* * *

"So? How's the first week at school? Made any friends yet? Don't tell me you're going to stay silent and be a loner for the rest of the school year," Leon asked as Reese settled in to do the cuttings for the flower arrangements due today while the Alpha handled the arranging.

"Of course not. I made a friend," Reese replied almost immediately, frowning. He might not believe in true friendship anymore, but he could still make casual friends. Lan was perfect for that. They didn't meet outside of their dorm room because they were in different classes, but they casually talked when they saw each other inside the dorm. It had been four days since they decided to become friends, and so far, it was going well. He couldn't ask for more.

"Really? That's good then. I thought you wouldn't make any friends for at least a month, but look at you... I'm proud of you," Leon laughed, reaching out to mess with Reese's hair. As the shop owner's only son, Leon probably saw Reese as a younger brother.

"What are you, my father? Stop it, jeez!" Reese whined in annoyance, though he knew that what Leon said might have actually happened if Lan hadn't come to apologize to him. In the first place, he went to school to study and finally graduate, not to make friends. It was good if he made one, but it wasn't his priority since he planned to disappear after he graduated.

"Okay~ Damn, teenagers these days are so moody. You can't even joke with them anymore," Leon mumbled with a pout as he playfully arranged the bouquet for a customer coming in a few hours.

"First of all, I'm turning twenty soon, so I'm an adult. Secondly, if you don't stop teasing, I'm telling the boss about you and that girl you brought to your room. She's not even your girlfriend," Reese countered, flashing a mischievous smile. Leon might be a nice friend, but he was definitely an asshole and had broken a lot of hearts, both men and women. One time, he even brought a female Omega home, and she stormed out crying, with the Alpha following her with a red mark on his left cheek, indicating he had been slapped.

"Hey! You promised you'd keep that a secret from Dad. I even brought you snacks for two weeks as payment," Leon frowned, clearly distressed. He had been keeping his wild side hidden from his father, who only saw him as a good son who would follow in his footsteps.

"Yeah, but if you keep teasing me, I might just accidentally let it slip," Reese warned, maintaining his mischievous smile, causing Leon to sigh.

"Fine. But you're definitely still a teenager. Not until you're legal enough to drink alcohol," Leon insisted, to which Reese found it fair. In this country, you might be old enough to get married at 19, but you're not old enough to drink until you're 21. It's weird, but that's just the way it is. Of course, many fake their IDs and still manage to drink, but it's definitely not good if they get caught.

"Whatever, just finish that bouquet already," Reese rolled his eyes, and just like that, both of them suddenly turned quiet as they focused on their tasks. It was a normal thing in the shop since, even though most people might think it's just arranging and cutting flowers, creating a beautiful bouquet depending on the occasion actually requires a lot of focus. They put in a lot of thought and effort into each bouquet, hoping that the person who received the flowers would understand the message.

Both Reese and Leon loved flowers, so it was the type of job that never got boring for them, no matter how many times they did it. It might sound unconventional for an Alpha like Leon to enjoy this kind of work, but he truly had a passion for it.

"I'm done here. Can you make the arrangement for the last one?" After hours of silence, just working on the cuttings and flower arrangements, Leon suddenly asked, pointing at the last order receipt. Reese looked at him in disbelief. He had only been working at the shop for a little more than seven months, and this was the first time he was asked to arrange a bouquet for a client. As a beginner, he was supposed to learn the essentials before handling the main job, and he understood that. The fact that Leon asked him to arrange a bouquet meant the Alpha believed he was ready.

"Are you sure?" Reese asked excitedly. Although he was nervous and worried he might not satisfy the client, he couldn't wait to try.

"Yeah. I think you're ready, and Dad agreed to it. Today will be your last trial, and depending on the result, I get to decide whether you stay or not," Leon said in a serious tone, which he usually didn't use. Reese gulped nervously but accepted the challenge.

"I got it. I promise not to disappoint you and the boss," Reese said, quickly taking the request slip. He briefly read the intention for the bouquet before he started selecting flowers. Since the client was planning to confess his love to a childhood sweetheart, he chose both red tulips, which symbolize love confession, and red roses, representing a deep expression of love. The client wanted a clean and simple design but also a large bouquet, so Reese stacked 33 roses and tulips together, wrapped them with gray and white paper, and tied them with a beautiful red ribbon. It took him almost 20 minutes, but he was satisfied with the result.

"Are you done?" Leon asked, even though he could see that Reese was finished.

"Yup. I did my best," Reese replied excitedly.

"Nice try for a first-timer. I'm sure the client will like it," Leon assured him after inspecting the quality of the flowers and how securely everything was put together. He nodded in satisfaction before smiling.

"Thank you. You really think the client will like it?"

