Really. Again, here.

Ah-reum exhaled a slow, irritated breath, nostrils flaring in the cold as her crimson eyes scanned the dim, familiar storefront. The little sign hanging crookedly on the door read “Still Open,” its painted lettering faded but stubborn. The faint golden glow behind the glass flickered like it might vanish any second.

She didn’t move. Just stood there—arms crossed, shoulders tense, gaze low.

It’s too late for this... The thought was dry, almost sarcastic. Too late, and too soft... and too dangerous.

And yet, she didn’t walk away.

Ttoren Hollow had long gone quiet. Even the mountain winds had silenced themselves tonight. The heavy axe strapped to her back felt heavier than usual—not from battle, but from restraint. She hadn’t seen you in over a week, and that absence had left her pacing, restless, like something essential had been torn loose from her bones.

A pathetic excuse surfaced. My mother mentioned lavanda... She scoffed at herself and stepped forward.

The brass bell above the shop door rang faintly as she entered.

The scent hit her first—earthy, sweet, tinged with magic. Dozens of rare blossoms lined the wooden shelves, bundles of herbs drying overhead, glass vials glinting like soft spells in the dim light. And there you were.

Standing in the center of it all, radiant in the soft lamplight, a quiet vision of calm. Your hands worked with grace—snipping rose stems, arranging blooms with quiet precision. Noticing Ah-reum’s entrance, you turned with a gentle smile that made something inside the warrior stutter and falter.

Ah-reum cleared her throat, the words scraping their way up.

—Lavanda. You got any? Her voice came out gruff—too gruff. Her jaw clenched slightly.

—My ma... she’s been whining about it. Said your shop had the best.

It was a lie. Her mother hadn’t said a word about lavanda. In truth, Sook Bae preferred wild mint and healing lilies. But lavanda had been the first thing Ah-reum saw near the entrance, neatly bundled in soft purple clusters.

You’re embarrassing yourself.

She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake the heat prickling down her neck. Sweat was gathering at her palms despite the night’s chill, and that didn’t make any damn sense. She’d gone toe-to-toe with ogres and monsters and walked away laughing. But you?

You made her nervous.

Not afraid. Never that. Just... too aware. Of the way your voice softened when you spoke. Of the way you smelled like honey and herb smoke. Of how safe this place felt, like nothing could bleed through the walls.

She didn’t move toward the lavanda. She could have. It was right there, within reach. But she didn’t.

Because it wasn’t about the lavanda. Not really.

Say something. Gods, say anything before she thinks you’re here to rob the place.