Remember When

Someone Told Me

"What kind of flowers do you like?"

Somin slowed her footsteps to look at Tae-hyung and Jiwoo. The two of them were standing quite near to each other by the lobby railing. Tae-hyung was smiling widely at her and Jiwoo was looking flustered.

"Why are you asking?" Jiwoo asked her boyfriend.

"Because I want to give you flowers," Tae-hyung stated matter-of-factly.

"Well... I like white roses. My family home's garden has lots of rosebushes and growing up, I always thought it was magical whenever they bloomed."

Tae-hyung leaned into her. "Then I'll make sure we have lots of rosebushes when we get married and have a home too."

Somin didn't hear what Jiwoo answered because she was too far down the hall to hear it but she was sure Jiwoo had turned bright red. Somin rolled her eyes. The two were blatantly flirting everywhere and it was getting kind of an eyesore to watch. But admittedly, she wouldn't have it otherwise. She still remembered when Tae-hyung was so down in the dumps. She didn't want to see that again.

After the elevator ride to her floor, Somin turned around the corner and stopped dead.

Woo-jin was talking to someone outside the door of the Finance department.

And he was holding a bouquet of red tulips.

**********

Somin was in a hurry to get to the university theater. Her arms were filled with flowers to decorate the stage and she kept cussing at her upperclassmen in her head. Just because she was a freshman her upperclassmen didn't have the right to order her around. But she'll show them. She'll soon show them who was boss.

She was all but running as she turned the corner and nearly rolled over the man standing there. She hit him hard. The flowers went flying upwards while she went flying back. Luckily, he caught her around the waist and lifted her just as she was about to go headfirst into the brick building.

"Shit, are you alright?"

She looked at him, her heart still pounding. Then she looked at the ground and her heart sank.

"The flowers," she groaned. "They're ruined."

He released his hold on her, went down on his heels and started to pick them up. "They're still salvageable."

"I was going to use them to decorate the theater!"

"You can still use them."

"No. Just look at them," she snapped, growing increasingly angry at how calm he was. "You should have not been standing there."

The man looked up at her. "You should have watched where you're going."

But she wasn't listening. "And I was going to impress them with my artistic skills," she kept ranting. "I was finally going to shut those arrogant seniors up and show them that I'm not just a pretty face. God, now they'll I really am once they see that I messed up."

He stood up, holding the flowers. "Calm down," he said in a soothing tone.

"I will not calm down!" she shouted.

"I'll kiss you if you don't."

That shut her up effectively.

"The flowers are fine, see?" He showed them to her. "No broken stems. Some petals may have come off but they're barely noticeable. And if you do have artistic skills, I'm sure you'll find a way. You're just stressed right now."

Carefully, he transferred the flowers into her arms and she looked at them. At closer inspection, Somin noticed he was right, she could still use them. She felt him pat her head and she raised her head.

He was smiling when he said, "You got this."

And Somin fell in love.

  **********  

Somin hurried to get into the Finance department. Woo-jin being here didn't bode well for her. But he had noticed her coming and was waving at her. She gritted her teeth. What complaint did he receive about her this time?

Determined to ignore him, she concentrated on rushing inside. But before she could clear the door, a hand latched on her arm, stopping her.

"What do you want?" she said irritably over her shoulder.

Woo-jin raised a brow at her. "Well, someone isn't in a good mood."

She smiled saccharinely at him. "Are you here to tell me you received another complaint about my inappropriate work behavior again, Manager Kim?"

"No."

"Oh, good." She turned fully to face him. "Because I don't have time for that crap. So what are you doing here?"

"I got the promotion."

Her eyes widened and her lips parted. Woo-jin stared at her in what she could see was in an expectant manner. Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight embrace

"Congratulations," she told him whole-heartedly as she pulled back. "This is amazing. I didn't expect it to be this soon."

"I told you last month that I'd get promoted," he reminded her.

She smiled. "And you deserve it."

Woo-jin's eyes twinkled as he looked at her. His arms were still around her waist and Somin carefully extricated herself out of his hold. Her gaze dropped to the bouquet in his hand.

"I see someone has already congratulated you with flowers," she pointed out teasingly.

He burst out laughing. "These aren't for me." He handed them to her and then stepped back. "I've made reservations for Friday, babe. See you later."

Then Woo-jin winked at her, turned around and walked away.

Somin stared at him, completely bemused.

Then she belatedly realized what had happened and her mouth dropped.