Jinul Lee had learned one important rule from yesterday's supermarket encounter: rich people were dangerous. Their wealth was like a virus, infecting wallets and souls alike. His poor soul could not take this kind of pain. So naturally, he thought the safest place to spend a quiet afternoon was… a quiet, ordinary little bookstore-café tucked between two apartment buildings.
He pushed the door open, inhaling the comforting scent of other people who had no money. Finally, a place without caviar paste or truffle oil. No designer coats in sight. Jinul smiled faintly to himself—today, maybe, he wouldn't cry himself to sleep.
Then he bumped into her.
She was crouched by the new releases shelf, carefully examining a book. Dark hair falling over her shoulders, glasses slightly slipping down her nose, a simple outfit that somehow made her look effortlessly elegant. She looked up, startled, and Jinul's words froze in his throat.
"Oh—sorry!" he blurted, stepping back too quickly and almost knocking over a stack of books.
This feels strangely familiar, Jinul thought. Almost like a scene in a drama…
"It's fine," she said, voice soft but warm. She smiled, and for a second, Jinul forgot to panic about money, rich people, or the state of his wallet. Wait—never mind. He was still thinking about money and his wallet.
Her name, as she later introduced herself, was Soojin Park.
The two of them fell into an easy conversation: favorite books, ridiculous coffee orders… and eventually, they ran out of topics. Jinul was surprised at how natural it felt. He could joke without fear of judgment or money. She laughed at his sarcasm instead of assuming he was trying to be "funny" for attention.He would do all of this for money, of course—well, that never changes.
Of course, the universe never liked happiness lasting too long.
As they both reached for the same book on top of the shelf, Jinul's elbow nudged a small stack of bookmarks. They tumbled to the floor like confetti at a party no one invited him to. He scrambled to pick them up.
Soojin knelt beside him, helping gather the mess. "You're really clumsy," she said, teasing, not cruelly.
Are you sure? You don't even know me… what is this, a drama? Jinul thought.
"Uhh… yeah, I guess." Jinul gave her a look that said contempt… but maybe that was just his face.
Their hands brushed briefly, and Jinul thought, Hey, this is really suspicious. This lady won't try to scam me, right?
Soojin noticed nothing, just smiled again. "It's okay. I think it's cute."
Jinul's brain short-circuited. Yeah, she definitely wants to scam me. Classic trick. Heh… I may be poor, but I am experienced—you will never catch me with that trick.
He laughed nervously, mentally noting: This lady is bad news. Who knows when she might try to rob me with eight of her friends.
When it was time to leave, they exchanged numbers—officially for "book recommendations," Jinul reminded himself. He walked out of the café feeling… paranoid. Maybe, just maybe, the universe wasn't completely out to ruin him. Or maybe he was just going crazy from the instant noodles.
Little did Jinul know, this was the calm before the storm. Happiness was a fragile thing, especially when it involved someone unexpectedly… rich.