Black Label [EN]: Chapter 218

Black Label 217

218. Even If You Can’t Change the World

PM 8:00

The long-awaited appointment with the imitation maker had arrived.

The regular Dongdaemun [a district in Seoul known for its fashion industry] chicken kalguksu [Korean noodle soup] restaurant was just as it always was. The tattered, yellowed wallpaper, the quaint little TV in the corner, even the owner….

Perhaps the only things that had changed were Jae Seung and Director Song?

As Jae Seung was lost in thought, Director Song wiped her hands with a wet wipe and continued.

“Honey, how did you know about this place? Among the many chicken kalguksu restaurants in Dongdaemun, this is my favorite.”

“People’s tastes are all similar, aren’t they? The real thing is always recognized.”

“No, most people don’t know. There are so many chicken kalguksu places around here….”

Director Song muttered, “Since we came all the way here, we can’t skip the soju [Korean distilled rice liquor],” and immediately ordered a bottle.

Soon, the two of them each took a shot of soju and began to look at their watches as if they had made a promise.

Even though the appointed time had passed, the person in question showed no sign of appearing.

“If they don’t come, let’s just think of it as a date and enjoy our meal,” Jae Seung said in a nonchalant tone. Director Song chuckled and replied, “More like a stakeout, not a date.”

Both of them were prepared for the possibility that the maker wouldn’t show up.

Imitation makers are inherently suspicious and always on guard.

One mistake could mean forfeiting all the money they’ve worked so hard to earn, paying even more in compensation, and even being branded as a criminal. How could they not be cautious?

“I wonder if they came, saw you sitting inside, and ran away? Should I have put sunglasses and a mask on you?”

“The sticker on the glass wall makes it impossible to see inside from the outside. They won’t know until they open the door. And even if I’m heavily armed with sunglasses and a mask, people who know me will recognize me anyway.”

“Still, what if they run away as soon as they come in? I don’t want to play tag in the middle of the night. If they run away, you chase them. You know I have bad joints….”

As the two of them were sharing the chicken kalguksu with smiles, the sliding door opened, and a man in his 20s in simple training clothes appeared in the restaurant.

Director Song stood up as if she had been waiting and spoke in a friendly tone, “You must be Choi Min-ho, right? Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting a long time.”

Choi Min-ho, on the other hand, was only looking at Jae Seung.

How could he not be surprised when the original creator of the imitations he had been churning out was sitting right in front of him?

Eventually, Choi Min-ho, belatedly realizing the situation, began to slowly back away.

Director Song glared at Choi Min-ho and said in a chilling tone, “Hey, running away now will only make things harder for both of us. Think about it. If we were going to grab you by the neck, we wouldn’t have come here ourselves. We would have sent a lawsuit first. We’re not going to eat you, so sit down.”

“…….”

“Do you want to have all the money you’ve earned confiscated, get hit with additional taxes, and become a criminal? Even if you run away now, you’re still in our hands. If you don’t want to be chased for the rest of your life, you better sit down before we change our minds.”

Choi Min-ho cautiously took a seat, watching the two of them, and a silence fell over the room.

Choi Min-ho was only looking down at his fidgeting fingers, and Director Song was only stirring the chicken kalguksu with a ladle, even though it wasn’t even boiling yet.

And Jae Seung….

He was just staring intently at Choi Min-ho without saying a word.

Even at the most generous estimate, he was just a young man in his late twenties.

‘He must have a story.’

He thought that there must be a reason why he had such outstanding skills at such a young age, and why he was making imitations in the shadows of Dongdaemun instead of for a famous brand.

Based on what he had experienced in his past life, he knew that there was not a single person without a story who had simply entered this world out of greed.

“You’re Choi Min-ho, right?” Jae Seung asked abruptly, and Choi Min-ho answered nervously, as if he were a new recruit who had just entered the army.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jae Seung put a few spoonfuls of chicken kalguksu on Choi Min-ho’s plate and asked again.

“How is it? Is it profitable?”

“I’m really sorry.”

“I’m not asking to hear an apology.”

“Well, just….”

Wasn’t this an extreme situation where even a single slip of the tongue, even the slightest offense to the people sitting in front of him, could lead to the complete loss of everything he had and his transformation into a criminal?

It was clear that even a simple answer was a seat of thorns for him, one that he had to repeat several times in his mind before uttering.

Jae Seung cleared his throat and spoke again.

“It won’t be easy, but from now on, let’s talk comfortably and as honestly as possible. The outcome of how we handle this matter will depend on the content of our conversation.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

“We have determined that the imitation products you have produced have caused serious damage to the brand’s sales and image. That’s why we started looking for you.”

“I have nothing to say, even if I had two mouths.”

Jae Seung nodded and asked again.

“Min-ho, excuse me, but how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-four this year.”

“How long have you been sewing?”

“I started a little early, so it’s been twelve years.”

That meant he had been tinkering with sewing machines since he was around twelve years old?

That made his outstanding skills understandable. It wasn’t just that he was specialized in technical aspects.

The fact that he had churned out a lot of ingenious imitations, which were like secondary creations, also suggested that.

“You certainly started early. It’s not common to start this early. What was the reason?”

“Actually, I grew up with my grandmother, and she ran a small sewing shop. She was short-handed, so I had to help her, and I learned little by little from watching her.”

“I see. I thought your skills were outstanding at first glance. I wondered what the secret was, but it was early education….”

