Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Viva Magenta Pattern
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The first thing I decided on was using Viva Magenta, the color chosen by the previous presenters.
I could have ignored this year's color, but I didn't have any preconceived ideas anyway.
If anything, having it designated as the color of the year made designing easier.
Next up was the design itself.
One might think all one-piece dresses are pretty much the same, but buying clothes for Daeun had taught me otherwise.
It was all about the accents, and how you combined colors and patterns could completely change the vibe.
It felt different from men's clothing.
'That style suited Daeun the best, after all.'
Out of the countless designs floating in my head, I picked one.
Patterns. Nothing suited Daeun better than a patterned design.
But that brought up one issue.
'Is Viva Magenta too bold?'
It was a pinkish hue with a touch of red.
Using it in a pattern made the whole thing feel a bit overwhelming.
That was probably why the other presenters had used Viva Magenta only as an accent.
Overdoing it was as bad as underdoing it.
Americans had eyes too, after all.
So I pondered a solution and found one.
Scribble scribble.
'I'll have to get a tablet when I get back to Korea. This is more convenient than I thought.'
If I'd had to draw by hand, patterns would have been out of the question.
But with a tablet, copying and pasting was a breeze, making it easy to create patterns.
'Keep it subtle, so the color peeks through gently.'
I made the pattern without letting Viva Magenta dominate.
In other words, less than 10% of the pattern was the color.
Scribble scribble.
I created one pattern.
Then I filled in the base of the pre-sketched one-piece dress with it.
Whoosh!
Even without any other design elements, a stunning one-piece dress was born right then and there.
'Whoa!'
I hadn't even planned for this outcome.
The minimal Viva Magenta in the pattern made the entire fabric look softly pink.
The base was white, but the pattern turned it into a pink dress.
It was already a fantastic one-piece, but my hand didn't stop.
'This might be more fun than I thought.'
Even with the pattern, it felt a tad lacking somewhere.
Maybe it was because this was my first time designing, but I'd decided not to overthink the result.
Scribble scribble.
'A waist tie is the perfect accent for a one-piece.'
It naturally accentuated the waistline, and the way you tied it could add a special touch.
The belt was thick enough for presence, and instead of patterns, I went full Viva Magenta—the color of the year that every previous presenter had used—to capture the company's identity!
Slap!
I tied a huge bow at the waist.
That instant.
"That's incredible!"
The onlookers erupted in excitement.
'Huh?'
Exclamations and applause from all around.
Some even stood up and crowded around the monitor.
Yoon, the representative watching beside me, spoke up.
"Artist."
"Yes?"
"How much for this?"
I was stunned by her words.
'Is Representative Yoon joking?'
I figured she was just reacting kindly since I was the invited painter, trying not to discourage me.
I'd checked my own design, but I couldn't see what was so special about it.
Sure, design experts might spot something, but still.
'She's probably just saying that.'
But the reactions from everyone else left me baffled.
"How did you come up with using such a tricky color in a pattern?"
"The color placement on the ribbon is so sophisticated."
"Amazing. And this is your first design?"
"As expected from the artist. The color arrangement turns the one-piece into a work of art."
Gulp.
Were they all ganging up to tease me?
No matter how I looked at it, this didn't deserve such rave reviews.
Even compared to the previous presentations...
"I can't believe it! I need to relearn design."
"Wow, it's been ages since I felt this deflated. Is this the difference talent makes?"
"I spent a full month prepping my design, and now mine feels embarrassing."
What was going on with everyone?
There had to be a reason.
If I'd spoken English well, I might have argued back point by point.
Who knew extreme praise would motivate me to learn English just to refute it.
"Representative Yoon, please tell them it's not that great."
"No, in my eyes, your design is overwhelmingly sophisticated."
"Come on, even you, Representative Yoon?"
Even if they didn't understand Korean, saying it like that...
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Yes?"
She looked me straight in the eye and said,
"I told you, Artist. Your skills are incredible. This is only natural."
Whoa, dropping bombshells like that so casually.
If anyone here understood Korean, it'd be a huge problem...
"Really! It's amazing!"
Whoosh!
The woman emceeing the event chimed in enthusiastically.
"It's really amazing!"
Korea was more global than I thought.
"Ha, your Korean is impressive."
Flustered, I asked, and she beamed.
"I was in the military!"
