#merry chrysler everyone hehe | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

leejungchans · 3 years ago

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a very lush holidays : l.sm

word count | 1.6k

pairing | lee seokmin (svt) x gender neutral reader

warning(s) | none (lmk if i missed anything!!)

genre | fluff, humour if you squint, meet-cute au

note | also for ficscafe’s holiday event <33 not sponsored by lush but they totally should

summary: in which you have a new favourite customer.

a/n: dedicated to my favourite little lush saleslady @seungcy 😻 hehe ily wifey muah muah!! and happy holidays/merry chrysler (if you celebrate) everyone!! ❤️ i hope everyone’s doing well!!

“Hi, welcome to LUSH! Be sure to check out our Christmas collection, they’re great for gifts this time around!”

The group of teenage girls who just walked in through the door offer you small nods and shy smiles, giggling amongst themselves while ushering one another over to the bath bombs section. You watch with a fond smile as they delightfully fill the paper bags with bath bombs, the scene reminding you of excited children loading up their candy baskets on Halloween.

Working retail can be tough, but you honestly don’t mind your job at LUSH Cosmetics. Sure, some customers can be a handful and you’ve had to break up one too many fights over the last Snow Fairy body spray, but you adore your coworkers and your workplace smells invigoratingly of fragrance oils (your theory is that it works better than coffee), so it really could be worse.

You hum along to the Christmas song playing in the store as you rearrange some of the soap bars, thinking to yourself about how odd it is that there aren’t as many customers as you usually get around this time, when most people are doing their holiday shopping.

There’s a tap on your shoulder when you’re refilling the paper bags at the bath bombs station, and you turn to find a boy around your age smiling back at you, nervously playing with his fingers. He’s the very epitome of ‘cozy’, you think, what with his fluffy hair, oversized glasses, and chunky knit sweater.

“Hi,” he says sheepishly, “I was wondering if you could help me.”

You immediately abandon what you were doing, sirens going off in your head because Beep beep! Cute boy needs your help! “Of course! Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, eyes briefly scanning the colourful display behind you. “No, not really. I was invited to a holiday party and we’re doing a gift exchange,” he explains, “I’ve heard stuff from here are great as presents, but I’ve never been in one of your stores until now and… I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the choices.”

“I totally get it,” you reassure him with an encouraging smile, “I was completely lost when I first started working here too, but I hope after today you’ll be able to find something that you like! Would you like to start with our holiday items?”

His beam rivals the sun as he nods, much like an excited puppy as you lead him to the section for seasonal items.

“This gift set is one of our most popular ones, it’s called Little Snow Fairy and you get a bath bomb and a shower gel, they’re cotton candy and bubblegum-scented.” You grab a tester for the shower gel from the shelf and pop open the lid, letting the boy get a whiff of the shimmering, sweet-smelling product.

His eyes widen dramatically as he turns to you with his mouth agape. “Woah, this smells really good!”

“Right?” you agree excitedly, happy whenever a customer shares your enthusiasm, “it’s a bestseller for a reason! We also have this set called The Night Before Christmas—”

“Aw, I love that this one’s shaped like a polar bear,” the boy coos as he leans in to get a closer look at the bath bomb, “is that lavender?”

“Yeah! Both of them are lavender-scented, so it’s a bit more universal in case the person you’re giving it to doesn’t like sweet smells. It’s really relaxing to use in the bath too.”

“That sounds nice, and I think you’re right—it’s probably the safer option to gift when I don’t know who’s gonna receive it,” he says, carefully taking a set off the shelf and placing it in his basket before turning back to you, gaze expectant. “Is there anything else you recommend from here?”

“As gifts or for personal use?”

He grins, pearly-white teeth peeking from behind his rosy lips. You wonder what lip balm he uses. Maybe you should see if he wants one from here. “Surprise me.”

The two of you make small talk as you essentially give him a tour of the entire store, explaining and showing to him all the different products you think he’d like. You don’t mind one bit, though, because he’s one of the sweetest customers you’ve ever met and it makes you genuinely happy to see him enjoying himself. And not only do you learn that his name is Seokmin, you also find out that he’s incredibly hilarious.

“This smells and looks yummy,” he comments when you demonstrate a bar soap on his hand at one of the sinks. “What’s it called?”

