Chapter 59: Looking Again, My Favorite
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: Looking Again, My Favorite
“Yu-jin, Yu-jin! So, when are you finally signing that Hermès ambassador contract?”
Actually, I did it a few days ago.
I even already received the gold Hermès ambassador identification card.
“Noona! Noona! Once you sign that contract, I’m going to scrap all those low-tier ads. The face of Hermès can’t be out here filming ramen commercials.”
“But Ji-hye, didn’t we already scrap the food ads because they didn’t help Yu-jin’s image, even before the ambassador talk?”
“Ji-hye Noona, my sister is forgetful, so you have to remind her every now and then.”
What a shame. Regardless of the money, a ramen commercial was one of the items on my bucket list.
I guess I won’t be filming one in this lifetime.
Both of them believed the ambassador contract was still under negotiation and that the embargo had to be maintained.
It wouldn’t really matter if I told them the truth. Their sense of professional discretion was top-notch.
‘But it’s just so fun watching them fret over whether I’ll get it or not.’
These two, who acted so nonchalant in front of other fashion brands as if it were only natural, were now practically offering prayers with bowls of water, desperate for the Hermès deal to go through.
It was so entertaining that I planned to keep it a secret just a little longer to surprise them later. Hehe, I’m already looking forward to it.
*
I stepped into the room where I had been stacking the Hermès boxes gifted to me by Han Ji-woo.
“You guys, should I give you a wear? I am your face now, after all.”
Remember this face.
The face of Hermès—and the face of the highwayman who’s snatching up all that Hermès cash while no one’s the wiser—is right here.
I opened several boxes and spread them out. The room was large enough that I could examine everything comfortably even with them scattered about.
‘Hmm? These clothes are more normal than I thought.’
Had I been prejudiced?
Now that I looked at them, the designs were generally quite sensible. The style, which felt simple yet sophisticated, was a perfect match for my taste, as I’ve always disliked anything too flashy.
‘The pictorials for Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Prada always had such chaotic and cluttered designs. But this... this is a style you could easily find at the Dongdaemun wholesale market.’
I tried on a pair of black trousers first.
The fabric fluttered softly. I could feel it the moment it touched my skin—the arrogant cry of the garment: I am damn expensive fabric.
I put on a long-sleeved black top and cinched it with an orange belt. I struggled a bit because the buttons were on the opposite side.
Once dressed, I stood before the mirror.
‘What? This looks better than I expected.’
All-black long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a thin orange belt. The fit gave off a sharp vibe without being overbearingly tight or revealing. It was comfortable enough that I felt like I could go for a jog in it.
“Is this Hermès? As expected of the fashion of fashions, the class is on another level. It’s not cluttered; it’s very natural.”
Above all, I liked that even though it was women’s clothing, it had a strong gender-neutral feel. At a glance, it was hard to distinguish from men’s clothing. A man could probably wear this and look perfectly natural.
‘Now that I look at it, Curator Han Ji-woo only picked out clothes with a neutral vibe.’
Just how closely had she been watching what I usually wear to pick out things like this from the start?
‘I guess you don’t become the director of a high-end gallery for nothing. Wow, her eye for detail is insane.’
Knowing she used that keen eye to pay so much attention to me made me feel honored, yet also a bit embarrassed and shy.
‘If only these genes had been XY instead... Ugh, God! Why haven’t you been showing up in my pipe dreams lately?’
Though it was the first time I was wearing women’s clothes (excluding sports bras and my toddler years), I walked out into the living room with confidence.
“Hey! How do I look?”
“Oh my, oh my! You’re so pretty, so pretty!”
“Ji-hye Noona, you shouldn’t say that. You have to say she looks cool. Look, Noona’s already about to go back inside.”
“I’ll let it slide this once because I’m in a good mood. Well? How is it? They say this is the elegant daily life of the super-rich.”
Feeling good, I twirled around to show off the outfit.
