Black Label [EN]: Chapter 78

Black Label 77

78. Leaving Paris

A few days passed in a flash.

It felt like the year-end was slowly approaching, but the weather in Paris was still above freezing.

Jaesung basked in the warm Parisian sunlight, diligently exploring every nook and cranny.

Thanks to Alexander King’s generosity, he didn’t have to worry about the usual preparations for studying abroad, allowing him to explore with a lighter heart.

Jaesung’s sightseeing always started at the Eiffel Tower, where crowds of people gathered.

He visited the Louvre Museum and viewed the ‘Mona Lisa’ from a distance.

One day, he spent a long time watching the ‘Alexander III Bridge’ suddenly light up in gold in the darkness, and he even spent an entire day on the Montmartre hill.

He was completely captivated by the beauty of the city of Paris seen from above.

It was truly a time when he could feel the saying ‘time is money.’

With each passing day, he only felt the need to move more diligently.

In addition, he visited several premium brand stores. Among them, the most impressive was, of course, the Louis Vuitton flagship store in France.

“Wow….”

A six-story building standing tall in the middle of the Champs-Élysées. Instead of a stale sign at the top, there was a golden ‘LV’ logo symbolizing Louis Vuitton.

Jaesung had often seen the Louis Vuitton French flagship store building on the 9 o’clock news in Korea.

It was a building that was often used as a background when reporting on anything related to ‘luxury goods.’

Unlike what he had seen through various video media, there were no crowds lined up waiting to enter.

It was a natural sight, as it was a scene that could only be seen when new products were released.

As Jaesung was staring up at the building with wide eyes,

Ashlynn asked with a triumphant tone, as if it were her own building.

“What do you think of it in person?”

“It’s amazing.”

“Do you know what?”

When Jaesung looked at Ashlynn as if he were wondering, Ashlynn gave a faint smile and continued.

“More than half of the customers at the Louis Vuitton flagship store are Asian.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And most of them are Chinese tourists.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Ashlynn added a few words of explanation.

Ashlynn had also visited a few times, and each time she had encountered Chinese tycoons who swept away all kinds of products.

Ashlynn, who was excitedly continuing her story, pointed to the entrance of the store with her chin and said.

“Look, one is coming out now.”

Just in time, a Chinese woman in her 40s was coming out of the store with two men who appeared to be her secretaries.

The two men following her were carrying a lot of shopping bags with the Louis Vuitton logo neatly engraved on them.

Jaesung couldn’t help but exclaim.

He had heard stories about Chinese tycoons spending huge amounts of money in tourist destinations, but this was the first time he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

“Wow, that’s amazing. Even a single T-shirt is an expensive brand that costs over a million won [approximately $750 USD]….”

“There are many people with unimaginable wealth.”

Ashlynn, who gave a short answer, raised the corners of her mouth and asked softly.

“Jaesung, do you also want material success?”

“Of course.”

Isn’t there a saying that art is only done until the money comes out?

Although material success was not the goal of his life, he believed that a certain level of material success was essential.

Ashlynn nodded a few times and added carefully.

“Then it might be a good idea to target them. If you can meet their needs, you can build a tower with money.”

Jaesung, who was lost in thought for a moment, frowned slightly and asked carefully.

“Well, I don’t know? I don’t really want to do that.”

“Is it something like pride as an artist?”

“No, rather….”

Jaesung, who hesitated for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and answered carefully.

“Actually, I think money is like a ‘mirage.'”

“A mirage? Why?”

“When I intentionally chased after it, all that was left was emptiness.”

It was a statement based on his experience in his previous life. He lived only chasing money.

And in the end, he became a slave to money.

He did make a lot of money for a while, but he had to have it all confiscated before he could even use it properly.

If he had taken that into account in advance and transferred it to a ‘burner account’ opened under a borrowed name, he didn’t know how the result would have been different.

But even so, it’s just ‘dirty money.’

A dangerous money that makes you anxious every time you spend it.

