Now that Lim Jukyung was back in his life again, Seojun felt like he could finally breathe. She would be there week after week to talk to him about her work troubles and her friend troubles and mother troubles. Seojun would quietly listen and nod and even smile occasionally and frown when it warranted.

"By the way, I noticed you and I were the same age. So, I can drop the banmal, can't I? Since we're friends." She had asked him once. He had nodded and smiled.

Friends, Seojun had wondered. He hadn't had one in a long time. It would be nice to have a friend again, he realized. Jukyung had even made him exchange phone numbers and now she often texted him with funny pictures she found online.

They had somewhat settled into a little routine now. Jukyung often stole away from work in the middle of her lunch break to update him about the latest happenings in her life—Suah and Taehoon's annoying little fights that delayed things at work, the COO refusing to celebrate his birthday because "work was more important", the CEO's teasing of Jukyung, Jukyung's mother still nagging her daughter.

"My father is the only one who takes my side." She complained. "Both my mother and brother are always against me."

Seojun often found himself fantasizing what it would be like to just come out and say that he liked her. But then he reminded himself who he was—just a small flower shop owner, and who she was—a customer who lived in a different world than him, a world full or words. After he had penned out his confession, Han Seojun had resigned himself to a life of unrequited pining. He had decided that the best course of action was no action at all. Besides, friendship was something equally valuable for him and he was happy to have her company in this capacity.

But then she would do something that would turn his insides to jelly and he would fall for her all over again. Sometimes it was the way she teased him when a customer ran away when they saw him in the shop.

"Yah! How exactly are people supposed to come in when you're dressed up like a Halloween character?" She said chuckling.

He would push his lower lip up in an indignant pout, but he really didn't mind that she saw him as a Halloween character. Better he be seen as someone funny rather than someone scary.

Sometimes it was just the way she talked. Seojun often would just stare at her, elbow resting on the counter, face resting on his fist, a dreamy twinkle in his eyes that Jukyung never seemed to notice. The air was cleaner when she talked. The sun brighter. The sky bluer. Everything was better when that little bell tinkled and she came in.

But everything was not better with his flower shop. Despite Jukyung's attempts at getting everyone she knew to visit his shop, he was still in the red. Every night he went over the numbers and every night he grew just a little bit more anxious. At this rate his shop would go out of business in three months. And then he would be out on the street.

He thought about his options, thought about trying to spruce up the place and make it more inviting like that Kang Leader had pointed out, but he didn't know how. It seemed fine to him. He thought about repeating the whole matching personalities with flowers campaign again, but he was afraid to. What if he messed up? He knew he needed help, but he didn't know how to ask for it. And deep down, he was too ashamed to. He didn't want Lim Jukyung thinking he wasn't capable on his own.

He was going over more options one day, chewing on his lip ring, when that man entered. If suave was a person, it would be him. He had the fairest and most symmetrical face that Seojun had ever seen. He moved with effortless grace as he came in through the door. Even the doorbell's tinkle took on an angelic sound. He wore a clean cut and well fitted pin striped suit. Very expensive. His hair was styled back in a professional look. He looked like one of those entrepreneurs that were featured in Time magazine. But he looked young. Too young to be as successful as he appeared. Around Seojun's age. Seojun immediately felt a little frumpy and homely in his presence. He smiled, revealing perfectly straight, pearly white teeth.

"Annyeoghaseyo. Are you Han Seojun-si?" He asked. Seojun blinked and nodded. Why was such an important looking person in his shop? Surely, he wasn't here to buy flowers.

What if he was here to buy his business? Big corporate owners often bought out small businesses to merge them with their own companies. Was this man going to do just that?

"Ah great! I was going around looking for this place till I found it. Its quite well hidden."

Seojun raised a questioning brow.

"I'm here to buy flowers for my girlfriend. She raves about this little flower shop." He said a little shyly, in a soft-spoken voice. He seemed posh from his clothing and mannerisms, but he sounded quite humble.

Girlfriend? Seojun tried to think which one of his customers seemed especially happy with his work lately.

