No.

You didn't need to be a mind reader to figure out that there was no way Han Seojun would let Kang Sujin change the name of his shop. He had his arms folded, eyes boring into her, unblinking and unamused, and his mouth shriveled up as if he was tasting something incredibly sour.

Kang Sujin paid no heed to any of this.

"You'll have to have the paperwork for the shop updated. I'll have my team look into that. But make yourself available for any signatures that might be needed." She said, without looking at Seojun. Which only infuriated him more.

Look at me Goddamn it!

Sujin wouldn't. She knew what she would see, and she would have none of it. "So we're agreed. The new name will be Flower Boy. It's cheesy I know but it'll catch attention. Beautiful Flowers is not noticeable at all. And you need to stand out."

Han Seojun glared as if he had lasers in his eyes.

Sujin tilted her chin up, an evil smile playing on her lips. Casually, she taunted, "I'll take your silence as a yes." She drew out each word meaningfully.

Damn you, Kang Sujin!

It had been two weeks since Han Seojun had spoken for the first time and since then Seojun's silence seemed to have returned. Han Seojun found great comfort in this, but Kang Sujin was very disappointed, and she made that well known.

"Ah, I miss that sexy voice of yours. But since you haven't voiced your thoughts, I will assume you agree to my every word." She was having too much fun at trying to get Seojun to talk again. But he refused to be baited this way.

Nasty, evil, witch.

Her smile dropped, "You're cursing at me, aren't you?"

Of course, I am. What kind of a person exploits someone's trauma?

"I'm a businesswoman, Han Seojun. My focus is the business. If you're expecting rainbows and smiles and therapy then you're better off dealing with someone like Jukyung."

Seojun had no response. It's my fault. Why did I even expect anything? Seojun felt foolish.

"Don't you have a shop to open up?" Sujin reminded. Seojun watched the clock. Twenty minutes till he had to open.

They were in his office. Since the past two weeks, Sujin had started arriving a full two hours before opening time, to force a very tired and sleepy Han Seojun to work out different ways they could attract more customers.

So far, they had worked out a new catalogue of flowers and pre-made arrangements that Han Seojun would be offering. Sujin had worked out an entire new range of flower bouquets with unique meanings. Some of the bouquets-"You're Too Cleaver For Words", "Life of the Party", "Best of Luck With Your Job" and "Everyday is Your Birthday"-Han Seojun liked. Others-"Fuck You (Passive Aggressive)", "Fuck You (Aggressive)", "Fuck You (But I Respect Your Guts)" and "Nobody Likes You (A variation for kids)" were ones Sujin forced into the selection despite Seojun's non-verbal protests.

Once the catalogue was set, Sujin got to work on Seojun's online presence.

"How is it that you have survived this long with out a single online account?" Sujin said in shock. "Ah-nee...how?!"

Seojun rolled his eyes at her.

It was at this point that Kang Sujin decided that the name Beautiful Flowers was too bland and Seojun needed something more conspicuous.

It's a ridiculous name. Seojun made a despondent face at title of the page Sujin had set up on Facebook.

Flower Boy. Blech! Seojun stuck an imaginary tongue out.

"Quit being a baby!" Sujin reprimanded when she saw his face. "Now go! Your customers will be waiting. You got a few positive comments on the Everyday is Your Birthday bouquet picture I posted on Insta so I'm expecting more people to come in today. Make sure you enter the sales into your computer, okay? I want to be able to track everything online."

Seojun's clientele certainly had increased since Kang Sujin had reorganized the shop. The first day they had opened after the change, people had thought that a new business had opened.

"This shop was never here before!"

"Oh look! A new flower shop!"

"Oh, what is this place? It's so pretty!"

That week had been full of new sales, made especially profitable with how Sujin had set up the place, forcing everyone to go through the entire flower collection. Thus, enticing them to buy more than they had intended to. But the allure of a "new" shop on the street had quickly worn off and now the sales had dwindled again, with a few new people only coming in to admire the flowers.

"Its totally normal for that to happen. New places open up all the time and everyone wants to know more about it but as soon as they do, they lose interest." Sujin had explained. "Don't worry about that. Your real goal is to make sure that when people think of flowers, they think of..." Sujin trailed off as she gave Seojun a once over-him with his spikes and piercings and punk aesthetic-and said, "the shop. They'll think of the shop. Because no one is looking at you and thinking of flowers."

Han Seojun had ignored that comment. Instead, he'd tried to focus on his business. Sure, the progress wasn't exactly as brilliant as he had expected it to be. But it was on the rise. And despite his reservations about her character, Seojun had to admit, he trusted Sujin to do her job right. No matter what her personal convictions, she seemed wholly sincere to the work. She stayed up late at night, strategizing their every move and came over early the next day to start all over again. And she didn't just tell him what to do. She rolled up her sleeves and did everything with him.

