<aside> 🔑 🦌: Alkaid 🖌️: MC 💐: Flower shop owner
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Inside the flower shop nearby plays some of the trendy and hit English. The warm husky female voice floating between the flowers’ fragrance. I held the carefully chosen out bouquet and went to the cash register to pay the shop owner, hinting that she will help me wrap it up.
🖌️: Just these, if it not too much to ask.
White roses, goldenrod and matted sea-lavender— I received this arrangement and the owner started to lift her head up.
💐: Huh? Are you sure you want four roses? If you are giving this as gift to a loved one, nine roses* are more well-received. 🖌️: Its not a problem, four roses is just fine. 🖌️: This is the most suitable amount for us. I walked out of the flower shop, the rain seems to be getting heavier. There was no one on the road, I couldn’t stand it and quickly made a run for it. The raindrops fell to the beat of my pace. 🖌️: Good morning— I opened the door and was greeted again with a familiar layout, I looked around just not to see a familiar figure. I took out a porcelain bottle with a slender neck from the cabinet beside the entrance way and put the flowers with water droplets hanging on the petals into it, placing it on the coffee table. The simple white roses shone like jewels, in the corner of the dark room. 🖌️: Alkaid — Sparkles’s parent — head of the household?
No answer. Only Sparkles blankly and slowly walking over, lazily curling his soft and fluffy tail. I crouched down scratching underneath his fluffy chin, Sparkles’s eyes squinted and from his throat let out an excessive content snore. Strange… Its still raining this early, Alkaid where did you go? Do I give him a call or not? Before I could call his number, Alkaid just entered the front door with his dripping wet hair.
🦌: I never thought you will come so early today— 🖌️: Because last night someone promised me to make my favourite fruit pancakes to eat… but I kept thinking about it for a good while. I quickly ran to Alkaid’s side, trying to hold the clothes in his arm for him. Alkaid moved aside, avoiding my outstretched helping hand.
🖌️: Give it to me — don’t get yourself wet, first go dry yourself up. 🦌: I’m fine… 🖌️: The person with the wet hair is banned from saying “I’m fine”.
I forcefully took away the clothes in his arm, knocking his shoulder with my head, pushing him towards the bedroom. As if this “determination” of mine amuses him, Alkaid raised both his hands up in surrender.
🦌: Okay okay, as you wish, Officer MC.
I took care of the soaked fabric tossing them into dryer, from the corner of my eye I saw Alkaid with a towel on his head going to the kitchen.
Like the attraction of another magnetic pole, I also blindly followed him to the kitchen.
The spacious and well lit kitchen in front of me, Alkaid was straightening the frying pan and putting pancake batter in the pan.
I extend my hand out to rub some of his wet hair tips, I started to ask.
🖌️: Is there anything I can help with? 🦌: No need, its a very quick fix. 🦌: But Sparkles haven’t seen you for a few days, he must have also missed you. Play with Sparkles in the living room for a bit.
Also? I’ll pretend I never heard Alkaid’s hidden thoughts, I cleared my throat, intentionally pouting. 🖌️: But I, only want to accompany Senior. Alkaid’s expression seems unshaken, but his hands seems to be trembling a little, however the carefully made smooth and round pancake sprouted a small corner on its side. 🦌: Accompanying you is not a problem, but… 🖌️: Are you afraid I can’t help you? I’ll do whatever small tasks as well — 🖌️: For example I can help you wash the fruits for the pancakes…. 🦌: All of them are washed. 🖌️: Or help you decorate it… 🦌: Sure. Alkaid moved to the side, and carried the washed fruits to me 🦌: Choose the fruits you like… here are the blueberries, grapes and cherries. Even if it looks strange don’t be afraid of waste, the extras we can turn it into juice. 🖌️: Okay. 🦌: So —
The word came to a sudden stop, I nipped a fruit and pressed in on Alkaid’s lips, looking at his somewhat stunned expression and I proudly laughed. 🖌️: Here, my favourite fruit. The golden pancakes are stacked one by one on the plate, cutting the pancake open from the bulging middle, revealing the creamy middle filled with various berries. Pouring the amber coloured honey warmly flowing onto the pancake, emitting a captivating sweet fragrance. Alkaid just placed the porcelain plate on the coffee table, and I just impatiently picked up a piece of the pancake and put it in my mouth.
🦌: Ah wait — 🖌️: Hot! The scalding honey wrapping around the broken chunks of fruit, the inside of my mouth is overflowed with warmth, creating a whiff of every sweet and warm desire. 🖌️: Delicious!… Although its hot. 🖌️: Your cooking is so good, when did you go and attended a class? Alkaid withdrew his hand, and let out a sigh. 🦌: We were together for the whole day, I don’t have time to sneakily attend a class, shouldn’t you be the most clear on that? 🦌: I only adjust the sweetness and the fluffiness according to your taste, its good that you liked it. 🦌: But… 🖌️: Hm, what is it? Alkaid’s gaze was towards the sparkling pure white roses in the narrow necked bottle. 🦌: I just found these flowers on the table… They are really pretty. 🖌️: Of course, I may have took a long time to pick them out, the four white roses when bloomed smelled the most fragrant and the best! 🦌: Four? Alkaid lightly fiddled with the flower’s corolla, the bright white flower petals against his delicate long fingers is like the moon when fresh snow is falling. — Than the expression on his face gradually became a look of realisation. 🦌: Is it you, me, Sparkles and Beanie? He didn’t have to wait for me to nod my head and just smiled warmly. 🦌: MC is considerate, I really like it.
The number of roses
The number of roses in a bouquet have significant meaning, but also four is considered an unlucky number in Chinese culture as it sounds like the character for death. By giving that person four roses would imply you wish for that person death. That is why the shopkeeper was trying to recommend MC to take nine roses as nine roses means eternal love.