Chapter 33
There was no doubt about it — the man he was waiting for was now standing right in front of him.
"Kang Min-Hyuk…" Yeonho didn't even realize he'd mumbled the name out loud.
Both Hana and Min-Hyuk turned toward him instantly.
Realizing his slip-up, Yeonho quickly pulled himself together and put on an act, widening his face into a look of genuine surprise.
"You're… You're Kang Min-Hyuk… Please forgive me, I just— I'm such a huge fan."
Yeonho tried his best to sound calm and enthusiastic, but the smile Min-Hyuk gave him in return made his breath hitch.
It was charming, yet sharp enough to make his heart race for all the wrong and right reasons.
"Hmm… didn't tell me you brought company, Hana. Who's this?"
'Oh my fucking god, he's even more handsome in person.'
The thought flashed through his mind so fast he almost missed his next cue.
Hana stood tall, tilting her head up slightly to meet Min-Hyuk's gaze.
"He's my stylist — the one in charge of designing and making my birthday dress. He's actually really good at what he does."
"I see…" Min-Hyuk nodded slowly, tapping his finger against his chin as he looked Yeonho up and down, studying him openly.
If Yeonho could be honest, the only thing he wanted to do right now was walk right up to Min-Hyuk, stare at his perfect face all he wanted, and gush over how stunning he was.
Min-Hyuk's mid-length red hair framed his sharp, striking features perfectly, and from what Yeonho could tell, he was around the same height as Gyeongjae — tall, broad, and effortlessly commanding.
He stayed rooted to his spot at the side, trying not to look too obvious as he kept watching while Hana and Min-Hyuk fell into easy conversation.
In the novel, Min-Hyuk was written as an A-list model — but standing right in front of him? He was easily S-tier, maybe even higher.
The novel had described him as handsome, but words could never do him justice, just like how it had failed to capture Gyeongjae's perfection too. None of both male leads in that novel looked even half as breathtaking as they did in real life.
Yeonho gulped, forcing himself to calm down his racing excitement. Just looking at Min-Hyuk's outfit alone — crisp, tailored, and styled perfectly from head to toe. It was obvious the man lived and breathed fashion, just as expected of a top-tier model.
He'd almost messed up big time earlier by blurting out Min-Hyuk's name like he knew him, but thankfully, playing the part of a starstruck fan had covered his slip-up.
Yeonho shook his head slightly, snapping himself back to reality. He couldn't afford to get distracted just because Min-Hyuk was unfairly good-looking.
"What are you doing here, Min-Hyuk? You told me you were swamped with schedules today."
"Just messing with you. I'd never ditch you for work. Besides, I knew if I didn't show up, you'd probably be pouting somewhere, missing me too much to do anything else."
The blatant teasing made Hana's cheeks flush bright red, and before she could even retort, Min-Hyuk leaned down and pressed a soft, light peck right on her cheek.
"Were you disappointed I was late?" Min-Hyuk asked, grinning down at her. Hana just stared up at him, shaking her head quickly.
"No… not at all. You're here now, that's all that matters."
"That's cute." Min-Hyuk chuckled, stepping back to put a little space between them.
Yeonho watched the whole exchange from the side, clenching his jaw tight as he forced himself to stay calm.
He couldn't help the wave of secondhand embarrassment washing over him watching the two act so lovey-dovey.
"Let me introduce you properly to my stylist, Min-Hyuk."
Min-Hyuk turned his attention away from Hana, his gaze shifting right back to Yeonho as she spoke again.
"This is Choi Yeonho." Hana said it with a bright, innocent smile — but the second the name left her mouth, Min-Hyuk's playful grin vanished completely.
"You… Why are you—" Min-Hyuk started, his voice suddenly turning serious, but Hana quickly cut him off, pressing her palm firmly against his shoulder.
She could tell instantly that hearing that specific name had put him on edge.
"I know he has the same name, but he's not him. There are plenty of people named Choi Yeonho, it's a common name. And look at him, he doesn't look anything like my brother at all."
Hana stated plainly, keeping her tone calm and matter-of-fact, just talking about what she believed was a harmless coincidence.
Min-Hyuk fell silent, his eyes never leaving Yeonho, looking him over from head to toe, studying him closely, still suspicious.
"Hmm… you're right. He doesn't look like him at all." Min-Hyuk agreed.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kang. I'm Choi Yeonho."
Yeonho spoke up before the silence could stretch too long, keeping his tone polite and enthusiastic, perfectly playing his part.
"I've been a huge fan of yours for years — your work actually inspired me to become a stylist."
"Is that so?" Min-Hyuk tilted his head, a slow, amused smirk forming on his lips again.
"You became a stylist… all because of me?"
"Yes, sir." Yeonho nodded.