He lived in a house that was too big for him to live alone, and he drove a foreign car.

But was there ever a moment when those results were justifiable?

No.

Without a doubt, not a single moment.

Ashlynn tilted her head slightly as if she was amused and asked again.

“Then how can you get it in your hands?”

Jaesung, who asked back, “Well?” flicked his eyebrows and answered in a playful tone.

“If I knew that, wouldn’t I already own several high-rise buildings in New York?”

Ashlynn, who burst into laughter, nodded as if she agreed and continued.

“Oh my gosh, that’s right. If I ever realize the secret, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Okay. Me too. I’ll be sure to tell Ashlynn, even if it’s other people.”

As they walked and talked, they had already reached the front of the store.

Jaesung slowly pushed open the entrance door of the Louis Vuitton flagship store and began to reveal his true feelings in a soft tone.

“Ashlynn, maybe this is my greed. But I only want to make the clothes I want to make and build a tower with money.”

“It’s just a difference in values. I respect it as much as possible.”

Is it the power of the word ‘respect’?

Ashlynn’s appearance, which was already shining, seemed to be even more beautiful.

Jaesung smiled bitterly and said in a self-deprecating tone.

“Actually, I’m really sick of making clothes that I don’t want to make.”

Ashlynn, who hesitated for a moment, smiled brightly and continued.

“Although I don’t know well, I hope you only make choices that can make you happy.”

“Thank you.”

Jaesung, who gave a short answer, began to look around the inside of the Louis Vuitton store that he had just entered.

The interior was also as well-designed as the exterior.

From the luxurious marble floor to the subtle golden ceiling and the dazzling chandelier.

The first floor only had large promotional photos hanging on the wide walls, and no products were displayed at all.

To go to the second floor, you had to have your bag checked by a large black guard.

It was a task to check whether they had explosives or other dangerous materials.

Waiting silently for the bag inspection turn for a while.

Suddenly, a random thought came out of the gap and began to rummage through his head.

‘Will Wallflower ever have an offline store of this size…?’

It was a question he asked knowing the answer. It will definitely come. Even if it is not destined to come, he will somehow make it happen.

At that time, Ashlynn asked softly.

“Jaesung, now that I think about it, you said you had a lot of memories related to Louis Vuitton before?”

“Ah, yes. I did.”

“Can I ask what kind of memories they are?”

“Well….”

When Jaesung hesitated to answer, Ashlynn gave an awkward smile and added again.

“If it’s a bad memory, you don’t have to tell me.”

What kind of memories do you have with Louis Vuitton? Perhaps the word ‘ill-fated relationship’ would be more appropriate than the expression ‘memories.’

When he was devoted to making imitations in his previous life, Louis Vuitton was the brand he copied so much that he was really sick of it.

Jaesung shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“It’s an embarrassing past, but I have experience copying and selling Louis Vuitton products before.”

“Ah, so….”

Ashlynn seemed embarrassed and hesitated. She realized the meaning of Jaesung’s earlier words, “I’m really sick of making clothes that I don’t want to make.”

Jaesung smiled brightly and continued.

“It’s okay. A lot has changed.”

He, who used to copy Louis Vuitton products in a dark and humid underground workshop near Dongdaemun [a famous fashion district in Seoul], is standing on the first floor of the Louis Vuitton French flagship store.

It was not just for sightseeing purposes. He was waiting to enter to buy souvenirs for his acquaintances.

Moreover, while standing here, wasn’t he dreaming of the greater growth of his own brand ‘Wallflower’?

A lot has changed.

And.

“There will be even bigger changes in the future.”

“I agree.”

“Ashlynn, I have a goal.”

“What goal?”

Jaesung, who paused for a moment, answered in a serious tone.

“I’m going to come back here within 5 years.”

“To the Louis Vuitton flagship store?”

“Yes.”

“You can come here anytime if you want to?”

“No. Not that….”

Jaesung, who hesitated for a moment, turned his head and looked straight into Ashlynn’s eyes and said the rest.

