Papers flew in her direction, nearly striking her face. She flinched, stepping back unconsciously while inhaling sharply. Her eyes squeezed shut in fear of being hit in the eye.

Then, the commotion was followed by a shrill voice that was starting to give Amina nightmares. "Wrong, wrong, wrong!" That word, she was starting to hate it.

She had heard it one too many times, repeatedly whenever she did something. How could she not hate it?

Whether it was doing paperwork assigned to her? Wrong.

Sorting out orders as instructed? It turned out wrong.

Redoing it and giving it her all? Still wrong.

"Can't you even manage something as simple as this? If so, why are you here? Do you think you're here to play around?!" Veronica scolded, her voice escalating with each statement. She rose from her seat, patting the table repeatedly. "Tell me, are you incompetent or just stupid?"

The insult was becoming all too familiar to Amina. How could it not, considering she had been enduring it for over a month now? At this point, she was surprised Veronica hadn't officially changed the name on her documents to "Stupid Ibrahim Muhammad." Calling her stupid had become so common that it almost felt normal.

Amina hesitantly opened her eyes, making sure no more papers were flying her way. She lifted her gaze to meet Veronica's cautiously, swallowing thickly upon seeing the look on the woman's face.

God, that look could actually kill someone one day.

Still, she cleared her throat slightly to rid it of the impending hoarseness. "If you could just point out where the mistakes are, I'm sure I can try..."

"Oh, come on, aren't you tired of repeating the same bullshit all the time?" Veronica cut her off, as always. "You can fix this, you can fix that, blah blah blah. I'm sick of this!"

Amina pursed her lips, holding back from saying anything. She kept repeating the same thing she told herself when she started working there and got assigned the wrong job.

She told herself it was all part of life, and that no experience is a waste. That she could handle whatever was thrown her way, and it would all be worth it eventually.

However, as time dragged on and she found herself sinking deeper into this dark abyss with no escape, she couldn't help but wonder whether she had made the wrong choice by accepting the job in the first place.

Veronica glared at her with a look that could send someone to an early grave, her lips curling into a deep frown. It seemed as though she wanted to say more, to do more, but she held back, and that only frustrated Amina even more.

She huffed out a breath instead, her hand raising, curling into a fist, and then dropping with a thud on the table. Her previously straightened lob was now a bright orange color in waves, which she had tied into a bun - her new look for a while.

It fit her attitude quite well, actually. Fiery.

Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, she bit down before blowing out another harsh breath. Her narrowed gaze then slanted back to Amina, her lips curling into a sneer.

Suddenly, she chuckled humorlessly. "You know what? What more do I expect from a university dropout?" She mocked, shaking her head in the process. "You wouldn't have gotten anywhere near here without that connection of yours. Who would hire someone like you?" She added not so quietly, fully intending for Amina to hear.

And she sure did. Every word, every sentence. They permeated the pores of her being, diffusing into her bloodstream, flowing all the way to her central nervous system, then imprinting themselves in her brain along with the other piles of insults and degradation from other people.

However, that meant Amina's patience was slowly running out. She had been living with those insults and words constantly playing in her mind, like a broken playlist, when she lay on her bed at midnight.

The words creeped out and haunted her, leaving her no escape.

Veronica's insults were nothing new. However, it was the first time she had brought up Amina's background. Not the so-called connections one that Amina knew nothing of, but the actual part on her resume.

The dropout part. The decision she hadn't regretted until that point, where something as common as a degree was being rubbed in her face.

"-You're dumb because you're uneducated as well. If you're going to be shameless and climb the ladder all the way here, then you should at least have the background to back it up. You're just pathetic now. You're useless, and nothing but a liability to the team."

Amina didn't ask for this. She didn't ask for a job under Veronica. She didn't ask for a job at a place as big as theirs. Hell, when she applied, she had the least expectation of getting a response from them.

Yes, she couldn't understand the logic behind everything, and the only woman capable of giving her answers was still nowhere in sight, adamant on following a potential asset around Seoul with no positive response so far.

She was confused, exhausted, and mentally stressed. But she still tried to keep it together and get through it.

"-What? You thought you'd get straight to modeling with your connections? Or do you perhaps think one day you'll get the job you actually wanted and leave this behind? Oh, please, stop dreaming. You're in no way cut out for that. Look around, see the others in line for the job, do you think you can compete with them? Connections or not, here you work to get what you want. If you want something, you work your ass off for it. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a pitiful case. A loser."

Veronica's words were all that replayed in her mind as Amina strolled around with hunched shoulders. The incident had happened hours ago, and they had already gotten off work, so the day ended as if nothing had happened.

It would've felt that way if not for the words replaying. She's useless, she's a liability, she's a loser.

Living alone and fending for herself had proven to be a lot more difficult than she expected - ten times worse. But yet, she was determined to keep going; she wanted the experience.

She was starting to regret it, though. How could she not, when she had been suffering day in and day out at work? If it was just the physical workload, it would've been fine. However, the mental abuse was simply too much.

Not when she knew better than anyone how much time and effort she spent trying to understand how the job works despite having no passion for it. She even had to ask Hades, her workmate, to walk her through it.

She pulled all-nighters to complete paperwork, and her sleeping schedule was a mess at the moment, disrupted by the repetitive action. All for what?

To be treated like a fool, or to be mocked and insulted?

Amina wasn't sure how she managed to get through it earlier without saying a thing. She simply stood there and accepted the insults until Veronica got tired and stormed out, leaving Amina alone with passersby who stopped to gossip.

