Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 120

The shopping mall, on its regular holiday, was empty except for the occasional security guard passing by. The employees naturally expected to rest, and working on a holiday was akin to a sin in any case. Therefore, when the announcement first came down seeking people to work on this holiday, the employees unanimously cursed.

“Working on a holiday, are they crazy?”

“Who’s so important that they need to shop alone in a closed mall on a holiday? Why don’t they just buy the whole mall?”

Sarcastic remarks were exchanged, and everyone agreed. Even offering triple the daily wage didn’t budge them. The employees’ attitude changed when it was revealed who the visitor on that holiday would be. And as soon as the rumor spread, the number of employees volunteering to work surged several times over.

Chase Miller.

He was a mysterious visitor.

When Chase Miller’s secretary contacted them to rent the shopping mall for a day, the person in charge thought it was a prank call. But after several confirmations, realizing it was real, the shopping mall was turned upside down.

“I’ll work. I have nothing to do at home that day anyway.”

“No, I’ll come out. I love this shopping mall. I want to work here all year round!”

“I get sick if I don’t go to work for even a day. It’s better if I come out.”

Everyone made various excuses to try and come to work. The only reason was to see Chase Miller. How else could they possibly see him in person if not for an opportunity like this? Also, once they knew the visitor was Chase Miller, the employees could understand why he would specifically choose a holiday to rent out the entire mall for shopping.

If it was Chase Miller, he could do that. No, he had to do that. Because there were fans everywhere who would rush him to death just by seeing him. And the shopping mall employees were no exception.

Everyone’s interests aligned, but the problem was that the competition rate had become incredibly high. They tried asking, sometimes begging, and sometimes appealing to their abilities to the higher-ups to choose them, but nothing changed. Frustrated, the shopping mall management instructed them to select a small number of employees themselves, excluding a few managers. Even so, there were only about ten spots, while there were nearly a hundred employees.

In the end, they tried various methods to test their luck. They drew straws, flipped coins, and some employees even played basketball games.

It was a shopping mall where employees, fiercely selected through various processes like these, gathered. They cleaned every nook and cranny several times, tidied their hair, and reapplied their makeup, their hearts pounding, until Chase appeared.

“To actually see Dr. Flame.”

Another employee said to the excited employee who was breathing heavily, unable to hide their excitement.

“Won’t his hair dye have faded? It’s been ages since filming ended. The last article I saw said he was blonde.”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s Chase Miller.”

“True enough.”

“Right.”

Everyone agreed, and once again, excited cheers erupted. And time flew by, and finally, the scheduled moment arrived. The employees stood in their designated positions, waiting for the doors to open.

3, 2, 1.

Creak.

When the clock struck the hour, the tightly closed shopping mall doors opened, and first, a man in a black suit and sunglasses entered. Following him, men in similar attire streamed in and began surveying the inside of the shopping mall.

Is he finally coming?

All the employees thought the same thing, clutching their pounding hearts. Soon, they would see Chase Miller in person. Getting autographs and taking photos were forbidden, but it didn’t matter. They could look at him to their heart’s content, and above all, to be able to smell his pheromones—how amazing was that? If they could, they would rather take his scent than a photo or an autograph.

Finally, the security guards, having finished their inspection, dispersed to their pre-designated locations. Then, the man who had entered through the main entrance opened the door wide and stepped aside. And finally, it was Chase Miller’s turn to appear.

…Huh?

The employee standing closest to the entrance suddenly tilted their head. Although only a very small number of people had directly smelled them, everyone knew that extreme Alphas constantly emitted pheromones. And because of that, a unique sweet scent would fill the air just by being near them.

But this time was different. Sniff, sniff, they sniffed, but all they smelled was the cheap air freshener sprayed throughout the building. The flustered employee tilted their head repeatedly and looked at another employee standing a little distance away. Seeing their colleague’s strange reaction, they mouthed a question.

What’s wrong?

The employee near the entrance, unable to hide their confused expression, also mouthed a reply.

I don’t smell anything.

The colleague who heard that blinked in surprise, then furrowed their brow and sniffed, sniffed, trying to catch a scent. Soon after, they also paused, then looked back at the employee near the entrance.

You don’t smell it, do you?

