The date that wasn't meant to be

Morning light filtered softly through the half-open window of Yuna Kang’s tiny apartment, spilling across her cluttered desk and the faded fashion sketches pinned to the wall. Outside, the city was already humming to life: distant engines revving, vendors calling out greetings, and somewhere a sparrow’s cheerful chirp. But inside, the quiet hum of anxiety settled over her like a thick fog.

Yuna stretched and rubbed her eyes, the weight of yesterday’s worries still pressing against her chest. Unpaid bills peeked from beneath a stack of invoices; her laptop screen blinked with unread emails from clients she hadn’t yet found the energy to reply to. She let out a long sigh, burying her face in her hands.

A sharp buzz startled her. Her phone flashed on the nightstand—Jiwoo’s name shining brightly.

“Yuna! Please, pick up!” Jiwoo’s frantic voice burst through before the first ring had even ended.

Yuna groaned but answered anyway. “Jiwoo? What’s wrong so early?”

“I have a blind date tonight,” Jiwoo said, voice trembling slightly. “And I can’t do it.”

Yuna blinked, sitting upright. “Why not? You’re usually all about these things.”

Jiwoo’s voice dropped to a near-whisper. “Because… I’m scared. You know how those dates go. I freeze up, say the wrong things, and then I cry in the bathroom.”

Yuna couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. “That sounds exactly like you.”

“Exactly,” Jiwoo said, “So can you do me a huge favor? Just for one night. Go instead of me.”

Yuna frowned, confusion mixing with curiosity. “Wait. You want me to pretend to be you? On a date?”

“Please!” Jiwoo begged. “I’ll owe you big time.”

Yuna hesitated. Jiwoo was the life of every party, a natural charmer. Yuna herself was shy, awkward, and anything but glamorous. But the desperation in Jiwoo’s voice melted her resistance.

“Alright,” Yuna said at last, “I’ll do it.”

“Thank you!” Jiwoo cheered. “I’ll text you the details.”

Later that evening, Yuna stood in Jiwoo’s bedroom, the unfamiliar fabric of a black dress slipping over her shoulders. High heels clicked sharply against the polished floor as she practiced walking, stumbling slightly on the unfamiliar height.

She caught her reflection in the full-length mirror. The flawless makeup, the glossy hair, the confident smile—none of it felt like her.

Just pretend, she told herself. One night. You can do this.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Jiwoo popped up: Remember, be confident. Fake it till you make it!

Yuna took a shaky breath and nodded.

The rooftop restaurant glittered with soft golden lights and the gentle murmur of conversation. The city skyline stretched endlessly behind the tables, a sea of twinkling stars mirrored below.

Yuna’s heart pounded as she scanned the crowd. Then, her eyes landed on him.

Tall, impeccably dressed, with a presence that seemed to command the space around him. Kang Minjae.

Yuna felt the blood rush from her face.

She took a deep breath, forcing a smile, and slid into the seat across from him.

“Jiwoo?” His voice was calm, smooth, and utterly confident.

Yuna nodded. “Yes. That’s me.”

He smiled, a subtle, knowing smile. “You look… different from the pictures.”

Yuna laughed nervously. “The camera adds ten pounds, right?”

Minjae’s gaze was sharp, almost amused. “Is that your favorite excuse?”

She shrugged, cheeks warming. “Maybe.”

The waiter arrived, pouring wine as the city lights flickered softly around them.

They exchanged small smiles, and Yuna mustered the courage to tell him that she wanted to end this blind date immediately as she is uninterested.

A breeze swept past, tugging lightly at her hair. Minjae reached across the table with her business card.

Minjae grabs her business card, and hands her his'

Yuna kept up the act. Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her purse. She glanced down—a message from Jiwoo: Be careful!

Yuna smiled to herself. If only Jiwoo knew how surreal this all was.

For a while, they talked—light, casual things about work, hobbies, life.

Finally, Yuna looked into the time from her phone, sighed, pushing her glass away. “Look, can I be honest?”

Minjae raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“I’m not really into this whole thing,” Yuna said bluntly. “I'm not interested in these blind dates, so I’d rather just go home.”

Yuna stood up and left the table.

Minjae blinked, clearly surprised by her frankness.

Yuna gathered her purse and stepped away. Outside, the cool night air hit her cheeks as she hailed a cab.

Sitting back, she reached for her phone—and her fingers brushed something against the floor of the cab. She bent down and picked it up.

A sleek business card.

She stared, stunned.

The name printed boldly in black ink: Kang Minjae

CEO, EON Fashions

Her heart skipped a beat.

The man she had just left—her “date”—was her CEO.

The night that started as a favor for a friend had just turned into something far more complicated.

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