PB 4

Chapter 4

Yeon-shi glanced at her phone briefly before flipping it over. Notifications kept buzzing, but she ignored them.

“Something came in, I guess.”

“Probably your friends.”

“Aren’t you going to check?”

“Not today.”

Ho-je nodded, and Yeon-shi lifted her drink.

“Are you usually this meddlesome?”

“No. I’m surprised myself. I’m not the type to be kind enough to interfere with others.”

“Then why today?”

“Did you look pitiful? Did it seem like you were hurt?”

“If I looked pitiful, then lucky. At least you didn’t see me as a pervert.”

“I did think that at first.”

“Oh, right.”

Yeon-shi frowned at his earlier teasing about being a voyeur.

“You misunderstood.”

“I know. If it ever gets too much, come to my flower shop. Looking at flowers calms the mind.”

“You mean that personally?”

“How did you guess? Yeah, that’s my story. That’s why I opened the shop.”

“That’s… not easy to talk about. Are you okay telling me?”

“You shared a tough story about cupcakes too. Let’s call it mutual secrets. In that sense, consider this an introduction.”

Ho-je extended his right hand toward her.

“I’m Min Ho-je. And you, cupcake owner?”

Yeon-shi hesitated, then reached out and shook his hand.

“Do Yeon-shi.”

“Do Yeon-shi…”

Ho-je murmured her name, smiling softly.

“Nice to meet you, Do Yeon-shi.”

Yeon-shi’s face relaxed, and she smiled.

“Yes. Nice to meet you, Min Ho-je.”

Ho-je supported the drunken Yeon-shi as they walked.

“Where do you live?”

“Above the shop…”

“Try walking straight. And why drink if your limit is one shot of soju?”

“Are you scolding me now?”

Tears glistening in her eyes, Yeon-shi’s voice wavered. Ho-je quickly apologized.

“No, I’m not scolding. I’m just… I wanted you to walk straight.”

“I am walking straight! You’re the one who can’t. See? I’m fine.”

Yeon-shi staggered out of his arms, only to collapse with a thud.

“Ouch…”

“Are you okay?”

Ho-je hurried over. Her hands were scratched from hitting the ground.

“Look at you… trying to go alone when you can’t even walk straight. Seriously.”

“It hurts…”

“I know.”

Her silent tears soaked his chest as she buried her face against him. Ho-je sighed quietly and gently patted her back. Her trembling shoulders made him ache; it was frustrating that someone who could lean on him was barely an acquaintance.

He waited silently until her crying subsided. At that moment, a familiar couple approached them.

“Yeon-shi?”

Startled, she stiffened in Ho-je’s arms, refusing to lift her face.

“Yeon-shi, right?”

The couple, Lee-sol and Hyun-soo, repeated their question. Yeon-shi lifted her head, quickly wiping her tears, and turned to them.

“Oh… we meet here too. Lee-sol. Hyun-soo’s here as well.”

She gave an awkward greeting, struggling to keep her balance.

“And who’s this?”

“Uh… this is… the flower shop owner.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Y-yeah…?”

Naturally, Hyun-soo and Lee-sol were shocked, and Yeon-shi also looked at Ho-je with wide eyes.

The buzz of alcohol vanished instantly. Ho-je ignored it and draped his arm over Yeon-shi, pulling her close.

“They must be friends,” he said, gazing at her with affectionate eyes. He had shown this look countless times before, though never at a person instead of a camera lens.

He removed the warmth from his gaze and introduced himself to the couple.

“Hello, I’m Min Ho-je.”

Hyun-soo and Lee-sol looked at Yeon-shi incredulously.

“Boyfriend? No way!”

“Hey, seriously? You, who are always working, dating someone? I’ve never seen you with a guy before. You know this is a crime to lie about, right? False statement charges and all?”

“Yeon-shi, your friends are saying it’s a lie. Shouldn’t you give them proof?”

“Well… uh… then…”

Yeon-shi glanced between Ho-je and her friends, flustered.

Her sudden shock made the alcohol return with force. The world spun, and her head felt dizzy.

To fix this, she’d need to admit the lie, but she couldn’t. She was irritated by Hyun-soo’s teasing comment implying she was inept at love.

She turned to Ho-je, silently apologetic, and tugged at his collar. He followed obediently, their eyes meeting.

“Yeon-shi…?”

Ho-je’s voice trembled slightly as he said her name.

Her heart raced. She swallowed hard, closed her eyes tightly, and tilted her head to press her lips to his.

Hyun-soo and Lee-sol were even more shocked than when she had introduced him as her boyfriend.

Yeon-shi pulled away and looked at them.

“He is my boyfriend. Happy now?”

After confirming, she collapsed into Ho-je’s arms, falling asleep. Ho-je froze, holding her still.

“Yeon-shi!”

The couple tried to approach, but Ho-je blocked them.

“You’ll need to leave now.”

“What? But we know her house. We can just take her home.”

“Yeon-shi’s home? No, that’s my job now. You’ve realized I’m her boyfriend. No need to interfere with her private life.”

Ho-je’s voice was cold and firm.

“But…!”

Lee-sol tried to step forward, but Hyun-soo held her back.

“Yeah, Lee-sol. Yeon-shi has Min Ho-je. Let’s go.”

Hyun-soo led Lee-sol away, still glancing doubtfully at Ho-je and Yeon-shi. Ho-je hugged Yeon-shi tighter, his gaze sharp.

Finally, the couple left. Hyun-soo’s use of “our Yeon-shi” irritated Ho-je, who watched their retreating figures before turning to her.

“Do Yeon-shi, hey!”

Yeon-shi didn’t stir. Shaking her gently only made her burrow closer into his arms.

“Hah! This girl… causing trouble and enjoying herself, huh?”

His sharp gaze softened as her parted lips caught his attention. The intensity faded.

“So sweet…”

Her breath, brushing against his, was sweeter than the lingering scent of flowers.

He stared at her lips a moment, curiosity fading, and lifted her again.

Since she was asleep, he couldn’t just leave her on the street, so he hurried to the flower shop.

Unlocking the door, the scent of flowers enveloped him.

He navigated past the blooms and up the stairs connected to the shop, arriving at a space made to feel like home. This was why he had chosen the flower shop.

He laid her down on a small bed in the bedroom. Better than the living room sofa, at least.

Kneeling, he removed her shoes, noticing how small her feet were.

A crooked smile formed.

“So tiny…”

Her delicate hands, petite body—everything about her was small. He studied her silently before retrieving a blanket from storage and covering her.

Ho-je flopped onto the sofa, jacket tossed aside, letting out a soft laugh. He had shown concern, told an outrageous lie, and even had his lips stolen.

“All because of cupcakes… what a day.”

Still, losing his first kiss to her felt unfair.

He looked at the sleeping Yeon-shi in the bedroom.

“See you tomorrow, Do Yeon-shi.”

He smiled, imagining how she would react once sober.