“The pants and shirt are definitely women’s clothes, but they have such a neutral vibe. The more I look, the more mysterious it feels. I think this is exactly the style you’d like, Yu-jin.”
“Right? I must have some kind of destiny with Hermès.”
When I was active in France in my past life, could my actions have caused a butterfly effect that saved the life of the Hermès founder?
“Hey, brother.”
“Yes, Noona.”
“Unpack all the Hermès stuff and set up a dedicated wardrobe in the dressing room.”
“Yes! I’ll organize it neatly so you can find everything easily!”
“Good boy. Use this to buy some League of Legends skins.”
I pulled a stack of 50,000-won bills from my wallet and happily handed them to my brother.
“Heh, heh, heh... To think you’d give me a 'Golden Skin' incentive just for doing the closet organizing I should be doing anyway. Thank you so much, Noona.”
“I’m giving it to you because I’m in a good mood.”
“I’ll help too!”
“Ji-hye, do you want some pocket money too?”
“No thanks! I just want to touch and look at the Hermès clothes, shoes, and accessories!”
And so, the two of them moved the Hermès boxes to the dressing room, unpacked them, and displayed the items beautifully.
I sat back comfortably, scrolling through my phone and watching them work hard.
“The more I look at Hermès, the more I see how the designs are beautiful and simple, yet have an addictive charm that catches the eye. Why didn't I recognize this before?”
“Yu-jin, you’ve finally opened your eyes to fashion. I’m moved.”
I looked back and forth between the display case and my mobile banking app, finding it hard to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside me.
[Sender: Hermès Korea Ltd.]
[10,000,000,000 KRW]
I stroked the black trousers I was wearing and smiled with satisfaction.
“Ha, look at the texture of this fabric. It’s incredible. This is what luxury is all about.”
With its simple and comfortable everyday design and barely visible logo, there was no pressure wearing it out in public.
Hermès was truly perfect. I think I’m going to love it a lot from now on.
*
Chris Hertiland, the Hollywood star and producer, had returned to Korea.
‘Why hasn’t she contacted me? Why?’
The mysterious silver-haired beauty with the striking smoky makeup he had encountered in the luxury hall of New Land Department Store. Her fluent Classical Latin pronunciation remained an indelible shock to him.
「Non Latinus vetus, sed lingua Latina antiqua dicendum est. Et··· stude diligenter.」
(It is not 'Latinus vetus,' but 'lingua Latina antiqua' that should be said. And... study diligently.)
He had waited anxiously for her call, but it never came.
In the end, Chris Hertiland could bear it no longer and returned to the New Land luxury hall where he had met her.
“Do you really think we can find her by coming here? She was clearly the daughter of a prestigious European noble family visiting a Korean friend.”
“Perhaps she’s still staying in Korea? Her friend seemed to love luxury shopping; maybe we’ll run into her if we hang around here.”
“Is the world really that simple? Right now, we can barely meet the broadcast schedule for Game of Sins Season 1 even if we focus entirely on production...” his manager-slash-bodyguard pleaded. “Instead of this, why don't you have a meeting with that rookie actress, Lee Yu-ran, while you're in Korea? Her face would suit our drama perfectly. They even call her an Elf.”
“Do you believe that? It’s obviously the result of heavy post-processing and editing.”
Chris Hertiland had, of course, watched 'Quarter 2' of Hwan's Torch. It was so famous that he had made time in his busy schedule to watch the highlights.
He acknowledged that Lee Yu-jin was an extraordinary beauty, enough to be called an Elf. But he couldn't shake his doubts.
‘She might look different in person. We live in an era where camera angles, makeup, directing, and CG can create an entirely different face.’
He was a veteran who had seen it all in this industry, and he had spent decades being disappointed by how actors looked in real life.
‘More importantly, I’ve seen the real thing.’
The fierce smoky makeup, the enchanting silver hair, the tall and elegant stature. A face and gaze that could bewitch a person’s heart, and that sophisticated, graceful Classical Latin.
‘It has to be her. I must find her.’
