Chapter 31
The three employees fell quiet instantly, their eyes running over Yeonho from head to toe, lingering on every detail of his face and style.
"No… he looks totally different."
"Yeah, nothing like that guy at all"
The guy stepped forward and bowed deeply, looking genuinely apologetic.
"I'm so sorry for assuming, for mistaking you for someone else."
"No, really, it's fine. I get this reaction all the time. As soon as people hear my full name, they automatically act suspicious or weird around me. Honestly? It's exhausting, it makes every single day harder than it needs to be."
Yeonho scratched the side of his neck, his posture softening like the topic genuinely weighed on him.
He kept his expression open, a little helpless, exactly how someone would look talking about a frustrating, unfair situation they couldn't escape.
'Yeah, life is so hard, for now.'
Guilt and sympathy washed over the three of them immediately.
They stepped closer like they wanted to make up for their earlier behavior, one of the girls reaching out to pat his arm gently, her tone warm and sincere.
"I can't believe we made you feel that way… I'm really sorry you have to deal with this just because of your name. But don't worry, we don't care about any of that. We're gonna get along great, okay?"
The other two nodded fast, adding their own apologies and reassurance. Yeonho accepted every word with a small, grateful smile, playing the part perfectly.
"Now that that's settled, let's head inside. Ms. Choi will be arriving any minute now."
They all turned toward the store entrance together. The moment Yeonho stepped past the glass doors, his eyes lit up slightly.
Rows of premium clothing lined every wall, racks filled with designer pieces, fabrics, and styles he knew inside out.
He almost let a real grin show, but caught himself quickly, smoothing his face back to calm neutrality as they walked further in.
While they waited for Hana to arrive, the staff chatted casually among themselves, talking about upcoming collections, clients, and store matters.
Yeonho only listened, nodding when spoken to but otherwise keeping to himself, slowly wandering around the space.
Every display, every design, every texture pulled his attention — this was his world, exactly what he loved, and he took his time looking over everything properly.
Other team members who hadn't met him yet kept asking around, curious about the new stylist assigned to their biggest client.
The reaction was identical every single time: surprise and confusion the moment they heard his full name, followed by immediate relief once they actually looked at him and realized he looked nothing like the famous, wealthy Choi Yeonho everyone knew.
Yeonho could hear bits and pieces of their whispers, knew exactly what they were saying — but he didn't care at all. He just leaned lightly against a display stand, waiting, letting them talk all they wanted.
Minutes passed, and the manager who'd been standing near the entrance corner, focused entirely on her phone — finally moved.
She straightened her posture, slipped her device into her bag, and walked toward the front of the store, her whole demeanor shifting instantly into polished professionalism.
Right then, Hana appeared in the doorway, a female assistant walking a respectful step behind her.
Yeonho stayed where he was, watching quietly as the two women greeted each other.
The manager bowed politely, gesturing warmly for Hana to come inside, and Hana smiled back soft and bright, her usual sweet, harmless expression on full display.
They walked further into the store together, talking quietly while Hana glanced around at the displays, until they came to a stop near the central seating area.
Almost immediately, the manager turned her head and looked straight at Yeonho. He pushed off the stand, standing up straight and composed.
He knew exactly what was coming. She waved him over with a small, clear motion, and he walked toward them smoothly, no hesitation.
"Ms. Choi, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Yeonho, the stylist and designer assigned specifically to assist you today."
Yeonho stopped beside the manager, hands resting loosely by his sides.
The second Hana's gaze landed fully on his face, her eyes widened in obvious shock.
"You! I know you. You're that guy from the restaurant a while back!"
'Of course she recognized me.'
Yeonho bowed his head slightly, keeping his smile polite and soft.
"Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Choi. I've always admired how passionate you are in your work field."
"The manager told me your full name is Choi Yeonho… is that really true?" Hana studied his face like she still couldn't believe it.
"As much as I hate to say it… yes, Ms. Choi. My name's Choi Yeonho."
