Ch. 5
Another morning came in the blink of an eye, and as usual, Yuna arrived early at the university.
Even in her old life, she had always been punctual and maintained perfect attendance throughout her school years.
Once again, Yuna attracted far too much attention simply by stepping out of the black Valen family car.
As if on cue, the students around her parted like water, creating a clear path wherever she walked.
Some looked at her with awe, while others remained cautious.
They feared that getting involved with the mysterious Valen heiress might bring them more trouble than it was worth.
In one hand, she held a cup of black coffee and a black shoulder bag.
Her first class was ended and she is headed to the cafeteria, she wanted to try eating there for lunch.
When she entered the cafeteria alone, she started scanning for the vacant seat.
Naturally, no one dared sit near her.
Just how she liked it.
She moved to a corner seat by the glass windows, placing her bag gently beside her and taking a seat.
She had barely taken a sip of her drink before she felt it.
In the blink of an eye, her cup of coffee spilled onto her clothes.
Worse, it soaked through the front of her pristine white shirt, the stain spreading downward toward her collarbone.
Some of the dark liquid pooled across the table.
Yuna froze mid-motion.
Across from her, the person responsible for the accident went completely still as well.
"I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to—"
Lina immediately bowed her head over and over, clearly mortified. Her cheeks burned red, her eyes widened in alarm, and her trembling hands lost their grip on the tray. It clattered onto the floor with a loud crash.
"I-I didn't see you... I was just trying to get to the counter, and I—"
Yuna looked down at the coffee staining her uniform. She was admittedly shocked by the spill, but she was even more startled by the dramatic way Lina had dropped her tray.
Seriously? Was dropping the tray part of the performance too? she thought dryly.
Yuna blinked and calmly looked up at Lina.
When she confirmed that her suspicion was correct and that Lina was the one who had accidentally splashed coffee on her, her expression tightened slightly.
She did her best to maintain a cold demeanor, careful not to let her face reveal just how annoyed she actually was.
Yuna didn't remember anything like this happening in the novel. According to the story, Selene and Lina were supposed to have their first interaction during a debate class, not in the cafeteria.
Which meant this encounter wasn't supposed to happen.
Yes, she had seen Lina in class yesterday, but that was different.
They were still strangers to each other, nothing more.
Yuna also plans to stay away from the main characters and avoid getting dragged into the original storyline.
What she didn't expect was that avoiding them should have started on her very first day.
She thought she still had time.
She thought their first real interaction would only happen during the debate class.
The cafeteria gradually fell silent, the chatter dying away in waves. Every eye turned toward Selene and Lina, anticipation hanging heavily in the air as everyone waited for the next scene to unfold. After hearing Lina's apology, Yuna calmly brushed away some of the coffee stain on her uniform.
"...It's okay," she mumbled, her voice steady and cold.
"Oh no! Wait— I'll get tissues! I'll help, please, just... don't be mad!" Lina pleaded, her voice soft and filled with panic.
Seeing Lina panic, Yuna slowly raised her right hand. The gesture was simple, a silent request to stop. It wasn't threatening or aggressive, yet somehow, it was enough to make Lina freeze in place.
"Don't bother," she said simply. "It's not worth the panic."
Yuna reached for a single napkin from the edge of the table and lightly pressed it against her collarbone, wiping away the coffee stain. Her expression remained completely unreadable.
"Lina! What happened?"
A voice suddenly rang through the quiet cafeteria. The silence was so deafening that even though it wasn't particularly loud, everyone still heard it. The guy who approached Lina immediately began checking her, gently touching her arms and shoulders to see if she was hurt.
When Yuna saw this, her eyebrows furrowed.
What the heck? Why is Ethan here? Why does it look like he's already close with Lina? Weren't they supposed to meet later in the novel?
Her confusion deepened as she tried to piece everything together.
Am I really in the right chapter? Yuna thought.
"Mr. Ward! I— I spilled coffee on her," Lina said hurriedly, lowering her head. "I didn't mean to. I was rushing and I—"
"I'm fine," Yuna cut in, her voice calm and completely devoid of emotion.
"Oh? I thought—wait... you're fine?"
Ethan's attention immediately shifted to Selene.
