Black Label [EN]: Chapter 235

235. Puzzle (3)

Jae-seung, unable to hide his excitement, unconsciously covered his mouth with one hand.

But what was it about that gesture? It was as if he were a high school girl holding up her phone for a selfie.

Ashlynn smiled brightly and asked, “Lee, you look like a child who’s happy to receive a Christmas present.”

Could there be a child in the world who could receive a Christmas present of this magnitude? Well, maybe there is. No, there will be.

As his position as a designer became more secure, he felt like the concepts he knew were being turned upside down.

From experience, the world was much bigger than he expected, and there were so many people with money to burn.

Chairman Ardo smiled and spoke in a kind tone. “Hahaha, you know what’s going on. Of course, you do. You must be feeling something indescribable. Looking at you reminds me of the day the group headquarters building was completed.”

The building that would become the brand house was a four-story building with an antique feel.

It’s meaningless, but what if we convert it to Korean currency [Won]?

It was clear that it would be worth at least several billion won [millions of USD].

Apart from the monetary value, he seemed to be overwhelmed with emotion because of the symbolic meaning.

He felt like he would burst into tears if he let his guard down even a little.

Jae-seung, with a dazed look in his eyes, asked quietly, “Chairman, can I take a look inside?”

“Of course.”

Chairman Ardo replied briefly and immediately handed over the electronic key to the front door from his suit jacket pocket.

As Jae-seung held the key to the door lock sensor.

Clatter-.

At the same time as an electronic sound rang out, the large automatic door slowly began to open.

As the door gradually opened, the interior of the building began to reveal itself, and it was as neatly decorated as any other brand’s flagship store.

The floor was covered with white tiles, and the gold-coated ceiling was as reflective as a mirror.

Stairs leading to the second floor were installed on both sides, and an elevator made of glass, offering a clear view of the interior, was installed between them.

“Oh my god, the interior is perfect too…?”

Chairman Ardo smiled and replied. “Of course. It was originally a building that was scheduled to house a new brand from the LVMH Group [Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy].”

Although it was not comparable to the flagship stores of mega-premium brands such as ‘Louis Vuitton’, it seemed to be on par with the brand houses of Chanel or Christian Dior, where he had worked for a while.

As Jae-seung continued to exclaim and examine the interior, Chairman Ardo put his hand on Jae-seung’s shoulder and added quietly, “Lee, let’s write a proper history here again.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“I’m so proud that you’re so happy. It’s worth giving it to you.”

What should I say? If I concentrated a little, the well-decorated interior of the brand house seemed to overlay itself on his vision.

Starting with the exterior of the brand house with the Wallflower sign attached, the display of the show window that will change every season.

From the sight of the employees who will be busy going back and forth inside this brand house, to the sight of the atelier [workshop] masters who will be dressed in white gowns and making new products….

I’ve come this far. After going through a long and difficult road, I finally managed to reach this point.

His fist clenched. His chest began to bubble as if he had swallowed a handful of hot gravel.

At that time, Ashlynn hugged Jae-seung from behind and said, “Lee, congratulations. You’ve worked so hard.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think I really feel it yet….”

As Jae-seung stood there with a bewildered look on his face, Chairman Ardo added another word. “Now that we have a brand house, it seems like we have the look of a Parisian premium brand.”

“It’s all thanks to the chairman. Thank you so much.”

Even among brands that have gone through Paris Fashion Week several times, there are many that do not have a proper brand house.

There are brands that do not have a brand house in downtown Paris and operate in the form of a company by acquiring office buildings in the suburbs or nearby areas.

Thanks to Chairman Ardo’s help, he was able to skip that step at once, so how could he not return the favor?

However, Chairman Ardo simply replied in a nonchalant tone. “That’s enough with the thank yous. It seems like you’ve looked around enough, so how about we move on? There’s a nice restaurant nearby. You’ll probably use it often in the future.”

Jae-seung replied, “Yes, let’s do that,” and began to follow Chairman Ardo out of the brand house.

Just as he was about to board the limousine again.

“Huh…?”

Jae-seung couldn’t help but let out a groan.

It was because of the young man walking across the street.

Lee Kang-joon.

The original member of Wallflower, whom he hadn’t seen in over a year, was walking across the street.

He had a takeaway coffee cup in one hand and his notebook in the other.

Jae-seung said urgently, “Just a moment,” and began to walk quickly across the street.

“Kang-joon!”

Lee Kang-joon turned his head and began to look at Jae-seung.

Lee Kang-joon also seemed to be startled by the sudden encounter.

“President…?”

The two men began to look at each other across the street.

It was an extremely coincidental and sudden meeting.

Lee Kang-joon smiled brightly.

It was a smile as soft as a chick’s down and as warm as the May sun.

* * *

Four people were sitting inside a restaurant not far from the brand house.

Chairman Ardo, Jae-seung, Ashlynn, and finally Lee Kang-joon.

After asking for Chairman Ardo and Ashlynn’s understanding, he had Lee Kang-joon join them.

“Kang-joon, did you force yourself to make time? You must be very busy….”