He let his shoulders drop just enough to look defeated, his gaze falling to the floor for a brief second like saying the name out loud felt like admitting to something bad.
Hana's face softened completely, genuine pity taking over her features.
"Oh… I feel so bad for you. I'm really sorry if my brother's name and reputation have been making your life difficult or uncomfortable."
'So naive, so easily fooled'
He thought, watching her buy every single bit of his act without a single question.
Yeonho clenched his teeth hard behind his smile, swallowing every sharp, biting retort he wanted to throw right back at her.
"Thank you for your kindness, Ms. Choi. I appreciate it." He bowed again, keeping his tone gentle and grateful.
The manager, who'd been observing quietly from the side, spoke up before Hana could say anything more.
"Ms. Choi, would you like to start your fitting session now?"
"Yes, please!" Hana nodded eagerly, her whole face lighting up with excitement.
"I've been looking forward to this so much. I need the perfect set of outfits for my birthday coming up."
The manager let out a soft, amused breath, clearly charmed by Hana's enthusiasm.
"Alright then, let's get to work. Mr. Yeonho, you know what to do. Give her your best."
She patted his shoulder lightly once before stepping away to attend to other matters.
"I will do my absolute best, Ms. Choi."
Once the manager left, it was just Yeonho, Hana, and her assistant.
"This is my personal assistant."
Hana glanced back at the woman standing quietly behind her. "She'll help us with everything, so we can get things done faster and smoother."
The assistant stepped forward and offered her hand. Yeonho shook it briefly with a small, polite bow, before turning his attention back to the store around them.
They started moving through the racks together, Yeonho taking the lead, picking out different pieces, combinations, and styles that fit exactly what he knew Hana liked — and exactly what he planned for her.
"Here, Ms. Choi. I think lighter, softer shades complement your skin tone beautifully."
He held up a flowy pastel dress on its hanger, turning it slowly so she could see every angle.
"And for features as gentle and soft as yours, clean, simple designs always look the most elegant and natural."
Hana sat down on the plush sofa nearby, leaning forward slightly to look closer, listening carefully and trusting his judgment completely.
"It's pretty, I like it… but I want something more than just pretty, you know?" She thought for a second.
"I'm turning twenty-five soon. I don't want to look like a sweet, young girl anymore. I want to look mature, established — like a real independent woman, someone who knows what she wants."
'Independent my ass. You can't even finish a single project without stealing someone else's hard work and calling it your own.'
Yeonho wanted tell her that but he just nodded like every word she said made perfect sense, clapping his hands together lightly in understanding.
"Right! That's exactly it. We don't want to just make you look nice. We want to bring out your true self, the real Choi Hana that no one else has gotten to see yet."
"Yes! Exactly that!"
Hana beamed, practically glowing with delight. She looked at him like he'd just said the most brilliant thing she'd ever heard, completely unaware of the double meaning hiding behind every word.
Yeonho had to fight to keep his face straight. She really was as dumb and clueless as ever, falling for everything, seeing only what she wanted to see.
"I'm so glad that resonated with you, Ms. Choi. I'll go bring out the rest of the sets I've selected for you. Please wait here just a moment."
He bowed and walked away toward the back racks, his polite smile never slipping for a second.
Hana nodded eagerly behind him, already looking forward to seeing more.
The moment he turned the corner, far enough that neither Hana nor her assistant could see or hear him anymore, Yeonho finally let go.
He pressed both hands tight over his mouth, shoulders shaking as quiet, muffled laughter escaped — biting down hard to keep it from getting too loud.
"So stupid… So incredibly stupid."
He pulled his hands away, a cold smirk spreading across his face.
He took a few slow, steady breaths to calm himself down, forcing his expression back into the relaxed, helpful mask everyone saw.
Only when he was completely composed did he reach for the rest of the clothes Hana wanted, picking every single piece with careful, deliberate hands.