asked him. He showed a toothy smile, his dimples even more defined as he nodded. "Sir, have you decided on the flowers yet?" you asked him politely. "Yeah, actually I'd like a bouquet of the lilies like the one you gave to Nari... Which she gave back to you apparently." He laughed. "Alright then, I'll make one for you. Just wait for me at the counter and I'll be right there." The man nodded as he carried Nari over to the counter with him. You soon joined them, flowers in hand as you wrapped them up and tied a ribbon around it. "I didn't even know there was a shop like this in this part of town..." He breathed as he looked around. You couldn't really blame him, it was a neighbourhood on the poor side. "Well yeah, I opened shop quite recently. I couldn't really afford somewhere in the city and the neighbours seemed... Nice enough at least." You chuckled. "The only nice people here are the ones from the bakery and even then you shouldn't get on their bad side." He said, sounding a bit amused. You nodded. "Ah, I'm Kim Namjoon by the way. I opened up a tattoo parlour two days ago." You paused and looked up at him. "You mean the one on the corner of this street?" He nodded excitedly. "Well, welcome to the neighbourhood then. I hope you placed some sturdy glass because people around here seem to like bricks." You chuckled as you placed the finished bouquet on the counter. "We'll see soon enough." he shrugged. "Ah, I almost forgot! I'm (full name)! But feel free to call me (f/n) since I think we're about the same age." You smiled as handed his change. "Then you should call me Namjoon... Nice to meet you. I suppose we'll see each other around, yeah?" He waved as he left the shop, Nari in tow. "Yes... I suppose we will." You breathed as you watched him walk away, your chin resting on top of your hand.