Choi Min-ho, who had only been blinking at Jae Seung’s friendly words, tried to answer but ended up swallowing his words.

He wanted to say thank you, but he thought it would be strange to express gratitude in this situation.

Jae Seung spoke again.

“Then what was the reason for making imitations?”

“Yes? Reason…?”

“Who would make fake goods without a story?”

Silence fell again for a moment. Choi Min-ho sighed and began to tell his story in detail.

It was a story that could be seen as commonplace or pitiful.

Money.

His grandmother’s hospital bills, his younger sister’s tuition, his own living expenses. He didn’t have the confidence to earn a lot of money every month to cover these expenses, but he had the skills.

And the brokers who knew his skills were swarming around him.

He was naturally in a position where he had no choice but to get involved in making imitations.

Jae Seung nodded as he listened to Choi Min-ho’s story and raised his head slightly, asking again.

“So did you earn as much money as you needed?”

“That’s….”

Director Song interjected.

“If he had earned enough to be satisfied, would he have come out when I called him with the Chinese capital story? It’s one of two things. Either he hasn’t filled the amount he needs yet. Or he’s earned enough, but his greed has grown and he’s not satisfied.”

Choi Min-ho lowered his head even further at her somewhat aggressive words.

Silence fell for a moment.

“Actually, the amount is quite large, but I lost most of it.”

Director Song asked, “What? Lost it? Why?” and Choi Min-ho began to tell his story again in detail.

He said that the problem started when he borrowed a large sum of money from the broker he was supplying products to.

He couldn’t afford his grandmother’s hospital bills, so he borrowed money from the broker who was taking care of him and connecting him to various suppliers. He was losing more than half of his monthly salary in the name of repaying the principal and interest, which far exceeded the legal maximum interest rate.

“If a Chinese investor was really connected, I was going to get an advance payment and pay off my debt first. Then I was going to work hard until the contract expired, and I was really going to quit….”

Choi Min-ho, who was about to continue speaking, lowered his head and began to shake his shoulders.

Director Song, who had been staring at Choi Min-ho, sighed, “That’s really sucking the blood out of a flea….”

If he hadn’t shaken hands with a good broker like Director Song in his past life, he might have lived an even more miserable life.

This was an industry where there were plenty of people who thought that sucking the blood out of a flea was ‘business acumen.’

Jae Seung tilted his head slightly and asked again in a very serious tone.

“What is your dream, Min-ho? Do you want to become a master craftsman? Or do you want to become a designer?”

Choi Min-ho, who had been rubbing his face with both hands, took a few deep breaths and answered with difficulty.

“It’s embarrassing to say in this situation, but… I actually wanted to become a designer.”

Looking at Choi Min-ho, Jae Seung was reminded of his past life, which now felt like a fiction.

He felt uncomfortable, as if the hairs on his body were standing on end and he was getting goosebumps.

He wanted to tell him that he knew. He knew what it was like. He knew how he was spending each day. But he couldn’t bring himself to say those words of comfort.

Jae Seung nodded once and handed him his business card, saying.

“Min-ho, this is my business card. Leave this month’s interest, principal, and creditor’s contact information at the number listed. We will buy your debt.”

“Yes? Why….”

“Instead, you have to come to work at the address on my business card the day after tomorrow. Take a good rest tomorrow, and then the day after tomorrow. Do you understand?”

Choi Min-ho began to stare at Jae Seung with a dumbfounded expression.

“It’s too bad to let your skills rot while making fake goods, isn’t it? Don’t you think so? If you come to work the day after tomorrow, you’ll sign a contract and be put to work right away.”

After finishing his words, Jae Seung didn’t give him a moment to respond and said, “I’m going to go out for a cigarette, so please have your meal,” and immediately left the seat.

He felt uneasy for no reason, and his emotions began to stir.

Choi Min-ho kept thanking Jae Seung’s back, but there was no answer.

Director Song gently patted Choi Min-ho’s shoulder and said in a soft voice.

“I’m going to go out and talk for a bit, so feel free to eat.”

After finishing her words, Director Song immediately went outside the restaurant.

Jae Seung was leaning against the wall of the alley, staring blankly at the sky while smoking a cigarette.

Director Song naturally approached Jae Seung and took out a cigarette, opening her mouth.

“You’re so full of kindness….”

“He’s pitiful. And I met him with the intention of bringing him in from the beginning.”

“Honey.”

“Yes?”

Director Song began to stare intently at Jae Seung’s face.

Jae Seung’s actions now felt familiar.

In the process of recruiting him, Jae Seung had taken in all of the employees of Taeyang Corporation. He had recruited imitation manufacturers near Dongdaemun by guaranteeing them the position of ‘Master.’

Now, he was even doing good deeds by finding manufacturers who were producing and distributing imitations of his own brand and changing their lives.

What was his purpose? Did he want to change the world? Or what? Was there no purpose? Was he just someone who couldn’t help but do this?

Director Song, who had been looking at Jae Seung without saying a word, carefully asked the much younger president.

“Sometimes I think you’re really amazing.”

“Yes. And?”

“Will we? No, will you changing the world by doing this?”

“No.”

Jae Seung answered without a moment’s hesitation, exhaled the smoky air, and added.

“But that person’s world will change.”

Director Song replied, “That’s right,” and began to look up at the sky for no reason.

That’s right.

Even if the world doesn’t change, the world that person lives in will change.

That’s right, you’re right.