Black Label [EN]: Chapter 30

Black Label 29

30. For Your Noble Self

The moment Jaeseung’s foot lifted from the sewing machine pedal, the workshop fell silent.

“Hoo-ah.”

Jaeseung exhaled and glanced at the calendar on his workbench.

The days had been busy, filled with various happenings.

First, he and his mother met with the representative of ‘Kuba Kuba Online Store’ at the lawyer’s office to formally sign the contract.

The contract was signed without issue, confirming their entry into the online store the following week.

Unfortunately, sales were declining, a natural consequence of not stocking new products.

However, Jaeseung wasn’t particularly worried.

‘Sales will rise again once the new street clothing line is released.’

While not reaching the explosive sales of the first day, they were still averaging about six to ten pieces a day.

Currently, the Wall Flower blog market was generating an average daily revenue of around 600,000 won [approximately $450 USD].

Considering it was a new brand with only three items, it was a very promising start.

And today…

“Whoever made it, they made it well.”

Jaeseung smiled faintly, looking at the black handbag on his workbench.

The women’s handbag, soon to be released as the ‘For the Mom Edition,’ had also been completed smoothly.

He finished the bag just one day before his mother’s reunion.

Jaeseung then began to gently shake Yeongguk, who was asleep on the sofa in the center of the workshop.

“Yeongguk, wake up for a second.”

“Huh? Uh….”

Yeongguk had been handling the shipping, taking over for Jaeseung, who had been swamped with tasks recently.

Even ‘unpaid’ at that.

Could it be because Jaeseung hadn’t told him about the actual sales volume yet?

Or did he suspect Jaeseung was struggling financially, given the average of only six or seven boxes shipped per day?

Whenever Jaeseung tried to offer him even a small amount as part-time pay, Yeongguk consistently refused.

‘Okay, I’ll have to take care of him properly later.’

Soon.

Yeongguk, struggling to open his heavy eyes, asked sleepily.

“Is the work finished?”

“Yeah, just finished. Take a look.”

“Just a moment….”

Yeongguk rubbed his eyes hard a few times, stretched, and then carefully examined the handbag on the workbench.

After scrutinizing every detail, Yeongguk exclaimed “Oh!” with sparkling eyes.

“How is it?”

“Wow, it’s amazing. It looks like a real luxury handbag.”

Yeongguk smiled bashfully and continued.

“Your mother must be really happy, right?”

“Really?”

“Let’s take pictures first.”

Yeongguk took out his DSLR camera from his bag.

He had brought it specifically to take pictures before giving the bag to his mother as a gift.

While Yeongguk prepared to shoot, adjusting the camera’s aperture, Jaeseung moved the handbag to the ‘mini horizon’ set up in the corner of the office.

Mini Horizon.

In short, it was a simple studio for product photography. It looked quite professional, but the total cost was only about 100,000 won.

He laid a white velvet cloth over a square table he’d found near his apartment complex and put a white backdrop behind it to make the product stand out.

Then, he added cheap lighting purchased from an online shopping mall.

Soon.

“Taking pictures?”

“Okay.”

Click-.

Click-.

Yeongguk began to press the shutter, capturing everything from the exterior to the interior, including detailed shots of the buckles and chains.

Jaeseung, watching with his arms crossed, smiled faintly.

‘She’ll like it, right…?’

* * *

Jaeseung returned home only after neatly packaging the handbag with the materials he had prepared.

“I’m home.”

The moment Jaeseung opened the door, Kim Eunhyeong, who was watching TV in the living room, greeted him brightly.

“Son, you’re here? Dinner?”

Jaeseung answered briefly, and Kim Eunhyeong pointed to the shopping bag in his hand.

“Really? What’s that?”

The shopping bag looked luxurious, with the ‘Wall Flower’ logo printed in white on black coated paper.

