Black Label [EN]: Chapter 34

Black Label 33

34. Higher, Further

“Drop out?”

Jaeseung nodded once at Professor Kang Hyung-rok’s quiet question and replied.

“Yes. Just a moment.”

He immediately took out a file from his backpack.

It was a file containing the diagrams and work orders for the women’s handbag to be released this time, the ‘For The Mom Edition’.

It was a reasonable suspicion, a situation he had fully anticipated. That’s why he had prepared a countermeasure like this.

“These are the handwritten work orders and diagrams. If you wish, I can show you the production process of the handbag in my studio.”

Professor Kang Hyung-rok, who had been looking through the documents in the file for a long time, opened his eyes quite clearly and said.

“Hmm, I think it would be good to watch the production process of the handbag as you said.”

“Yes. You can go right now.”

As Jaeseung replied without a moment’s delay, as if he had been waiting for those words, Professor Kang Hyung-rok smiled once.

The suspicion he had was sufficiently resolved just by looking at the ‘work order’ and ‘diagram’.

Pencil smudges remaining on the A4 paper. Words and lines that seemed to have been left unremoved in the process of rewriting.

All the traces left on the paper proved the time of agony the young designer had.

Nevertheless, the reason he brought up watching the production process?

It was simple.

Professor Kang Hyung-rok shook the file he was holding in his hand and began to speak.

“This is enough to prove it.”

“Yes? But why….”

“There’s no other meaning. I just want to see you working.”

The handbag he had seen was not at the level that an 18-year-old high school student who had self-studied design could make.

No, it was the same even if it wasn’t self-study.

Even if he had attended an academy, it was not a level of handbag that a high school student without practical experience could create.

In the first place, a handbag is not something that can be easily made.

Even the university students who study design under him only learn basic theories for two years and learn basic practical skills such as shirts, tailored jackets, and H-line skirts.

However, the ‘quality’ of the handbag Jaeseung created was not low at all.

You could tell just by looking at the finishing, leaving aside the detailed parts.

The elegant curve finishing felt as if it contained the characteristics of various premium brands.

Was it solely the result of a sense?

From the selection of lambskin fabric, to the stitches sewn along the logo, the shoulder chain considering convenience, and the golden patch attached to the inside of the bag.

Could all of this be the result of a sense?

If so.

If that’s the case.

It is a talent worthy of holding the title of ‘genius’.

“Hmm….”

Professor Kang Hyung-rok, who calmed down his agitation by taking a long breath, took a sip of his coffee as if savoring it, and then continued.

“Do you have a separate studio?”

“Yes. It’s near here.”

“I see.”

He nodded a few times, and then began to continue speaking again.

“Hmm. I think it would be good to talk a little more here and then move, how about it? Would that be okay?”

“Of course.”

“Jaeseung. You asked me to help you drop out, right? Are you thinking of studying abroad?”

“Yes. I’m considering ‘Parsons’ or ‘Central Saint Martins’ [prestigious art and design schools].”

At Jaeseung’s answer, Professor Kang Hyung-rok frowned slightly and replied.

“I think it would be better to decide on a school to aim for first. The preparation process seems similar, but in fact, they are very different.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Jaeseung. Just so you know, if you obtain a high school diploma through the GED [General Educational Development test, an alternative to a high school diploma], there may be penalties for going to overseas universities, right?”

Jaeseung nodded once and replied.

“Yes, I know. I have a way to offset those penalties.”

“A way?”

“I will submit the brand I am currently running, ‘Wall Flower’, as a portfolio.”

“Oh? Submitting the brand itself as a portfolio? That’s quite an interesting plan. Tell me more.”

It is an immutable truth that schools such as Central Saint Martins are prestigious.

It is also true that they boast tremendous competition rates and that the competitors who gather are outstanding.

However, there is a limit to portfolios.

You may be able to submit a novel and special portfolio, but you will not be able to submit an already proven ‘brand’ as a portfolio.

Was it because he gained strength from Professor Kang Hyung-rok’s positive reaction?

Jaeseung began to recite his plan fluently, with an even more confident tone.

“If you help me drop out, I will first obtain the GED in August.”

“Okay. If it’s the GED, you can get a passing score without any separate preparation. What’s next?”

