Pygmalion

*Warning: The following material may contain strong language, unusual humor, violence, and sexual contents that readers may find offensive. Please use your own discretion.*

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1.1

“Did you have a reservation?”

“Umm… no. Was I supposed to?”

The female receptionist didn’t show an ounce of condescension towards the customer, who clearly didn’t know anything about fashion. The receptionist smiled and replied,

“Could you wait here for a moment?”

While the receptionist phoned someone, Sukyung looked around. This place was so luxurious, yet there wasn’t a single customer in sight in the waiting room. Like a hair salon, there were several mirrors on the wall with chairs in front of them, but Sukyung didn’t see any hair designers either.

Hanging up, the smiling receptionist said to Sukyung,

“I’m sorry, Miss, but the consultant isn’t available right now. Can I make a reservation for you on another date?”

Oh, of course. The way her luck was going, Sukyung wasn’t surprised. She looked around the shop one more time. It wasn’t too extravagant, yet it was beautiful and elegant. The subtle classic music and the model-like receptionist at the front… This was clearly not a place Sukyung was supposed to visit.

But then… Where was she supposed to go? Sukyung had nowhere else she could go. She had no purpose, energy, or ambition. At this point, all she wanted to do was to stay in her room forever.

Sukyung finally replied,

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t know I had to make a reservation. Umm… I will call later and make an appointment then.”

Sukyung staggered as she turned around. Her eyes became a little blurry, and she suddenly wondered when was the last time she ate. She couldn’t remember, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t hungry anyway.

Of course, the problem was that her body felt weak and her legs were about to give up on her.

She slowly walked towards the entrance when suddenly, it burst open and a tall man walked in. He was very tall, even taller than Jaewon. And his long hair… It looked so shiny like the hair you would only see on a hair model on TV. He had it in a neat ponytail, and he was wearing an expensive-looking leather jacket. The kind you would see in a luxury boutique.

When their eyes met, Sukyung looked away. She felt embarrassed. Even a man dolled up like this in this neighborhood, which meant this was definitely not the place for her.

The suit Sukyung was wearing was from a discount outlet. It was barely acceptable for work, and she knew people laughed at her behind her back. Her long hair, which she hasn’t even touched for the past three years, was too long and shapeless. She wore makeup, but only a bare minimum amount. Besides, it didn’t help her bland face at all anyway.

She needed to get out of here. She was an idiot for coming to this place. It was a mistake. She needed to think of another plan.

But… was there another option?

The room began to spin around her. She felt the tall man’s hands cupping her face and raising it. The whole world began to darken, and she felt herself floating.

Then… Sukyung fainted.

“What the hell is this?”

Sungwoo grabbed onto the fainted woman’s arms and looked at Sumi, the receptionist. Sumi’s work-smile disappeared as she pouted.

“I don’t know. She just walked in without a reservation. I thought about giving her a walk-in consultation appointment, but she just wasn’t the right type. Besides, it didn’t look like she was really interested anyway.”

Sungwoo raised Sukyung’s face and studied it. She wasn’t the porcelain skinned beauty he often saw in his shop. But she also wasn’t a hopeless looking woman either. Her facial features had a decent balance, but it was clear she didn’t take any time to improve her looks. Based on her height, she certainly couldn’t have been an aspiring model.

Sumi offered,

“Please just leave her in the waiting area. I will send her out when she wakes up.”

Sungwoo didn’t answer her, but instead, he studied Sukyung further. She wasn’t overly thin, but it looked like she could break with a single touch. Based on her facial tone, it looked like she had been starving herself for a while. Was she on a silly diet? Sungwoo hated it when women did something so stupid like this.

But…

Sungwoo let her chin go and lifted her small body to carry her. Sumi gasped.

“Boss!”

“I don’t have any appointments today, right?”

“Umm… No. You have some tomorrow morning, and they are all your regulars.”

“Alright. Unless it’s an urgent call, don’t bother me for the rest of the day. I’ll be in my office.”

Sumi couldn’t believe it. She was a little shocked, but more importantly, she felt jealous. She has been working here for a while, and during that time, Sungwoo has never once shown any interest in her. She was tall and beautiful, so what was wrong with this guy? Of course, what she didn’t know was that Sungwoo had a rule of never dating anyone from work.

Without waiting for Sumi’s answer, Sungwoo carried Sukyung upstairs. The second floor of his shop was mainly used as a wardrobe section. When two of his staff, who were sitting on the table chatting, spotted their boss, they both stood up.

“Welcome back, Sir.”

“Is that a customer you’re carrying, Boss?”

Sungwoo shook his head.

“Don’t worry about her. We don’t have any appointments booked today, so you can all go home early.”

The two men nodded. Sungwoo passed the second floor hallway and entered his office, which was located in the most inner area of the floor.

***