"Oooh! Isn't she so pretty!"

"And look at how well mannered she is!"

"Omo! What a lovely girl!"

"And accomplished too."

"Did you ladies know, that my Sujinnie here used to be the COO of Move Consulting? It's one of the biggest consulting firms in the country. She's even gotten her picture published in magazines!"

That last statement was said by Seojun's mother as the town ladies gathered around Sujin in his living room. Sujin served them all tea as she blushed at the praise.

"Eommeo-nim, you praise me too much." She said shyly. Seojun watched, disbelievingly, from the kitchen. He leaned over the counter, munching on sides as he observed the congregation of neighborhood women. Kang Sujin was anything but shy. But she knew how to play the room, and especially, a bunch of ahjummas. He knew she was just eating up all of the praised aimed at her.

"Oh shush! I don't praise you enough." Mrs. Han reprimanded lovingly. "My Sujinnnie, used to be one of the top scorers in her class."

"I was only second place." Sujin corrected. She always did that when someone mentioned her grades from school. Seojun wished she would stop putting herself down like that.

"Oh, second is still at the top! How difficult it is to get even in the top ten! My Kangmu isn't even in the top twenty, that useless brat." One of the ahjummas said.

"My Seojun wasn't even in the top fifty." Mrs. Han said.

"Eomma!" Seojun protested. Sujin choked on a laugh.

"Of course, he was busy trying to earn for my hospital bills." Mrs. Han sighed, then started tearing up. "I don't know where I would be without my boy." The women all held Han Mihyang as she steadied herself. Sujin rubbed the woman's knee. "That reminds me, Seojun-ah. Go pick up your sister from the bus station. She should be back from training."

"Okay. Come on, Sujin." Seojun said, not waiting for her to protest. He grabbed his coat and made his way out while Sujin trotted after him.

"Why do you need to take me?" She complained as she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her hoodie.

"I thought you could use a break from all of those ahjummas. My mom goes overboard when she starts talking about you." Seojun said, not voicing his true concern: that one of those women might get too impressed and start wanting Sujin as their own daughter-in-law. The women of his town could be really sneaky. Seojun didn't know how he could counter their cleverness when they started pushing their sons onto Sujin.

"Ah-nee-ya. I like it when your mom praises me." Sujin said, taking longs steps. She was a little ahead of him and he could see her pony tail swinging behind her. "Appa always said I wasn't good enough because I was never number one. Hearing your mom telling me I'm amazing is a nice change of pace."

She said it casually, not sounding too sad or woebegone over her pained past. But that was the part that hurt Seojun. That it was a normal occurrence for Sujin to be told something so harsh by her father.

It was heart wrenching and Seojun felt compelled to hug her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her neck.

"Hmm?" Sujin said, unaware of the complicated emotions running through Seojun's heart. "What?"

"You are number one, you know that?"

Sujin laughed, "Jun-ah, it was a long time ago. It doesn't hurt me any more."

He knew that was a lie. Childhood trauma wasn't something that ever went away. It was just something you learned to live with. Even Seojun fell into his pit of despair now and again when something made him think of Seyeon. Despite Changmin being put behind bars for his assault on Seojun, despite Gunju Group losing its hold on the town and even despite Mrs. Jung having finally found some semblance of peace, Seojun still felt haunted by the loss of his friend and the loss of his youth to silence.

No, trauma never truly went away. But it didn't have the hold it used to have on Seojun and Sujin. Sure, there were bad days, but there were good days too. Days filled with laughter and joy and friendship. Days where everything was better. And even for the days colored in mean reds, Seojun and Sujin had each other to hold onto.

Seojun held onto Sujin now. She leaned her head back and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm fine, Jun." She said, her nickname for him. She called him various names; Han Seojun for when she was mad, Seojun for when they were in company, Seojunnnie for when she wanted to tease him, and Jun for when she felt especially fond of him.

"I know. I just wanted to hug you." Seojun kissed her. But it wasn't the passionate, sensual kiss one saw on TV. It was comical. He smushed his lips against her, making a big squeaking sound as she giggled. "Mmwah!"

Sujin laughed, "Phabo."