"Mi-military... Oh!"
That iconic Hallyu reference no one could miss.
"Yeah! I learned some Korean super easily!"
"Hahaha, that's... impressive."
It was all I could say.
In the end, someone who understood Representative Yoon's risky comment had appeared.
"It's really surprising!"
Then, struggling with longer Korean sentences, she switched back to English.
"If it's okay with you, Artist, we'd love to make a real version. The other designers seem eager to see it too. Would you allow it?"
What was she saying?
She wanted to make an actual one-piece based on my design?
Of course, there was no reason not to, but it felt awfully embarrassing.
Still, if she was asking this earnestly...
'Ah.'
A great idea hit me.
If we were making it anyway...
"Then, could I make one request?"
"Of course. What is it?"
Smiling, I replied,
"Could you make it so Daeun can wear it?"
She grinned brightly.
"If we get to see it modeled, no reason to refuse. We'll do that."
Seeing my design come to life on Daeun—what better gift?
Right then.
Click!
Amid the buzz, the studio door—which had been shut tight—swung open, and Daeun said,
"Daddy, done!"
Smile.
Looks like it was Daeun's turn now.
Slide.
Daeun stood where I'd been, shoulders hunched high with nerves.
Beside her was David, who might have become the ultimate goal for Daeun's drawings.
"Alright, is everyone ready?"
Daeun nodded at his question.
"Yes! Ready!"
Slide.
She handed her sketchbook—containing her drawing—to David.
"Please wait a moment. I'll make sure everyone can see it."
With that, he carefully opened the sketchbook, shielding the contents from prying eyes, and checked the drawing inside.
And then.
"!!"
His eyes widened in slight shock as he alternated between the picture and Daeun.
The others, watching, urged him on.
"Don't hog it—show us!"
"David, we're serious here."
"Hey! Quit joking and hurry up!"
Under their protests, David quickly addressed the crowd.
"Okay, okay. Got it. Hold on."
Click!
He snapped a photo with his tablet, then swiftly prepared to display it on the screen.
Slide.
He glanced at the group.
Then announced,
"Alright, here's the picture by Miss Daeun."
Flash!
The black screen lit up brightly, and Daeun's drawing appeared.
It was vastly different from before.
Not worse—no.
It perfectly captured Daeun's determination to touch David's beard somehow.
The cat on screen was...
'Bread loaf.'
Facing front, baking a loaf of bread.
It nailed that Eastern stylistic feel!
A natural pose for the cat.
Sharp eyes and straight lines made it incredibly linear.
Yet Daeun's cat drawing radiated...
Gulp.
'Cute... so cute.'
An indescribable cuteness.
Like if you turned Daeun into a cat.
What made this drawing extra special was the cat's breed: a tuxedo cat.
Black patches around the eyes like a mask, and body markings that looked exactly like a tuxedo, drawn so naturally.
"A tuxedo cat!"
"This is a masterpiece!"
"Tuxedo cat on canvas? That's rare."
"Unbelievable. It has a whole new charm."
It was the kind of thing that made you blurt out how amazing it was.
'Where did she even see that cat?'
Daeun's memories held her entire life.
So the cat in the picture was probably some stray she'd glimpsed once.
But to capture that fleeting moment like this...
Gulp.
'My daughter, but she's scary.'
Awe for Daeun welled up in me.
As time passed and she grew with more experiences...
Her talent would bloom even more.
It was frightening, yet awe-inspiring.
David smiled awkwardly at the reactions.
"Heh heh, well, now that we've seen the picture, time to check the results."
Slide.
He looked at the seated crowd and tossed out a pointless question, just like in the presentations.
"So, those who think this picture by Miss Daeun should be added to the product lineup, please raise your hand..."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Before he finished, everyone raised their hands.
Seeing their verdict, Daeun broke into a huge smile.
"Awesome!"
David chuckled at her reaction.
"Haha, yeah, it was pointless. I figured as much when I first saw it."
Slide.
"Since we've successfully won everyone's approval, time for your reward."
Sparkle!
David slowly approached the expectant Daeun, leaning in close to whisper,
"Congratulations."
At those words, like a breeze from when she first arrived...
Poof!
Daeun got to touch David's lush beard.
"Wow! Wow! Wow!"
Squealing the cutest "wow wow wow"s imaginable.