I was buying a meal at a self-service place I've always gone to every morning at my campus since the last semester.

First I grabbed a plate, then put rice on it, then I went to the food basin where they put soy sauce egg (I eat rice with egg and soy sauce every morning).

I was looking at the eggs thinking which egg to take (picky behavior, I know) and I didn't realize my rice was falling. My rice ended up falling in the food basin next to the soy sauce eggs which has normal fried eggs in it.

I told the workers what happened in panic and apologized like crazy, and the older lady who I assume is the owner jokingly told me to pick up all the rice. Then the other worker told me to bring the basin to the counter. I did, assuming they can't sell them anymore.

I felt so guilty I decided to buy one of the fried eggs my rice has touched instead to reduce their loss, but it's not like that'll fix anything. I couldn't control myself I ended up crying.

My friend who was waiting at the nearby table was surprised to see me crying she came to hug and comfort me. Then the old lady and other workers were surprised too, the old lady who was behind the counter went all the way to the back door getting out of there so she could come to me and hug me too.

She told me it's okay, they're not mad, it was pure accident.

The old lady told me to sit and asked if I still want to eat. I nodded so she took my plate and added more rice to it. Then she asked if I wanted soy sauce like usual. I said yeah, then she put some soy sauce on the rice.

Then she put the plate on the table in front of me. I wanted to pay, but she told me no need. That made me cry more, then she patted my back.

Then when I was about to dig in I realized there was two eggs on my plate. I already took a fried egg that my rice touched, then I said yes when she asked me if I wanted soy sauce. Turned out she meant soy sauce EGG.

I caused them loss, then they still gave me a free meal in a bigger portion than I intended to have.

I'm still crying as I'm typing 😭😭😭😭😭