The week leading up to the festival seemed to pass both quickly and slowly for Min. Each morning he swept the shop, trimmed stems, and arranged bouquets—but his thoughts always drifted to the same image: lanterns glowing in the night sky, and Kei standing beside him.
It was enough to make his heart skip even while handling something as simple as daisies.
"Focus," Kei's voice reminded him one afternoon when Min nearly snipped the wrong stem.
"S-Sorry!" Min squeaked, adjusting quickly. He glanced at Kei's calm profile, then muttered under his breath, "It's just… the festival."
Kei glanced at him briefly but didn't comment.
Later that evening, Airi dropped by again with her usual energy. She plopped down on a stool, balancing a bag of candied nuts in her lap. "Min, are you ready for tomorrow? I hope you picked something nice to wear!"
Min nearly dropped the vase in his hands. "T-Tomorrow already?!"
Airi giggled. "Of course! Festivals wait for no one. Don't tell me you were planning to just wear your shop apron there."
Min stammered, "N-No, of course not…" though in truth, he hadn't thought that far ahead.
Kei emerged from the back, holding a small box of ribbons. "You're too loud, Airi."
She grinned. "And you're too serious, Kei. Balance, right?" Then she winked at Min. "Don't worry, I'll help you tomorrow. You'll look great."
As the evening quieted down, Min lingered by the window, watching the streets outside. The sky was painted with shades of pink and gold. He held a leftover camellia flower in his hand, twirling it gently.
"Excited instead of scared," he reminded himself. That was new.
When he turned, he found Kei quietly closing the register. For a fleeting second, their eyes met, and Min's chest warmed. Maybe, just maybe, tomorrow wouldn't just be about lanterns and games—it might be about something more.
To be continued....