“Honey, I Washed The Kids.”

“I hope they didn’t make too much of a mess.”

“Very funny,” you say with a teasing roll of your eyes, his giggles reaching your ears soon after, “I’m serious, that’s literally what it’s called.” Despite having met him just half an hour ago, talking to Seokmin feels like catching up with an old friend, surprising yourself with how comfortable you are around a stranger’s presence.

His warm eyes fall on your face as you wash away the foamy lather on his hand, a smile stretching across his lips at the adorable way your nose scrunches when you’re focused.

“Thanks, now my hand smells like dessert.” He brings his hand up to his face, softly sniffing at the caramel scent that lingers on his skin. “And the fact that it looks like a dessert too, has anyone actually taken a bite out of these things?”

“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if they could do that, I wouldn’t have to work anymore,” you joke. “None of our products should ever be consumed, but it never stops people from trying anyways.”

Hearty laughter, reminiscent of a roaring fire on a freezing winter night, bubbles up out of Seokmin. “Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s always edible, huh?”

“Exactly.”

“Like poop.”

“You’d make a fantastic LUSH salesperson.”

He wriggles his eyebrows at you with a cheeky smile. “Does this mean you wanna be coworkers with me?”

You can’t help but smile back as he grabs a bar of Honey, I Washed The Kids. “I mean, if bath bombs and bar soaps with… interesting names are your calling, then feel free to send in an application.”

He looks down at his overflowing basket. “Does LUSH offer employee discounts?”

Seokmin looks on rather embarrassedly as you ring him up ten minutes later. “Y’know, I never expected myself to get so much stuff for my first time here… most of these aren’t even gifts! They’re for me!”

You briefly look up from wrapping his gift exchange present to shoot him a knowing smile. “Don’t worry, happens all the time. But in all seriousness, I’m really glad you had fun and found what you needed! I’m sure whoever gets your present will love it, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased.”

“Not even a little?” he teases.

“Well… maybe just a little,” you admit with a shy grin as you carefully arrange his purchases in a large bag. Along with his receipt, you also throw in some samples like you’d normally would (okay, maybe you slipped in a few more than usual) before gently nudging the bag towards him.

“It was nice meeting you, Seokmin,” you tell him, feeling your cheeks warm at your words, “I hope you enjoy your holidays.”

His eyes crinkle up into adorable crescents as he beams brightly. “It was nice meeting you too, Y/N! Thank you so much for helping me out today, and I’m sorry if I took up too much of your time.”

“No, no, don’t apologise! I had lots of fun talking to you! Feel free to stop by more often.”

“I definitely will. I’m pretty sure today’s the beginning of my LUSH obsession.”

You giggle, more thankful than ever that the store is unusually empty so you can keep talking to him without worrying about holding up the line. “Then… I guess I’ll see you around?”

Seokmin nods enthusiastically, fluffy hair bouncing along with the movement. “Of course! And—uh… how should I say this…”

Fondness blooms in your chest as he stumbles over his words, your curiosity growing simultaneously as you wonder what else he has to say.

“I’m not too sure if bar soaps and bath bombs are my calling yet… but I’d love to hang out with you outside your job because you seem really cool!” he blurts out, the tips of his ears now a bright red as your eyes widen at his sudden admission, “I can give you my number, o-only if you want, of course! No pressure, r-really! I—uh—”

“Seokmin, I’d love to hang out,” you interrupt gently, and he returns your smile as you reach into his bag for his receipt with burning cheeks, quickly scribbling your number on it using the marker you snagged from the pen holder in the corner. “Don’t lose it,” you joke to ease his nerves, snugly tucking the receipt in between his purchases.

“I’ll guard it with my life,” he responds in an equally lighthearted manner, eyes twinkling with happiness, “after all, we have kids to wash, honey.”

Your cheeks hurt from smiling so much as you watch his retreating figure, and while you knew you’d have to endure your coworkers’ relentless teasing for the rest of your shift after they witnessed your entire exchange, you can’t bring yourself to mind all that much when you’re looking forward to a text from a certain bespectacled boy.

from: unknown number

[18:32] hi y/n, it’s seok!!

[18:32] do you wanna go out for coffee soon? i know a super cute place downtown :>

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