By Zephyria Seo Jeong-won, now accustomed to swallowing his suppressants and painkillers, gazed at the ornamental fish swimming leisurely in the tank. He leaned his forehead against the glass, and the fish, thinking it was feeding time, all rushed towards him.
“I already gave you food, are you still hungry?”
His pale fingertips tapped lightly on the tank.
“I’m… in pain.”
Before coming to the flower shop, he had attended an Omega adaptation training program recommended by the medical center where he had his trait test.
There, they explained in detail the physical condition of a Beta who had manifested as an Omega. The abdominal pain that started after the manifestation heat was due to the formation of the womb.
Although the symptoms would gradually disappear, they advised that it was okay to take painkillers if it became unbearable.
They also told him that from now on, there was a possibility of pregnancy during sexual intercourse, so it was best to use contraception thoroughly if he didn’t want to get pregnant. As soon as Seo Jeong-won left the hospital, he stopped by a pharmacy and bought birth control pills.
His eyes fell on the plastic bag printed with the pharmacy’s name. One pill every day, at the same time, from now on.
The pharmacist’s words floated in his head, that it was okay to take them with suppressants, but it was still better to take them at intervals.
The pharmacist had told him, as he looked down at the paper box, that taking birth control pills didn’t guarantee perfect contraception. It was something the other person had to participate in as well, he advised.
Seo Jeong-won habitually raised his hand to his neck. He felt the roughly tied handkerchief. He traced the fading mark inside the fabric.
“…Tired.”
Seo Jeong-won, who had been blinking slowly, lifted his forehead from the tank at the sound of a commotion. His gaze naturally turned to the door, which was opening with boisterous laughter.
“I’m telling you, it’s true. They give you a free succulent for every plant you buy.”
“Why do people like succulents so much these days?”
“They only charge for the pot for repotting. They have a lot of pretty earthenware pots here.”
“Jeong-won is meticulous, you know. Back then, at Da-hyun’s apple orchard, he picked the apples so neatly. He’s a hard worker. Just a little slow.”
Entering with the lively noise were none other than the workers who had picked apples with him at the apple orchard. As soon as they saw Seo Jeong-won, they waved their hands excitedly.
“Ah… hello.”
“Oh, yeah, is it still true that they give you a succulent with everything you buy?”
Jeong-soon Unni, who had gruffly taken care of Seo Jeong-won throughout the apple picking at Kang Da-hyun’s orchard, asked as if to confirm.
“Yes, that’s right. I’ll give you a succulent. Two each.”
He couldn’t shake his stiff expression and smiled awkwardly. Fortunately, the painkiller seemed to be working, and the throbbing abdominal pain had subsided.
Seo Jeong-won rubbed his eyes, feeling a lingering sense of helplessness. He let out a small sigh and approached the group gathered around the ornamental trees.
“This side is the face. The fuller side.”
“Even these have a face?”
“The side that looks prettier when you look at it head-on is the face. If you buy a tree, I’ll give you a Monstera as a service.”
At Seo Jeong-won’s declaration that he would give something else along with the succulents, they all said they would buy a tree.
While they were choosing which one was pretty, recommending to each other, and searching online, Seo Jeong-won brought four Monsteras that were just starting to split their leaves.
“What looks better to Jeong-won? What looks better? Huh? What’s this?”
“That’s a bird of paradise plant. If you grow it for about three or four years, it will bloom… If you’re looking for a flowering plant, that’s a good choice too. If you put it in a sunny place, it will grow on its own.”
At Seo Jeong-won’s explanation that it bloomed, they all took out their phones and searched for bird of paradise. They were excited, saying it was pretty after seeing the colorful flowers that resembled birds, just like its name. Everyone said they would buy a bird of paradise.
“If I buy this, you’ll give me a succulent and a Mons, Mons… uh? That thing, right?”
“I will.”
“I don’t want that, I want this. I’ll take this one. The leaves on that one are too big, I think.”
“That’s a Ficus benghalensis. That side is the face for that one too, Unni.”
Seo Jeong-won smiled and continued his explanation in response to their worries about what would happen if the tree grew endlessly because it was a tree.
“If you look here, the tree has been cut and treated with chemicals, so it won’t grow upwards. Instead, it will slowly spread out to the sides like this.”
At their words asking for more explanation with shining eyes, as soon as he told them about cuttings, she laughed heartily, saying that she had chosen a good tree.
