I woke up to find myself in a hospital bed, with a girl holding my hands. It was Park Jiyeon, my best friend for seven years. We met during my third year studying pharmacy. I had gone to this famous mall, which was established the very same year.
I decided to treat myself for all my hard work by buying a limited-edition bag—even though I knew I would probably never use it. But hey, it won't hurt to spoil yourself once in a lifetime, even if it goes to waste. I was busy asking advice from the shopkeepers about which bag would suit me best, when I saw her—this girl going crazy over bags.
I was so surprised to see someone obsessed like that. I mean, they're just bags, for heaven's sake! To me, as long as it's not something that goes into my stomach, I don't care, even if I can afford it—except when I'm happy and want to spoil myself.
Anyway, as I was saying, she was roaming around the shop, picking bags like one of those housewives during market specials. After a long time trying to decide which bag to buy, I finally made up my mind—only to find out someone else had her eyes on it too.
"Umm, excuse me, I had my eyes on it first, which means it belongs to me," she said in a cheeky tone, rolling her eyes.
"And who are you exactly?" I asked, annoyed that she killed my mood.
"Haaa! What the hell? You don't know who I am?" she said, confused and angry.
"What? Was I supposed to know who you are? Do your parents own the world or something, and I happen not to know? Oh no! Don't tell me you lost your memory and don't remember who you are. Do you need me to call the neurology department?" I said with a cheeky grin.
The whole shop burst into laughter. She was so embarrassed she couldn't take it.
"HEY!!!!! Who do you think you are? Do you—"
I interrupted her before she could finish.
"You can have it; it looks boring. Probably your style," and with that, I left her to explode on her own.
Yep, that was me. I never cared if you were rich or poor—because to me, all human beings are the same. We're all rich in different ways.
Before leaving the shop, I told one of the shopkeepers to choose a bag they thought would suit me and to send it to my place after I handled the purchase online. Then I went to a nearby café to have some dessert.
I ordered a chocolate milkshake and dark chocolate cake with mint on top—the one thing that made me drop everything to come to that mall, not the excuse of buying myself something.
I was busy enjoying my cake when that green tea witch crushed my mood again—but this time, I wasn't letting her go.
"Oh my! I thought you were someone with a name, but it turns out you're the type to fake being rich. You can't even afford proper dessert, yet you act all arrogant, as if you're somebody. I bet this was your last savings. But don't worry, I'm not the type to let people suffer on my watch."
And with that, she woke up the Lucifer in me.
"HEY!!!!! Who do you think you are? Do you think just because you come from a rich family you can insult everyone? Do you think this world is owned by your parents? Do you think the world revolves around your family?
Well, let me tell you something. Everything you have now isn't yours—it belongs to your parents. And for them to have all of that, it's because of all the people you look down upon.
I'm not the type you want to mess with. I may look simple, but I can make your life a living hell that not even your family's money can help you with.
And for your information, I can afford very expensive dessert. But because I know showing off is for losers, I eat whatever I feel like. I mean, it's the 21st century—who does that?
Anyway, I lost my appetite. So if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go entertain those with the same IQ level as mine."
I said this and left her shocked.
As I was leaving, I saw tears in her eyes. I felt bad because it seemed like I went too far and might have crushed her self-esteem. So I turned back and apologized.
"I'm sorry I went too far this time. Please forgive my rudeness. I never meant to make you cry, so please don't—because you're making me feel like a horrible person."
I tried to wipe her tears.
"You know, you're the first person to ever say what's really on their lungs. Whenever I bully someone and then mention my family's name, they all go quiet and endure it—but it seems like you're not the type to mess with," she said, wiping her tears and trying to fake a smile.
"Let me guess—you grew up in a family with many problems, so you try spending money recklessly and bullying people to feel better?" I said, trying to understand her situation.
"That's right. I'm good at fashion and other stuff—as long as it doesn't involve studying hard, which is way less than my family expects. So I always get into fights with my mom when I go home."
Her eyes started to tear as she explained.
"You know what? Screw them and what they think. What matters is what you want. If they can't support you, they should suit themselves.
Let's start fresh. My name is Kim Hana. I'm a third-year pharmacy student, and starting today, I'll be your pillar of support. So whatever you do, you have my full support.
And if they threaten to cut off your financial support, don't mind them—I have enough money to support both of us."
I said this with the biggest smile on my face. She laughed.
It was the most beautiful smile I'd seen in a long time—pure, with no sadness. From then on, we became friends forever.
She stopped depending on her family and sold her entire bag collection, which helped pay for tuition for all the years she needed.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention—she's also studying fashion, and she's darn good at it.
After that, we became closer than ever. She started doing videos showing off her designs, and after graduation, she opened her own shop, which is now renowned across the world.
Ever since, we've been looking after and supporting each other.