Chapter 97

# Chapter 097

"Let's try it again."

After pointing out Jang Hayang's mistake, Baek Minjeong calmly continued her movements.

She did it more slowly than before, out of consideration for her.

Baek Minjeong knew that Jang Hayang's learning ability was low.

She couldn't help but know, since Jang Hayang was taking classes at her academy.

However, Baek Minjeong wasn't the one who taught Jang Hayang.

'This is worse than I heard.'

Baek Minjeong's junior trainer had been in charge of Jang Hayang, so she had only heard about it verbally and never had the chance to see it firsthand.

Now that she saw it, she understood.

Her junior's complaints about teaching Jang Hayang weren't exaggerated.

"Hayang, here. Let's do the same move you did just now."

"Sure."

"Here, this. This isn't sexy. Pull your waist back more."

"Sure."

Jang Hayang wasn't ignoring her.

She was just a slow learner.

Baek Minjeong repeated these words to herself dozens of times, but as the mistakes kept repeating, she couldn't help but sigh.

No, it wasn't just a sigh; she was starting to get angry.

The choreography kept breaking because of Jang Hayang, and they couldn't make any progress.

"Let's stop here for today. Keep practicing even after I leave."

Seong Pil approached Baek Minjeong as she was leaving the practice room.

"Good job."

"No, it was fun."

"Fun? You looked like you were shouting in anger."

"...Sorry."

It's impossible to avoid getting angry and shouting when teaching.

But today was only the first day of teaching the choreography.

There was no reason to get angry.

If anything, it was because Jang Hayang's learning speed was too slow.

"That's too bad... Ah. I should apologize."

"No. Hayang must have been motivated. She'll work harder now."

"..."

Baek Minjeong had always believed she had a good temper.

But thinking about how she treated Jang Hayang today, she realized her temper was far from good; it was just dirty.

She left the company, reflecting on herself.

After seeing her off, Seong Pil went back to the practice room.

Among the members who were resting, Baek Seolha was seen comforting Jang Hayang.

Although it was Baek Seolha doing the comforting, it somehow looked like their roles were reversed.

"It's okay, Hayang. You can do it little by little. Don't be too upset..."

"No, I'm fine, Unnie. I'll practice. It's my first time, so it's inevitable."

Baek Seolha seemed to assume that Jang Hayang was feeling depressed.

"Everyone."

When Seong Pil called out, the scattered members gathered.

"How was it today, your first day?"

They were all looking at each other, hesitant to speak up.

Seong Pil was surprised.

He expected Jo Ara to jump up and say something like, "It was great!"

Following Jo Ara's gaze, Seong Pil understood the reason.

'It's because of Hayang.'

Jang Hayang had been criticized a lot during the choreography lesson.

While the other members also had their flaws, Jang Hayang stood out.

'If Ara says it was good, it would look strange given Hayang's situation.'

Seong Pil nodded and encouraged them.

"Is it harder than you thought? I was also amazed when I saw the finished version. It's cool, but it might be hard to get a feel for it. But we have 2-3 months until the music video shoot, so take your time. Don't rush."

It's a bit funny to say this on the first day.

In about a week, the members will get a feel for it, and then he can decide whether to encourage or push them.

In other words, Seong Pil's encouragement was aimed solely at Jang Hayang.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Work hard."

As he turned to leave, Seong Pil's eyes met Jang Hayang's.

He nodded slightly, just enough for her to notice, and then left the practice room.

'She'll do well.'

Hayang can do anything if she sets her mind to it.

* * *

A month passed.

Every day was a blur.

The scorching heat that seemed endless finally subsided, and a cool breeze began to soothe the sweat.

The seasons were changing.

Seong Pil realized this not because of the temperature drop, but because of the change in Yi Yui's attire.

She, who always wore short sleeves, started wearing long sleeves.

"How about this?"

Yi Yui held out a piece of black fabric to Seong Pil. He rubbed it between his thumb and index finger.

"It's softer than it looks."

"Right?"

Yi Yui smiled brightly.

It was a smile similar to that of a mother taking her child to the zoo for the first time.

Isn't it amazing? Isn't it fun? These emotions were clearly visible on her face.

"I like this the most. Look here. The black long hairs are densely attached. If we make a top with this, it will have a lot of volume. It will make the upper body look puffy, like the nobles of old."

"A Rika top?"

"Yes."

After receiving the music video storyboard from Jo Jung-hoon, Yi Yui started designing the costumes.

She designed the costumes considering the revolution each member would take on.

For example, Rika was assigned the Glorious Revolution part in the music video. Her costume had to be both vintage and modern.

"Would leather pants suit a noble?"

"How about riding pants?"

"Riding pants... Ah! Right! Riding pants!"

Yi Yui put down the fabric and took notes on her phone. Seong Pil quickly caught the fabric that was about to fall to the floor.

"Wow, riding pants... That's good..."

Now he noticed she was drawing, not just taking notes. A human figure and costume were quickly sketched on the small phone screen.

Seong Pil turned his gaze away from Yi Yui, who was focused like a child building with Lego.

There weren't many people walking on the street.

'There's a place like this.'

Dongdaemun Fabric Market.

Yi Yui had come here to choose the fabrics herself.

Usually, stylists would send samples to tailors or manufacturers to have the costumes made.

Making the clothes themselves wasn't their job, and tailors also had their own sense and aesthetic.

Or they could commission it to a clothing boutique or company. Seong Pil knew a few famous places.

'This is interesting.'

In his previous life, he had only given opinions on costumes but never seen how they were made.

Seong Pil wanted to gain any experience related to producing.

'When I first got the call from Yui, I was surprised, but I'm glad I came.'

