There are roses.

There are roses with thorns.

And then there is Flora, standing in front of one, looking at the thorns and apparently thinking:

“I can work with this.”

😂

That is how I see Luke in The Early Spring.

He is the thorned red rose.

He's handsome, talented, accomplished and unexpectedly considerate once you get past that intimidating exterior. He's a good leader. He's patient with people he actually takes the time to know. He teaches Flora. He recognizes her work. He supports her professionally.

And yes, he can also be brutally sharp.

He's got a temper.

He's blunt.

He can make an entire room uncomfortable without even raising his voice.

The thorns are not hidden.

Flora sees them.

But Flora isn't really worried about getting pricked.

Her real concern is losing her job.

And that is why, in this relationship, I'm tempted to make Flora the red flag.

Not because she's reckless.

Not because she doesn't understand Luke.

Quite the opposite.

She understands him well enough to know exactly what she wants.

Her problem is that she keeps trying to figure out how to have Luke without jeopardizing the career she has worked so hard to build.

Before We Call Flora a Red Flag, Let's Go Back to the Beginning

There is some foundational DNA in Episodes 1–5 that we need to remember before we get to Flora's later decisions.

I wrote about that progression in the previous article, “Flora’s Proximity Gauge and Her Changing Feelings for Luke,” because Flora's relationship with physical proximity to Luke tells us something important about the way her feelings develop.

She notices Luke before they even meet.

She's arriving at Lime for her interview when she sees him leaving. She stares at him, walks toward him and keeps looking back as she passes.

Luke hasn't even noticed her.

So her attraction begins with her.

But physical attraction doesn't mean Flora automatically welcomes physical closeness.

She has boundaries.

In Episode 2, she initially refuses when Luke tries to put his jacket on her.

Then we see an even clearer example in Episode 3.

While riding on the motorcycle, Flora keeps her bag between herself and the driver. When her body moves forward, she instinctively pulls herself back and grabs the seat rail to maintain distance.

When the driver reaches back and tells her to hold onto him, she pulls away.

When the situation becomes frightening, she runs and hides because she believes she's being attacked.

That matters.

Because Flora can control her boundaries.

She can say no.

She can pull away.

She can create distance.

She knows when something feels wrong.

But Luke eventually becomes different.

Not immediately.

Gradually.

With Luke, Flora's proximity gauge changes.

By Episode 4, when alcohol strips away some of her usual restraint, she is touching his face, caressing his arms, telling him he appears in her dreams and openly flirting with him.

Then Episode 5 pushes the point even further.

She hugs him.

She asks him to marry her.

She touches his face.

She moves toward him.

And eventually, while sober, she kisses him.

That is the foundation.

Flora can control her boundaries with Luke.

She cannot control her feelings for Luke.

And that distinction becomes the key to everything that follows.

Luke Gives Flora Plenty of Reasons to Walk Away

Luke does not arrive in this story disguised as Mr. Perfect.

His thorns are visible from Episode 1.

He is rude during Flora's interview.

He tells her she isn't qualified.

He questions whether she belongs at Lime.

He calls her an idiot.

And when she asks what kind of people he prefers to work with, his answer is essentially:

People like himself.

Jerks.

Yet Flora doesn't seem particularly interested in the polished version of Luke.

She keeps watching him.

She keeps learning from him.

She keeps talking to him.

And she starts seeing things other people don't necessarily notice.

That becomes very clear when Luke later comes under investigation.

Everyone knows his reputation.

Strict.

Sharp-tongued.

Bad temper.

But not a bully.

When Flora is asked what kind of person he really is, she gives a completely different description.

She calls him a good leader.

She says he's patient once you get to know him.

She points out that he separates personal problems from work.

She describes how he protects female colleagues when they're socializing outside the office.

She explains that he shares his knowledge even with people who aren't his subordinates.

And she includes herself among the many people who have benefited from his guidance.

That is the rose.

Flora sees it because she has gotten close enough to see what's underneath the thorns.

She Isn't Afraid of Luke. She's Afraid of the Consequences.

This is where I think the relationship becomes especially interesting.

After their night together, Flora doesn't suddenly decide she doesn't like Luke.

Instead, she starts creating distance.

Luke becomes the pursuer.

Flora becomes the one backing up.

She transfers to another team.

She worries about being seen with him.

She asks to get out of the car before they reach Lime because she doesn't want people getting the wrong idea.

Luke looks at her and essentially asks:

Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?

But Flora's behavior tells us that something more practical is happening.

She has started thinking ahead.

That is her thing.

She doesn't only think about what she feels right now.

She thinks about what happens afterward.

And I think that's the key to understanding Flora.

She doesn't fear Luke's personality.

She fears what choosing Luke could cost her.

When Did Flora Realize Lime Didn't Allow Office Relationships?

This is the question I kept coming back to.