They left his home town that night, commuting back to the city to Seojun's shop. Sujin alternated between the city and the town for her work. Half the week she stayed in the city to work from the Move Consulting office right across from Seojun's shop and the other half she dedicated to the new branch of Move Consulting she had opened in Seojun's town.

The new branch was doing very well and Sujin had even trained new employees to run the place in her absence. Still, it seemed that neither place could run without her. She was always getting panicked calls from work about things that required her immediate attention.

Sujin yawned as the taxi dropped them off at the flower shop.

"You're not going home?" Seojun said, knowing what was to come next. He took out their bags and paid the taxi driver.

Sujin yawned again. This time it was obvious she was faking. "Nah, I'm tired. I'll crash at your place."

Casually, Sujin tried to tread into the flower shop but Seojun pulled her back by the collar of her coat. "Your home isn't far. Come on, I'll drop you."

"Its late, Jun-ah. You shouldn't be driving your motorbike when you're sleepy." Sujin made another attempt to get inside. Seojun pulled her back.

A smile tugged at his lips, but he forced it away. If he smiled, Sujin would win. "I can ride just fine."

Sujin grumbled, finally relenting. "We've been together long enough, you know. Too long." Sujin looked so forlorn that you would think she had lost a puppy.

"Propriety, Kang Sujin. And also, I want to take things slow. We should do everything in its own pace."

"But your slow is too slowwww." Sujin whined like a child.

Seojun smiled. And then quickly realized that it was a fatal mistake. Sujin took the opening.

"Ah-nee~" She said in sing-song, trying to appeal to him, "this is the twenty-first century, isn't it? And it's not like we're breaking any rules." Sujin put her hand on Seojun's shoulder and looked up, making her eyes wider. "Even our parents have already met. Isn't that enough?" She blinked innocently.

What a sneaky woman, Seojun thought proudly.

He moved closer, close enough that they could feel each other's breath. The air suddenly got hot. "Jin-ah," Seojun said, his voice deep like a growl, his eyes trailing her lips. Sujin sucked in her breath. "You should go home." He abruptly backed away.

And just like that the fire sizzled out. Sujin made a face as Seojun hauled in his bags. He left them at the door for Chorong to deal with. Much to the big man's chagrin, Seojun was always leaving his luggage at the door when he traveled with Sujin. And Chorong would always have to carry it upstairs when he came in the morning for work.

"At least let me use the bathroom before I call a cab." Sujin trailed behind him, dejectedly.

"There's no need for a taxi. I'll drive you. You can get your bags later."

"No. I meant it when I said its too late for a bike ride."

Seojun felt disappointed. He had wanted to spend more time with Sujin. Time where they weren't otherwise occupied in the kinds of activities Sujin had on her mind.

"You sure?" Seojun called after her as she ran past him, up the stairs and into his bathroom. Her response got muffled by the distance, but Seojun knew she had answered yes.

He went to his small abode above the flower shop and put on a kettle for the two of them. He yawned as he waited for Sujin to come out. While he waited, he eyed the pictures that lined all of his walls: of Sujin and him together, of the people at Move who had helped him revive his business, of Kim Chorong and their little "flower gang", of his mother and his sister who had already garnered fans as a budding idol.

Seojun smiled at his full walls and the small signs of life here and there; the small decorative bowls Sujin had gotten for him, ones that contained dried up flower petals that Sujin had picked off of his beautiful flowers, potted plants that Chorong had forced on him, ones that were supposedly good for Seojun's health, a new couch that his mother had gifted him, a quilt that Gowon had knitted for him, thrown on the new couch.

The once lifeless space that Seojun occupied now was full of memory and history. Seojun smiled to himself as he thought about all that had happened this past year and the possibilities that lay before him.

"You know you make it so hard for me to keep my hands off you when you smile like that." Sujin stood outside the bathroom, leaning against the wall.

Seojun grinned, "Yah, how can a woman be so forward?"

Sujin grinned back, "How can a man not want any of this?" She posed with her hand on her hip and her leg stretched out for him to admire.

And admire he did, his eyes followed up from her sneakers to her bare knees and the thighs that hid behind her pleated skirt. Seojun gulped.