"How long have you been working as a stylist then?"
Min-Hyuk took a step forward, leaning down until his face was inches from Yeonho's, staring right into his eyes, reading every little expression on his face.
"Long enough to know what I'm doing."
Yeonho kept his voice steady, even though his heart was pounding in his chest as he continued.
"I've followed your career for years — watching your shoots and shows gave me a whole new perspective on fashion and styling."
He said smoothly, like every word was true — and from the way Min-Hyuk's smirk widened, it seemed he liked what he heard. But every single word was a lie. A complete, absolute lie.
Min-Hyuk pulled back slowly, looking satisfied with what he'd seen and heard.
"I'm looking forward to seeing your work then."
Yeonho snuck a quick glance at Hana, who was standing quietly by, watching the interaction with nothing but mild curiosity — no suspicion, no knowledge, just treating him like any other employee.
"Now then, Ms. Han, if you don't mind, shall we start? We need to make sure we get all the right materials and pieces ready to finish your dress on time."
She suddenly turned away, calling out to her assistant, who hurried over to her in seconds.
"Tell Dad I'll be home late tonight."
Hana handed her phone over. The assistant nodded, slipped the phone into the side pocket of Hana's designer bag, bowed respectfully, and stepped back quietly to give them space again.
"Right. Let's go."
Hana started walking toward the exit, Min-Hyuk falling right into step beside her. Yeonho followed a few paces behind, Hana's assistant walking quietly by his side.
They spent the next hour moving from high-end boutique to boutique, and everywhere they went, all eyes were on them.
It was obvious most people were staring because of Min-Hyuk — with his striking looks, famous face, and commanding presence, he stood out like a spotlight in a crowd.
But it wasn't just him.
Hana, dressed in expensive designer pieces and carrying herself with such elegance, was also easily recognizable, drawing plenty of glances as well.
People would whisper and stare, and it didn't take long for word to spread. Before they knew it, almost everyone in every store knew exactly who Hana and Min-Hyuk were.
The only saving grace was the two tall, serious bodyguards trailing a few steps behind them — Min-Hyuk's men, hired to keep crowds away and keep them safe.
After nearly three hours of going from store to store, the clock was nearing lunch time.
Right now, they were inside one of the city's biggest luxury department stores, looking for extra fabric, accessories, and matching pieces for Hana's outfits.
She had picked out five different dresses for her birthday celebration, and she wanted every single detail — from head to toe — to be perfect.
A whole team of store staff had gathered around the private lounge area they'd been given, all rushing around to help and do their best to please the famous VIP customer.
"This one's too small, that one's too big — do you people seriously not have the right sizes? And I don't like the design of that one at all. It looks cheap."
Hana sat comfortably on the plush velvet couch, surrounded by piles of shoe boxes and every type of footwear imaginable.
She'd been trying on boots, heels, sandals, and everything in between for over an hour, but she still hadn't found a single pair she liked.
"We'll go look for more, miss. Please wait just a moment."
One of the female staff bowed quickly, turning to rush off — but Yeonho stepped forward, stopping her before she could leave.
"Wait. Do you have mid-length heels that cover the ankle, but with thin, delicate strap detailing? What about red bottoms — stilettos, anything with lace-up designs or intricate patterns?"
The staff member just stood there, blinking at him blankly, her mouth slightly open like she didn't understand a single word he'd just said.
"Spool heels? Or anything with a tapered heel?" Yeonho tried again, listing more styles.
But the girl stayed dead silent, just staring at him like he was speaking a foreign language.
"Cut-out heels? Mary Jane platforms? Open-toe mules?"
Yeonho tried every style he could think of, growing more frustrated.
The staff just blinked, still completely clueless.
"Wait… do you even know what a block heel is?" He asked one last time, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.
Both Hana, still sitting on the couch, and Min-Hyuk, leaning casually against the armrest beside her, glanced over at Yeonho.
Meanwhile, the staff member just scratched her cheek nervously, looking embarrassed and confused.
"U-um… I don't… I don't know those names… I just know them as 'high heels', ehehe…"
She laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.
Yeonho took a slow, deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut for a second before opening them again. He had to hold it together. He really had to, despite feeling irritated.
'I need to relax... No need to get mad or i might lose it'
It was painfully obvious now. These staff didn't know anything about footwear styles, designs, or terms — all they knew was sizes and basic names.
No wonder it had taken them over three hours and they still had nothing.
How the hell were they supposed to find what Hana needed if the people working here didn't even know the basic terms for different shoe styles?
He forced himself to calm down, biting back the urge to lose his temper completely.
"Okay, just take me to your other sections. Let me take a look around." He turned to Hana.
"Ms. Choi? May I? We'll be stuck here all day if I don't help sort this out."