“I will prepare for the PBT TOEFL [Paper-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language] and SAT [Scholastic Aptitude Test, a standardized test for college admissions in the US] and start operating the brand in earnest. I will maximize the size of the brand by September, when the full-scale admissions process begins, and hold a ‘show’ on my own before then.”

“A show? On your own?”

“Yes. Whether I rent a gallery or rent a building that is suitable for holding a show. Not many people will gather, but I will try to have the basics.”

“You’re saying you’ll submit the photos taken at that show along with your portfolio?”

Jaeseung replied with eyes full of unusual brilliance.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Not a bad plan.”

It wasn’t just a not bad level, it was an amazing plan. Professor Kang Hyung-rok had seen countless students’ portfolios so far.

He also had a lot of experience in helping graduates transfer to prestigious overseas fashion schools and creating portfolios together.

If he were an admissions officer at Parsons School or Central Saint Martins?

What kind of emotions would he feel, what would he think, and what choice would he make when he checked the portfolio Jaeseung was trying to create?

Professor Kang Hyung-rok, who had been silent for a long time, raised his eyebrows once and replied.

“Okay, good. I’ll help. It’s not a difficult task.”

The moment Jaeseung was about to say a word of thanks.

“But you will be responsible for handling the decisive moment. All I can do is make a recommendation to your parents and add a simple word of persuasion.”

Jaeseung also agreed.

“Yes. I understand. Thank you so much.”

As he said, it is entirely up to Jaeseung himself to put the final nail in the coffin of his parents’ decision.

He was only trying to get help from Professor Kang Hyung-rok because he thought that his words did not carry weight right now.

Now that small results were starting to surface one by one, it was clear that he would not be able to get their consent at once if he rashly brought it up.

He might be able to get consent for dropping out on his own. No, he was sure he could get it unconditionally.

Jaeseung, who had felt the credibility of the saying ‘There is no parent who can win against their child’ several times through his previous life.

However, he wanted to avoid conflicts or arguments with his parents as much as possible. He needed a situation where he could persuade them naturally.

Just as Jaeseung was lost in thought.

Professor Kang Hyung-rok looked at his wristwatch and then spoke again.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best too.”

“Yes, Professor. Thank you so much.”

“Then shall we slowly move to your studio now?”

“Ah, yes! Let’s do that.”

* * *

As the matter was a matter, things proceeded quickly.

Exactly two days after Jaeseung first spoke with Professor Kang Hyung-rok.

Jaeseung, his parents, and Professor Kang Hyung-rok.

The four of them gathered at ‘Cheongsan’, a Korean restaurant located near Jeongbalsan Station.

“I’m Kang Hyung-rok, a professor in the Department of Fashion Design at Hongshin University, whom I contacted earlier.”

“I’m Lee Kang-soo, Jaeseung’s father.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you through Younghye. I’m Kim Eun-hyung.”

No sooner had they finished ordering than Jaeseung’s father, Lee Kang-soo, carefully opened his mouth.

“You said you were Professor Kang?”

“Yes.”

“I heard you have something important to say about our son’s career path.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Professor Kang Hyung-rok, who raised his horn-rimmed glasses once, immediately brought up the main point.

“Actually… I wanted to ask you two what you think about Jaeseung’s ‘high school dropout’, so I arranged this meeting.”

“Yes? Drop out?”

As soon as the word dropout came out, Lee Kang-soo’s expression was distorted. He might have been intimidated, but Professor Kang Hyung-rok did not show any such signs and continued to speak.

“You know that your son has joined the online store ‘Kuba Kuba’, right?”

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard the story….”

“It’s a site created by my students who graduated from Hongshin University. Currently, almost all brands are fiercely competing to join the site.”

“I guess he was just lucky.”

Professor Kang Hyung-rok replied in a rather firm tone to Lee Kang-soo’s short answer.

“Yes. As your father said, luck may have followed. But it is definitely not a place where you can join with luck alone. It’s a place where even emerging designer brands are eager to join.”

“But still, dropping out is a bit….”

“Father. Then, have you checked the magazine with your son’s interview?”

“Yes. I saw it.”

Professor Kang Hyung-rok immediately began to continue the story as if he had been waiting.

“Jaeseung’s interview was much bigger than the interview with the student who received a full scholarship from FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology]. What do you think is the reason?”

“…….