The Time a Flower Shop That Understood Otaku Was Too Precious

Why!?

“Thank you so much!”
I couldn't hide my confusion at the words of gratitude spoken eagerly the moment she saw my face, and the beaming smile that was visible even through her mask.
I was the one who made the request, so it made sense for me to be the one saying thanks.
But why was I being thanked?

A Bouquet for My Oshi

I had visited that flower shop two days prior.
An event featuring my favorite voice actor, Chikahiro Kobayashi, was coming up, and I wanted to prepare a gift for him.
It was his first birthday event, and I was literally trembling at my own good fortune in winning a front-row ticket.
I had been informed in advance that there would be a gift box at the event, and after thinking about what would be best, I decided to give him a bouquet inspired by a character he plays.
Saichi Sugimoto from the manga "Golden Kamuy".
It was the work that made me fall for Kobayashi-san.
I felt there was no other character I could elevate into a conceptual bouquet.

Between Love for My Oshi and the Risk of Being Outed as an Otaku

However, standing in front of the flower shop, I hesitated.
To have a bouquet made, I naturally had to explain the character to the staff.
In other words, I would be declaring to a complete stranger that I was an otaku.
But if I didn't order today, it wouldn't be ready in time for the event.

I steeled myself and spoke to a young female staff member.
“Excuse me, I'd like to order a bouquet.”
“What is the occasion?”
“It's a birthday gift for a man...”
As I spoke, my hesitation deepened.
If I kept talking like this, she would surely suggest a safe, generic bouquet for a 40-year-old man.
But Sugimoto, whom he plays, is in his mid-20s, a different age from Kobayashi-san himself.
I wanted to make a bouquet inspired by the character.
But my oshi is, after all, the voice actor himself.
This was a rare opportunity to give a gift directly to him.
I wanted something that would resonate with both the character and Kobayashi-san himself.
I wavered for a moment between the risk of being outed as an otaku and my love for my favorite voice actor.
The scale tipped in favor of my love for my oshi.

Ordering Like a Nagging Mother-in-Law

I took the plunge and showed her my smartphone screen with the character on it.

“Please use red and yellow as the image colors. I want to make a bouquet inspired by this character.”

The scarf that the author, Noda-sensei, said was often used in the art to express Sugimoto's emotions.
I really wanted to include the color of that scarf, which could be said to symbolize him.
All the while, I found myself observing her expression.
Is she put off? Is it okay?
My anxiety was blown away by her bright voice.
“This is a character from 'Golden Kamuy,' right? It's getting a movie adaptation soon.”
“! Yes, that's right!”
“I saw the movie trailer. The character reproduction rate is high, isn't it!”
I think it's the nature of an otaku to become talkative once they are in front of someone who understands.
Happy to be accepted, before I knew it, I was talking about how I also loved the anime and that I was going to the event for Kobayashi-san, who plays the role.
She had also recently started reading "Golden Kamuy," and we hit it off talking about our favorite characters.
Manga is amazing.
It becomes a common language that connects strangers, regardless of age or gender.
Between our conversations, the image of the bouquet began to expand.
It's a flashy color combination, but considering Kobayashi-san is 40, let's keep it in a chic tone.
Let's use plenty of greenery to make it look mature.
Since the flower colors are flashy, the wrapping should be a color that makes the red stand out.
When I conveyed the image using wrapping paper and flowers in the store, she took careful notes on the order form.
The memo section was completely filled with writing, spilling over the edges of the order form.
She even used sticky notes to add more where there wasn't enough space.
“I'm sorry for having so many requests...”
“No, leave it to me!”
Feeling awkward about my own fussiness, I left the shop.

I'm Glad I Didn't Hide It!

And two days later.
The words of gratitude were spoken by her as she handed me the bouquet.
“It was so much fun to make!”
Ignoring my confusion, she began to speak.

“I expressed the red with bright anthurium and lagurus, and the yellow with craspedia. It was so much fun consulting with other staff members who are fans of the work, saying, 'In my interpretation, it's this one!' Thank you for giving us such a wonderful opportunity!”

I truly felt glad that I hadn't hidden my love for my oshi!
That she didn't get put off by my troublesome otaku requests and faced them head-on.
That she and the staff had genuinely enjoyed making the bouquet.
Everything came across, and my heart felt warm.
If I had kept my love for my oshi hidden in my heart, if I hadn't talked about him, she might not have told me this.
In fact, this bouquet in front of me might not have been created at all.
A bouquet born from the result of my feelings and the staff member's feelings becoming one.
This is undoubtedly a crystallization of the love between the staff member and me.
Overcome with affection, I held the bouquet gently so as not to ruin its shape and secretly rubbed my cheek against it.
I felt very proud to be able to give something so wonderful to my oshi.

Wanting to return the "thank you" that I should have been the one to say, I thanked her many times.
“Please have a great time at the event!”
She sent me off with a smile at the end as I walked home holding the bouquet.
I will never forget her smile.

In Conclusion

Trying to create something that satisfies the customer might be a professional awareness that a flower shop naturally possesses.
However, that flower shop had more than just that.
An attitude of trying to interpret the work to respond to the customer's enthusiasm.
Above all, the kindness of being close to an otaku was truly appreciated!!
I often see otaku-friendly gals in fiction, but this was my first time meeting an otaku-friendly flower shop.
Once you are treated kindly by someone who understands, falling for them like a rolling stone is also one of the traits of an otaku (I'm so easy, haha).
If I have another chance to make a bouquet, I will definitely come here again.

So, for those in Osaka who want a bouquet for their oshi, go to Aoyama Flower Market Links Umeda store!!
Because your heart will surely be filled to the brim with "thank you" too!