IQ148 // namjoon ✔️

__MAY__

May ; 2015

In Seochon Village, along the path that JungMi walks to get from the train station to the bookstore, there is a remote flower cart parked to the side of the road. It is similar to a wheelbarrow, with two large wheels connected to one end with an axle and two bars sticking out the other end for the owner to wheel it around as they like. Although surrounded by many other retailers and buildings, the flower cart makes its presence known by its vibrant and colorful flowers on display. 

Whenever JungMi passes by, she can't help but linger and slow down her pace as she smells the subtle hint of roses in the air. 

Recently she has been interested in the meaning of flowers, so she's been paying more attention to the different types of flowers they have to offer. Sometimes they have flowers she's never seen or heard of before in her life and they pique her interest for a split moment before she continues on her way to the bookstore.

Today as she passes, the clerk in charge of the cart is in the middle of setting up shop and placing all the flowers on display.

"Good morning!" The clerk at the flower cart exclaims as JungMi passes by. She's taking a leisurely stroll on her way to the bookstore. 

"Good morning, ma'am." She chirps; she's in a very good mood this morning. Usually she would have been demure in replying to the outlandish greeting, but today, she takes it in stride and offers a brilliant smile which causes the clerk to smile and nod back.

JungMi sees her set down a whole variety of bouquets down on the flat surface of the cart.

She starts to organize the display in a way that's appealing to the eye; she puts the more exotic flowers near the front to attract business. 

JungMi stops in her tracks and turns when she sees the clerk placing a bunch of fully blossomed flowers at the very front of the display; the main attraction for the day. 

JungMi backtracks and approaches the cart, her eyes set on those specific bunch of flowers.

"What kind of flowers are those?" JungMi asks as the clerk reemerges from behind the cart, her eyes never leaving the flowers that she can't put a name to. 

The clerk follows her gaze to the bouquet she had pushed towards the front of the display. Although JungMi keeps her hands at her side, the clerk can tell that JungMi is so allured by the bouquet that she might just reach out and touch it just to see if they're real. 

"They're called Ambrosias," the clerk begins with an enthusiastic smile, "This flower is actually a Greek term for love and it stands for a mutual love. A 'returned love' if you will." 

The clerk picks up a bouquet of red roses and starts to arrange them in a vase, treating them much differently than the Ambrosia flowers. The clerk is clearly not fond of the classic rose; it would be assumed that a person who works with flowers would find roses to be redundant.

The clerk starts to express her frustration with an exasperated tone, "It would make a lot of sense that those flowers would be given out to a lot of people as a romantic gesture, but it's an extremely underrated flower. It looks beautiful and has a beautiful meaning, but they're rare. And they're at risk of becoming endangered." 

The clerk sighs before fiddling with the roses, "But roses are in abundance. That's why everyone goes for the roses. They're classic, but their meaning has become so redundant."

JungMi nods, "I couldn't agree more." she looks away briefly as she starts to dig in her pocket for her wallet, "I'll take them!"

"Yes ma'am," the clerk says as she drops everything and rushes over to her cash register at the short end of the cart. "It must be a special occasion." The clerk presumes.