In two quick strides Sujin was on him. She cupped his face as they kissed, slow and deep. She smelled of the floral cream he was always putting on her dry hands, mixed with her own spicy scent. He smelled of flowers; sweet and fruity. Her hands in his hair, tugging and pulling, his hands on the small of her back and up and up and suddenly, they were a mess with her leaning against him still seated on the table. Heat ignited between them, making Seojun sweat. Somewhere, a whistle sounded. The kettle. It reminded Seojun that he had promised himself that he wouldn't mess up this relationship by moving too fast.

"Mmph," Seojun tried to speak but his mouth was occupied so all that came out was a muffled moan. He finally pushed Sujin away. "Tea." Was all he managed to say through the pants of breath he was barely able to take. Sujin, with her face all red and hair all messed up made it hard for him to think. He himself has his hair sticking out on all sides.

She nodded and quickly turned the stove off before returning to her place on Seojun's lap. But he held her at a distance. "Sujin-ah, you sure about this?"

"Damn sure." Sujin said before kissing him again.

Seojun pushed her back once more, standing up this time. "I don't want you to regret this."

"Why would I ever regret this?"

Just look at his face. He looks so evil! I can't believe I went out with him.

Seojun could never forget, the words of his girlfriend back in high school. He hadn't been naïve enough to think that she was his soul mate, but he had liked her. And just like everyone else in high school, she had turned on him, accusing him of the worst crime imaginable.

Sujin read all this on his face, just like she had always been able to. She pushed Seojun up against the kitchen wall and slammed her hand, kabedon style. "Wha-what are you doing?" Seojun asked.

Sujin's intense eyes bore into his. "Jun-ah, you know I love you, right?"

Seojun nodded, "I love you too, Jin-ah."

"Good." Sujin pressed her lips against his, tentatively this time. The heat was just a simmer but it burned deep and seared Seojun all the way to his toes. He finally gave in to the strange violent passion he felt towards her. Her hands trailed over his chest, all the way down to the waist of his jeans. Sneakily, she tugged at one corner of his underpants, pulling it up.

"I see it's a tiger print this time," she smirked, looking down as he kissed her neck.

"Shut up."

Seojun kissed her on the corner of the mouth where once a bruise had been, given to her by her father's hard slap. Seojun had never forgotten the sound of that slap nor the look of the bruise on her face afterwards. Never since then had anyone laid a hand on Kang Sujin. And no one would dare to, not while Han Seojun was around.

They woke up in a tangled mess of limbs and bedsheets. Clothes that had been carefully peeled off were discarded all over Seojun's room. Sujin was wearing his oversized t-shirt as she slept with her arm draped over his chest. Seojun had one leg over hers.

"You're a horrible sleeping buddy," Seojun, who had been pushed to the edge by Sujin, complained.

"What can I say? I have a habit of sleeping alone. And my bed's bigger than yours."

Seojun grinned, "Well I can't do anything about the bed, but we can work rectifying this sleeping alone situation."

Seojun moved to kiss Sujin but they were interrupted by footsteps sounding up the stairs.

"Oh no." They both said together as they eyed the bedroom door.

"Yah, Han Seojun, am I your butler?! Why don't you ever bring your luggage in yourself?"

Chorong's big steps could be heard stalking up to the bedroom door as he carried up Seojun's suit cases. "Yah, Han Seojun—"

The door to Seojun's bedroom burst open just as Seojun sat up and said, "Wait! Don't!"

Chorong's eyes went wide as Seojun turned red all over. Sujin lay back, unconcerned and unaffected, with the sheets pulled up to her chin.

"Hi, Chorong-ah." Sujin greeted the horrified florist with nonchalance.

"This is just like the time I realized my parents had sex to have me." Chorong said to himself, shuddering violently. "Ugh, sorry for barging in. I didn't realize you were here." Chorong quickly covered his eyes and backed away.

"Why didn't you knock?" Sujin asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. She would have to start locking doors if she were to stay over.

"It's never been an issue before. Seojun lives like a monk." Chorong explained.

"Get out!" Seojun threw a pillow that hit the door just as it closed.

"Sorry!" Chorong called from the other side. "I'll be downstairs."

Sujin burst out laughing. Seojun's mouth twitched in mirth as he kissed her. "Poor guy," Sujin said.

