Black Label [EN]: Chapter 63

Black Label – Episode 62

63. Before Leaving

In a quiet café on the outskirts of Yeonnam-dong, Jaeseung and Professor Kang Hyung-rok sat across from each other at a table.

They had met to discuss Jaeseung’s upcoming ‘study abroad,’ which was just around the corner.

“So, is the preparation going well?”

At Professor Kang Hyung-rok’s question, Jaeseung nodded once and replied,

“I’ve managed to get a passing score on the PBT TOEFL [Paper-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language].”

“Oh, the biggest problem is solved! You’ve worked really hard.”

“Thank you. But I still have a long way to go.”

The PBT TOEFL score requirement, which most prestigious overseas schools set as an admission condition, is 550 points. Considering that the perfect score is 650, it’s definitely not an easy task.

It was a remarkable achievement made possible by squeezing out time and cutting back on sleep to study.

“So, once you solve the ‘high school graduation exam’ issue, you’ll have all the basic qualifications for admission, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s progressing smoothly, so don’t worry too much.”

From creating a portfolio, writing application forms and essays, to preparing for specific interviews….

There was a mountain of things to prepare for admission, but meeting the eligibility requirements was the priority.

Thanks to that, he had been focusing solely on studying for the high school graduation exam lately.

Professor Kang Hyung-rok wiped his glasses and asked again.

“Let’s see… when is the exam again?”

“Next Monday.”

“Not much time left. Are you confident?”

“Of course. I’ve prepared diligently.”

It was a brief answer, but it contained a clear conviction.

Perhaps he was quite satisfied with Jaeseung’s attitude?

Professor Kang Hyung-rok said softly, “Good…,” and then brought up the main topic.

“By the way, I heard you finally decided to apply to ‘Parsons The New School For Design.’ I’m curious about the reason.”

“The reason, you say?”

“With your level, you can practically choose any of the prestigious overseas fashion schools.”

It was quite embarrassing to say, but it was also a clear fact.

Among the applicants who would be competing with Jaeseung, there might be many who were close to the professional level.

But how many applicants are actually working as current designers?

Even if there were such applicants, it was unlikely that they would have a career comparable to Jaeseung’s.

Jaeseung’s own brand, ‘Wallflower,’ the sales that realistically showed the brand’s value, and the brilliant career that was no exaggeration to say shone.

The only concern Professor Kang Hyung-rok had was this.

He was worried that Jaeseung might have decided to go to ‘Parsons Design School’ without any particular reason, simply because of the sense of intimidation that the name evoked.

At that moment.

“I don’t have any particular reason… but I’ve heard that Parsons, unlike other prestigious design schools, emphasizes practical design.”

“That’s right. You know it well.”

“That’s what attracted me. That’s all.”

The meaning of the word ‘practical design’ is extremely simple.

Well-selling design.

That was what Parsons focused on teaching the most.

That was the case when looking at the educational philosophy of the faculty, and when looking at the designers that Parsons Design School had produced.

The reason why Jaeseung felt a strong attraction to the keyword ‘practical design’ was quite simple.

The clothes that Jaeseung had to copy in his past life were all well-selling designs.

In the first place, unpopular products with low demand would not be produced as imitations.

By copying such a vast amount of premium clothing, amounting to thousands of pieces, he naturally acquired two senses.

Luxurious sensibility and popularity.

His clothes have a certain level of luxury and popularity.

It wasn’t particularly intentional, nor was it a result that could be obtained at will, even if he intended to.

It was a sense that could only be gained by enduring the time of hardship in the shadows.

Like riding a bicycle, it was a sense that he could never forget, no matter how hard he tried.

Among them, popularity.

Jaeseung considered popularity to be the best advantage among the advantages he possessed.

But it’s not enough at the current level.

To win in the competition with designers recognized as ‘World Class,’ to make Wallflower the world’s best brand, to enjoy all the glory and honor that a designer can enjoy, to stand at the so-called summit.

It’s still endlessly lacking.

He needs time to sharpen his strengths even more sharply and keenly, and time to minimize his weaknesses.

Going to Parsons was a calculated choice to maximize his strengths.

“Okay. It seems like a choice with a firm intention, so I won’t interfere anymore.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Thanks….”

Professor Kang Hyung-rok trailed off, then smiled faintly and continued.

“Anyway, you must be really busy. Even if we put aside the admission-related preparations, there’s the issue of transferring management rights, and the office must be busy too.”

As Professor Kang Hyung-rok said, he was having a hectic time with all sorts of things. There was a mountain of work to do, but the day was short, and he only had one body.

Still.

“It’s okay. It’s much better than having no work to do.”

“Haha, really? That’s a relief.”

A moment of silence passed.

“So, how is it these days? Is there anything different?”

When Jaeseung asked, “Pardon?”, Professor Kang Hyung-rok smiled kindly and added an explanation.

“Was the question too difficult? I was asking if anything has changed since you gained fame as a designer.”

“Ah….”

Changed?

There were so many things that had changed that he couldn’t count them all.

He was receiving more attention than he deserved after successfully finishing the show.