“What about this? Let me choose too, huh? Jeong-won, how about this one? I think this one is pretty.”
“That’s a fan palm. It’s characterized by its slow growth. Compared to other plants. It likes sunlight and water. So, as long as you don’t give it too much water, you can water it often.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and… every time a new leaf comes up, it’s folded up and then slowly unfolds, so you don’t have to force it open, and it’s more gorgeous and pretty than you think.”
They were surprised by the smooth explanation and lightly patted Seo Jeong-won’s back, asking how he knew so much.
“It’s fun to choose plants too. The more I look, the more I want to buy this and that.”
“The succulents are over there.”
Seo Jeong-won pointed his finger. After choosing one ornamental plant each, they all chose and brought succulents.
At the words that he would give two each, they carefully chose pretty ones. Some people recklessly chose expensive ones, and some people chose succulents of a suitable price to receive as a service.
“But this is pretty. But even if it’s a service, the pot is too bad.”
“There are many succulent pots over there. 2,000 won each.”
“Then the Mons, that thing. I have to buy that pot too. This one is too weak, right? It’s squishy.”
“Since the roots keep growing, it’s not weak, it’s just small. So you have to repot it. You can buy mixed soil and perlite yourself and do it.”
They gathered one by one to Seo Jeong-won, who asked how they would like to do it. They asked if it was cheaper to buy the soil and do it themselves, but Jeong-soon Unni chimed in, saying who would do that when it would be heavy, and they decided to buy the pots as well.
In the midst of the boisterous noise and loud laughter, the slightly uplifted mood subsided again. Was it okay to laugh, was it okay to be happy, he constantly looked back on himself.
“Then if we repot, Jeong-won won’t charge for the soil, right?”
“…If you repot and take it, I’ll only charge for the pot.”
“Then we have to repot, we have to.”
Everyone clapped and said they would choose all the pots. It was the first time this had happened while running the flower shop, so he was a little flustered. He habitually rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand and pointed to the shelf where the pots were kept.
“It’s over there. You can just bring the ones on the floor, and I’ll take out the ones on the high—.”
“Oh my! Oh my my! Jeong-won, you’re having a nosebleed, you!”
At the finger pointing with trembling hands, several gazes were fixed on Seo Jeong-won.
He felt something lukewarm wetting his philtrum. Seo Jeong-won immediately lowered his head. As he turned around, mumbling that he was okay, he pulled the hem of the apron he was wearing and wiped under his nose.
Seo Jeong-won moved to the sink. He squatted down and grabbed his nose. The murmuring sound was still there. He could hear worries about what to do and conversations about whether they should come back later.
Seo Jeong-won silently waited for their decision while washing his face. After checking that the blood had stopped with only a little smearing, he returned, and worried gazes still clung to him.
“You’ve turned pale, yeah. Oh dear, what should we do?”
“I’m okay.”
“Aren’t you sick somewhere? Now that I think about it, you seem a little… thin.”
“I went to bed late last night, so I’m like this. This is a prop I brought in this time, if you choose one you like, I’ll repot the Monstera and decorate it. These are popular these days.”
Seo Jeong-won took out small props on the table to divert the customers’ attention. The expressions of those who had been laughing changed as if they were looking at something pitiful.
“Why does a business owner give so much as a service? You’ll ruin the flower shop if you do business like this. You should give away things at places that are doing well… That Unni, yeah, the succulent she chose was 8,000 won. She has no conscience, really.”
Jeong-soon Unni, who had snapped bluntly, turned around with a click of her tongue. Seo Jeong-won smiled awkwardly. He wondered if she would be upset by her remark, but fortunately, she blamed herself for choosing a succulent that was too expensive, and they all went to choose pots together.
After many twists and turns, all four people paid for their plants. They were still noisy until they left.
They interfered with Seo Jeong-won, who was carrying the pots on a cart, saying that he should take good care of his health and that the pots were heavier than him.
Also, at Jeong-soon Unni’s guarantee that she would bring people, Seo Jeong-won secretly put a white puppy figurine on the Monstera pot.
“This is Unni’s.”
“I’m telling you, you’ll go bankrupt if you do business like that.”
“If there are no customers, I’ll really go bankrupt. Thank you for today.”
“I’ll bring you again, so bring in something small and expensive. I mean the same thing. Huh? Not something big, cheap, and heavy like this.”