This new experience would become an asset for Seong Pil in the future.

"Are you bored?"

Seong Pil, holding the fabric, was lost in thought for a moment, and Yi Yui asked, a bit hesitantly.

"No, I didn't know such a place existed. I thought they were all made in factories. It's amazing."

Yi Yui's expression brightened again.

She walked around, looking at and touching various fabrics.

She always closed her eyes when touching them.

"Looks are important, but clothes are meant to be worn, so how the wearer feels is also important. I want to think about the eyes and hands separately."

Yi Yui was full of energy.

When he first met her, she was so withdrawn that she reminded him of a frightened mouse.

Only when her bag was full of fabric samples did the shopping end.

"Do you have anything to do later?"

"No, I don't have much work these days."

He had finished all his tasks.

If he had to say, he was waiting.

Waiting for the members to perfect their performance, for the music video to come out smoothly, for the costumes to be well made.

In reality, Seong Pil's job was almost like praying.

"Then, would you like to have dinner with me? I'll treat you. I said I would last time."

Getting a free meal from someone who earns 400,000 won a month.

'It feels like getting a free meal from a young niece.'

"Since you helped me shop today... and..."

"Yes, that's right. Do you know any good places?"

With Seong Pil's agreement, Yi Yui led him with a light step.

Surprisingly, they ordered a full course meal.

He thought she would dislike the smell, but the price made sense.

'It's cheap and the portions are big.'

After tasting the kimchi stew, he added, "It's delicious."

"Yui, do you usually go with company people to look at fabrics and samples when making custom costumes?"

"No."

Yi Yui's lips were red.

The kimchi stew must be spicy.

She continued, sniffing from the spiciness.

"Usually, we choose the fabric and design, then write a costume instruction sheet to send to the place where the costume will be made. This is the final version, so it's also sent to the agency. The agency then..."

Yi Yui suddenly bit her lip as if she had made a mistake.

"What then?"

"Ah... Well, the agency confirms it and sends the costume instruction sheet to the factory... Right?"

"I see. But why did you come with me today?"

Seong Pil also gave opinions on choosing the fabric.

They had many conversations about costumes.

But if he had to ask, was Seong Pil really necessary?

It might have been enough to give feedback after seeing the final version.

The only advantage of choosing the fabric together was the speed of interaction.

Plus, it was a weekend.

"Ah... Ah, ah."

"If it's too spicy, drink some water and talk."

"Okay, okay."

Yi Yui drank water and quickly moved her eyes. She put the cup down and, finally, when the spiciness subsided, she spoke.

"Manager... Ah! Last time, you said you wanted to dress the members in fashion, not costumes. So I thought, maybe you know something about this field, so I came with you..."

"I don't know anything about fashion. But I appreciate you thinking that."

Today's shopping was also a learning experience for Seong Pil.

"If you had that intention, it would have been better to bring PD Son Hye-bin or the members. You should have told me in advance."

"Ah, yes. That's right. I'll do that next time..."

Jo Ara used to come to Dongdaemun often.

She had to make costumes herself for dance competitions and performances.

Everyone acknowledged that Jo Ara's sewing and tailoring skills were excellent.

With fabric and tools, she could make clothes that looked like they were bought from a store.

"Would you like to go to a cafe? I'll treat you to dessert."

"Sure!"

They also had many conversations about costumes at the cafe.

Before they knew it, the long day had turned dark.

"What about this?"

Yi Yui showed him an illustration she drew on the spot.

It was Rika's costume.

The shoulders of the top were puffed up to emphasize the noble appearance.

Like the nobles of old, who wore their clothes to create a sense of authority.

"Hmm, it's good. But..."

"Is there something you don't like...?"

"I like costumes that fit the concept. But primarily, clothes are meant to be worn. Of course, our members should look good in them, but they shouldn't be uncomfortable."

Yi Yui's illustration only showed the outside of the clothes, but Seong Pil could imagine the inside.

There would be some device inside to puff up the clothes.

It would definitely be uncomfortable.

"Clothes should be comfortable to wear, not just to look good. I hope our members can dance without struggling, no matter how good they look."

"..."

"No, I'm not saying your design is bad! That's not what I meant."

Yi Yui was indirectly criticized. But she didn't feel offended or anxious.

Instead, she was impressed by Seong Pil's words.

Seong Pil's words reminded her of her time in Paris.

'There's a common misconception. When you talk about fashion, you only consider the models. Are the people walking the runway your customers? No. People are not 9-head tall like models. On average, they are 7.5-head tall (by Western standards). Fashion is not about fantasy and dreams. Fashion is something people wear.'

The instructor at school said this while tearing up all the students' designs.

What madness was this?

Some students even cried when they saw their designs torn apart.

'The ignorant masses you so despise, they are the reason you exist. Without them, you would all starve. If you're going to bring such designs, leave this school.'

Now, looking back, it was an extreme measure for students who were so full of dreams that they couldn't see reality.

The current Yi Yui understood this.

But when she returned to Korea and entered the industry, she had no chance to apply what she learned in school.

"Was I too direct...?"

"No, Manager, you're right. Clothes are primarily meant to be worn."

Yi Yui flipped the page of her sketchbook.

"I'll try again."

After a year of meaningless work, Seong Pil came to her.

She was glad she had the courage to talk to him.

The past month was more valuable than the year she had lived as a stylist.

No, even today was more valuable than the past year.

* * *

After the weekend with Yi Yui, the weekdays returned. Seong Pil came to the company expecting a normal day, but what greeted him was not ordinary.

As soon as he arrived at the company,

"Please remove some of Hyang Unnie's choreography parts."

Shin Aream said.