First of all, the most pleasing change was that when he searched for ‘Lee Jaeseung’ on portal sites, his picture came up first.

Sales also underwent a big change. These days, he was often surprised every time he checked his bank balance. It was always a much larger amount than he had expected.

Come to think of it, so much has really changed, but paradoxically, so much remains the same.

“Well? I don’t know.”

“Haha, really?”

“Yes. Not yet.”

Even if he walks around the streets, there’s no one who recognizes him. He still freely roams the streets and lives mixed in with countless people.

His daily life is also the same.

He still spends most of his time in the office. He handles the work that pours in all day long, and spends the remaining time designing new clothes.

He’s always intensely 고민하고, 고통스러워하고 있는 중이다 [agonizing and suffering].

Thanks to that, he was able to realize that for an artist, ‘the agony of creation’ is like a chronic disease.

This is an incurable disease.

No matter how much money I make, no matter how famous I become, it’s a chronic disease that I have to live with for the rest of my life.

A moment of silence passed.

Professor Kang Hyung-rok looked out the window and said in a gentle tone.

“The weather is especially nice today.”

Already, it was August, when the five grains were ripening.

Even though it was well past ‘Ipchu’ (立秋) [the beginning of autumn in the traditional East Asian calendar], the weather was still muggy.

During the day, heat haze bloomed like flowers on the asphalt, which was full of hot sunlight, and his whole body was sticky after only a few steps.

Only the occasional late summer monsoon rains or the cool night breeze reminded him that the late summer was passing by.

Now, at the end of summer. It seemed that it wasn’t just summer that was about to end.

Jaeseung’s life in Korea was also slowly heading towards the end.

* * *

Several more days passed, and finally, the morning of Jaeseung’s high school graduation exam arrived.

Even though it was still early in the morning, the house was very noisy.

It wasn’t exactly because of Jaeseung’s exam, but everyone was busy preparing to start their day.

“I’m off-!”

His younger sister, Seunghee, who had hurriedly finished breakfast, stopped for a moment as she rushed out of the house and gave him words of encouragement, “Oppa [older brother], good luck on your exam! Fighting-!”

“Okay. Thanks. Be careful going.”

In his past life, they fought like mortal enemies almost every day, but now there’s no room to fight.

No matter how much Seunghee argued and teased him, she just looked cute.

Just as Jaeseung was about to start packing his bag again.

His father, who had just finished preparing for work, asked softly.

“Is it the exam today?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, where’s the exam venue?”

“It’s in Eunpyeong-gu.”

“Should I give you a ride?”

“It’s okay, it’s close.”

Lee Kang-soo nodded once, then added in a barely audible voice, “You’ve worked hard, so there will be good results.”

Perhaps even that was embarrassing, as he cleared his throat a few times and immediately started walking slowly towards the front door.

At that moment.

“Dad….”

“Yeah.”

“Could you spare some time during the week?”

His father frowned slightly and asked, “Why do you need time?” There’s a future that must be changed.

A future that must be changed no matter what.

“Well, I was wondering if you and Mom should get a health checkup this time.”

“What? A health checkup?”

“Yes. I think you two should start paying attention to your health.”

Diabetes.

Even now, just hearing that name made him shudder.

It was a disease that suddenly came and took away his father’s health, which had been fine.

It was also a disease that slowly took away Jaeseung’s own eyesight.

If the present changes, the future changes. It was an extremely simple rule, but for some reason, it was a fact that he didn’t realize until he was given a second life.

He will change the future.

This was one of the problems he wanted to solve before finishing his life in Korea.

His father chuckled and replied in a blunt tone.

“What? No, you rascal. That’s a waste of money. I’m so healthy, what health checkup….”

“But wouldn’t you like to get one?”

Just as Lee Kang-soo was about to say something again, his mother, Kim Eun-hyung, frowned and said.

“Honey! Just take some time and go.”

“No, that costs more than a penny or two….”

“Who’s telling you to pay? Just go for Jaeseung’s sake. It’s not difficult, is it?”

“Tch, how annoying….”

“Are you going?”

“Okay, I’m going! I’m going!”

Jaeseung, who was watching the two bickering, smiled faintly.

Although nothing has changed yet, he felt relieved for some reason.

Even if the future doesn’t change with this attempt, he will continue to try.

He will try to avoid repeating his past life by any means possible.

Come to think of it, life is truly bizarre.

The moment someone’s life ends, someone else is born into the world with the greatest blessings.

The same is true at this moment, when his father’s fate may have changed.

Below the chest of the young anchor on TV, a caption announcing the news of the late monsoon that suddenly started to pour down was passing by.

At that moment.

Beeeeep-.

The smartphone in his pocket vibrated once. Jaeseung immediately took out his phone and started checking its contents.

“Huh…?”

– This is Kang Hyung-tae PD [Production Director] from ‘Style TV,’ a broadcasting station that creates culture. I apologize for contacting you via text message at this early hour. I would like to invite designer Lee Jaeseung of ‘Wallflower’ to a program that is being newly organized….

Surprisingly, it was a text message from a broadcasting station. Moreover, it was even a casting offer.