She had gone to meet his suppliers the day before to make sure Seojun wasn't being conned by anyone. Only after one meeting, Sujin understood why Seojun was so protective of his suppliers. They were mostly old, underrated businesses that had been overlooked by the fancier flower shops. They regarded Han Seojun as a son and greeted him like family.

"Alright." Sujin had declared at the end of their trip. "They can stay."

Now Sujin was in full attack mode as she set up accounts and pages for Han Seojun on every social media website imaginable. Many of which Seojun hadn't even heard of.

"Okay, no Snapchat. You are way too inexperienced to start with that right now. But you are not escaping from Insta. You're going to have to post a picture every two days on there. Insta is very good for visual branding and people these days always love discovering new trends so you'll get higher views that way."

Right now, Sujin was controlling all of his social media. Seojun wouldn't have minded this, except she kept taking his pictures without him knowing. He'd be concentrating on creating an arrangement, cutting flowers to the same length, tying them up with ribbons when suddenly he'd look up and see Sujin with her camera pointed at him.

She never showed him the videos and pictures she took and Seojun didn't bother to check his social media to see what she had posted. But it was disconcerting to him that someone was capturing him in such a candid way.

Today, Sujin did the same. In the middle of the day, as Seojun was preparing a huge arrangement for someone's anniversary party, Seojun felt the hairs on his arms rise. He turned to find Sujin leaning against the doorframe, snaping his picture. The camera flashed as he heard the click of the camera.

He gave her an annoyed look, but she seemed distracted by her screen to notice. She zoomed in on his picture, frowning. Seojun stared at her till she looked up.

Something wrong with my picture?

"Don't worry. You looked cool." Sujin said. But her face, unimpressed and cold said something else. Seojun gave her a I'm not buying it scoff.

Sujin frowned. "I've been trying to avoid this. But we need to change your look."

Seojun frowned even deeper than her. No.

"Yah, Han Seojun, how long will you keep resisting every improvement I try to make?" Sujin said, losing her patience. She opened her mouth to continue but the bell tinkled as another customer walked in. Both nodded to each other, an agreement that they would discuss this later.

Later came in the form of Lim Jukyung. She walked in just as Seojun was closing up and waved at Seojun with her gummy smile spread in its full gummy glory.

Seojun's heart pounded in his ears. He hadn't met Jukyung since he had decided to get the free consultation. Distance had helped him forget about his broken heart, but now that she was here, in front of him, he fell in love all over again.

"You're here?" Sujin came up from behind him, making Seojun jump.

You called her? He flicked his face to Jukyung while staring at Sujin, demanding an explanation.

"Hmm." Sujin nodded. "I figured since Jukyung knows so much about fashion, she could help you with your make over."

"Actually, Kang Leader-nim. I only know about makeup. I don't know how I can help Seojun-si with his... I mean his..."

"Don't worry, Jukyung-si," Sujin said, smiling a fake-sweet smile, "Your presence is help enough."

This was a coup. Sujin knew that Seojun had feelings for Jukyung. And she could tell that Seojun was the kind of man to never say no to the girl he liked.

Seojun shot daggers at her through his eyes while Sujin's evil smile grew wider and wider. She had won this round. Han Seojun would be getting a makeover.

The first place Sujin dragged Seojun and Jukyung to was a clothing store. Seojun had expected the place to be stocked with the nerdy, plain shirts and pants that everyone else seemed to wear but no, this place was closer to his style, albeit more toned down.

Leather jackets, sans the spikes. Black jeans, sans the chains. T-Shirts with black and white stripes, sans the skulls and anarchistic messages printed on it. Sujin made Seojun try on a bunch of different clothes before she finalized his wardrobe. She made sure to include Jukyung in everything, from choosing the clothes, to rating how Seojun looked when he modeled the clothes for them.

Oddly enough, Kang Sujin and Lim Jukyung seemed to be in agreement on everything regarding what looked good and what didn't. Seojun could have sworn that Kang Sujin, who always treated Jukyung standoffishly, seemed to be having fun while she and Jukyung debated over which outfit was a keeper and which wasn't. By the end of it all, Seojun had an entirely new collection of clothes, all dark and edgy but more mainstream than Seojun's own wardrobe. Better fitting and more stylish.

"You need to be approachable," Sujin told him as they were walking to their next destination. "Dress the way you want when you're not working but when you're in that shop, you owe your customers the space where they feel safe. Not scared."