"She said you know flower meanings well. I'm hoping to get something special for her. Today is the anniversary of the first day we met."

Seojun smiled knowingly. He nodded and went around the shop collecting the right flowers. Roses of course. But not red. That was too common. Lavender roses symbolized enchantment, love and had a sense of regality about them. He arranged the flowers and cut their stalks to make it uniform. Then he bound them together and wrapped a paper around the arrangement. As he worked, his silence lingered around the room, making the suave man uncomfortable, as it did with all customers. And as with all customers, the man started blabbing.

"I'm usually not such a sentimental guy," he began, "but recently things have happened in my life that made me rethink the value of small gestures. Before I would have never would have celebrated anything like an anniversary. I didn't even celebrate my birthday." The man paused awkwardly, realizing he was giving away too much personal information to a man he had just met. But after a moment he started again. "I think its important to let the people in your life know you love them. I almost lost someone close to me last month. Someone I didn't realize was so important to me."

Another pause. This time to let Seojun chime in. Seojun could feel an anticipation from the man as he waited for Seojun to say something, even a little "Um-hmm." But as always, Han Seojun said nothing.

It wasn't that he wouldn't speak. It was the fact that even people who couldn't talk spoke—through their hands, through their faces, through pen and paper. Han Seojun did none of those things. And that made his company uncomfortable. And it was this discomfort that made people babble all the time.

"I fell in love with my girlfriend at first sight. You'd think that sort of thing only happened in the movies. But no. It happened to me." Seojun smiled. He knew he had picked out the right flowers. Lavender roses also symbolized love at first sight. The man continued, "I wasn't planning on asking her out, however. But she's been there for me through some recent troubles. And I thought that if I couldn't make this woman mine, I was going to regret it."

The man shifted in his place, rolling on his heels. Peripherally, Seojun could see him look around his shop. Something about this gesture felt vaguely familiar. He looked at the shop with the same discerning eye as a certain Leader-nim.

Seojun handed the man his bouquet. He smiled as he read the flower meanings on the cards.

"She's going to love this. Thank you. How much do I owe you?"

As the man handed him the money, he pulled out a business card from his wallet, with a familiar type font.

"I understand that my girlfriend has tried to get you a consultation before... she really thinks this shop has potential but she tells me you're... trying to make it on your own." This was a polite way to say that Seojun was too proud to take help. "But I really think our company can help you. I'm Lee Suho. My company is Move Consulting. We work together with businesses that aren't doing so well to help them turn around." Lee Suho put his card on the counter. "I really think we could help you, Han Seojun-si. And you won't have to worry about paying us. We'll work something out." He said, collecting his flowers. "I really hope you'll consider our offer. Half of our employees already know about you. Its like you're already part of our family."

Seojun waited till the man left before picking up the card.

Lee Suho. Chief Executive Officer. Move Consulting.

Chief Executive Officer.

CEO.

CEO?!

This was Lim Jukyung's CEO? This was the man she worked for? Seojun let out a breath in wonder. He had never met a CEO before, let alone someone so perfect looking. No wonder Jukyung spoke so highly of the man. He seemed like a supernatural being; extremely good looking and highly talented to boot. And he seemed around Seojun's age. Seojun wondered why a man like him would have ever bothered to come into his little shop in the first place.

I'm here to buy flowers for my girlfriend. She raves about this little flower shop.

Who was his girlfriend? Seojun had to know. His inner spy emerged, making inferences from the clues he had seen. Not that Choi Suah person Jukyung had brought over. That woman was engaged. Other women from Move Consulting seemed either too old or not the type of woman you would find dating a CEO.

His girlfriend must be someone just as good looking and as capable as him. People dating below their status was a thing that only existed in dramas.

My girlfriend has tried to get you a consultation before...

There was only one woman that Seojun could think of that fit the bill. And the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

It had to be that Kang Leader woman. She was beautiful—although of course not as beautiful as Lim Jukyung—and very capable at her job as evidenced by how quickly she was able to pin point the things needed to improve in his shop. It was also obvious that she was someone of high status, someone belonging to a rich family. And she had been pestering Seojun again and again to come to her company. Of course! It had to be her. Jukyung had mentioned that the woman and the CEO were close. And she had been a great help with his father's health problems as well.