"Of course. Also... I'll tell Dad you can stay. You deserve it, Reese," Leon continued to smile, placing his hand on Reese's head and messing with his hair again. Even though Reese hated it when his hair got messy, he let the Alpha play with it, just happy to be officially accepted at the shop. All this time, he had been on trial, and now he could finally wear the official shop apron and have his own name tag.

"Really!? Thank you so much, Leon. I'm so happy!" Reese exclaimed, his face lighting up with genuine joy.

"Here's your own apron and name tag. Also... Dad and I decided to buy you your own pruning shears to celebrate," Leon revealed, suddenly taking out a box and handing it to Reese. For others, this might not have been such a big deal, but for Reese, it was something he had always dreamed of. His dad had also been a florist, and although his small shop wasn't the most successful, he was passionate about it. Naturally, Reese picked up that passion, even when they had to give up the shop and find another way to support themselves after his dad passed away.

"Thank you... I really appreciate it. I promise to treasure it forever," Reese expressed, unable to help but hug Leon for this wonderful gift.

"Whoa... I knew you'd be happy, but I didn't realize you'd be this happy. If I had known, Dad and I would have tested you a month ago," Leon chuckled, brushing Reese's hair affectionately as if the Beta were a child. Feeling embarrassed, Reese quickly pulled away with a pout.

"It's fine. I wouldn't have celebrated like this back then because I'd have been too upset about going back to school," Reese reminded him. Last month, his mom had been pestering him about returning to school, to the point where he ended up agreeing just to get her to stop nagging and threatening to prevent him from taking this part-time job.

"You're right. Well, all's well that ends well. The most important thing is that you're happy now," Leon agreed with a chuckle before pausing and raising an eyebrow. "Well, are you happy?" he added, intrigued.

"I am... Although not as happy as before, but I am," Reese genuinely replied, making Leon nod. Since the bouquet Reese made was the last order of the day, they were free to chat until Leon had to leave to deliver the bouquets, except for one.

Already wearing his official employee apron and name tag, Reese was left alone to tend the shop. He happily smiled, looking at the bouquet he had made, and giggled at the fact that he had created something so beautiful. It was his first time, but he liked that he was making flowers for someone who was going to confess their love. Though he had been betrayed by his lover before, he still believed in romance and couldn't help feeling a little jealous of the person who was going to receive the flowers. He wondered when he would receive something like this. If he did, he might actually say yes, even if he didn't know the guy.

"..." Reese touched the bouquet before happily carrying it in his arms as if someone had given it to him. He swayed, smelling the scent of roses and tulips. Having never received flowers from anyone, he could only imagine the scenario in his head. He continued to sway, unaware of a customer watching him from the glass window outside. The bell chimed as the door opened, startling Reese.

"Hello? I'm here to pick up a bouquet I ordered..." the customer began, then halted, recognizing the florist dancing with the bouquet. "Reese?" he called in surprise. Reese, looking up, was equally shocked to see that his client was actually his roommate, Lan. He wondered why the Alpha was at a place like this but the realization of who Lan intended to give the flowers to hit him quickly.

"Lan!" Reese managed to say, nervously putting the bouquet down. "T-this isn't what you think it is..." he tried to explain, but as Lan approached, he took a step back. Taking a part-time job was against school policy, and having Lan—the school student representative and a member of the student council—see him working was a huge concern.

"What? That you're not working here against school policy?" Lan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well..." Reese tried to think of a good excuse but came up empty. Despite their casual friendship, Reese knew that didn't mean Lan would cover for him. They had only known each other for less than a week. There was no way the Alpha wouldn't report him.

"It's okay. I won't tell on you... No need to worry," Lan chuckled, seeing how worried the Beta was, and assured him he wouldn't tell anyone.

"Really?" Reese asked, relief flooding his voice.

"Yeah, it's none of my business what you do during the weekends, and I'm sure you're not the only one," Lan replied. In reality, some students who were inheriting family businesses were probably also doing part-time jobs. Even he sometimes had to visit sites with his dad because after he graduated high school, he was expected to juggle his time between studies and business. So, as long as the school didn't find out, it was fine.

"Gosh, that's a relief. I really thought I was going to get suspended or worse, expelled," Reese sighed. If that did happen, he didn't know what his mom would do. She might forbid him from going near flowers ever again until he finished high school.

"Don't worry. Anyway, I ordered a bouquet and came here to pick it up."

"Oh yeah, it's here. I hope the person you're giving this to will like it," Reese said, handing the bouquet to the Alpha knowing he was going to give it to Elven. 

"It's beautiful. I'm sure he will. I also hope he'll accept my feelings," Lan whispered, as his demeanor softened, smiling at the bouquet.

"I'm sure he will. Good luck to you," Reese cheered, making the Alpha smile. But of course, not everything goes according to plan.

* * * 

To be Continued...