Seojun hadn't thought about it that way. And now that Kang Sujin had said it, it made sense. But Seojun didn't want to admit this. He never wanted to give Sujin the satisfaction that she was right about something so he nonchalantly carried on walking forward, swinging the shopping bags and joined up with Jukyung who had been walking ahead of the two of them.

Sujin shook her head. "Childish. He's too childish."

They then went to a salon, where Sujin forced Seojun into a haircut.

"You'll look nice!" She reasoned. "Jukyung, won't he look nice?" Sujin knew that Seojun wouldn't be able to ignore Jukyung's opinion.

Seojun silently pleaded with Jukyung, hoping his mean eyes and scowling face would be able to emote enough for Jukyung to understand his desperation. He even shook his head for good measure, clasping his hands.

Jukyung cautiously spoke. "Well... Seojun-si I do think that you could use a trim."

Seojun's shoulders deflated. Well, if Lim Jukyung has said it...

Behind Lim Jukyung, Sujin smiled her signature evil smile. I bet if I pour water on Kang Sujin, she will melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Seojun submitted himself to the very talkative stylist who blabbed without stopping as he cut off Seojun's long hair and gave him the typical bowl cut that every one had.

"Don't look so sad, Seojun!" Jukyung tried to cheer him up when she saw his saddened face. "This cut is very versatile. You can style it in so many ways! Shall I show you?"

To his surprise and Sujin's, Jukyung took the hair straightener from the stylist and the comb. She tugged at Seojun's hair, and alternated between the straightener and hair spray. Both Sujin and Seojun stared in awe as Jukyung effortlessly made his boring bowl cut look edgy and spiky while still having enough restraint for it to be socially acceptable.

Next, without warning, she asked the stylist for makeup. "I just need eye shadow and a liner." She elaborated.

Both Seojun and Sujin watched silently as Jukyung removed the smudgy liner from Seojun's eyes and then reapplied liner with some eye makeup using sleek brushes. She was standing in front of Seojun so neither the flower boy nor the witch could see what Jukyung was doing.

When Jukyung stepped aside, both Seojun and Sujin looked at his reflection in wonder. The liner made his eyes look bigger. And she had used some shadow to offset the hard lines of his eyes, making them appear softer and less cold.

"Jukyung..." Sujin began, "If you ever decide to leave consulting, you should become a makeup artist." She patted Jukyung's back. Jukyung smiled happily. "Can you teach him how you did that so he can do it himself?" Sujin asked.

"Of course, Kang Sah-I mean Kang Leader-nim."

Jukyung's lesson was in vain however. All Seojun focused on was her face; her lips, soft and full like flower petals, her eyes all bright and shining, her expressions so vivid and full of life.

Compared to her, Kang Sujin was all cold stares and evil smirks. Seojun hadn't realized how much he had been missing Jukyung's warmth till today. All this time, he had been freezing in Sujin's cold hostility.

In the mirror, Seojun saw his dazed, puppy-dog-in-love, look and immediately snapped out of it. Behind him, Kang Sujin rolled her eyes.

"Did you understand?" Jukyung asked. Seojun nodded, too embarrassed to admit he hadn't heard a word.

"You make tutorials online, don't you Jukyung? Send him some. He obviously won't be able to remember anything." Sujin suggested.

"That sound's good." Jukyung nodded.

Seojun had thought that they'd be done, but no, there was one final stop.

"A jewelry store?" Jukyung asked.

"For all of that nonsense." Sujin waved a finger around Seojun's pierced face.

The shop seemed to be a small, desolate place with jewelry far more punk than Seojun's simple piercings. Sujin left Seojun with Jukyung while she spoke to the heavily tattooed man behind the counter. Seojun saw her point to him as she said something to the clerk who nodded and led them in the back.

He showed them a tray of beautiful earrings, lip rings and leather bands, ones without spikes.

Sujin picked up one plain, black leather wrist band and said, "Time to cut the thorns off, Seojun-si."

Seojun first looked at the wrist band in Sujin's hand. Then at the band around his own wrist, its long spikes glinting in the light. With a sigh, he took it off. Sujin put the leather band on him.

"The piercings can stay. But those are old. I'm buying you new ones." Sujin declared. And she stuck to her word. Minus the spiky wrist bands and choker, Sujin let Seojun pick out piercings much similar to what he already owned. They were all shiny and new and this was the only purchase of the day Seojun was truly happy with. He smiled all the way to the shop as he clutched the bag with his new jewelry.