Recently things have happened in my life that made me rethink the value of small gestures.

Lee Suho must have been talking about his father's hospitalization. Seojun sympathized with the man. He wished the CEO's father health and a quick recovery. Seojun made a resolution to give the man something for his father in case he ever came back. Better yet, he should probably give it to the Kang Leader in case Lee Suho didn't think to return.

Seojun grinned to himself. That Kang Leader-nim certainly was a lucky woman. And to be receiving those lavender roses. He wondered if she would know they were from him. Of course, she would. The ribbon tied around the flowers has my logo. A small part of him hoped she would come over to tell him what she thought of the flowers.

Another part of him wondered how such an amazing man with—as Jukyung described it—such a humble personality could be with a snarky, bossy woman like that Kang Leader. It made him curious about Lee Suho and the kind of person he really was.

She must treat him differently than she treats everyone else, he thought. But even so... what kind of a man would like a woman with such a bad attitude? The world certainly is a strange place.

The sun had been setting and Seojun had been enjoying a sandwich on the bench outside his shop when he saw the employees from the Move Conglomerate building disperse out of the entrance. Most of them went home the minute work hours were over. Han Seojun only ever saw a handful of people leave at a later time. Sometimes Jukyung was one of the late goers. But almost every time, it was that Kang Leader, who went home well into the night. Seojun swore that sometimes, she never even left. She just stayed in the office where he suspected she had kept a select wardrobe in case she needed a change of clothing at the office.

From the dispersing crowd now, Seojun saw Jukyung in her pastel pink coat walk over to his shop. As always, Seojun felt himself light up from the inside as she came up to him. She had a gift bag in her hand and some bouquets tucked under her other arm.

"Seojun-si! Are you free right now? A bunch of us are going out for drinks today. We're celebrating my one year at the company."

Seojun was touched by the invitation, but he gave a regretful smile and shook his head. He was in no mood for drinking out with strangers.

"Ah, are you busy?" She said to the very obviously idle Han Seojun, "Some other time then." She said politely. She turned but then quickly turned back. "Oh and um, these were lovely." From her gift bag she carefully pulled out a bouquet of lavender roses. "Especially the meaning. It was wonderful. Thank you."

Han Seojun only smiled and bowed his head slightly, eyeing the bouquet.

The bouquet that was supposed to go to that Kang Leader. The bouquet for the CEO's girlfriend.

The girlfriend who raved about his shop and wanted him to have a consulting session at her company.

The girlfriend he had first met, today... whom he had seen the day she had joined his company, Han Seojun realized.

The girlfriend who was now walking away in her pastel pink coat.

"Excuse me, is your shop open?" An old man came up to Seojun as he watched Jukyung walk away.

Seojun got to his feet, nodding. He attended the customer with a smile. As fate would have it, two more customers arrived and Seojun tended to them with the same smile. When it was time to close up, Seojun wordlessly did his daily chores of cleaning up the shop, sorting out the withered flowers and locking everything up. He did all of this while consciously ignoring the silence that usually accompanied him like one would ignore a lover one had cheated on. Because that silence would make him confront his own feelings. And Han Seojun didn't want to do that.

He had been told that grief had stages; denial, bargaining, anger, depression, acceptance. Han Seojun felt none of those things. He felt small and sad. There was no anger, no denial. He didn't even bother to bargain. Because he had known that one of these days, Lim Jukyung would find someone and she would be happy with him. And now he knew she had found the best one. And he was happy for her.

But he was sad for himself.

What did you think? Seojun asked himself, that she would actually want you? That she would wait around till you found your voice?

Seojun wondered if it would always be like this. If he would always be alone. Just him and the quiet. A part of him didn't want it so. But that part was the one Seojun tended to ignore.