No.

Despite the distance, and the conversation being only mouthed, they understood each other’s words perfectly.

Why isn’t there any pheromone scent?

Just as they shook their heads, unable to find an answer to the unexpected situation, the hurried sound of men’s footsteps echoed. The security guards stood straight, waiting for someone to enter. And the confused employees finally saw him with their own eyes.

Who cares about the scent?

When they saw Chase Miller stride into the shopping mall with large steps, everyone who had been waiting thought the same thing.

Just being able to see him is enough. No, it’s more than I deserve.

And so on.

He was much taller than they expected. Most of them knew his physical measurements from his profile, but seeing him in person was a whole different level. Chase Miller was wearing a perfectly fitted suit that suited his lean body, and his shining blonde hair was neatly combed back, making him look as if he had just walked out of a screen, perfectly.

The employees, who had been staring, lost in thought, without even blinking, only partially came to their senses after seeing a child scurrying at his feet.

Who is that?

They belatedly looked at each other’s faces, but there was no one who knew the answer.

To make matters worse, Chase was visibly slowing his pace to match the child’s stride. For Chase, known as Hollywood’s temperamental character, to show such consideration, it was clear that the child was in a very close relationship with him.

“Ahem.”

The manager, who was standing at regular intervals among the employees, deliberately cleared his throat. The employees hastily came to their senses and averted their gaze from their client. It was incredibly difficult to suppress the desire to see more, but it was unavoidable. The stack of documents they had signed to see Chase Miller in person for less than a minute detailed how terrifying the disadvantages and damages they would incur if they didn’t follow the precautions. The employees had no choice but to sign, feeling very nervous.

Still, I saw his face, so that’s enough.

Following the guidance of the manager who personally greeted Chase, the employees had to console themselves by chasing the lingering presence of Chase, who had passed in front of them and soon disappeared from their sight. Only after permission was finally given to speak did someone open their mouth.

“They say extreme Alphas can control their pheromones.”

“And?”

“So, maybe that’s why there was no scent.”

“Ah…”

Sighs of understanding came from everywhere. Someone muttered disappointedly that it would have been nice if they could have at least smelled the scent, and other employees also agreed.

“It’s not like it wears out.”

“That’s right.”

Just as they said that, someone else cautiously spoke.

“He didn’t get marked, did he…? So, that’s why there’s no scent.”

At those words, everyone’s gaze immediately turned to him. Of course, it wasn’t a kind gaze.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“A mark on Chase Miller, who would dare?”

“If something like that happened, there would be a huge uproar everywhere already, reporters wouldn’t stay quiet, what are you talking about, really.”

“Did you see if he had a mark? Did you?!”

They yelled and criticized him from all directions. He was eventually outnumbered and had no choice but to apologize. In truth, he had only thought of it while trying to recall why there was no scent, and he himself had been too busy looking at Chase’s face to even think about checking his ear, so he truly had nothing more to say.

“I’m sorry.”

Apologizing again, he thought to himself, I shouldn’t even have such foolish fantasies.

Despite the presence of several employees and security guards, the shopping mall remained quiet. Usually, it was filled with the noise of bustling crowds, but now, all that could be heard were the footsteps of men’s shoes—specifically, the manager’s and Chase’s walking sounds mixed with the security guards’ footsteps.

“It’s an honor to have you visit us like this. We hope you have a pleasant time.”

The manager, who opened with flattering words, then began to list the history of the shopping mall, along with currently popular brands and brands he had researched that Chase might like. His desire for this generous customer to spend as much money as possible was as transparent as clear glass.

However, Chase didn’t feel particularly displeased. There was only one reason he chose this place, and as long as that was fulfilled, nothing else mattered.

“It’s really good for kids to play.”

Laura had given a lot of advice, but this was the phrase that stuck in Chase’s mind. And without further hesitation, he chose this shopping mall to spend time with Pete.

So I’ve come all this way.

Chase glanced back. He was matching his stride as much as possible, but Pete wasn’t just walking; if something caught his interest, he would immediately stop and look around, sometimes retrace his steps, and sometimes even spin in circles, constantly falling behind. Fortunately, there was no fear of losing the child thanks to the security guards following at a distance.