"Well, Seojun, Kang Leader-nim. I will see you later." Jukyung said when they reached the shop.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no." Kang Sujin wrapped an arm around Jukyung's petite shoulders. "You're not going anywhere, Lim Jukyung. You're having dinner with us." Sujin smiled but this one wasn't evil. It was sincere.

"But... Kang Leader-nim... I have work..."

"Work tomorrow. I'll let Suho know. Consider it a payback for your help today. Come inside. I'll order something."

As if she was the owner and not Seojun, Sujin went inside, leaving Seojun and Jukyung looking at each other in confusion.

"Kang Leader-nim is very surprising, isn't she?"

You could say that again.

They all went up to Seojun's home. Sujin giving Jukyung a full tour as if it was her home.

"Make yourself comfortable Jukyung. Oh and Han Seojun, you have drinks don't you? No? Well, that's unacceptable! I must get some right away! Lim Jukyung, you stay here while I go."

Before Jukyung or Seojun could protest, Sujin was gone. The two stared at each other awkwardly.

"She's lively today, isn't she." Jukyung chuckled nervously, sitting at the table.

Seojun just stood there, with the shopping bags in his hands.

"Shouldn't you put those away?"

Oh, right.

Seojun threw the bags away on his bed and hurried back to Jukyung. It was strange to have her in his home. Months ago, he wouldn't have believed it if someone told him Lim Jukyung would one day give him a makeover and have a meal with him in his home.

Seojun rubbed the back of his neck; partially from nerves but partially from the strange feeling that his neck was too exposed. He felt wind where once his mullet was.

"That haircut must feel strange huh?"

Seojun nodded. An awkward silence followed. Since when did talking to Jukyung become so difficult? They always used to speak so easily before.

"Its so strange to see you after so long." Jukyung began. "I'm sorry I have been away, Seojun. Has the consultation been going well?"

If only I could tell you... the things Kang Sujin makes me do. Seojun opened his mouth, hoping a few words would come out. Something. Anything. Even insults towards Kang Sujin.

Nothing.

"I liked what you did with the shop. And! I saw your Instagram! You looked really handsome, Seojun. Who took the pictures? They really captured your best side."

Huh, I wonder what Kang Sujin posted.

"Don't worry about the comments. Not everyone will understand your style. And that's fine." Jukyung said encouragingly.

Comments? What comments?

But Seojun didn't get any answers from Jukyung, who continued on another subject.

"I can imagine that communicating with Kang Leader-nim must be difficult. She can be very... dominating at times."

You can say that again.

"And sometimes you might feel like she is on the wrong track about you..."

Seojun thought about it. Not really. She's always able to read me. Whether she listens to me is another story.

"I heard Kang Leader-nim tell Suho about how she can never tell what you're thinking. I figured it must be hard for you too. Not being able to tell her what you want."

She can't? Lies. She's always been able to tell.

"She said she's always only guessing at what you're thinking. So, she herself is unsure some times. However, I have full confidence that she will turn this place around."

Seojun blinked. This was news to him. So wait, all this time it was just guesses?

Well of course, you idiot. His sensible self scolded. Did you really think she was a witch?

"Drinks are here!" Sujin bounded up the stairs, surprising Jukyung and Seojun. Both jumped at the sound of Sujin's stomping.

She appeared at the doorway with bottles of soju in a plastic bag.

"Jukyung-ah. I have some work in the office. You take this. And also the money for the delivery. Receive it for me and get started on dinner, okay? I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"But Kang Leader-nim!" Jukyung protested.

"No buts! I'll be back so don't worry."

Jukyung took the drinks from Sujin. When the girl turned her back, Sujin winked to Seojun, giving him that signature evil smile which was starting to seem less evil.

That conniving little...

Seojun realized that Kang Sujin was giving him space alone with Lim Jukyung. Because she knew that Seojun liked Jukyung. Because she knew he would want that.

But she's with Lee Suho. Seojun thought, a little angry at this gesture. This won't go anywhere.

Seojun would confront Sujin about it later. Right now, he was going to have a meal with a friend. A friend he cherished. A friend he had missed dearly.

A friend he sent home the second that dinner was done, without drinking a single shot. Because Seojun knew he wouldn't be able to control himself if he got drunk. He would blab and spill out everything.

But now that she was gone and he was all alone, he could drink. Drink to his heart's content and lament over the loss of his love. Seojun brought out a shot glass and poured himself shot after shot.

Heartbreak was a strange thing. Being so busy with his shop, Seojun had forgotten all about Jukyung. But now it felt as if the wound had been freshly cut open again and he was bleeding out on the floor. It might have been the soju, but Seojun felt miserable.

Never before had he wished so badly that he could speak. Speak and tell Lim Jukyung how wonderful she was. How she lit up any room she entered. How she brought joy in his life.