"Sure. Let him go with you. He's a designer and stylist — he knows exactly what he's looking for."
"Yes, Ms. Choi."
The staff bowed low, her uniform rustling softly, then turned and motioned for him to follow.
"This way, sir."
She led Yeonho deeper into the store. The back section was wide and bright, lined with shiny shelves all the way up to the ceiling.
Rows of heels, boots, sandals, every style you could think of, lit soft by warm overhead lights.
The faint smell of fine leather and expensive perfume hung lightly in the air, mixed with the low hum of the aircon and quiet chatter from other shoppers nearby.
He looked around as they walked, eyes scanning fast to match every pair with the dresses in his head.
He hated the idea of helping Hana. But fashion and styling were his craft. It felt wrong to do a bad job, even for someone like her.
'That one looks decent… but there's no way she can pull something like that off.'
One pair of heels near the top shelf caught his eye. He hesitated for a second — they were sharp, clean, exactly the right match for one of the gowns.
"Let's take that one, and that one too."
He pointed first to the heels, then to the pair sitting right beside them with thin ankle laces.
The staff reached up carefully, took both boxes, and passed them to another worker trailing behind him.
Yeonho kept moving, checking every shelf, every corner. He picked pairs that fit the style, height, and vibe of all five dresses perfectly. He finished everything in only eight minutes flat.
When they were done, they walked back toward the front.
As they got closer, Yeonho spotted Hana right away, leaning forward, all bright and smiley as she talked to Min-hyuk. Her face was soft, eyes crinkling obviously having the best time.
'Ughh… I can't believe I'm actually doing this for her.'
It was annoying but he kept his face blank, since he had no choice.
"Ms. Choi, these are the best pairs I picked. If any don't fit, we can just get the right sizes."
Yeonho stepped aside, letting the staff carrying the boxes move forward. They set everything down on the floor, opening each box so Hana could see clearly.
"This one's pretty, and that one looks perfect too! Look at this! It fits one of my dresses exactly."
Hana pointed at every pair, leaning in close, fingers brushing lightly over smooth leather and thin straps. She looked genuinely pleased with every single pick.
Off to the side, Min-hyuk leaned casually against a tall display stand. He was just staring straight at Yeonho, smirking like he found something amusing.
Yeonho wanted to glance back, to meet his eyes but he forced himself not to.
'Let him be curious. Don't give attention to someone who's used to getting all of it anyway.'
But that stare felt heavy, it was pressing right on him, making him start fidgeting with his fingertips, rubbing them together lightly at his sides. That look was way too intense, way too focused.
'Stop staring so hard, Kang Min-hyuk.'
Right then, Hana called his name, and he finally looked away.
She held up a pair of nude heels with laces that tied around the ankle, turning them side to side under the lights.
"Min-hyuk, what do you think? Aren't they all pretty?"
Min-hyuk glanced at her briefly, then looked right back at Yeonho.
"I guess they're good. Everything you wear looks perfect on you, Hana."
"You're so sweet, Min-hyuk."
'Agh… Seriously? Right in front of my face?'
Yeonho almost rolled his eyes right then and there but he bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself, keeping his expression calm and unreadable.
Hana pushed herself up from the couch and fixed her dress, smoothing the fabric down slowly.
"Let's take a break first. We'll go eat lunch then come back to finish up. Is that okay?"
"Sure."
Min-hyuk pushed off the stand and held out his arm toward her. Hana took it right away, slipping her arm through his and leaning close naturally.
Yeonho watched from the side, holding back a cringe. Min-hyuk was this flirty and smooth, that wasn't new because that's how he was supposed to be in the novel, but Hana ate every bit of it up like it was something special.
It was an eyesore watching Hana act all cute.
"Oh right, I almost forgot. Yeonho, you can come eat with us too."
"Is that okay, Ms. Choi?"
"Of course. We're not done yet anyway."
"Yes, Ms. Choi."
Yeonho bowed polite and quick, then turned to the staff.
"Ms. Choi will take all of these. Bring the right sizes for every pair."
The staff nodded fast, gathered all the boxes, and cleaned up the mess of leftover shoes scattered across the marble floor.
A few minutes later, they came back with every pair in Hana's exact size, all neatly packed in their boxes.
She bought everything without even thinking twice. Min-hyuk signaled his bodyguards forward, and they stepped in to carry all the shopping bags.
They walked out of the store together, moving through the busy mall. Shoppers glanced their way, whispering quiet as they passed.
Outside, two sleek black cars waited by the curb. Hana and Min-hyuk climbed into the first one together.
While Yeonho slid into the back seat of the second car, with Hana's assistant and two bodyguards sitting up front.
The engine hummed to life, and they pulled out onto the road, following the first car toward the restaurant Hana mentioned.
.
.
.