Tulips and Roses

Prologue

Kim Jisoo. The name alone inspires respect, and she has it. An entire city is at her feet, like grey dust, barely touching her shoes. Millions are insignificant, there is no other power quite like it. Everyone either idolises her, adores her, or envies her. And she knows it.

But there is a price.

Over the years, Jisoo has gone further and further into herself. A once happy and aloof teenager has grown cold and stoic. Her soft flesh turned to a grim stone, never graced with a smile. Any moment she could crack. Who knows what would have seeped out.

Rosie is, by all means, her opposite. Though more reserved throughout her childhood, she had bloomed into a somewhat shy florist, at least around CEOs in all black. Compared to other businesses, her income is modest, but comfortable enough. She has never cared for money.

A furnace burns in her soul, making her touch warm and her words soft. Sometimes, the customers will lull in her shop a little longer, just to hear the gentle hum of her voice as she quietly sings to her plants. Her only satisfaction is through kindness.

As of now, the roots of this unlikely pair grow ever closer, first contact about to be made. Many rocks and thorns lie in their wake, hoping to rip them apart. But, and I mean this sincerely, never underestimate the endurance of flowers. Sometimes, the most delicate of petals are the hardest to rip from the ground.