𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀-𝐂𝐇𝐀

Ch.4

I felt embarrassed and tried to hide my slippers. The man started looking behind the counter. I sighed and said, "I have a reason," but the girl's quiet words reached me.

I gave my phone to the man quickly and said, "I'll leave my phone here." I put it on the counter, and the girl took it quickly.

She was excited and said to her dad, "It's the newest model." Her dad told me to leave, and I rolled my eyes because he was being dismissive.

I went out of the coffee shop and walked to the exit. I whispered, "How annoying, that girl dared to say my bag isn't real."

I looked at my bag and said quietly, "She doesn't know how much I like expensive things." I shook my head at the strange situation and started looking for a bank.

As I reached the bank, my unlucky day seemed to persist as the bank wasn't working either.

Frustration welled up within me, and the urge to call Hyejin was strong, but I realized I left my phone at the coffee shop. Making up my mind, I turned back to head there.

Upon my return, I noticed the man and the girl eyeing me suspiciously. I clenched my fists and spoke, "There are issues at the bank too, so I can't withdraw or transfer any money for you."

Leaning on the counter, I added, "Don't worry, once I'm back in Seoul, I'll pay you back here." The girl crossed her fingers, an uncertain look on her face.

"I would never cheat over 4,000 won, it's a small amount," I quickly reassured them, but the man shook his head, saying, "We can't know that."

Frustration mounting, I retrieved my wallet and handed him one of my cards, stating, "Here's my card." He examined it and glanced back at me.

"Are you a dentist?" he inquired. I nodded, answering, "Yes." The girl chimed in again, causing irritation to bubble up within me. "Who knows, maybe that's fake too," she remarked.

I felt my temper rise and exclaimed, "Hey!" Rubbing my temples, I continued, "These are real, even my bag." She quickly retreated to her father's side.

As I glanced at the entrance, I heard a whistle and saw the man from the beach approaching me. He gestured to the slippers and commented, "You ended up wearing them."

The coffee shop owner asked if I knew him, and the man hesitated, saying, "I don't know how to answer that."

I swiftly interjected, "Yes, we know each other." He looked at me with disbelief and confusion. "We met once," I clarified. He turned to the owner, who inquired about the situation.

"She's trying to leave without paying for the coffee," he explained. The man stared at me in disbelief.

"That's not true. I did order coffee, but everything went wrong – my credit card, phone, and the ATM," I explained.

He nodded and added, "That's true, and she's right. All the phones, internet, and banks are down in Gongjin due to a fire at Hanguk Telecom," he said, verifying my explanation.