Black Label [EN]: Chapter 155

Black Label – Episode 154

155. The Moment Confrontation Begins

Jin Young-il, his lower lip parched, licked it once before staring intently at Director Song, who sat across from him.

A heavy silence lingered for a moment.

“You say you’re writing off my debt, but isn’t this essentially saying that you’ll buy the ‘bond’ [a financial instrument representing a loan made by an investor to a borrower] from my client?”

“It is not.”

“Then, if I were to move to Wall Flower after the debt is cleared, what about my salary…?”

“I’m not sure how much you currently receive each month, but you’ll receive at least that much, if not more.”

Jin Young-il lowered his head slightly and began to press his temples with both hands.

The primary reaction most people have when faced with such unexpected fortune is ‘doubt.’ Jin Young-il was no exception.

Then, Director Song rubbed his hands together like a fly and cautiously began to speak.

“Sir, you’re probably wondering why we’re trying to recruit you with such extraordinary conditions, aren’t you?”

“Yes, to be honest, I am.”

“You’re not the only one who’s been offered a position at Wall Flower. Several artisans in Dongdaemun [a major fashion district in Seoul, South Korea] will receive similar offers. Of course, the conditions you’ve received are the most favorable.”

Director Song finished speaking and began to stare at Jin Young-il.

Seeing the lingering disbelief on his face, Director Song added a few more words.

“Overseas, artisans with skills similar to yours receive immense wealth, fame, and even social respect.”

“That’s overseas, though…”

“The goal of becoming a premium brand means targeting the overseas market, where milk and honey flow [a metaphor for a land of abundance and prosperity], rather than the narrow domestic market.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll treat me the same as artisans overseas?”

Director Song gave a faint smile.

The light from the incandescent bulb on the ceiling reflected off the lukewarm instant coffee in the mug.

Silence lingered for a moment. Director Song began to speak, starting with, “Sir.”

“Do you know how old our president, designer Lee Jae-seung, is this year?”

“I think I saw it on the news, but I can’t quite recall. I think he was still very young…”

“He’s exactly twenty-two this year. Do you know what that young president said?”

Director Song asked, looking off into the distance for a moment before speaking softly.

“He said it’s a strange world where doing the obvious makes you sound great because no one upholds the obvious.”

“……”

“Please consider it carefully and contact us at your convenience.”

Director Song finished speaking and stood up from the sofa, causing the sunken leather to groan as it regained its shape.

After Director Song left the studio, Jin Young-il was left alone, lost in deep thought.

* * *

“Did you meet him?”

As soon as Jae-seung finished his question, Director Song’s voice began to be heard over the receiver.

-I met a few people today, and I think I’ll have to meet another six or so tomorrow.

“Really? How’s the atmosphere?”

-They’re all eager to come. Frankly, why do they make knockoffs? It’s because of money, right? If you give them more than that, why would they bother making knockoffs?

“What about Mr. Jin Young-il?”

-Looks like he’ll call today? By the way, why are you so obsessed with that guy? There are plenty of people who would pack their bags and come right away if you asked them.

Jae-seung, who was looking at the night view of Paris from the penthouse window, smiled bitterly and replied.

“Probably no one can match Mr. Jin Young-il’s skills. And his story is unfortunate.”

-Is he that skilled? Ah, right. By the way, how did you do the background check? Did you hire someone?

*How did I do it?* Jin Young-il was the person I was closest to after Director Song in the past, right before my regression.

However, that friendship didn’t last long. Jin Young-il, unable to withstand the wall that blocked his path, made the extreme choice of suicide.

Jin Young-il described imitation manufacturing as a ‘swamp.’

Because it slowly pulls you in, and in the end, there’s no way to escape.

Jae-seung, who had been lost in deep thought for a moment, smiled and replied in a playful tone.

“It’s a trade secret, should I tell you? If you’re really curious, I can tell you exclusively, Director…”

-What is it? Did you hire someone? Like a private investigator or something?

“No. Actually, I recently spent all the money I’d saved up and bought a crystal ball.”

Director Song, after exclaiming “A crystal ball…?” in an irritated tone, asked again.

-What nonsense is that? Are you saying that with just that, you can see anywhere you want?

“Yes, that’s right. I’m watching you right now, Director.”

-Alright, alright. Anyway, the factory site contract is finalized, and preparations for the offline store are going smoothly. The production line will be ready by the end of next month, and the offline store will be completed, so we can have a soft opening without any problems.

Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly.

Jae-seung nodded a few times and smiled faintly, as if satisfied.

“You’ve worked hard. You know the real work starts now, right?”

-Yeah, I know.

“Things are going well here too, so you don’t have to worry. I’ve received confirmation from several high-end magazines that they’ll include a certain number of favorable columns next year, and artists who will become ‘Team’ are gathering one by one.”