It was with this that Han Seojun's little love story came to an end; unrequited and unshared. All on his own Han Seojun fell in love and got his heart broken.

He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep that night so he didn't bother going up to his house above the shop. Instead he took out some beer cans and sat out on the bench on the sidewalk, enjoying the view of the empty street and the closed up shops.

It was late. Very late. Everyone was home, in their beds. Han Seojun often came out at night, usually to enjoy the lack of people. But tonight, everything bothered him. Everything irritated him. Everything—

"I called you so many times. Didn't you hear me?"

Seojun shook out of his daze when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and found a very concerned looking Kang Leader-nim staring down at him.

What the hell was she doing here out so late? He already knew. She had been working. He saw her car parked at the Move Conglomerate entrance, the driver standing by, looking at them.

"Are you okay Seojun-si?"

Seojun looked on to the street, not responding.

"So not okay then."

Aish, chincha! Why is she here?

"I came over to say hello but you seemed to be lost so... I suppose asking if you want to talk about it would be a stupid question."

Well at least she realizes it.

"You're drinking beer?" She said, eyeing a can. "Okay, wait right here. I'll be right back. You stay here okay?"

He saw her run around the corner and disappear. He didn't bother wondering where she was going. She was no concern of his. But he stayed put, staring out onto the street. He didn't know how long he sat there. Time was passing by at a very strange pace right now and it had everything to do with the heavy feeling he had in his heart.

"Aja! Here." Suddenly, a plastic bag full of soju was thrust in his face. The Kang Leader was back. Seojun looked at her in confusion. "Soju is the best drink when you're feeling down. Not beer. Here. Open it up for me."

She threw the plastic bag in his lap and took the seat beside him on the bench. Seojun glared at her. Was she serious? Did she not see he wanted to be left alone? Why wouldn't this woman ever leave him alone.

"Quickly!" She said. "I wanna drink."

With a clenched jaw, Seojun opened up one bottle and thrust it in her hands harshly. She took out two small plastic shot cups from the plastic bag and set them on the bench between them. She poured out a drink each before handing the little plastic cup over to him.

"Take it. You look like you need it more than I do."

They downed the shot in one go. Making the kh-kh-kh sound as was custom when drinking soju.

"I don't suppose you actually do wanna talk?"

Seojun gave her his typical glare. As always, it didn't work the way he wanted it to.

"You stay silent because you have an embarrassing voice don't you?"

Seojun snarled at her, even though he knew she was saying things on purpose to get a reaction out of him.

"Yeah I bet you do. I bet you have a really squeaky voice."

Seojun didn't take the bait.

"If you won't tell people what's bothering you, how will they know?"

Silence.

"You have someone you talk to, don't you?"

Seojun swallowed thickly. He had no one.

"Ugh, fine. Shall I guess what is wrong then?"

Oh God, please no. Seojun pleaded with his eyes.

"The guessing game it is!"

Seojun turned away from her, crossing his arms. She would not be reading him today. No way. Nuh-uh.

"Is it the shop?"

No reaction.

"No. Family?"

Seojun stayed still as a stone, afraid that even a twitch would give him away.

"Friends?"

He didn't even breathe this time.

"Ah-nee what is it that is making you act out this way? Its not like Lim Jukyung rejected you or someth—oh."

Seojun went stiff. His eyes watered and he blinked all signs of tears away. This was enough for the Leader-nim to know she was right.

"Aah, you confessed to her then?"

Seojun gave up, it was no use trying to hide things from this woman. He shook his head once.

"You didn't? Then she has someone else already?"

He gave the slightest of nods, looking at his hands.

"Damn," was all that the woman said. She poured out a couple more shots for them to drink. They sat in silence, hers comforting his own. Then finally, she spoke.

"You know why you're hurting right? Its not because you don't have Jukyung."

Why else would it feel like my heart just got ripped out?

"Take this from someone who knows a thing or two about heartbreak. It is never about not having the other person. Ah-nee, you survived well enough before Lim Jukyung, didn't you? What's to say you won't survive after her too? Heartbreak isn't about not getting your love. Its about pride. You put yourself out there, but she decided she didn't want what you had to offer. That's why you're hurting." She said it as-a-matter-of-factly. "Its not her absence. It's the fact she thought you weren't good enough."

