Chapter 30
"Shit, I'm gonna be late."
Yeonho cursed under his breath, fingers moving way too fast as he scrambled.
Sweat dripped down his forehead, sticking to his skin, as his hands fumbled clumsily with his belt — slipping over the smooth leather buckle every other second.
He was such an idiot for forgetting to set his alarm last night.
Now here he was, still half-dressed, sweat soaking the back of his shirt, moving like a total mess. If he didn't hurry the hell up, he'd be way too late.
He was supposed to be at the store already, ready and waiting long before Hana even showed up.
But right now? He couldn't make his limbs move any faster even if his life depended on it.
'I'm so fucking dumb.'
Once the belt finally clicked into place, Yeonho bolted straight to the full-length mirror in the living room.
He scanned every inch of his reflection, eyes darting fast over every detail — making absolutely sure his disguise was flawless.
No stray hair out of place, no recognizable features showing, nothing that could give him away.
Satisfied with what he saw, he didn't waste another second and stormed straight out of the hotel building.
But of course, luck wasn't on his side. The roads were packed solid — cars jammed left and right, horns blaring nonstop, the whole street loud and chaotic with morning rush.
How the hell was he supposed to get a taxi in this mess?
He stood there shifting from foot to foot for what felt like forever, until the jam finally loosened up just enough.
He hopped straight into the first empty taxi he spotted, rattling off the mall address fast before the driver could change his mind.
As the car wove through the streets, his brain ran a mile a minute — heart thrumming fast in his chest, equal parts of excitement and nervous tangled tight in his ribs.
He'd get to see Hana soon, talk to her face to face. He couldn't wait to pull this whole act off right under her nose, make a complete fool out of her without her ever suspecting a thing.
And honestly? He was just as eager to finally meet Kang Min-Hyuk too — the other male lead, the perfect nice flirty guy everyone fell for.
It didn't take long before the taxi pulled over by the side of the road.
Yeonho looked out the window, scanning the wide, busy front of the mall. It looked exactly like he expected — grand, polished, swarming with people.
"Okay, let's do this… haaah." He breathed out slow, blowing all the leftover rush and tension right out of his lungs.
He paid the fare and got out, his eyes darting all over the place as he scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of Hana's familiar figure.
Nothing. She wasn't anywhere in sight. Figuring she was probably already inside waiting, Yeonho headed straight for the main entrance and stepped in.
Cool air hit him the second he walked through the glass doors. It felt amazing, instantly smoothing out the tight, jittery nerves that had been coiled up in his chest all morning.
He paused for a second just to breathe, letting himself settle into the quiet hum of the place.
The whole mall was alive with noise and movement. Shoppers streaming past, footsteps tapping fast over sleek marble floors, soft chatter and faint store music filling every corner.
People moved left and right, rushing past bright storefronts, open restaurants, and towering department store entrances.
He glanced up at the high ceilings. There was four main floors plus one upper level, spread out wide and endless.
It was huge, way bigger than he thought it'd be. The whole interior screamed high-end: smooth polished surfaces, soft warm lighting, clean lines everywhere, nothing messy or out of place.
Definitely the kind of spot rich families like theirs came to shop.
"Okay, that's enough standing around. Time to find that store." He shook his head lightly, pushing all distractions aside to lock back onto his plan.
Part of him wanted to wander around, check out every fancy shop and café he passed — but no. He could do that later. This was work first, his plan first.
He pulled out his phone to check the time. Yep, he was already cutting it close. He stopped a few random people passing by to ask directions.
The store he was looking for was on the third floor, tucked away somewhere quiet.
He wandered around the floor for a bit, weaving through crowds and fancy window displays, until he finally spotted it.
It sat all the way at the back, hidden in a secluded corner away from all the noise and foot traffic.
And god, the second his eyes landed on the storefront? It screamed expensive as hell. Sleek matte black exterior, no big flashy signs, just a small elegant brand name etched in silver.
No wonder it was hidden away here. Only people who actually knew what they were looking for would find it.
'Okay, Choi Yeonho... Let's do this.'
He walked towards it, slow and steady, keeping his posture relaxed and casual.
As he got closer, he noticed a small group of people standing right outside the entrance.
All of them tense, shifting on their feet, voices tight and sharp with stress.
They huddled close together, talking fast and low, every line of their bodies screaming how panicked they were. With every step he took, their voices got clearer and clearer.
He made sure to keep his pace normal, like he was just passing by, no reason to look suspicious at all.
"He's supposed to be here… Did you call him?"
One woman paced in small circles, hands clutching tight at the top of her head, voice shaking a little.
"I did, but he won't pick up…"
The guy next to her tapped his phone screen over and over, fingers restless, like calling again would somehow make the guy answer.
"We're gonna get fired… Oh my god, I'm actually gonna lose my job…"
Another woman muttered, squeezing her own hands hard enough to turn her knuckles white, pacing faster and faster back and forth.
Every word hit Yeonho square in the chest, and he slowed right down.
'Are they talking about the stylist?'
That fit perfectly with what he remembered from the original story. The regular stylist was supposed to meet Hana here.
He was just about to step in and introduce himself as the replacement when a calm voice cut through all their panic.
"Ms. Choi is coming. Stop trying to reach him. He reported he's sick this morning."
A woman in a neat tailored blazer stepped up to the group and it was their manager, clearly, her voice steady and unbothered even with everyone else falling apart.
"But who's gonna assist Ms. Choi then, Ma'am?" The guy asked, panic still thick in his tone. "She's already on her way, right? She won't wait."
"Calm down. We already found a replacement. We're just waiting for him to show up."
"Who exactly is this person, if you don't mind me asking?" One of the employees asked, brows furrowed, still on edge.
"What if he doesn't know what he's doing? This is Ms. Choi we're talking about."
The manager opened her mouth to reply but before she could say a word, Yeonho stepped right into their space.
"That'd be me."
Yeonho walked over slowly, lifting one hand up to his chest in a calm, easy gesture.
Every single head snapped to him at once. The three employees stared, brows drawn tight in pure confusion — but the manager just stood there, completely composed, like she'd been expecting him all along.
"Is your name… Choi Yeonho?"
The three went dead silent the second the name left her mouth. Their eyes blew wide, jaws dropping open like they'd just seen a ghost, staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
Yeonho didn't even blink at their reaction.
He nodded once, a smooth, polite professional smile sliding easily onto his face, it was practiced, perfect, exactly what he needed.
"Yes, My name's Choi Yeonho."
The three immediately swarmed their manager, bombarding her with questions, voices high and disbelieving.
"Is this seriously Choi Yeonho?"
"Ma'am, did we hear right? That's him? The one from the Choi Family?"
"But he looks totally different! His hair, his clothes… Is that really him?"
The manager just smiled, letting them get all their panic out before she spoke up.
Yeonho stood perfectly still, watching the whole scene play out right in front of him like it was the easiest thing in the world.
"Relax, everyone. He's not that Choi Yeonho — the one from the main Choi family. You know how common the name is, there's hundreds of people with the exact same one."
She gestured toward him.
"He applied here as a stylist and designer just a few days ago. His background checks came back clean, his portfolio is excellent. And look at him… does he look like some spoiled rich kid to you?"
The manager asked with a smile on her face.