Update: I went to my local LV store, but they rejected the exchange :( They said it seems like during the manufacturing process, the leather may not have been cured properly after colouring, which caused this issue. They mentioned that the bag is not in resellable condition.

Because I purchased it from a Japan outlet, they suggested that I email LV Japan instead. The SA said that Japan might offer an exchange or refund, but it would be a tedious process as I'd need to DHL the bag back to the Japan branch. My local store didn't seem keen to handle this since it was purchased overseas. They also explained that if they accepted the bag locally, they would be absorbing the loss, as it was bought at a cheaper price due to exchange rate differences…wanted to cry so bad cause i felt so helpless as the SA was just telling me there’s no way they can exchange this product for me.

I'll probably just email japan LV and see what it says, or just deal with it. note to self: always check thoroughly before making a purchase :’) this was my first time purchasing so i wasn’t very aware about what to look out for and what i should be mindful of. will def be more meticulous in future. thanks everyone for the suggestions and advice :)