"He'll be fine."

Seojun and Sujin's relationship seemed a strange surprise for others. Especially for people at Move, who always cowered away when Seojun with his glaring, mean eyes strode through their halls to pick up Sujin after work. Seojun could overhear the hushed whispers of the workers who hid behind their cubicles.

"Omo! Who's the gangster?"

"Shh! That's Kang Leader-nim's boyfriend."

"What?! Chincha? I knew it! Leader-nim does seem like a mafia boss lady, doesn't she?"

"But... isn't he too handsome?"

"Yes! A mafia heartthrob."

"You dolts! He runs a flower shop. He isn't a gangster."

"Shhhhh! Do you want him to hear?!"

"I think he's a model too. I follow him on insta."

"He has an insta? Tell me!"

The whispers didn't bother Seojun now. He didn't mind people mistaking him as a gangster or making assumptions about him. Because he had come to the understanding that people would always make assumptions without bothering to find out the truth. Seojun let them believe what they wanted to, because those people didn't matter. The only people whose opinion did matter were the people who knew him as he truly was and chose to stay with him despite everything.

Seojun clasped his fingers around Sujin's hand as they made their way to his shop. In her hands, Sujin held a flower. A long stemmed single burgundy rose, meant to symbolize unconscious beauty. It represented Seojun's passion and desire for Sujin. She smelled the petals with a smile.

"Your employees think you're the leader of the mafia." Seojun said to her, partly in jest and partly with a little worry. His own image didn't matter to him. But it mattered what people said about Sujin.

Sujin laughed, setting Seojun at ease. "Really? Well good! I want them to fear me."

"Weirdo." Seojun shook his head.

"Gangster."

"Mafia boss lady." Seojun whispered in Sujin's ear.

Their little back and forth was cut short when they saw a group of innocent looking college kids standing near the flower shop. They seemed to be waiting for someone and that someone was soon proven to be Han Seojun.

"Yah, you're the one, aren't you? You beat me up last year."

Seojun looked at the boys, confused. "I don't know what you're talking about, pal." He moved past the boys to the front door of the shop, but the main leader of the group stopped him.

"Take a closer look. Don't I seem familiar?"

Seojun glared at the boy. The rest of the boys took at step back, shaken by Seojun's eyes. But Han Seojun was merely concentrating.

The boy did seem familiar. Seojun was suddenly hit with the memory of a high schooler yelling "Don't you know who I am? My father is a very important man."

Seojun chuckled as he recalled that first night when he had met Jukyung, when she had been harassed by those seemingly benign high school boys.

"So, you do remember." The leader boy growled, "You humiliated us, harassed us. You're lucky I'd forgotten about you till I saw you online. Pretty famous now, aren't ya?"

"What's he talking about, Jun?" Sujin asked.

"Ah, is this your girl now?" The leader boy eyed Sujin from head to toe. "You're slumming it, I see. Wasn't the other one prettier?"

"What?" Sujin narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Jin-ah, these are the boys who harassed Jukyung. You remember?" Seojun said quietly in her ear.

Sujin's eyes glowered in recognition. "Ah, is that so?"

"You should get inside little lady. This is between us men." The boy said condescendingly.

"I'm not going anywhere," Sujin said, more to Seojun than to the boys.

"I guess she's staying." Seojun shrugged.

"You're not afraid of us hurting your girl?"

"I'm more afraid of my girl hurting you."

The boy chuckled. "What's a stupid b***h like her going to do?"

The boy was sent flying back, not by Han Seojun who had his fist up in the air, ready to punch but by one of Sujin's famous round house kicks. Seojun lowered his fist, impressed with how far Sujin had flung the boy back.

"What? What did you say you bastard?!" Sujin yelled. The boys all took another step back, watching the crazed looking woman with terror.

"Aish, both of them are gangsters." One of them said.

"That woman's crazy." Said another.

Sujin rolled up her sleeves and held out the burgundy rose to Seojun. "Chagi-ya, hold my flower." Sujin grinned like a wolf as the boys began to realize that between the punk styled florist and the sophisticated businesswoman, the woman was the dangerous one.

"Kick their asses Chagi, I got your flower."