“No. Actually, I was just on my way to get something to eat. I was just about to fill my stomach, but thanks to you, I was able to have a proper meal for the first time in a while.”

But, what should I say?

Unlike his neat clothes, Lee Kang-joon’s appearance was very shabby.

His beard was overgrown, and his face was exhausted.

Lee Kang-joon’s appearance seemed to explain his recent daily life.

“Are you very busy?”

“Yes, just….”

Lee Kang-joon trailed off and smiled shyly before answering in a soft tone. “Yes. I guess I’m just so busy because it’s my first time on a formal stage like Fashion Week.”

“Congratulations, belatedly. I heard the news from Director Lee a while ago, but I forgot to contact you.”

Did he just hear the news? He also has a lot of shares.

As soon as he heard the news, he had poured a lot of initial investment into it.

Lee Kang-joon smiled again and replied.

“But I don’t think it’s particularly difficult. When I think that the stage I’ve been dreaming of for a long time is right in front of me, I feel like all the fatigue is gone….”

Chairman Ardo, who had been listening to the conversation quietly, asked in a more conventional tone than when he was talking to Jae-seung. “It was called Diamond Look, right?”

Lee Kang-joon replied in fluent French, which was different from before. “Yes, Chairman. That’s right.”

“I’ve heard the name a few times.”

Wasn’t it a brand that hadn’t even been properly launched yet?

As Lee Kang-joon’s eyes widened, Chairman Ardo picked up his wine glass and added. “I’ve seen the brand name a few times in the report. A brand that hasn’t even been launched yet was listed on the preliminary acquisition list. I guess they listed it considering Kang-joon’s ‘name value’ and ‘career’.”

Lee Kang-joon began to groan, “Ah….”

Well, he probably doesn’t really feel it yet.

He may feel like his destiny is changing, but there is still not a single factor that he can really feel.

They exchanged news throughout the dinner.

Lee Kang-joon also knew all the news related to Wallflower.

According to what he heard, he was monitoring articles and columns every day.

Well, it’s a brand that’s like his hometown, so how could he not be interested?

However, when he heard news that had not been leaked to the outside, such as the wedding news, the brand house, and the schedule for this awards ceremony, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

As the dinner was coming to an end, Jae-seung smiled and said. “Kang-joon. Congratulations again. You’ve become the owner designer of a competing brand.”

Since Lee Kang-joon’s Diamond Look was a new brand that debuted at this Paris Fashion Week, it was impossible to gauge its exact level.

However, Lee Kang-joon had proven his talent several times within Wallflower, hadn’t he?

He was confident that he would be able to achieve good results if he showed his skills properly.

On the other hand, Lee Kang-joon was just responding with a humble attitude. “No, no. At least not now. I just hope I can avoid being in the lowest ranks.”

Jae-seung smiled and added. “Although it’s a competing brand, I hope you get good results. If you achieve a certain level of success, we may be able to do various businesses together.”

“Yes? What…?”

He had already drawn various situations in his head.

First of all, if Diamond Look achieves a level of success that justifies its name, he was going to proceed with a collaboration right away.

Of course, if you weigh the pros and cons, it’s a choice that’s a little closer to the cons.

The current Wallflower was at a level where it could easily proceed with collaborations with other large-scale premium brands.

In fact, the collaboration was a choice that was heavily influenced by the intention to use Wallflower’s awareness to support Lee Kang-joon’s Diamond Look.

Then, what if Lee Kang-joon’s Diamond Look achieves such a terrible result that it doesn’t justify the collaboration?

He was thinking of acquiring the brand.

He was going to develop it into a group form, absorb Diamond Look, and create a situation where Lee Kang-joon could properly show his skills in the next season.

This was not a decision made simply because of old friendships.

Wasn’t he the person who had seen Lee Kang-joon’s skills the closest and for the longest time?

This was a decision made only because he was confident in his skills.

“It would be better to share the rest of the story after Fashion Week.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lee Kang-joon replied briefly and bowed his head before saying in a serious tone. “President.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you so much.”

“No.”

Lee Kang-joon added after a moment of silence. “I will repay you with results that will not make me ashamed of being from Wallflower.”

“Yes, I sincerely support you.”

Like the ‘Children of Dior’ who did not lose their sense of belonging even after leaving the premium brand Christian Dior.

Lee Kang-joon also seemed to have not abandoned his affection for Wallflower.

Of course, Jae-seung was the same. He was sincerely praying that Lee Kang-joon and his brand Diamond Look would be successful.

Jae-seung began to look at the city of Paris through the restaurant window.

He felt a strange tickling in his chest because of various expectations.

It was as if everything was going smoothly with the wind at its back.

Like a puzzle piece being put together one by one, slowly but perfectly.

By the time this winter is over and the signs of spring begin to be felt. By the time Paris Fashion Week is over, it will undergo another huge change.

Both himself and Lee Kang-joon.

Jae-seung closed his eyes for a moment and repeated ‘Thank you’ in his heart.

It’s really a life full of gratitude in many ways.

It’s definitely a tearfully grateful and happy life.