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The sunlight kissed her skin, casting a warm glow that blended perfectly with her sun-kissed complexion. Iseul tilted her head back, savoring the refreshing chill of her cocktail as the heat of the day wrapped around her. A relaxed smile played on her lips beneath her dark sunglasses. Just as she finished her drink, a maid appeared silently, refilling her glass without a word.

She sipped her cocktail, glancing down at her Louboutins resting by the pool. She wasn't sure why she'd chosen to wear them here, but they looked good, so why not?

Another maid approached, hands folded nervously. "Miss Lee, where should we put the money? There's... no more room inside."

"Just tell the guys to dump it in the pool."

Iseul watched the muscular guys carrying boxes of cash, smirking. "Ahaha, this is the life! My money doesn't even fit in the bank," she sighed, basking in the fantasy.

She stepped forward to dip into her "money pool" and felt something unexpectedly hard beneath her—wasn't this supposed to be soft? It was paper, after all.

Her eyes flew open, only to find the floor of her bedroom pressed against her cheek. She groaned, burying her face into her pillow. "Ugh, seriously... screw my life."

With a reluctant glance at the clock, her eyes widened. 9 a.m. Again, late for work.

Iseul rushed to the bathroom, desperate to beat her brother to it. Just as she burst through the door, he dropped her wallet, having successfully snagged twenty dollars from it. He darted past her with a mischievous grin, ready to bother her.

"Yeah, no, we're not doing that," she said, blocking his path.

"Oh yes, we are," he shot back, slamming the door behind him.

"Don't go in there if you're just going to take a shit! It gets all stinky afterwards!" she protested.

"Shut up, or I will literally fart in your face!" he called from inside, laughter echoing through the door.

They bantered back and forth, each trying to outwit the other, but Iseul finally managed to slip into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

But having a brother meant the battle was far from over. He started banging on the door. "Let me in! I swear I'll make your life miserable if you don't!"

"Yeah, right! You can hold it!" she shot back, stifling a laugh as she hurried through her morning routine, fully aware that he was still plotting his next move.

Finally ready, Iseul walked down to her parents' restaurant, a cheerful "Good morninggg!" spilling from her lips as she entered.

But as soon as her parents spotted her, they panicked, hastily shoving newspapers under the counter. Iseul raised an eyebrow, but she didn't think much of it.

What's up with them? she wondered, brushing off the strange behavior as she moved to grab a cup of coffee.

Her father stumbled over his words, "Goo... good morning! We weren't doing anything."

Iseul laughed at his flustered expression, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "Relax, Dad. It's probably just another one of your failed projects, right?" She grinned, pouring herself a cup of coffee, completely unaware of the real reason for their panic.

Iseul munched on her bagel and turned to her mom, "Hey, Mom, can you pass me the newspaper? I want to read something on the bus."

Her mother, Miseok, froze, her eyes wide. "No, no! It's just full of useless stuff! Why not grab one of your father's physics books instead?"

"What am I going to do with physics? I'm studying marketing, not rocket science!"

Her father, chimed in with a proud grin, "I know my sweet daughter is smart! Don't waste your time reading about actors or idols."

Iseul shook her head at her father's words, ready to head out, but he suddenly stood up, blocking her path. "DON'T GO!"

"And why is that?"

"Your mom, she's, um..." he stuttered, clearly trying to find an excuse.

"Dad, just spit it out," Iseul teased.

"Sweet Iseul, I'm just so tired today! Can't you stay back and help me?" her mother pleaded.

"What do you need my help with? Reorganizing the restaurant's supply room again?"

Her mom waved her hands dramatically. "No! It's... it's very important! I need you to taste-test the new recipe!"

"Mom, my boss is already angry at me! If I don't show up, we might have to cut down on expenses," Iseul said, her patience thinning as she glanced at the clock.

Her father opened his mouth to come up with yet another excuse, but Iseul wasn't having it. She dashed toward the door, calling over her shoulder, "I'm leaving!"

"Wait, Iseul!"

But she was already out the door, shaking her head and chuckling to herself.

As she walked to the bus stop, she greeted everyone in her neighborhood with a bright smile. The locals adored her; she had a way of making everyone feel seen.

"Morning, Mr. Park!" she called out to the barber, waving enthusiastically. He grinned back, but she didn't catch his low mutter as she passed by.

"Does she know?" he whispered to himself, eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Oblivious, Iseul continued on her way, humming a tune. Little did she know, her cheerful demeanor was hiding a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

Finally, Iseul squeezed into a seat on the crowded bus, her legs aching from the fight for space. She let out a small sigh of relief, grateful for the brief moment of stillness. Just as she settled in, her gaze drifted upward, and her heart sank.

The person sitting in front of her was engrossed in a newspaper featuring a headline that made her stomach churn.

It was him. Oh, how she hated him. Iseul's eyes widened in disbelief as she read the bold headline: "Park Sunghoon: Young CEO Takes the Business World by Storm." His ugly (handsome) face splashed across the cover like a beacon of everything she loathed about him.

Unable to contain her reaction, she gasped loudly, drawing the attention of every passenger on the bus. Whispers filled the air as heads turned to look at her, a mix of curiosity and surprise on their faces.

Ignoring the stares, Iseul reached out and snatched the newspaper from the man's hands.

"Excuse me, but I think you've dropped something," she said to distract the man, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the smiling photo of Sunghoon.

"Hey! That's mine!" the man protested, but Iseul was already flipping through the pages, searching for the article that would confirm it's actually him.

And indeed it was him, the bus was engulfed in chaos as Iseul began shouting, "This dude?? Is this Sunghoon? It says he's the richest young CEO! There's no way, right? As far as I know, he doesn't have a twin!"

Her voice echoed through the bus, turning heads and sparking amused giggles from the other passengers. Ignoring their stares, she frantically skimmed through the article, her eyes zapping from line to line until they bulged in disbelief. "He has a net worth of 500 million dollars?" she exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch.

And just like that, the world around her faded into darkness.

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