Chapter 2

Kohana kept pacing around the flower shop. It had only been two hours since she found out about her mother's terminal illness. She stands near the window and stares at the outside world, eyes narrowing. She looks deep in thought. What can I do to get one hundred thousand yuans? She thought. The silence in the room is quickly abolished by her friend Ulva who just got back from making a chocolate smoothie. She gave one to Kohana and told her to calm down.

Ulva sat on the wooden bench, cross legged. She took a slurp of the smoothie she made while staring at Kohana's almost panicky eyes. She knows that she is in a very odd position lately and who could blame her for acting like this? Knowing her mother is ill and has no certainty of recovering long term unless she magically garners money out of nowhere. There's no way her situation could get any worse.

Kohana frowned after she slurped her smoothie and looked at Ulva pointing at the drink she gave her. Ulva shrugged and told her that it's only chocolate. Kohana told Ulva that she is allergic to chocolate. Not a second after, Kohana started scratching her arms and legs. She stood up furiously and went to the mirror. She saw red spots forming on her face.

"Oh spirits! Why must this happen to me!" Kohana exclaimed.

Ulva just kept slurping her smoothie while she watches her friend struggle with her unwanted allergy. She then spit out her drink when she saw Kohana started rubbing her back against the entrance door. The door felt good on her skin, back and forth she kept at it. Kohana regretted drinking that smoothie and secretly made a vow to never accept any drink that her best friend will give her.

The door suddenly opened, pushing Kohana down on the floor. She looked to check who was at the door and saw a customer enter. Ulva stood up with a smile and told Kohana that she has a customer. Kohana couldn't celebrate because her allergy is preventing her to do anything other than scratching various parts of her body.

Ulva helped Kohana off the floor, dusted her up and pushed her to the customer. The customer is a young lady in her 20's with a small child. She eyed Kohana and the red spots she has on her skin. Kohana tries not to scratch her body and freak the customer out but she knows that for every second that she is resisting to scratch her skin, it is killing her each second. She forces a smile on her face and asked the customer what she can do for them.

The young lady asked Kohana if she had any daisies that she could hang up in her house for decorations. Kohana nodded and went to the flower room. When she got there she started scratching like there was no tomorrow. She scraped and clawed her skin without ceasing. Why won't it stop? She thought. Kohana grabbed the hose attached on the wall and turned it on. She sprinkled water all over her, dampening her hair and clothes. The itching sensation has ceased and it made Kohana a little better.

She then took a deep breath and took the pot of daisies to the counter. When the young lady turned around, she yelped loudly and grabbed her child and immediately ran outside the shop. Kohana looked puzzled on why the woman left. She just wanted to sell her the daisies. Kohana asked Ulva if she had any idea on why they left. Ulva told her to look in the mirror. When Kohana saw herself in the mirror, she herself is surprised by her image. Besides the wet hair and clothes, some parts of her skin looked like the outer layers of a beehive. All the scratching made her look like a diseased monster.

Kohana turned to Ulva and blamed her for what had happened. Ulva told her to calm down but Kohana wasn't having it. To her anger, she dropped Ulva's smoothie on the floor. Ulva shook her head as she told Kohana that she is a drama queen. Kohana then tackled her best friend, both of them now on the carpeted floor. Kohana pulled Ulva's hair, making her shout in pain. Ulva pushed her off of her and bended the smoothie that was on the floor onto Kohana. Kohana dodged the attack with ease and stood in a balanced stance. She thrusts her fist like a quick jab and fire shoots directly to Ulva. Ulva manages to dodge it but as a result, the lilies on the counter caught on fire. Kohana saw what she had done and went to the flower's aid. The once beautiful flowers are now burning. Knowing that she is the cause of such devastation, Kohana dropped on the floor and cried. Ulva quickly doused the flower with water, putting the fire off. She kneels next to Kohana and rests her hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. Kohana shuns her and tells her to back off for she is the reason why she is like this.

"I'm sorry Kohana." Ulva told.

"You're such a pain, you know that?" Kohana sobbed. "Why did you give me that chocolate smoothie in the first place?"

"I didn't know you were allergic to chocolate."

"What kind of best friend doesn't know the one allergy that I have?" Kohana told. "Now I look like a porcupine-weasel thanks to you."

"So? Porcupine-weasels are actually cunning creatures, you know?" Ulva told. "They hide whenever they know danger is coming."

"I should hide from you then since you're such a danger to my life." Kohana told, making Ulva chuckle. They notice lightning flashes from the window, a sign that a thunderstorm is imminent. Ulva covered the windows with the fabric curtain. She turns back to Kohana who is sitting on the bench, eyes still damp from the tears.

"Look, I can't stand you looking all sad. How about I make it up to you somehow?" Ulva told. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know, how about helping me come up with an idea to make one hundred thousand yuans for my mother's hospital bills." Kohana told. "I don't think the flower shop is gonna be much help since there aren't any customers around."

"Have you tried advertising before?" Ulva asked.

"No I haven't. What's so great about advertising?"

"Advertising can help people discover your flower shop." Ulva told. "No wonder you don't have that much customers." Ulva immediately took an umbrella off the corner of the counter and grabbed Kohana's hand.

"Where are you taking me?" Kohana asked.

"We're going to the radio station." Ulva told. "We're gonna adverise your flower shop."