Above the logo, there was even a white silk rose decoration that could be used as a *boutonniere [a floral decoration worn in a buttonhole].*

He had put as much effort into the packaging as he had into the product itself.

Jaeseung handed the handbag to Kim Eunhyeong and said quietly.

“It’s a gift for you, Mom.”

“Huh? A gift?”

“Yes.”

Kim Eunhyeong carefully opened the shopping bag with wide eyes.

It was double-packed, like a luxury handbag sold in stores.

A large black box was inside the shopping bag.

Like the shopping bag, it was a luxurious box with the Wall Flower logo printed in white.

“Oh my, the box is pretty too. Son, what is it?”

“Open it and see.”

Kim Eunhyeong carefully took out the box, placed it on the floor, and opened the lid.

“Oh my….”

The handbag made of black lambskin fabric emitted a faint glow under the fluorescent light.

“It’s a handbag? Did you make this yourself too?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, it’s really pretty.”

Kim Eunhyeong, her voice trembling, began to gently stroke the handbag.

At the same time, her eyes began to water.

“This is a product that will be released as the ‘For The Mom Edition.’ I thought your bag looked very old, so I made it.”

“…….”

“You have to wear it to the reunion, okay?”

Kim Eunhyeong nodded, and Jaeseung spoke again.

In a serious voice.

“Mom.”

At Jaeseung’s call, Kim Eunhyeong turned her head slightly and stared at him with sparkling eyes.

She was biting her lower lip, unable to speak. Something was stuck in her heart. If she opened her mouth, it felt like that lump would ‘pop!’ and burst out as tears.

Jaeseung, with a faint bitter smile, carefully broke the heavy silence that had settled in the living room.

“I’m sorry.”

Once again.

“Thank you.”

Jaeseung felt like his mind had gone completely blank for a moment.

He had prepared plenty of wonderful words, even practicing in front of the mirror.

However, the words that came out were rough and simple.

It was clear that apologizing with sincerity and expressing gratitude was difficult, especially to someone close to you.

Kim Eunhyeong dropped her head. Her slender shoulders began to heave helplessly.

She hugged the bag her son had made and sobbed silently.

Sometimes, a single word is more powerful than eloquent rhetoric.

Sometimes, a short word pierces the heart.

Kim Eunhyeong carefully opened her mouth in a tearful tone.

“…Jaeseung-ah.”

“Yes.”

“Mom is sorry too. Mom is grateful too.”

‘I’m really sorry for regretting you, even for a moment, for regretting and avoiding the existence of a son who was difficult to handle.’

‘Thank you for coming back as an ordinary son—no, thank you for doing more than that.’

She kept sobbing, keeping the unspoken words in her heart.

Jaeseung forced a smile and continued in a slightly trembling voice.

“Mom, I… I’ll go wash up first.”

He headed to the bathroom.

Clang-.

He closed the bathroom door and stood with his back to it, his heart throbbing.

Although he couldn’t say the words he had prepared, he had conveyed his sincerity. He thought this was enough.

His mother’s sobs began to be heard from beyond the tightly closed door.

“Huu… Heuu….”

Jaeseung deliberately turned on the shower, using cold water to make a louder noise and muffle the sobs.

However, his mother’s sobs could not be drowned out by the sound of water.

That subtle and ruthless noise continued to dig into Jaeseung’s ears.

It was a mind-numbing sound, one he had heard countless times in his past life.

It was the sound of the iceberg that his past self had created in her heart melting, the sound of old emotions pouring out. It was the most heartbreaking sound in the world.

Jaeseung also sat down on the bathroom floor and began to sob quietly.

‘Okay, this is enough.’

He conveyed his sincerity, so it was enough.

The reason why Kim Eunhyeong, who was struggling to hold back her tears, couldn’t help but burst into tears was clear.

It was because of the line engraved in neat handwriting on the gold patch attached to the inside of the bag.

‘For the mom, for your noble self who had to struggle because you gave birth to me’.