Han Seojun looked at the woman then, really taking in her form. She was wrapped in her large coat with a scarf around her neck. She wore a pencil skirt this time and Seojun noted that it would have looked flattering on her long legs had she been standing. She was leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, staring straight ahead. Her face set in a serious expression.

Seojun knew from this, that she wasn't just spewing out useless words that people said in vain comfort. Words like "It'll be fine" and "You'll get through this." No, Kang Sujin's words carried the experience of a familiar pain. Seojun wondered more about her, about how she had reached this conclusion about heartbreak.

"You wanna get through this pain?" She asked, looking at him. Seojun gave her the slightest of nods again. "Well then you need to recover your pride. That is the only way you will be able to fully move on. You need to become someone better. Someone she regrets letting go. And when you become that person, you'll realize that you don't want her anymore, and you won't be heartbroken."

She made it sound so simple. Like Han Seojun could just get up and decide he was a better man from now on and he wouldn't be in pain anymore. But heartbreak wasn't like that. It was never that simple and it was never that easy to overcome.

Seojun scoffed, drinking another glass of soju.

"Oh-ho? You think I'm wrong? I'm Kang Sujin, Han Seojun-si. I am never wrong." She flipped her hair haughtily. It was then Seojun realized that he had never known her full name, all this time.

Sujin. It meant treasure. Something excellent and true. A lot of rich girls had that name. It suited her.

A honk sounded from across the street. It was Kang Sujin's driver who was sick and tired of his employer's late nights at the office and wanted to go home.

Kang Sujin got up. "Well then, Han Seojun-si. That's my cue to leave. I hope you do get over Lim Jukyung soon. I wouldn't want your customers to think you had abandoned your punk concept for a mopey one."

Seojun rolled his eyes.

"Good night, Han Seojun-si."

Good night, Kang Sujin.

Seojun forgot about this encounter as he did indeed mope around the next couple of days. Grief did indeed hit and it did begin with denial. Perhaps it had all been a nasty dream. Perhaps he had misunderstood it all. Then it moved on to bargaining—perhaps it wouldn't work out and Seojun might have a shot, then anger and depression and then finally, acceptance that any shot he had with Lim Jukyung was well and truly gone.

This newfound realization brought with it a new level of pain he had not expected. He felt lethargic and weak. He lost his appetite and wanted to throw up when he would force himself to eat. He knew that love was painful but this was just ridiculous. Now all he wanted, more than anything, was to move on.

You need to recover your pride. That is the only way you will be able to fully move on.

For the first time, Seojun thought about considering Kang Sujin's advice. It did feel like there was some truth to it. Maybe heartbreak was a matter of pride. Maybe he did need to become better in order to move on.

The thought rolled around in the back of his mind for days, days where he had to force himself out of his bed and push himself to work. Days where he realized that he was about to go out of business and become a beggar on the street unless he did something radical.

The timing felt like destiny. The flower shop needed help and so did Han Seojun. It almost felt like fate.

You need to become someone better. Someone she regrets letting go.

If Han Seojun was to become someone better, he had to start with his flowers. And it was odd that the person he was going to for help with his shop was the very reason he had decided to get help with his business.

Lim Jukyung greeted him with surprise when he showed up at the fifth floor of the Move Conglomerate building.

"Omo! Han Seojun! What are you doing here? Are you here to meet—"

Seojun gave her an envelope. In it were all of the financial details of his little flower shop as well as a list of suppliers, regular customers and anything else related to his business that Seojun had been able to collect last night.

"This is..." Jukyung trailed off as she looked at the paper work. "Are you... here for a consultation?" She asked cautiously, knowing that he had hated the idea in the past.

Seojun nodded.

Jukyung's eyes went wide with glee. "Seriously?! You're serious?"

Seojun chuckled at her enthusiasm and nodded again.

