SPOILED ROTTEN || SAIDA

i

Dahyun had been in a rush that whole day. First, she forgot to set her alarm so she woke up late for her classes. Then, in her rush to leave, accidentally broke her neighbour’s potted plant and received a scolding for that. And then she missed the 8:43 train and had to catch the 9:05 one.

And all of this drama was for nothing because it’s Saturday and Dahyun didn’t even have a class to get to.

She was stressed and exhausted from running around all morning. She decided, instead of having a mental breakdown, she’d grab a hot chocolate from the nearest Starbucks. Maybe even a slice of chocolate cake if she had enough money.

Judging by the weight of her wallet, she didn’t have the bills to spare.

Nevertheless, Dahyun found herself standing in a queue at Starbucks. People dressed in suits were grabbing their breakfast bagels and students were tapping away on their laptops, earphones plugged in while sipping on their coffees.

Dahyun quietly ordered her hot chocolate and thanked the staff when they handed her the drink. As she took it, she thought about all the things she had to do when she got home. She still had to go to work today and then she had to find time to study for her upcoming test—

She was so busy thinking about all this that she grew lost in her own world. She turned around swiftly and collided with another person walking by.

Dahyun let out a startled squeal and jumped back. Once she realised what happened, she fumbled out: “Oh my God, I-I’m so sorry!”

She snatched some napkins from the table nearby and began wiping off the spilled drink from the person’s clothing. A large brown stain appeared on very expensive looking fabric. Dahyun furiously wiped away at the stain, praying the suit didn’t cost as much as it appeared to and that the person didn’t demand to be compensated for the mess.

The sound of a gentle laugh caught Dahyun’s attention.

She glanced up and felt her stomach drop. The person who she spilt her drink on was drop dead gorgeous. She was older than Dahyun, that was clear, but she was still breathtaking. She was the kind of beautiful that exuded wealth and elegance. Her features were sharp, refined. Her black hair tumbled down her shoulders and her brown eyes caught Dahyun’s gaze.

Red lips curled and white teeth were bared in a smile.

Dahyun felt herself blush because holy shit it should be illegal to be that beautiful. She continued to wipe away at the stain, saying, “I’m so sorry, I should’ve looked where I was going, I—”

Gentle fingers tucked a lock of stray hair behind Dahyun’s ear. The Korean girl flinched at the touch, before realising who was touching her. It was the beautiful woman.

Dahyun caught her gaze once more. The fondness hadn’t left her eyes.

“Don’t worry.” the woman said gently, “It was only accident.”

Dahyun felt her face burn under the woman’s gaze. She looked down at the stain and the napkins in her hand. The stain seemed permanent and no amount of elbow grease could change that. Dahyun stood up straight and fiddled with her hands, the anxiety eating away at her.

“Please feel free to give me the bill for your shirt, ma’am.” Dahyun said, adding, “I’ll pay you back within the month, hopefully.”

Dahyun fumbled for her phone. It was a flip-phone, the cheapest model that Dahyun could afford. Her hands trembled as she opened her phone and opened her contacts list.

She handed the phone to the woman, already wondering how she’s going to afford this repayment. That shirt had to cost thousands of won. That was money that Dahyun simply didn’t have available at the moment. Maybe she could work extra shifts at the library? Or maybe—