As soon as Jae-seung finished speaking, Director Song asked, puzzled, “Team…?”

Jae-seung immediately began to explain without hesitation.

“As you’ve noticed, Director, with the rapid development of social networking services, the public can take a deeper look into the lives of celebrities, right?”

-That’s right. But why is that?

“Premium brand owner-designers each have their own factions. They maintain friendships with celebrities, including models and musicians, and use them as part of their marketing.”

It’s no exaggeration to say that celebrities each have hundreds of thousands of followers.

Posting on their personal SNS [Social Networking Service] might be more effective than most promotions. In fact, many brands put a lot of effort into SNS advertising.

Director Song asked again, puzzled.

-Aren’t you already a member of the ‘RA Crew,’ a Parsons [a prestigious art and design school in New York City] faction? If Wall Flower’s premium brand transformation is fully promoted, they’ll support you…

“No. The other designers in the RA Crew are just competitors maintaining friendships. There will be support, but at least not during Fashion Week. Everyone else will be preparing for Fashion Week during that time.”

-Hmm, so other designers each have their own teams?

“Yes, that’s right. Those gathered around Alexander King call themselves ‘Alexander & Bro.’ Those gathered around Marc Jacobs call themselves ‘Jacob Family.’ We need to create such a faction too. It could be designers belonging to Wall Flower House, models who will be on the show with us, or even artists from completely different fields, including musicians.”

-So, in simple terms, you’re saying we should actively utilize ‘factional friendship,’ right?

“Yes. Times are changing. The public already buys products not only based on the brand’s value or design but also based on ‘Cult Of Personality’ [a situation where a public figure is deliberately presented to the people of a country as a heroic figure]. We need the help of attractive celebrities who capture the public’s hearts.”

-Okay, I understand. I’ll call you again as soon as the Dongdaemun copier contract is finalized. By the way, when are you planning to return home?

Jae-seung fiddled with the calendar on the table and replied in a gentle tone.

“I think I’ll be back in about two weeks at the earliest.”

-Okay, I understand. Call me if anything happens.

“Yes, I will.”

After finishing the call with Director Song, Jae-seung sighed deeply.

Those who team up with Wall Flower will be called ‘Lee Gang’ [Gang can mean group or faction in Korean] in the future.

Some of the celebrities who received the offer had already promised to join. Models gathered around Ashlyn and famous musicians who had built friendships at after-parties through several shows.

If things continued this way, the team would be completed without much difficulty, and contracts for support were completed with magazines.

The production line was secured, and the offline store in the main commercial district, which would have symbolic meaning, was also nearing completion.

Now, if we just make the clothes properly, the brand ‘Wall Flower,’ born from his fingertips, will rise to the ranks of premium brands.

“Good……”

Jae-seung muttered softly and smiled.

A new challenge is just around the corner. As always when a challenge is imminent, he felt a tremor accompanied by some anxiety.

* * *

Time always flows relatively. Recent times have been especially so.

Time seemed to flow quickly when preparing for the season, but now that he was resting, it felt like it was flowing very slowly.

During the day, he toured tourist attractions in and around Paris with Young-guk, and every night after sunset, he enjoyed light drinking.

Today was no different. He was leisurely strolling through the cafe street to the left of the Eiffel Tower with Young-guk, having various conversations.

“Jae-seung, when are you going back to Korea?”

“In about two weeks? I have to get busy again now.”

“I guess we can go back together then.”

“Yeah. But it’ll be hard to see you from next week. I have a lot of things to take care of before I leave.”

“It’s okay. I can wander around alone.”

Jae-seung nodded a few times with a nonchalant face and suddenly said, “Oh…?” while narrowing his brows.

It was because of a magazine displayed on a street store’s stand.

Jae-seung strode over and picked up a magazine from the stand.

The main cover featured a photo shoot of the head of the premium brand Jannel and a famous designer, ‘Karl Lagerfeld,’ who is considered one of the giants of the fashion industry.

At the bottom of the main cover, the most provocative part of his interview was written in tiny letters.

[“The arrogance of youth rarely ends well.” Karl Lagerfeld hurls fierce criticism at Lee’s brand ‘Wall Flower’s’ premium brand transformation.]

Only then did the name of the magazine, located at the top center of the main cover, come into view.

F-Web Magazine.

It was one of the magazines with which negotiations had broken down due to unmet conditions when he was busy going in and out of the headquarters of various magazines to find a compromise.

It seemed they had joined hands with Jannel and were trying to express their antipathy towards him.

Although not as large as the LVMH Group [a French multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods], Jannel’s parent company was certainly large enough to be worth cozying up to.

The ‘paper war’ that often happens in the fashion industry had begun.