"Omo! I can't believe this! I can't—okay, wait right here. Let me go get the CEO."

Seojun tried to stop her. But she was gone before he could even shake his head. He didn't need to bother the CEO. He had just hoped for a simple session with Jukyung herself. Something to help him get started on turning his business around.

Seojun waited in the lobby anxiously as Jukyung marched inside.

Lee Suho was at his desk reviewing some reports when Jukyung burst in.

"Suho! You won't believe what just happened."

Suho looked up and smiled. "What? Chagi? (Dear?)"

"You remember that florist who saved me from those hooligans? The one whose—"

"Flower shop you love?" Suho finished.

Jukyung nodded. "He's here right now. For a free consultation. Now I know that we've stopped taking on small companies for charity due to the work overload. And I know Kang Leader-nim shot down my proposal for Seojun-si's shop, but I really believe we should be putting in efforts to give back to the community. And Han Seojun-si is a really good person—"

"Sounds fin—" Suho tried to interject but Jukyung talked over him.

"He's a good person Suho. He deserves to have a good life. And didn't you start this company because you wanted to help out the local businesses? Well you don't get any more local than this—"

"Jukyung-ah—"

"I really want to get this man some help Suho. His shop has great potential and he is an amazing florist and I would help him on my own but you know I'm no good at consulting. But if you could get Taehoon or someone—"

"Lim Jukyung!" Suho laughed, kissing Jukyung to stop her from speaking. "Woman let me speak!"

"Yah! Don't kiss me! What if someone sees? You could get into trouble."

"I don't care." Suho leaned in for another kiss. Jukyung swatted him away, stepping back.

"Stop it! You know the company policy. Your board members might kick you out."

Suho grinned.

"So you'll take on Seojun-si as a client?" She asked.

Suho nodded enthusiastically, "I think it's a splendid idea to restart the free client per year initiative and take on Han Seojun's flower shop. Why don't you bring him in?"

"Eep! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Cautiously, looking around, Jukyung kissed Suho on the cheek. "I'll go get him."

Through the glass walls of his office, Suho watched Jukyung go over to the lobby and get Han Seojun. Suho had met the man only once, but he had liked him immediately. Despite his odd lack of speaking, the man seemed sincere and thoughtful. And given how he had saved Jukyung from those hooligans, Suho felt indebted to the man.

Before Han Seojun came in, Suho picked up the landline and dialed in an extension. "Yeah, can you come to my office? Its urgent."

Han Seojun came in looking nervous. He greeted Suho with a respectful bow. Suho bowed back.

"I'm very glad to see you again, Han Seojun-si. Please, have a seat."

Seojun gulped as he sat. Lee Suho's office wasn't what he had expected. Instead of being the wide, well furnished CEO's room like how he had seen in dramas, this one was smaller, with humble furnishings and stacks and stacks of files all piled up in huge shelves. Pictures of a woman with a younger girl with similar features hung on the walls. Some of the pictures featured Suho too with the women. No doubt they were his mother and sister.

"Jukyung here has been really looking forward to having you on board as our client. As I understand it, your flower shop isn't doing so well."

Seojun gave a nervous nod.

"Well I want you to put yourself at ease. You're in our hands now. And given how much Jukyung regards you, I have decided to assign our most capable consultant to you."

Han Seojun looked at Jukyung. Was she their most capable consultant?

As if on cue, the door to the office opened and Seojun's brows flicked up as Kang Sujin walked in, wearing a very smart looking suit with a pencil skirt.

Skirts indeed are flattering on her legs. Seojun quashed the thought as soon as it came.

She seemed just as surprised to see Seojun as he was to see her.

"You called?" She said to Suho, not acknowledging Seojun or Jukyung.

"Come in. I want you to meet someone."

Kang Sujin walked in, eyeing Han Seojun. Then she eyed Lim Jukyung, folding her arms defensively. She didn't sit.

"Kang Sujin, meet your newest client." Suho pointed to Han Seojun. To Seojun he said. "Seojun-si. Meet your consultant. Kang Sujin."