Because by Episode 9, Flora tells Luke that she can't lose her job because Lime doesn't allow office relationships.

But when did she realize that?

The story doesn't give us a single neat moment where Flora discovers the policy and suddenly goes:

Oh! That's the problem!

By the time she says it to Luke, she's already been behaving like a woman who understands that there is a professional risk.

She's already worried about misunderstandings.

She's already trying to separate Luke from her workplace identity.

She has already transferred teams.

She's already tried to increase distance.

She's already been thinking about the consequences of what happens if she lets her feelings become visible.

So Episode 9 feels less like the moment Flora discovers the problem and more like the moment she finally tells Luke what the problem is.

And that's important.

Because while Flora is trying to create distance, she is simultaneously doing something completely contradictory.

She keeps telling Luke:

I need distance.

While her actions keep telling him:

I want you.

😂

And eventually, after enough of those signals, the hibernating lion wakes up.

Flora Woke the Lion and Then Asked Why He Was Awake

Let's review what Luke has been receiving from Flora.

She noticed him before they met.

She keeps engaging with him.

She tells him he appears in her dreams.

She touches him.

She jokes about marriage.

She hugs him.

She kisses him.

She spends the night with him.

Then she worries about him.

She visits his home.

She knows the passcode.

She offers to be his witness during the investigation.

She tells him not to leave Lime because she needs him as a teacher.

At some point Luke is allowed to conclude:

This woman likes me.

And he does.

Very much.

Which is why his behavior changes.

Luke Is the One Who Starts Losing Control

After their night together, Luke becomes the one who can't maintain emotional distance.

He finds reasons to see Flora.

He gives her work.

He invites her over.

He spends time with her at home.

He makes her an osmanthus milk-and-honey drink and a snack while she works.

He watches her from his office.

He offers to drive her home.

When she declines, he says he'll wait.

And when another man walks away with Flora under an umbrella, Luke is so visibly irritated that he turns around and throws his own umbrella away.

Sir.

The rose is getting thornier.

Luke even goes to his friend and wonders whether he is intolerable.

His friend basically reminds him that everyone knows what he's like.

Then comes the observation Luke doesn't want to hear:

Flora is special to him.

Luke's response is essentially that he and Flora simply express themselves differently.

And that's true.

They do.

Luke is increasingly obvious.

Flora is increasingly careful.

Flora's “Safe Distance” Was Never About Not Wanting Luke

There's another beautifully revealing conversation when Flora is home with her roommates.

They're talking about balancing her work and her feelings.

Flora brings up something she learned from her driver instructor:

Maintain a safe distance so you don't collide with the car in front of you.

That is Flora in one sentence.

Distance equals safety.

Don't get too close.

Don't collide.

Don't lose control.

Don't create consequences.

But the problem is that love isn't driving.

And Luke isn't a car in front of her.

He's a man who keeps getting closer.

Then Luke's Apartment Makes Everything Worse

Or better, depending on your perspective. 😂

During Luke's investigation, Flora goes to his apartment because she's worried about him.

She arrives at the building.

The concierge sees her and says:

“WELCOME HOME.”

Not Luke.

The concierge.

Which is already hilarious because apparently everyone except Flora understands that she's becoming a regular feature of Luke's household.

Then Luke sees her on the door monitor.

He admires her.

Then hurriedly runs back to the bathroom to finish shaving.

And cuts himself.

😂

That man was perfectly functional until Flora appeared on the screen.

When he opens the door, he asks whether she doesn't know the passcode.

She does.

He gave it to her.

She asks why he hasn't changed it.

His answer:

“Why would I?”

Flora comes inside.

She worries about him.

She tries to put a bandage on his cut.

She offers to be his witness.

And Luke finally says what has become increasingly obvious:

“Aren't you trying to keep your distance?”

Yes.

She is.

Except she keeps showing up.

The Rose Is Getting a Lot of Attention

Later, Flora tells Luke she doesn't want him to leave Lime because she needs him as a good teacher.

Luke hears the emotional subtext.

So he asks:

If he keeps his promise not to leave, can she stop keeping her distance from him for one night?

They stand close under his jacket.

Luke pulls her close.

He kisses her forehead.

He tries to respect her boundaries.

He tries again.

Flora doesn't respond.

Then she pulls away.

And the important part comes from her thoughts.

She's thinking about the idea that the person who falls first lowers their guard and loses everything.

She's worried that this beautiful moment might simply be recklessness.

Again:

Not the thorns.

The consequences.

Flora's Real Problem Has a Name: Job Security

This is what I think we should keep in the center of the article.

Flora isn't trying to protect herself from Luke.

She's trying to protect herself from what being with Luke could do to her professional life.

She has worked hard.

She's proving herself at Lime.

She's building a reputation based on her abilities.