Amina ignored them as she crou

ched low and gathered the papers yet again with slightly shaky hands and a blurry gaze. She didn't allow them to fall, though. Instead, she forcefully swallowed her emotions and gathered the papers, heading back to redo them.

Was she upset? Of course she was. But she was in no position to complain, not that she wanted to.

She had a lot of things she wanted to say to the woman, but she kept them bottled up. She wouldn't want to get into a fight, even if she would be defending herself rather than starting one.

Unfortunately, she happened to be one of those people who held things to themselves rather than voicing their feelings when upset. She preferred to keep it all bottled up, not wanting to indulge in anything that would make them say or do things they'd regret.

She'd rather be tormented alone. And tormented she was.

Because instead of hailing a cab and making her way home, she chose to walk around aimlessly like the walking dead. She was surprised how her steps remained collected when she felt dead inside.

At one point, she dropped by a supermarket and got herself a can of soda, nothing else. Thankfully, she had gotten paid during the week, which was the only good thing that happened. Even then, she couldn't care less about it.

She retrieved her soda from the sales guy, then buried her phone into the pocket of her pants before making her way out again.

Not far from there, she spotted a river by the highway. She had seen it countless times on her way to work, and the sight was always appealing, so she decided to walk down that path.

Despite the buzzing of cars all around, she strolled down the pedestrian way quietly with hunched shoulders. One look at her, and anyone could tell she wasn't in a good mood.

Eventually, she came to a halt by the riverside, before turning around to stare at the vast, beautiful river that also offered a great view of the city. She chose to pop open the soda can there, resting one arm on the rail before taking sips from it.

The breeze blew, making a few strands of her hair stick to the side of her face. That day, she wasn't wearing a hijab, heck she wasn't even covering her hair. She simply pulled it into a bun to match her look and then stepped out.

Admittedly, she would never claim to be the perfect Muslim because she wasn't. She wore a hijab on days she felt like it, and on days she didn't feel like it, she didn't wear one. It had more to do with the society she was in. She dressed to fit in.

She couldn't point a finger at what exactly was bothering her. Even with the sight, a soda in her hand, and a warm breeze, her heart still felt heavy. Nothing felt right; she felt suffocated.

She knew she was upset, but she couldn't bring herself to react to it. So, she simply focused on taking sips of her drink, getting lost in the moment.

Until a voice came, putting a screeching halt to her train of thoughts.

"Amina IB?"

That name, Amina hadn't heard it in forever. If not for the years she'd spent answering the name, she would've ignored it, thinking the person might be addressing someone else.

Out of instinct, though, she found herself whipping her head to the side, her gaze falling on the woman standing a few feet away from her.

The woman was of medium height, standing an inch taller than Amina. Her eyes were captivating and almond-shaped, with a warm and inviting shade of brown that sparkled with intelligence and kindness. Long, dark eyelashes framed her eyes, adding a touch of allure to her gaze.

Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped, gracefully arching and enhancing the expressiveness of her eyes. They appeared to be the result of meticulous grooming, emphasizing the overall beauty of her face. Just above, her forehead was smooth and unmarked, contributing to her youthful appearance.

Her nose was petite and delicate, complementing her soft facial structure. When she smiled, two adorable dimples appeared on her cheeks, amplifying the enchantment of her radiant smile.

She wore a modern Korean fashion ensemble, exhibiting elegance and taste. The outfit consisted of a designer top that draped gracefully over her figure, accentuating her femininity without being overly revealing. Paired with tailored pants that perfectly fit her frame, the ensemble exuded a sense of confidence and sophistication.

To complete her look, she adorned herself with a stylish overcoat that added a touch of flair to her attire. The overcoat was meticulously designed, with subtle patterns or textures that elevated her overall appearance. It gently hugged her frame, creating a flattering silhouette while providing warmth and comfort.

On her feet, she donned fashionable boots that were both chic and practical. The boots perfectly complemented her outfit, adding a touch of edginess and modernity to her ensemble while ensuring she could confidently navigate any urban landscape.

Her hijab was thoughtfully chosen to match her outfit, showcasing her keen eye for fashion coordination. It draped gracefully around her head, framing her face in a way that highlighted her natural beauty while adhering to her sense of modesty.

Her lips curled upwards into a wide grin, revealing a set of pearly white teeth when her eyes met Amina's. "Oh my God, it really is you." The excitement in her tone was hard to miss. It was like that of seeing an old friend. A good one.

Amina's head tilted slightly. She was always bad at recognizing people, one of the downsides of having a short memory sometimes.

The woman took a step closer to her, unbothered by the confused look on Amina's face. "Don't you recall me, popcorn?"

That name... only Inaya calls her that.

Well, she and...

Amina's gaze suddenly widened as realization dawned on her, her mouth falling open. "BB Tafida?!"

***

And you've met the first member of the Jeju squad!

BB Tafida, sounds familiar? It's our last name, yeah? I should probably change my name to Jannah Tafida. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

Anywhoooooo what do you think will happen next? Who is BB Tafida? Any guess on her name?

I absolutely LOVE seeing the comments flowing in. Love yall❤️

I've been stalling my school resumption but it seems I've been cornered to resume Las las. It's official, I hate packing! I always overpack. Let's hope I don't overpack this time around.

Sighssss.

Yall stay safe.

Love, Jannah Mia ❤️