Black Label [EN]: Chapter 240

Black Label 240

240. The Strongest Competitor

First, I went to the penthouse living room and sat on the sofa, waiting for Ashlyn to finish preparing breakfast.

Of course, I wasn’t just sitting there idly.

I was busy piecing together the fragments of my memory based on the articles in the web news and the congratulatory messages filling my phone’s inbox.

Eight crowns.

I had succeeded in grasping an amazing title that I had never even dreamed of overnight.

It was no exaggeration to say that web news, as well as all kinds of print media, were filled with my story.

“Lee, let’s eat quickly.”

Jaesung, who briefly replied, “Okay,” started walking towards the dining table in the living room without taking his eyes off his phone screen.

The breakfast menu was a bowl of warm soup and a few slices of soft bread.

“You still don’t remember well?”

“Only parts of it.”

“So, yesterday…”

Ashlyn, who trailed off, began to explain everything that had happened yesterday in chronological order.

First, after finishing the ten-minute interview in the photo zone after the awards ceremony, we headed straight to a hotel bar in Paris to hold a congratulatory party.

Moreover, Chairman Ardo paid for all the expenses.

As I listened to the story, some scenes seemed to vaguely come to mind.

After quickly emptying the soup that Ashlyn had carefully prepared, I got up and said,

“I’ll go make a call.”

“Okay.”

I grabbed a cigarette and headed to the penthouse balcony.

The weather was quite chilly and the wind was sharp, but thanks to the sunlight, it felt okay.

“Let’s see…”

Jaesung, muttering to himself, began to count the number of congratulatory messages piled up in his inbox.

I had a vague feeling about when I would reply to each one, but I couldn’t just ignore them, could I?

Taking a long breath, Jaesung started calling his parents in Korea first.

Just as the ringing was about to end, I heard my mother’s familiar and welcoming voice from the other end of the line.

– Son!

A voice that naturally makes my heart feel at ease. Soon, Jaesung smiled faintly and began to speak.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I guess I was too out of it to call you yesterday.”

– No, no. It’s okay, you must have been busy. Son, congratulations from the bottom of my heart. You’ve worked so hard.

From the other end of the line, I could faintly hear my father repeatedly asking, “Is that Jaesung? Is that Jaesung?”

I could also hear Director Song’s voice from time to time.

Huh? Wait a minute. Why is Director Song’s voice there?

Jaesung asked with a puzzled expression.

“Mom, I’m just asking in case, but are you at Director Song’s house right now?”

– Oh my, how did you know? He came yesterday, tuned the channel to the awards ceremony, and watched it with us. Just a moment. I’ll put him on the phone.”

“You didn’t have to…”

Just as Jaesung trailed off, Director Song’s voice was heard.

– Hey, Boss! What do you mean, you didn’t have to? Is this how you treat me?

“I was going to call you as soon as I finished this call anyway.”

– Your tongue is slippery as ever. Anyway, congratulations. To be honest, I didn’t expect much, but eight crowns, you’ve really worked hard.

When Jaesung replied, “Thank you,” Director Song continued.

– It’s nothing much, I was just worried that you might be too happy and lose your mind, so I thought I’d check in. You’ll be busy making calls all over the place today, so I’ll put your parents back on the phone. Finish the important calls first after you finish talking to them.

“No, this is the most important call to me. But thank you so much. How did you come up with such a brilliant idea?”

– The news reported that several major broadcasting companies bought the broadcasting rights, so it was the first thing that came to mind. I thought your parents would want to see it the most, right?

“That’s right. Anyway, thank you so much. When are you coming to France?”

After humming for a moment, Director Song continued.

– I’ve already booked the tickets. I’ve already put together a team. I’ll arrive in Paris this Saturday, so until then, you can rest and review the pending documents.

Additional explanations followed.

Director Song said that as soon as he arrives in Paris, he will put aside all the fashion week-related work and focus solely on remodeling the brand house.

He also added that ‘Kai Green,’ who helped the VMD [Visual Merchandising] team plan and design the stage during the last fashion week, would be joining again.

– Anyway, let’s put work aside for a moment. I’ll hang up now, so talk to your family. I think I should return to the office now. I’m sure there will be tons of interview requests….

After talking with my mother, father, and younger sister Seunghee, I ended the call.

Then, in the order of the congratulatory messages, I slowly called each person to express my gratitude.

It was a task that took several hours. Every time my hands felt cold, I went inside the living room, and when I felt better, I went back to the balcony, repeating it several times.

After finishing all the calls, Jaesung said to Ashlyn, who was sitting on the living room sofa reading a book.

“Ashlyn, there’s a place I need to go today. Would you like to come with me?”

“Right now? Where is it?”

