ピンクのばら
spring

The sounds of well-worn sneakers slapping against pavement echoed through the quiet street. It was still dark and few people were up yet. Occasionally Jungkook would pass a house with a light or two on, but other than that it seemed he was the only person up. Despite the earliness he'd woken to run, the young male felt a rush of adrenaline as he ran; one that woke him up and, unusually, filled him with the energy he was going to need to face another day. He could feel the sweat begin to form, itching as it trickled down his back and made his shirt stick to him. He was going to need a shower when he got back.

Jungkook slowed down to a walk, allowing himself to cool down as he made his way back to his home. As his body cooled, he began to feel the cold morning air. Goosebumps ran up his arms, his sweat only making him more sensitive to the air. Thankfully he wasn't too far from home and soon he was able to jump in the shower. By the time he was out, the sun had risen completely and the rest of the house had woken. He continued to get ready before leaving to go to work.

Hyejin was already there by the time Jungkook got to the store. She didn't give him a chance to even enter the flower shop, dragging him off as she had an 'incredibly important appointment' that she couldn't be late for and wouldn't let an 'amateur flower boy' cause her to do so. She made him walk and talk, an incredibly difficult feat to achieve when half his things required the use of an iPad and the images contained on it.

"Why did they put you in charge of this?" The woman suddenly said as they walked, interrupting him as he described the new batch of options. She glanced at him, disdain filling her expression. "Surely they could have put someone more competent on this job. One of the other two, maybe."

"I―" The young man froze, unsure of what to say. He was insulted, to say the least, but figured he probably deserved it. There was no doubt he wasn't as good as Taehyung or Seokjin, even with his best efforts ― which was what he was doing. "With the limited amount of time we have, we've... we've had to maximise all the time we have. Even if that means putting someone, less competent on the job."

"Well, I'm going to be completely honest with you ― I don't know how hard you're trying right now but it's terrible." Hyejin sighed, fluffing her hair. She'd had a haircut, Jungkook noticed, so her hair now sat just above her shoulders. It looked nice; she looked nice, despite her sour personality. "Now, you've got to understand, this might not be a big deal to you men but for the woman ― especially me ― this is a big deal. I'm probably only going to get married once, twice if I'm unlucky enough to have to remarry. This means that my special day has to be pe-erfect."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't take it personally, I'm just worried that if things continue the way they're going, you might ruin my day. It's just a small thing, but small things can have big consequences." Jungkook nodded, trying to remain as attentive as possible. It was difficult, as they were passing the bakery he'd heard so much about and he really wanted to see the baker. Unfortunately Hyejin was in the road as they walked past, and he didn't get the chance to see anything other than a flash of pink. "I mean, this bouquet and these decorations are what's going to make it into the photos ― the flowers we choose will be what people remember. I don't want to have to look at these pictures with unhappy memories, you know?"

"I understand. I'm sorry, I'll talk to the other florists and see what they think."

"That would probably be a good idea. I've seen what they're doing, it's definitely got my approval." The raven haired male just sighed to himself and dropped his gaze. He continued to walk with Hyejin, not sure if he was supposed to go yet. In the end, she got him to accompany her all the way to her appointment ― which involved her trying on her wedding dress. She believed it might be able to help him get an idea of a bouquet that would go with it.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Hyejin said as she spun around, admiring herself in the mirrors in front of her. The dress puffed out from the waist, spreading around the woman. Lace covered her from a little under the collarbone, going up to her neck and shoulders. She definitely looked nicer than normal.

"You look beautiful." Jungkook responded, smiling up at the woman. She smiled kindly back, instantly looking even nicer. Hyejin looked even nicer when she smiled, the younger decided.

"Thank you. I'm glad, because I was worried it might not fit or suit me. That's always a worry." The bride-to-be did another spin. A few strands of hair got caught in her lips and she laughed, trying to get them out. "Anyway, the flowers ― make sure they don't clash with the other decorations. That's also important. And remember: I want something that's not too out there, but don't make me another average bride."

"I will. Don't worry, I'll do my best to make sure your day isn't ruined."

"Good, I hope so. Now, you can go; unless you want to sit through more of these," Hyejin glanced at the dress over her shoulder as she spoke, "but I can't imagine that being your sort of thing."

"No, I'll go. I've got other jobs I should be doing." Jungkook stood up slowly. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"I'll meet you at the shop tomorrow." The younger boy nodded before bidding her goodbye and rushing out. He ran back to the shop, disappointed to discover that the baker still wasn't there when he went past.

――＊――

"So I was thinking some carnations ― not striped ones, of course, but some arrangements of red, white and pink. It's pretty basic but just look at the flowers." Taehyung smiled as he gestured at his favourite flowers. The smile grew wider as he lifted one up and smelled it. He then held it out for Jungkook to smell. The flower had a very light fragrance, barely noticeable, but it was nice. The younger male smiled back after he smelt it.

"It's nice." Jungkook's smile soon vanished as he sighed. "You seem to have things so under control..."

"I think it's just practice. But are you have some difficulties with the bouquet?" The younger was ashamed to nod and he dropped his head. "Hey, don't feel so bad, it's your first big project. And you've got to work with Hyejin; that'd probably make things more stressful."

"I think it's just because I'm incompetent. I'm not a florist, I'm not as passionate as you or Seokjin ― Hyejin's right: why did you pick me? Not just for this wedding, but for the job in general. I don't know anything."

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." Taehyung's voice grew light as he placed his arm around the boy's shoulder, leading him into the more private back room. They sat down at the table, the older still with his arm around the younger. "Now, I don't know what Hyejin said but you should ignore her. She's just a stressed bridezilla; I'm sure she didn't mean what she said, not really. And the reason why we chose you is because you were the best ― out of the many applicants we got, you were the best. You're not incompetent, I've watched you around the shop and you are a fast learner. You were definitely the best choice, and you shouldn't doubt yourself."

"But I've tried twice now and nothing I do seems to appeal to Hyejin. She wants something meaningful, but traditional-looking but not traditional because she doesn't want to be just any old bride." The brunette huffed as he rest his head in his arms, his forehead pressed against the desk. He felt weak as Taehyung rubbed circles on his back, trying to comfort him, and hated it. He didn't want to seem weak, not in front of the lilac-haired florist.

"Well third time's always the charm. If you want, I can help you with it ― you can take all the credit, of course." Taehyung leaned down so his cheek was resting against the desk, still rubbing the younger's back. He watched Jungkook, until he turned his own head and stared at Taehyung. The boy smiled a little when he saw the older, half his face squashed against the table. It made his cheek look even puffier. "Whaddya say?"

"If you don't mind. I don't want to both―"

"Don't worry about bothering me, it's no trouble. Come on, let's go get your iPad and start working."

"These were the ones I was going to show her today, but we were walking so she couldn't look." Jungkook explained as he showed Taehyung the flowers he and Jimin had found the previous night. The older male quickly flicked through them, only needing a quick glance to identify them and figure out their meaning. "She said she didn't want white, because there's already so much, and now it has to also not clash with pink and red."

"What about the lilacs? They're for first love's emotion, so they might be nice― oh!" The effeminate male's eyes widened as an idea came to him, his pink lips forming an oval shape. They then turned into a grin, his eyes creasing again. "How about this? Lilacs; pink roses ― grace, elegance, poetic romance; and dark red carnations ― deep love and affection. It's got a nice meaning, it probably looks a little traditional and it has the roses but it's not your average bunch of roses."

"That sounds good~!" The younger smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"It's not a problem, buddy. Hopefully Hyejin likes it as well."

――＊――
because I really can't describe clothes, this is the image I was using as a reference for the wedding dress: