The tea had cooled a little by the time Kaelira finished the last sip. She held the ceramic cup close to her chest, as though absorbing its warmth even after the heat had faded. The flower shop had grown quieter with the rain, which now fell in soft, persistent waves against the windowpanes. Somewhere in the back, a tiny heater buzzed.
Aria sat across from her at the low wooden counter, quietly arranging a bouquet of peonies and lisianthus. Her hands were steady and gentle, but every now and then, her eyes flicked up to Kaelira, curious yet careful.
Kaelira shifted slightly in her stool. The tulip she'd picked up earlier still rested on her lap. Its petals, white with just the faintest blush of pink, curled slightly at the edges like they were mid-sigh.
"I didn't expect this," Kaelira said suddenly, voice barely above a whisper.
Aria paused in her arrangement, tilting her head. "Didn't expect...?"
"This." Kaelira gestured to the warm interior, the clusters of flowers, the cozy rain-drizzled quiet. "A flower shop. The tea. You not... freaking out."
Aria smiled, soft and dimpled. "Well, you seemed more like you needed help than a photo."
Kaelira blinked. "That's... rare."
Aria gave a small shrug, returning to her bouquet. "People forget idols are human. Like flowers. Pretty, yes, but still alive."
There was something about the way she said it-gently, like a breeze passing through leaves-that made Kaelira fall silent.
Instead, she took in the shop with new eyes. It was a quaint little space tucked between a stationery store and an old café, a place easy to miss unless you were looking for it. Yet it was warm, alive with color and scent. Every corner had a different flower family, arranged like tiny living portraits.
On a nearby shelf, Kaelira noticed small paper tags clipped to certain vases.
"What are those?" she asked.
Aria glanced up. "Flower messages. I write them sometimes. People like meanings. Like... peonies mean romance and prosperity. Ranunculus? Charm. Daisies are innocence, as you saw earlier."
Kaelira stood and wandered over to the shelf. She picked up a tiny lavender card pinned to a vase of pale blue hydrangeas.
Hydrangea - Gratitude. Understanding. Apology.
Aria stepped beside her, not too close. "Some people use them to say what they can't out loud."
Kaelira smiled faintly. "That's kind of romantic."
Aria looked up at her. "Do you want to make one?"
Kaelira blinked. "A bouquet?"
Aria nodded. "Your own combination. Pick any flowers you want. I'll help you arrange them."
For a moment, Kaelira hesitated-then her eyes lit up with a flicker of mischief, the kind that came out when she performed onstage. "Sure. But only if you make one too."
Aria tilted her head, amused. "Deal."
And so they began.
Kaeliea moved slowly through the aisles like a child in a secret garden. Aria followed a few steps behind, quietly offering flower names, letting Kaelira touch and explore. The idol's fingers brushed over baby's breath, rested on pale carnations, lingered at lavender sprigs.
Eventually, she picked:
• White tulip (Forgiveness, peace)
• Blue hydrangea (Gratitude)
• Blush rose (Admiration)
• Freesia (Innocence and trust)
• A single calla lily (Elegance, rebirth)
Aria watched her choices with quiet curiosity. "That's... actually beautiful. Do you want to name it?"
Kaelira grinned. "My Peace Offering."
Aria smiled again and began binding the stems, wrapping them in cream paper with a dusty pink ribbon. When she was done, she handed it to Kaelira like it was a gift.
Kaelira held it with both hands, genuinely touched. "I kind of want to keep it forever."
"You can press some of the petals," Aria offered. "They'll dry flat in a book."
"Would you... help me with that sometime?" Kaelira asked, the question slipping out before she could second-guess herself.
Aria blinked, surprised, but then nodded slowly. "Sure. If you come back."
Kaeliea smiled wide-blinding, even in the soft light of the shop.
Then Aria made her own bouquet. She moved with instinct, barely thinking, and chose:
• Pale ranunculus (Charm)
• Sunflower (Adoration)
• Chamomile (Patience)
• White daisy (New beginnings)
• And a blush peony (Romantic affection)
Kaelira watched her assemble it, noticing how her hands moved like she was weaving stories into the stems.
"And this one?" Kaelira asked.
Aria blushed faintly. "I... haven't named it yet."
Kaelira stepped closer, lifting her eyes to meet Aria's. "May I?"
Aria nodded.
Kaelira studied the bouquet thoughtfully. "Then I'll call it... The First Bloom."
A pause. A moment. Aria glanced at her and smiled-but this one lingered, gentle and almost shy.
The rain began to slow outside. Kaelira glanced at the window and frowned a little. "He's gone."
Aria followed her gaze. The man who had lurked at the corner earlier was no longer there. The street was empty now, except for the puddles catching drops and the faint golden glow of a streetlamp flickering to life.
Kaelira didn't move immediately.
"I guess I should go," she said, not sounding excited about it.
Aria nodded, but then walked to the counter. "Wait. One second."
She returned with a tiny sprig of chamomile tied in a miniature ribbon. "For your pocket," she said. "To help with nerves."
Kaelira took it carefully, like it was something rare. She slipped it into her coat, then looked up again. "Aria, right?"
Aria nodded.
Kaelira smiled and tucked her hoodie back up. "You saved me today."
Aria shook her head. "You saved yourself. I just... gave you a place to rest."
Kaelira opened the door-and then paused. "Can I come back tomorrow?"
Aria's heart fluttered for a second, then steadied.
"...You can come back anytime."
With a flash of a grin and the gentle chime of the door, Kaelira stepped into the evening mist, bouquet in hand, chamomile in pocket, and something new blooming quietly in her chest.
Back in the shop, Aria stood still for a while. Then she walked to the shelf and took out a fresh card, pinning it beside the vase of peonies.
The First Bloom - A new feeling. Unnamed, but already growing.