I am instantly hit with the smells of something sweet like vanilla and floral with a hint of something bitter.
The bitter scent soon overpowers my senses as I realize it to be coffee.
As if on cue, my senses catch up.
My front feels wet, a little too cold for my liking.
I search around from where I am splayed to make sense of the situation.
"Oh my god! I am so sorry. I am so sorry. I shouldn't have been on my phone while walking" a voice echoes in my head but right now my focus is elsewhere.
I am staring at the white shirt and the blazer that spilled out of my bag when I fell.
The once white shirt was now stained with coffee and the blazer was completely soiled as well.
I couldn't help but feel tears sting my eyes.
This couldn't possibly be happening to me.
this really couldn't be happening.
I just paid for the dress and it was already ruined. If this wasn't my luck then I don't know what is. Also, this was like my future being forecasted right now.
I felt my vision blur as hot tears streamed down my face.
I am sure the shop will not take this back. I don't even know if I can get it cleaned.
Can coffee stains be removed from white shirts?
I didn't even know what material the shirt was made of. The urge to google whether coffee stains are removable was tempting.
I had to move quickly.
I had to get to the cleaners before the stain set.
Maybe then it could still be salvaged.
That was how it was usually with other stains so why not coffee?
I am sure if I ride my bike fast enough, I can reach the cleaners in my neighborhood before the stain sets in completely.
I scramble to my hands and knees and collect my belongings quickly.
I don't even pay heed to the voice behind me.
I have to move quickly.
And this is not the time to cry, Yuri.
But even as I am hatching out a mental plan of the shortest route to the cleaners and giving myself a pep talk about how everything will be fine, the tears sting my eyes.
I feel the hot liquid finally spill over my eyes and onto my cheeks, the presentation made stark by the constant gust of cold wind from the central aircon.
I feel the presence of more and more people gathering around me and whispers floating around.
Great.
This is just what my day needed.
Was there anything else I could do to gather more attention towards me?
And why were these stubborn tears not listening to me? I can't keep crying like this.
"Are you crying?" a soft voice asks when I finally turn to face the voice.
A very pretty boy with a pout and wide eyes stares at me.
He looks almost scared, not sure what to do in the situation.
Same pretty boy, same.
I don't know what to do either.
As if spilling coffee and creating a scene wasn't enough, I had to do it on a pretty boy and embarrass myself further.
Why was I even thinking about how pretty he is?
As I look closely at his wide surprised eyes I realize he is the same guy I stumbled into at the entrance because he is still wearing the same cap but the mask is gone.
I can see more of his feature.
He has a cute button nose and his lips are fish lips but in the most adorable way possible.
His skin is perfect, with no blemish, no spots, no pores.
His lips a pretty pink, similar to that of his cheek now.
No wonder he looks a little embarrassed.
"I am really sorry. I'll get it cleaned for you" he speaks and presses his lips into a thin line, his cheeks bunching up in a boyish manner.
It only draws my attention more to the pink of his cheeks.
If it were a normal scenario, I might have stared at him longer.
If it were another situation, I might have found him cute.
It is not like I came across such cute guys on a daily basis but that was not today.
This whole situation only made me feel more embarrassed.
Not only did I bump into a really cute guy twice a day but also made him spill his coffee and cry in front of him.
This day was going just great!
Just freaking great!
The thought of coffee made me drag my eyes from his face to his uniform.
Shit.
His long coat still showcased drops of dark liquid on it, the remnants of coffee languidly sliding over the smooth material in a web-like manner.
Didn't know coffee on leather could look so good.
But it was his shirt that grabbed my attention and a gasp escaped my lips.
His white shirt was soaked in brown, almost mimicking mine. I did not miss how the wet fabric clung to his abdominal muscles before I tore my eyes off him.
There was no way I could reimburse him for his damage if he demanded that of me.
I was the one who bumped into him because I was not looking the way I was headed.
Sure he had been on a call so maybe he wasn't paying attention either but the way the staff surrounded him and muttered fluent apologizes, I knew he was someone important.
This day was just getting better, wasn't it?
I wanted to curse fluidly at my fate but my rational part was still in control enough to chide me on that thought.
I just needed to get away from this place and try to find a way to fix her uniform.
I had to escape.
Seeing as I was not replying to him, the boy steps forward, his arms extended.
Honestly, I was so lost in my thoughts that I really wasn't paying much attention to what this guy in front of me was saying.
In fact, I was purposefully trying to block it because the way the staff was sending me glares just made me want to run away.
I look back at the guy and see him part his lips again, a confused expression flashing on his face and my mind just screams fight or flight and the need for flight is strong.
"I am so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I am so sorry" I do an extremely low bow, hoping to hide my bawling face from him.
I needed to get away before he or the staff could blame me and make me pay for the damages.
"I am really sorry but I need to get somewhere urgently. I am so sorry" I do a quick bow again and push past the staff as my feet pick up speed not caring that the sound was a little too loud and echoed in the otherwise silent surrounding.
As I turn the corner I think I hear him yell "But I didn't get your number" but I don't turn around to confirm my suspicions.
I would be lying if I said I didn't want to sneak another peek at him but I needed to get away from here, and fast.
There was no way I could afford to pay for the damages.
The summer uniform itself was so costly, I didn't want to know how much his outfit would cost.
And besides, I am sure that he was rich enough to buy himself another set right?
I wasn't a horrible person to do that to him, right?
As I jog out of the store, I put my thoughts of the cute boy aside and focus on more pressing matters at hand.
The soiled uniform in my bag.