“When I come back to this store, there will be a lot of products I designed on the shelves.”

“Then…?”

“Yes. I want to enter not as a customer, but as the head designer of Louis Vuitton.”

This was also just a thought that came to mind. As he realized the change, he felt a desire to experience a bigger change.

He, who was hiding in an underground workshop and copying Louis Vuitton’s designs, would have been no different from a ‘cancer cell’ to the brand owner.

No, maybe he was just a germ that couldn’t even dare to have the presence of a cancer cell.

How would it feel if the future of the Louis Vuitton brand was given to his hands?

How would it feel to have the special authority to decide the annual sales, success, and even the fate of the company?

Even now, he feels very new, but how new will he feel then?

Ashlynn, who was standing next to Jaesung and looking at his profile for a while, smiled brightly and said.

“I really like this about you.”

* * *

Once again, the remaining days flew by, and the morning of the departure day dawned.

As soon as he accepted the fact that he had to leave Paris in just a few hours, an indescribable regret seemed to arise.

Someone said.

Travel is the best teacher.

Although he doesn’t know what other travel destinations are like, at least ‘Paris’ seems to be a more than excellent teacher.

A series of incredibly beautiful scenery that makes ‘inspiration’ spring up like a lie.

That scenery is never obtained for free.

It is the result of various works of art coming together.

It is a masterpiece created by the overlapping agony of artists whose names and faces he does not know.

He made a promise.

He will come back someday.

Before leaving the country, he shared a final hug with Ashlynn, who came to the airport to see him off.

“See you again in America.”

To Jaesung’s calm words, Ashlynn smiled bitterly and answered.

“It’s a shame.”

No matter how you greet it, parting is bound to be a shame, and parting is always a shame.

Jaesung kissed Ashlynn and answered in a slightly trembling voice.

“It can’t be helped. We both have a long way to go, right?”

“That’s right. That’s right.”

“I’ll contact you.”

“It was fun.”

“Me too.”

After a short greeting, he boarded the plane to Korea.

It wasn’t a very long distance, but it was so lonely to walk alone.

All the schedules in Paris are over. The short break is over.

He has to stop by Korea and go straight to the United States to start his study abroad life.

He will have to start preparing for the new season’s products and struggle to adapt to Parsons life.

And when he gets used to it, he will have to go to Alexander King’s design team.

After settling in the assigned seat and looking out the window, he looked back on what had happened in Paris for the past month.

Before long, Jaesung fell into a deep sleep.

And in it, he had a good dream.

A very pleasant dream in which ‘Wallflower’ opens a huge offline store as big as Louis Vuitton.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time, ‘Alexander King’, who had recently returned to the United States where his brand headquarters is located, was busy talking to someone in his office.

– Alexander, so did you receive the first edition?

“Yes, I like the content quite a bit.”

Alexander King, who gave a short answer, began to look through this month’s issue of the fashion magazine Ella, which he was holding in his hand.

At the top of the unfolded page, the headline ‘Alexander King, recruiting an Asian creative director? Who is Lee?’ was written in large letters.

Then the man on the other side of the receiver, the editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine ‘Ella’, spoke again.

– No, it’s me. I’m just grateful that Alexander gave me a great source. I don’t know how to repay you for this help, giving me a sneak peek at Alexander King’s next season’s creative director….

“It’s just a thank you for the data you reported last season. The business with Ella has always been very successful.”

After finishing speaking, Alexander King added, “Ah, of course, it’s also a small gift for ‘Lee’.”

Silence flows for a while.

– A small gift… Well? It’s definitely a gift, but I don’t know if it’s really small.

“Whatever the outcome of this report, it will only advance the results that Lee would have achieved alone.”

– Your belief in the next creative director is strong.

“Of course. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have given him such an important position.”

Alexander King smiled and glanced at the wall clock in his office and thought to himself.

Will Lee arrive in Korea sooner?

Or will the sensational report that was just released this morning through the fashion magazine Ella arrive in Korea faster?