"Yah Han Seojun! I just saw Jukyung leave with Lee Suho!" A voice came up the stairs, followed by the familiar stomping sound of Kang Sujin's feet. She appeared in his doorway. "What gives? I gave you a perfect chance to have a long dinner with her?"

Seojun grinned at her, cheeks pink from the soju. "Ah wasseo? You're here?"

Sujin blinked rapidly in surprise. "Yah. You're speaking again."

Seojun giggled. "You don't want me to?" He sighed heavily, putting the empty shot glass down and tried to pour himself a drink from the empty bottle. Sujin came over to him in concern.

"How many of these have you had?"

"Thousands." Seojun said. Then began to chuckle drunkenly.

Sujin crinkled her nose at the smell. She could see at least three bottles with their caps off.

"Yah, you were supposed to share these with Jukyung. Not drink them all alone."

"I'll drink however I want to." Seojun argued like a child.

Sujin clicked her tongue but couldn't help but smile. "Drinking in heartbreak will only make you feel worse."

Seojun retorted in slurred speech, "Well whadda you know about heartbreak?"

Sujin's smile faded a little. "A lot more than you. In that department, I'm your sunbae."

"Lies. You would never let someone else take your man. You'd connive and conspire to win him back."

A slow, calculating smile spread accross Sujin's lips, "You know me too well Han Seojun. I don't let go of what's mine." Sujin looked back out the door. "But you've let Jukyung go. It's kind of ruined my plan."

"Jukyung? Lim Jukyung?" Seojun looked up at Sujin as she stood by him. He had the same dazed look he had when Jukyung had been explaining his eye makeup to him. Only now, he stared more unabashedly, with his feelings on full display. "Lim Jukyung." He called out to her.

Kang Sujin rolled her eyes. How pathetic that Han Seojun was so desperately in love with Lim Jukyung. And more so, she was too blind to see it. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and his feelings on his face, Sujin thought, studying him. He wasn't a bad person, she realized. Just someone not as cutthroat as her. Which, Sujin decided, wasn't a bad thing.

"Alright, Han Seojun," she took his arm, draping it around her, "Let's get you to bed."

But Seojun snatched his hand away and in a swift motion, took both of Sujin's in his. He pressed them against his chest. The movement caused her to slump into the chair in front of Seojun.

"Jukyung-ah," he called to Sujin, "Can I call you that? Can I act that familiar?"

Sujin was shocked into silence. Han Seojun's hands were firm yet soft. The hands she had seen work so deftly in making so many bouquets. She could feel his heartbeat in her palm. Her own was acting crazy and erratic.

Sujin chuckled, "Yah, Seojun, I'm not-"

"Jukyung-ah," Seojun said to her in his drunked drawl, "Do you know? I have so many things to tell you. And they all sound so cheesy." He laughed to himself. "But what can I do? I can't help it. I'll be straight with you. I like you, Lim Jukyung. I've liked you for a long time. But I found out that you liked someone else. So I never got to ask you out. But... right now... I can't hide it. I'm begging you to see me as a guy. I'm begging-"

Seojun's breath caught in his throat. But Kang Sujin had stopped breathing all together. The pure love on Han Seojun's face, the adoration in his eyes, eyes that were solely focused on her, made her heart skip so many beats she thought she was having a heart attack. She wanted to tell Seojun she wasn't Jukyung, but part of her didn't want his hands to let go. Part of her didn't want him to look away.

This is stupid. Sujin reminded herself. I should push him away.

"Sway, just a little. Just once. Be uncomfortable around me. Be aware of me. I want you to be as nervous around me as I am with you."

Without warning, Seojun pressed his lips to Sujin's. Her eyes went wide. Seojun let go of her hands and instead, cupped her face.

He tasted sweet. Like nectar. Despite the bitter soju that laced his lips. He kissed her so earnestly, so charmingly, so shyly at first, that Sujin's knees became wobbly. Then he deepened the kiss, pressing in desperately, taking more charge, asking for more in return and Sujin couldn't help but close her eyes and kiss him back.

He kissed her like he needed her. He kissed her like he wanted her. He kissed her like he loved her.

No one had kissed Kang Sujin like that before.

Suddenly, Seojun went limp. His lips disconnected from Sujin's and his head fell on her shoulders.

He had passed out.

But Kang Sujin was wide awake. Every fiber in her body felt like it was on fire. She stared ahead, wide eyed and stupefied. At first she felt like she was on top of the world. Then she crashed down when it hit her, that the kiss, this life changing kiss, was not meant for her, it was meant for Lim Jukyung.