Black Label [EN]: Chapter 21

Black Label 20

21. Snapshot?

*After finishing the meeting with the FTV (F Trend View) magazine editorial team, I had a few hectic days.

Starting with school, preparing for the sale of my self-produced clothing, managing the Wall Flower blog market, etc…

‘This is really killing me.’

Jaeseung rubbed his dry eyes and looked out the window.

Whether it was from accumulated fatigue or heightened emotions due to the first self-produced clothing sale starting the day after tomorrow, he couldn’t concentrate on class as much as usual.

Jaeseung was lost in thought when…

“…Hey, Jaeseung.”

Youngguk, who was sitting next to him, lightly tapped his hand. Jaeseung looked at him, puzzled. Youngguk handed him a note, keeping his eyes on the blackboard.

‘Hmm, a note?’

Jaeseung smiled, thinking of old times, and unfolded the note to read it.

– Myeongdong [a vibrant shopping district in Seoul] call today?

Jaeseung glanced at the teacher and mouthed, ‘Why Myeongdong?’ Youngguk quickly wrote another note and handed it back.

– I have a used item to trade. It’s been a while since we went to Myeongdong. If you’re busy, I can go alone.

After a moment, Jaeseung wrote ‘Okay. Let’s go together’ on the blank part of the note and returned it.

‘I’ll just think of it as taking a break.’

He needed a break. Didn’t they say that a tired Superman can’t save the Earth?

He felt exactly like that. Of course, he didn’t have such a global mission, but his efficiency was declining due to fatigue.

Myeongdong.

In his past life, he had gone there so much around this time that he was sick of it.

It was as famous for ‘Street Fashion’ as Hongdae [another trendy district in Seoul], and it was full of designer brand stores and famous select shops that weren’t available anywhere else.

‘Okay. Youngguk has suffered a lot following me around, so… I should go with him and buy him a good meal.’

* * *

Inside a cafe near Myeongdong called ‘A Land’ [a popular multi-brand store]. Jaeseung and Youngguk were sitting in a window seat.

“Youngguk, how’s the laptop? Is it good?”

“It’s super fast!”

“Really? I’m glad.”

“Yeah. Let’s just install the ‘Midi’ program and then go out to eat or look around.”

“Don’t worry about me, take your time.”

The item that Youngguk bought through a used transaction here in Myeongdong was a laptop for music production.

A luxurious-looking silver-gray body. An apple-shaped logo engraved on the front.

It was a ‘Mac’ laptop.

Most of the MIDI [Musical Instrument Digital Interface] programs used for music production aren’t compatible with Windows and are often only compatible with ‘MacOS’, so he bought it separately.

Tap, tap-

Jaeseung, who had been quietly watching Youngguk typing on the keyboard, fell into thought.

‘It looks much better on him when he wears it.’

Jaeseung was dressed in a simple, plain outfit, while Youngguk was wearing Jaeseung’s self-produced clothes from head to toe.

From the ‘Coated Denim Black Jeans’ that he made this time, to the ‘Coated Denim Jacket’, and a cotton t-shirt with the Wall Flower logo printed on it.

He had given Youngguk all the ‘Samples’ with the coating peeled off and the shine restored as gifts after filming.

Just two days later.

In other words, the first self-produced clothes would be on sale the day after tomorrow. He didn’t expect a great reaction, but he was sure that he wouldn’t be at a loss.

Just as Jaeseung was silently organizing his thoughts, Youngguk stretched and spoke again.

“Hey, Jaeseung, I’m done.”

“Shall we get up now?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

While Youngguk was packing his things, Jaeseung got up and looked around.

The cafe was crowded even on a weekday evening, carols were playing even though it was early December, and the breeze was cool, even a little chilly. He seemed to like everything about today.

“But what should we eat?”

“I don’t know? Let’s go out and look around.”

Soon, the two left the cafe.

* * *

“There’s really no one today, no one.”

Park Jeongho muttered and took out a cigarette.

His job was to set up a tripod at the three-way intersection in front of the Myeongdong A Land store and stand there all day.

As a reporter for the famous fashion community ‘CubaCuba’, he had been in his place for 12 hours today.

His job is to find ordinary people who are dressed well in Myeongdong and take snapshots, but there’s a premise.

The premise is that ordinary people who are dressed well have to catch his eye.

He rubbed the cigarette he was smoking on the floor. Another reporter next to him asked, “Jeongho hyung [older brother/friend]. Aren’t you going in?”

“Don’t even mention it. I haven’t taken a single picture yet.”

“Good job. We’ll go in first.”

“Okay. Go carefully.”

Originally, this place, the three-way intersection in front of the A Land store, was a gathering place for ‘fashion reporters’.

Not only Park Jeongho, a reporter from ‘CubaCuba’, but also ‘U-Sinsa’, ‘Rapperz’, etc. It was a common filming location for official reporters from famous fashion communities.

Thanks to that, it was also a secret fashion show venue for some ordinary people who thought they dressed well.

They would wander around this area, wanting to catch the eye of reporters and get snapshots taken.

Now all the other reporters had left, and Park Jeongho was alone.

He wondered if he should go in, but he was bothered by the fact that he hadn’t filmed anyone.

‘Let’s stay for one more hour.’

Just as he was about to look at the passersby again, someone caught his attention.

‘Huh…?’

A fairly sturdy man had just turned the corner. Broad shoulders. Not noticeably handsome, but decent. Park Jeongho slowly approached him and began to examine him more closely.

Slim-fit jeans, vintage work boots, and a jacket made of a unique material that he couldn’t tell whether it was coated denim or Lezard material. He was carrying a pouch that seemed to contain a laptop.

‘It’s a neat but unorganized feeling? First of all, what brand is the clothes?’

Park Jeongho was a huge fashion enthusiast. He even checks the lookbooks of new designer brands, and this is the first time he has seen these clothes.

The quality was too good to be clothes made by ordinary people.

Park Jeongho, who had been secretly watching him, smiled and approached him.

“Excuse me, can you spare some time?”

The man stopped and scanned Park Jeongho.

“Why?”

“Here’s my business card.”

Park Jeongho took out a business card with the ‘CubaCuba’ logo from his back pocket and handed it over.

“I’m Park Jeongho, a street reporter for CubaCuba. Your style is great.”

A young man with an ordinary impression, who seemed to be his companion, looked at Park Jeongho and asked.

“A reporter from CubaCuba…? Are you here to take snapshots?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. That’s right. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to take a snapshot….”

The stylish ordinary person who caught Park Jeongho’s eye was ‘Youngguk’, and his companion was naturally ‘Jaeseung’.

Youngguk tilted his head and quietly asked Jaeseung.

“Jaeseung, is CubaCuba a famous place?”

“Yeah, it’s very famous.”

Jaeseung smiled brightly.

Snapshot.

It was a huge unexpected gain. For large fashion communities like CubaCuba, street snapshots get close to 10,000 views.

It was like getting an advertising effect of 10,000 views for free.

Jaeseung looked at Park Jeongho and answered, “I’ll take it. A snapshot.”