Princess's Crush

The morning erupted in chaos.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Seohwa jolted awake, her hair a wild mess, eyes wide in panic. "Mwoya! Mwoya?! (What is this? What is this?!)" she yelled, clutching her blanket like a shield.

From the other side of the room, Hyejin groaned, barely lifting her head. "Aigoo, al-lam-iya! Kkeunhyeo! (Ugh, it's the alarm! Turn it off!)"

"Al-lam? Mwoya, gongsu daga waseo?! (Alarm? What? Are assassins attacking?!)" Seohwa shrieked, flailing her arms.

Hyejin rolled out of bed and stomped over. She slammed the snooze button with a loud sigh. "It's not a bomb, Princess. It's an alarm clock. Joseon-eseon eopji. Ije 2025-nyeon iya. (They didn't have this in Joseon. It's 2025 now.)"

Seohwa blinked in confusion. "Jeongmal? Ireon muljangi michinjyo. (Really? This device is insane.)"

Hyejin waved her off. "Saenggak kkeodo malgo ol li haji ma. Jikjang-e niga tto neujeotseo! (Don't overthink it and don't be late again. You're already late for work!)"

---

Seohwa entered the bustling bar, her crooked apron and timid expression drawing immediate attention. She stood behind the counter, staring at rows of bottles like they were relics from an alien civilization.

Minjae, her coworker, gave her a puzzled look. "Yoon Seo, mwol geuleo bolgo isseo? Ije sijakhaeya dwae. (Yoon Seo, what are you staring at? We need to start working now.)"

She turned to him, holding up a bottle. "Ige mwoya? Saek-i heullin mulijyo? (What is this? Colored water, right?)"

Minjae blinked. "Aniya, sul-iji. Geunyang mul aniya. (No, it's alcohol. Not just water.)"

"Sul? Neul mul-e danyeoya hana? (Alcohol? Do I just pour it out like water?)" she asked, her expression serious.

Sohee, balancing a tray of cocktails, burst into laughter nearby. "Mwoya? Geureoni suldo mot jjijneun geoya? (What? So you don't even know how to pour alcohol?)"

Seohwa squinted. "Mollahyo. Joseon-eseon ireongeon gabsida. (I don't know. In Joseon, this stuff was rare.)"

Minjae groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Niga geu gongnyeo gongjolhaji malgo il-eul hae. (Stop acting like a court lady and get to work.)"

---

The door to the bar swung open, and a tall, strikingly handsome man walked in. His sharp features and elegant suit instantly commanded attention.

Seohwa froze, gripping a glass so tightly it almost cracked. "Jiho-ya?! Neo jeongmal…? (Jiho?! Is it really you…?)"

The man walked up to the counter, glancing at the overwhelmed Seohwa. "Annyeonghaseyo. Old Fashioned hana juseyo. (Hello. One Old Fashioned, please.)"

Seohwa blinked at him, her jaw dropping. "O-old…? Mwo? Mwoga saeksihanji jeongmal moreugesseo. (Old…? What? I really don't know what that means.)"

Minjae leaned in, whispering, "Yoon Seo, geu guy-ga mwol malhaedo mollaya? (Yoon Seo, do you really not understand what he's saying?)"

Sohee smirked. "Gongjoo-nim, Old Fashioned-eun sul iya. Neo neon jeongmal mothae. (Your Highness, Old Fashioned is alcohol. You're really clueless.)"

The man raised an eyebrow, switching to Korean. "*Chogiyo, jeog-eun geureoge eoryeowoyo? (Excuse me, is it that hard to make?)"

Minjae quickly intervened, grabbing the bottle. "Aniyo, hyeonsang-eun geureohji anhaeyo. Jeogiga neujyeoseo geuraeyo. (No, it's not. She's just… a bit slow today.)"

Seohwa stared at the man, her eyes shimmering. "Jiho-ya… neo jal isseo? (Jiho… are you well?)"

The man tilted his head. "Jeoneun dangsin-i nugunji mollaeyo. (I don't know who you are.)"

Seohwa's heart sank.

---

Hyejin dragged Seohwa into the break room. "Nuga neomeojeo? Ireon il cheoeum isseo? (Who are you messing with now? Have you ever acted like this before?)"

Seohwa shook her head, trembling. "Hyejin-ah, geu guy-ga Jiho-ya. Kang Jiho. (Hyejin, that man is Jiho. Kang Jiho.)"

Hyejin frowned. "*Neo gajang jongyohan geot-eun maengsin-eopgie il-eul jalhae. Geuge museun yonghwaga aniya? (The most important thing is not losing your job. Is this some drama?)"

Seohwa's voice rose. "Geu guy jeongmal ijji mothaneun nae sarang-iyeyo! (That man is truly my unforgettable love!)"

Hyejin sighed. "Geureom daega mwol haryeogo? Ireon yutong-eseo gwaenchanh-eul su iss-eo? (So what are you going to do? Can you stay sane in this chaos?)"

Seohwa's eyes blazed with determination. "Neo boda deo ganghae. Geugeo aniya, naega jeonbu chajeul geoya. (I'm stronger than you think. No, I'll find out everything.)"

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