Thus, Chris Hertiland spent several days loitering around the New Land luxury hall. Korean fans didn't chase him into the luxury zone for autographs.
Just as he thought today would be another waste of time, Chris’s eyes suddenly widened.
“There! Look over there!”
“Huh? I think you’re right!”
A silver-haired beauty with smoky makeup was leisurely window-shopping in the Hermès store as if she had rented out the entire place. Beside her was the Korean friend he had seen before, decked out in Chanel.
Chris confidently tried to enter the Hermès store, but...
“I’m sorry, sir. We currently have a customer inside, so we must ask you to wait a moment. We appreciate your understanding.”
Looking closer, a velvet rope had been set up. It meant they were not accepting any more customers for the time being.
‘For just that one group?’
For the Hermès store to block the entrance entirely just for the comfort of a single party meant they were no ordinary VVIPs.
Chris Hertiland thought that casting her might not be easy, but he decided to stand by the entrance and wait.
It was then.
His eyes met Yu-jin’s as she glanced his way.
The moment those eyes, hidden behind smoky makeup, stared straight at him, Chris’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, he felt a sense of familiarity from that gaze. As if he had seen it quite recently...
As their eyes remained locked for a moment longer, a light bulb suddenly went off in Chris’s head. His mouth fell open.
‘What an idiot! How did I not recognize her!’
He realized it. The woman before him was the same one from the highlights of Hwan's Torch Quarter 2 that he had skimmed through.
He hadn't watched Quarter 1, and in Quarter 2, Lee Yu-jin had only appeared with black hair. Moreover, because she was currently wearing silver hair and smoky makeup, he hadn't recognized her immediately.
Just as the impulse to rush inside made his whole body itch with anticipation...
“Sir, you may enter now.”
“Really?”
“Yes, the VIP was kind enough to allow it. Please enjoy your shopping.”
Chris entered, and the rope was put back up. His manager and bodyguards remained waiting outside.
Yu-jin and Jang Ji-hye were picking out whatever caught their eye—clothes, watches, accessories, wallets, shoes.
What was strange was that whenever Yu-jin spoke to Jang Ji-hye, she whispered very softly into her ear so others couldn't hear.
She was pretending to be a foreigner and didn't want others to hear her speaking Korean, but to Chris, who didn't know that, they looked like very close friends.
‘She has no interest in me. She only let me in out of pure kindness because I looked pitiful waiting outside.’
Yu-jin and Jang Ji-hye were busy enjoying their shopping, laughing together. He wondered if she even recognized him as the person who had given her his business card last time.
Anxious, Chris maintained a respectful distance, put on a gentle smile, and asked:
“Quomodo est? Mea··· Latina paulum melior est, fortasse?”
(How is it? My... Latin is a little better, perhaps?)
Yu-jin paused for a moment.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilted, and the radiance in her blue eyes deepened.
‘She finally recognized me!’
Chris was swept with a sense of triumph over something so small.
The way she lightly tilted her head back and forth exuded a scent of fatal temptation. Looking at her again, he was certain. This woman was a magical being who could bewitch a man just by breathing.
‘It fits! She’s the one for that role!’
Yu-jin offered a calm smile and spoke.
“Melius quidem quam antea loqueris. Felicem tibi emptionem exopto.”
(You speak better than before. I wish you a happy shopping trip.)
She spoke deliberately slowly, making the changes in pronunciation and intonation clear. It was a kind of phonetic guidance, as if saying, 'This is how you do it.' Realizing her intent, Chris let out a chuckle.
“Fortasse··· nihil profeci, verum?”
(Perhaps... I haven't made any progress, right?)
“Quot diebus fieri potest? Si diligenter studeas, proficies.”
(How much can be done in a few days? If you study diligently, you will progress.)
Encouraged by her sophisticated and dignified Classical Latin, Chris summoned his courage. He spoke in English.
“I want to cast you in the series I’m making—would you allow me to ask how that might be possible?”