Crossing the street, Bai Ci instinctively looked back at the entrance of the residential building. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, only the wind rustling through the plane tree leaves. The afternoon sun beat down, turning the pavement a blinding white, and even the breeze carried a dry heat.
The florist was flanked by two shops. To its left was a fruit shop with closed glass doors; the apples on display outside were already shriveled, their labels drooping. To its right was a clothing store with a "Clearance Sale" banner draped across it; the clothes on the racks were covered in a thin layer of dust, looking as though the place hadn't opened for business in a long time.
Only the Sunflower Florist in the middle brimmed with life. Its red sign was polished to a shine, and the sunflowers lining both sides of the entrance were in full bloom, their golden faces turned toward the sun.
The door to Sunflower Florist was a sliding glass door. As she pushed it open, the wind chimes hanging on the door jingled. The shop was filled with a rich floral fragrance, mixed with the scent of damp soil and water vapor, making it feel considerably cooler than outside.
The moment she stepped inside, Bai Ci clearly felt the persistent sensation of being watched—which had plagued her ever since she received Mary's call—along with the chill crawling up her ankles, vanish instantly.
It was as if an invisible barrier had completely shut out the danger outside.
It seemed the warning on that card was correct; the florist could indeed ward off that bizarre danger. Bai Ci breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the shop.
The shop wasn't large. Multi-tiered flower racks lined both sides, packed with flowers of every color. Roses, daisies, and sunflowers crowded together, filling the air with a rich yet not cloying floral scent.
Directly opposite the entrance was the checkout counter, its wooden surface polished to a high sheen. Next to it lay a roll of brown wrapping paper and several bundles of ribbon.
“Welcome.”
Sitting behind the counter was a young man wearing a dark gray knit sweater. His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing skin that was unnaturally pale, as if he rarely saw the sun. His black hair was on the longer side, falling limply over his forehead and slightly obscuring his eyes. She could only see that he had a prominent nose and pale, almost bloodless lips.
“What kind of flowers are you looking for?” The man's voice was very soft, the ends of his words drifting slightly, like the rustling of wind blowing through paper.
When he looked up at her, Bai Ci realized his eyes were highly unusual. His irises were a light gray, as if shrouded in a layer of mist. Though he was looking at her, it felt as if he were looking at something much further away.
What kind of flowers? Red ones, white ones... The details about flowers in the diary flashed through her mind.
Wait!
Bai Ci suddenly realized a major oversight she had made in her panic. Forget about money—she didn't even know what the "currency" of this world was. Moreover, she was still wearing the light purple pajamas she had woken up in. No matter how one looked at her, she didn't look like a customer who had come to buy flowers.
At the end of the day, she had treated this bizarre world too much like a murder mystery game. She hadn't considered the basic logic that buying flowers required money, rather than being like the mini-games commonly used in murder mystery games to obtain key items.
Bai Ci reflected on her mindset, but right now, she had nowhere else to go besides staying here.
As for going back to get money and coming back... who knew what she would encounter on the way?
Steeling herself, she stepped forward. “I'm sorry, I... I'm not here to buy flowers. I just wanted to stay in your shop for a little while. I won't disrupt your business.”
The man stared at Bai Ci for two seconds, then suddenly tilted his head. His voice remained flat as he asked, “Are you here to apply for the job?”
“Apply?” Bai Ci was taken aback.
Huh? Was there actually a classic part-time job mechanic here?
Bai Ci's heart leaped. The rules on the card didn't mention any conditions for staying in the shop, but the owner wouldn't let a stranger hang around for free indefinitely. Applying to be an employee was a valid way to stay.
With that in mind, Bai Ci immediately nodded, trying to make her expression look as sincere as possible. “Yes, I'm here to apply.”
The moment she said this, the corners of the man's mouth seemed to twitch slightly, and a spark of focus appeared in his pale gray eyes.
He stood up from behind the counter and walked over to Bai Ci.
He was taller than she had expected. As he approached, his shadow completely enveloped her, and he carried a faint, cold fragrance reminiscent of decaying leaves.
Without saying a word, he reached out and gently pinched a strand of hair behind Bai Ci's ear, bringing it to his nose to sniff.
The action was abrupt, carrying an offensive level of intimacy. Bai Ci instinctively wanted to shrink back, but the sheer focus in his gaze pinned her in place. He didn't look like he was looking at a person, but rather evaluating the material of an object. His intensity was deeply unsettling.
“You'll do,” the man said after a few seconds. He released her hair, his fingers rubbing together slightly as if savoring the sensation. “First, help me wrap a few bouquets. Use those roses and eucalyptus leaves over there. The tape is in the drawer on the left side of the counter.”
Watching him turn and walk back to the counter, Bai Ci felt a chill run down her spine.
This “interview” was far too casual. He hadn't asked her age or experience. He had just sniffed her hair and hired her?
But she didn't dare ask any questions. She walked over to the prep table, where several red roses lay. Their petals were fresh, and the eucalyptus leaves had a pale, blue-gray tint. Next to them was a roll of off-white wrapping paper and some ribbon.
Back when she worked as a DM, she had wrapped prop flowers for players before, so her hands weren't entirely clumsy. However, as she picked up a rose, she noticed the man leaning against the counter, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on her movements. His gaze held no evaluation, only a near-scientific curiosity.
“Fold it a bit more here.”
Suddenly, the man reached over, his cool fingertips brushing against Bai Ci's hand as she held the wrapping paper.
His fingers were nimble and icy cold. Bai Ci's hand trembled imperceptibly, but he didn't seem to notice. He focused on folding the edge of the wrapping paper a bit further in. “This way, it won't come apart easily.”
Bai Ci pursed her lips and said nothing. Once he withdrew his hand, she continued wrapping according to his adjustment.
From the moment she agreed to apply, the man seemed to treat her as “one of his own.” He didn't ask her name, her background, or even mention the pay. He simply put her straight to work as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Steeling herself, she finished wrapping the bouquet and handed it to him.
The man took it and examined it, the corners of his mouth curving upward in an almost imperceptible smile. It was faint, but it lacked the previous coldness, carrying instead a trace of boyish satisfaction.
“Go tear down the help-wanted sign at the door,” the man said, looking up at her, a hint of light returning to his pale gray eyes. “We don't need to hire anyone else. You're a good fit.”
Bai Ci summoned her courage and stepped outside. She didn't feel the cold, staring gaze that might have belonged to “Mary.” The florist's oddities hadn't manifested as a threat just yet, so she could temporarily breathe a sigh of relief.
She reached the entrance and scanned the area, but she couldn't find the help-wanted sign anywhere. She paused, confused.
She had found it strange as well. Before entering, she had roughly scanned the florist's layout and decor, and she certainly hadn't seen any hiring notice. She had initially thought she had overlooked it in her panic, but looking closely now, there was still nothing. It wasn't a matter of her missing information due to fear.
Inside the shop, the man noticed Bai Ci's confusion. He walked over to the glass wall and tapped on a spot hidden behind the sunflowers.
It was there!
Bai Ci walked over, parted the large flower heads of the sunflowers, and finally saw the help-wanted sign.
The moment she clearly read its contents, the blood rushed to her head, only to run ice-cold in the very next second.
Rate on N.U.