* * *

The car provided by Billy Ban Corporation drove for a long time.

I had received invitations to various events, but there was one thing I had to do today.

The car that had been moving non-stop stopped around the time when the evening glow began to ripple.

“Lee, we have arrived.”

It was a huge mansion that didn’t match the rural village.

Jaesung smiled bitterly and entered the mansion.

The mansion didn’t feel warm, but it seemed to be maintained in a fairly clean condition.

This was thanks to the fact that three employees were assigned to manage the mansion, including cleaning.

What kind of mansion is it?

It was Karl Lagerfeld’s birthplace, which he inherited as a legacy.

Soon, a man in a neat suit in the mansion walked out and said in a polite tone.

“Thank you for coming such a long way.”

Jaesung replied, “It’s okay,” and continued.

“I want to see Karl.”

“I will guide you.”

Following the guide, I found a very ordinary tombstone.

It felt too simple for the tombstone of Karl Lagerfeld, the master of the fashion world who had dominated a century.

Soon, Jaesung and Ashlyn stood in front of the tombstone with their hands together, as if they had promised.

A moment of silence for mourning.

The sunset dyed the lawn in the backyard of the mansion red.

Was it thanks to that? The leaves swaying in the wind looked as soft as a chick’s down.

* * *

Originally, time has a very clear relativity, doesn’t it?

I felt that time was fast several times even during the season.

But, should I say that it felt like it was flowing several times faster when I was resting?

“It’s magnificent. It looks like it can be fixed with a little touch?”

Director Song, who stepped into the building that would soon become the brand house, said with an excited tone.

The four-day break given after the awards ceremony and before the Wall Flower staff joined to prepare for Paris Fashion Week had passed in an instant.

Jaesung rubbed the bridge of his nose and replied.

“How long do you think the remodeling will take?”

“I think two months will be enough.”

I had a feeling that the brand house could be opened normally around the time when Paris Fashion Week was over and the preparation for Black Label products was almost complete.

To Director Song, the word ‘넉넉잡고 [neokneokjapgo – taking it easy]’ means, ‘Let’s talk about the period that can be finished even if a natural disaster occurs….’

Soon, Director Song looked down at his watch and said.

“By the way, is it today? The announcement of the fashion week order.”

“Yes. It’s announced at midnight today.”

“I just hope it’s not as bad as last time.”

Jaesung nodded in agreement.

To be honest, I wasn’t confident that I could overcome such a poor draw again. No, rather than not being confident in overcoming it, it might be more appropriate to say that I didn’t want such a situation to happen again.

Taking a long breath, Jaesung picked up the coat hanging on the chair and said.

“I’ll be going now. I’ll delegate all matters related to the brand house remodeling to you, so I hope you can decorate it as much as you want.”

“Okay. Trust me. How much should I set the budget?”

“It’s a space that will be used for more than a hundred years, so you can use it as much as you want.”

“Really? Are you sure? There will be a lot of expenses from the office building….”

Jaesung shrugged his shoulders and replied casually.

“Wouldn’t it be okay to earn it again and fill it up? So, decorate it as much as you want, properly.”

Soon, Director Song licked his lips and asked, “Is that so?”

His eyes were already full of enthusiasm and seemed to be glistening.

Jaesung, who had been watching Director Song for a while, opened his mouth again.

“Then, I’ll ask you for a favor.”

With those words, he immediately left the building in Paris where the brand house would be located.

After getting into the limousine waiting in front, I took a long breath.

Now is the time to sprint again.

* * *

PM 11:59

At the point of leaving just about a minute until the collection venue and time announcement of the brands participating in Paris Fashion Week.

Jaesung and the Wall Flower design team staff were all gathered in the special room of the Paris Hotel.

Choo Jihoon, who was sitting in front of the guest room’s public computer, kept repeating, “Please, please…,” and was busy pressing the refresh button.

How long has it been? Choo Jihoon widened his eyes and shouted loudly.

“The place and order have just been released!”

Jaesung rushed over and started checking the contents.

The other employees were also the same, standing in a circle around the monitor and staring at the screen.

Soon.

A shout of “Waaaaa-!” echoed in the room.

reason? It was simple. It was thanks to the best draw, which was completely opposite to the previous season.

The name of Wall Flower was written on the last day, in the last order. Even the location was perfect.

The venue for Wall Flower’s fashion week collection was the ‘Galeries Lafayette Department Store,’ and although it was a department store stage, it was a well-equipped place where countless brands had held large-scale fashion shows several times.

Jaesung, who smiled with satisfaction, unknowingly muttered, “Huh…?”

It was because of the brand that was placed right before Wall Flower.

– PM 7:00 Diamond Look

– PM 8:00 Wall Flower