For a moment, he had assumed Lina was the one who had been splashed. After all, she was the one panicking, apologizing, and looking like she was about to cry. But now that he looked closer, he realized the coffee had spilled onto Selene's uniform instead.
"The stain is all over your shirt," Ethan said, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "That was hot coffee."
"Yes. I'm aware." She met his gaze without blinking.
"It's only coffee, not acid," Yuna answered without hesitation.
Ethan blinked, slightly thrown off by how calm Selene was. For a moment, he remembered the cold glare she had given him yesterday. Now, he didn't know how to react.
Why do I feel like she's angry at me? Ethan wondered.
"But still, that's not okay. I'll take care of the damage, alright? I'll compensate you for it. Right, Lina?"
Lina, who was still nervous, nodded absentmindedly. But the moment she realized what Ethan had said, she immediately tried to stop him. She looked at Ethan and quickly protested.
"Huh? Wait, no!! Mr. Ward, you don't have to. I should be the one to compensate her. I-I will pay for it, Miss."
Watching the two of them make decisions on her behalf, Yuna felt a headache coming.
What exactly is this male lead trying to prove? I already gave them the choice to let it go, but they still insist on doing things their own way? Yuna thought, her irritation growing.
"You don't have to pay me. I'm fine. It's not worth panicking." she replied with a sigh as she started packing her things.
She turned her gaze toward Lina, who still looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"Accidents happen," Yuna said calmly. "Just be more careful next time."
Hearing Selene's words, Lina felt a small sense of relief, though the nervousness remained. She had expected anger or sarcasm in Selene's voice, but there was none.
"Y-Yes. I-I'm really sorry again." Lina nodded, still looking apologetic.
Yuna said nothing more. She simply stood up. Before she could leave Ethan stepped slightly forward.
"You should probably go change. I can have someone call—"
"No need." Her voice was sharp.
"It's not serious enough to require anyone's help. I can manage on my own." With that, Yuna turned and left the cafeteria in silence, her calm demeanor completely intact.
Ethan and Lina, who were still standing there, looked at each other. Both of them were left wondering if Selene was really okay. They couldn't read her reaction. Throughout the entire conversation, Selene had remained calm, composed, and intimidating.
The moment Selene left, the cafeteria slowly came back to life.
Whispers spread across the room as students and staff processed what had just happened.
That day, a new impression of Selene Valen began to form.
Some admired her elegance and the way she handled a small inconvenience without losing her composure or showing even a hint of emotion.
Ethan was also surprised by what he had witnessed. However, he quickly returned to reality and turned his attention back to Lina. Still concerned, he asked her one more time if she was alright.
Meanwhile, Yuna had finally reached Selene's locker room after a five-minute walk.
She stared at the coffee marks with disbelief.
She rolled her eyes, exhausted, before grabbing her phone and dialing a number.
As the call connected, she bit her lower lip in frustration, waiting for someone on the other end to answer.
I think I should stop drinking coffee now. Maybe this is a sign from the universe telling me to quit. Selene is nineteen. People her age probably aren't supposed to rely on coffee this much.
This must be the universe's way of reminding me to finally act my age. Tss...
Yuna thought absentmindedly until someone spoke from the other line. She immediately snapped back to reality.
"Hi, it's me, Selene. Can I have a spare uniform delivered to the university?"
There was a brief silence.
A gentle woman's voice suddenly interrupted the conversation. Yuna immediately recognized who it was.
"Don't tell her it's me," Yuna quickly said, but it was already too late. The person on the other end had already answered.
Yuna immediately covered her face with her hand.
She heard some rustling sounds, as if the phone had been passed to someone else. Then a familiar, gentle voice came through.
Yuna remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. She still didn't know how to approach this new mother of hers. She didn't know how the original Selene acted around her own mother.
Was she clingy? Cold? Affectionate?
Yuna had no idea.
"I'm fine, M-Mom. I just need some spare clothes for now."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Hmm... yes. Will do."
Yuna answered stiffly like an office employee acknowledging a work memo.
For some reason, talking to Selene's mother made her feel strangely awkward.
Maybe it was because she wasn't used to receiving this kind of concern.
Or maybe it was because, despite occupying Selene's body, she still felt like an outsider borrowing someone else's life.
Either way, she had no idea how daughters were supposed to talk to their mothers.