By Episode 7, Luke is openly praising her work, telling her she's bolder and smarter than he expected, and encouraging her to value her own time and effort.

Flora has something to lose.

So when she keeps distance, the distance has a purpose.

She is trying to keep her professional identity separate from her feelings.

That's why the “red flag” isn't:

Flora sees a difficult man and ignores everything wrong with him.

No.

The more interesting version is:

Flora sees the man clearly, wants him anyway, and then starts trying to engineer a relationship that won't destroy the professional life she cares about.

Then Luke Finally Says What Flora Doesn't Want to Hear

By Episode 9, Luke stops allowing all the mixed signals to remain unspoken.

He tells her:

She likes him.

She keeps holding back.

She's always running away.

Flora finally answers him directly:

“Running away keeps me safe. I'm not like you. I have to think ahead.”

There it is.

She's not denying her feelings.

She's explaining her strategy.

Distance keeps me safe.

Safe from what?

Not Luke.

From the consequences.

And then she finally says the practical thing she's been carrying:

She can't lose her job. Lime doesn't allow office relationships.

This is why I keep wondering when that realization first happened inside Flora.

Because she had already been behaving as though she knew.

She had already been trying to prevent the relationship from becoming visible.

She had already transferred teams.

She had already worried about appearances.

She had already been trying to maintain what she called a safe distance.

Episode 9 simply brings the private calculation into the open.

And Then Flora Does What Flora Does

Luke offers a solution.

Keep the relationship private.

No need for the office to know.

If it works, they continue.

If it doesn't, they end it.

If either person wants to date or sleep with someone else, they tell the other honestly and end the relationship.

Luke thinks he's proposing a simple arrangement.

Flora thinks about it.

And says:

“OK. BUT WE HAVE TO BE EXCLUSIVE.”

😂

I absolutely love that.

Luke:

Let's make this uncomplicated.

Flora:

Fine. Here's the contract.

She has spent all this time trying to keep her feelings from wrecking her future, and now she's willing to have the relationship—as long as it comes with parameters.

That is Flora.

She can be emotionally overwhelmed and still negotiate terms.

So Who Is the Red Flag?

Luke?

Sure, he has thorns.

But Flora?

Oh, Flora is absolutely the red flag.

😂

Because she knows.

She knows Luke has a temper.

She knows he's difficult.

She knows he's sharp.

She knows he can be intimidating.

She knows her workplace has rules about relationships.

She knows getting involved with him could affect her career.

She knows that falling in love means lowering some of the control she values so much.

She knows all of that.

And she still wants him.

That's what makes her the red flag in this particular story.

Not ignorance.

Knowledge.

She's not walking into the garden blindfolded.

She's standing there looking directly at the thorned rose.

And reaching anyway.

Flora Doesn't Need the Rose to Be Thornless

I think that's ultimately why the metaphor works.

Luke doesn't become a different person because Flora falls for him.

His temper doesn't magically disappear.

His bluntness doesn't disappear.

His sharp tongue doesn't disappear.

His intensity doesn't disappear.

The thorns stay.

But Flora has learned that there is something underneath them worth knowing.

The man who guides her.

The leader who recognizes her abilities.

The person who protects people.

The man who becomes ridiculously flustered when she shows up at his door. 😂

The man who wants to be loved.

And Flora sees him.

Really sees him.

That's why her choice is important.

She's not selecting a fantasy version of Luke.

She's choosing Luke.

The whole package.

Jiejie's Take

I think the real fun of The Early Spring is that Flora isn't struggling to figure out whether she likes Luke.

She knows.

And Luke eventually knows too.

The real struggle is what comes afterward.

What happens when the woman who can control her physical boundaries discovers that she cannot control her feelings?

That is Flora's problem.

She can step back.

She can say no.

She can leave.

She can transfer teams.

She can maintain professional distance.

She can tell herself to think ahead.

She can write STOP on a mirror and wipe it away.

But she can't make herself stop wanting Luke.

And eventually, she wakes the hibernating lion.

Her words.

Her gestures.

Her glances.

Her kisses.

Her concern for him.

Her visits to his home.

All of it keeps saying the same thing:

I want Luke.

Then Flora turns around and says:

But I cannot lose my job.

And honestly?

That is the contradiction I find far more interesting than whether Luke is a red flag.

Luke is the thorned red rose.

Flora knows exactly how sharp he can be.

She's not worried about getting pricked.

She's worried about getting fired.

And after all that careful thinking, planning, running away and maintaining a “safe distance”...

She finally decides the rose is worth it.

But the relationship is going to be exclusive.

Because apparently even a woman standing in the middle of an emotional crisis can still negotiate a better contract.

That's Flora.

And honestly?

That may be the biggest red flag of all. 😂

Next I want to write about Flora prioritizing her boss/subordinate relationship over her boyfriend/subordinate with benefits relationship. 😂