Ever since Se Ah moved into this luxurious hotel suite, she has been becoming lazier with each passing day. Maybe it had something to do with the incredible, previously unknown comfort of being surrounded by expensive things, or perhaps Da Hye's words had finally infected her brain with their leisureliness and she, too, was now thinking that she was on vacation here. Whatever the reason was, it was more harmful than pleasant - she found it harder to wake up early in the morning and was now scared that the change in her morning routine would affect her colleagues' perception of her as a hardworking, goal-oriented woman.
'I guess money does change people... and not in a good way. Even if it's not really my money.'
Truthfully, Se Ah would not mind being rich and lazy. Having spent her whole life buried in never-ending studies and part-time jobs while trying to get her life together and break free from the hell pit of poverty, she could never take a breather and try enjoying neither her youth nor life in general, and even though she never really aimed towards the luxurious existence, it felt nice to be able to experience it at least once in her life.
Although with some effort, she finally managed to get ready and was about to leave, when she heard a light knock on the door with chipper words "Room service!" following it soon afterwards.
'Room service? I don't think I ordered anything, though.'
Se Ah found it strange and suspicious at first but since there was no way something dangerous could happen in the hotel with such tight security, she decided to open the door and check what was happening herself. When she opened the door, a nice-looking young man with a bright smile on his tanned face offered her a light bow, then handed her a large bouquet of pastel pink roses and a long, narrow black paper bag that felt weirdly heavy hanging down her arm.
"What is all this? I did not order this!"
Se Ah rounded her eyes at the young man in the hotel uniform but he could not see her bewilderment hidden behind the enormous size of the bouquet in her hands.
"Oh, this is a gift for Miss Yoon Se Ah. You can find a vase in the lower left cabinet in the bathroom and the corkscrew is in the kitchen. Then, please excuse me."
The guy bowed again and left rather hurriedly, leaving Se Ah alone and flabbergasted. She came back inside the room, put the gifts on the kitchen table, and took a step back to assess the situation once again.
'A gift for me? But only Min Hyun knows that I'm living here, it could not be him. Alright, let's see.'
She opened the black bag first and melted into a wide smile. She definitely did not expect that! Inside the bag was an expensive bottle of red wine, the one she wanted to drink last night but, to her explicit disappointment, could only enjoy one single glass of it. Se Ah then began inspecting the bouquet of roses which had already managed to spread its sweet scent around the room. Finally, her fingers brushed over a small glossy card, decorated with a tiny golden ribbon. She opened the card and could not help but scoff.
"Dear Miss Se Ah,
I know this might come off as creepy but as the owner of the YL Hotel, I could not simply overlook the inconvenience caused to you by my lack of competence. I hope this nice bottle of wine will help you forgive me and my precious hotel.
P.S. Roses seem like universal flowers but if you don't like them, please write your favorite flowers on the back of the card and return the bouquet to the reception. I will make sure to rectify this mistake as well.
Oh, they have thorns, so do be careful.
With hopes to meet you again, Yang Min Seok."
Se Ah threw another look at the flowers, then reread the card, and started laughing. She was not sure how she felt about that whole situation, it was both amusing and confusing. And maybe a little bit creepy, just like he said. Despite the initial frustration, she had to admit that it felt nice to receive such a fancy gift. She could never afford to be in a real relationship and even forbade her sexual partners from crossing the line and buying her presents regardless of the occasion, therefore, although she understood that it was more an official apology rather than a real gift, Se Ah could not help but feel unnaturally flustered. Those things, those emotions, and feelings were something unreachable to her, something she craved but could never attain, and the fact that she could not stop herself from enjoying them felt unfathomably wrong.
"Right, let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is just a formal apology and anyway... It does not really matter if it's not. All of this is not for you, you can't have it."
She took the bottle of wine and put it inside the fridge, then brought in a large crystal vase, filled it with water, and put the roses in it.
"It feels like a waste to just throw them out."
Se Ah shifted her gaze onto the glossy card which was still lying on the table and sighed. The card felt like an eyesore at first yet somehow, she could not bring herself to throw it, too. Was she always like that? After everything that had happened to her in the past, was she really the type of person that clings to the remnants of nice things that were crossing her life? Could Yoon Se Ah be that person? She could not answer that. She did not know who she was. Her pale hands touched the smooth surface of the card and its cold glossiness and softness made her hands move on their own. She placed the card right next to the shining crystal vase, greedily inhaled the intoxicating scent of roses, then looked into the mirror next to the door, and smiled.
"That's right, Yoon Se Ah. Enjoy it while you can."