I Am the Luxury
Laurent doubted his own eyes. The person who appeared after the door opened was not a business partner, but an Asian teenager who could only be described as a beautiful boy. "Who...?" Laurent’s gaze drifted past the boy, landing on Jo Cheong-woo standing behind him, and he began to piece the situation together. 'I suppose that man is the one in charge. But why bring that kid along? Still, it’s astonishing. To have such presence that everyone around him becomes like Mercury orbiting the sun.'
However, Laurent’s assumptions were shattered. The person who took a seat was not a man in his mid-twenties, but a child who looked to be in his mid-teens.
"Nice to meet you. I am Choi Yoon-gi, the actual stakeholder of YK Department Store. My foreign friends call me 'Yoon'."
Fluent English. Laurent, who was quite proficient in English himself, was surprised a second time upon hearing Yoon-gi speak.
"Are you perhaps a Korean-American?"
"No, I’m a Korean born in Korea. I’ve just studied English quite a bit."
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you...?"
Usually, foreigners don't care about age. Because of the age-based hierarchy culture that took root during the Japanese colonial period, Koreans couldn't be friends even with a one-year age gap, but in English-speaking countries, people didn't ask for age when they first met, so there was no reason to dwell on it. But today, Laurent asked out of pure, genuine curiosity. There was a chance this boy in front of him was just an Asian with a remarkably youthful appearance.
"I'm 14 in Korean age, and 13 by international standards. My birthday has already passed."
"13 years old..."
No matter how much one ignores customs, the story changes when it comes to business. It wasn't the age itself, but the career experience that age usually implies that was the problem. Flustered, Laurent couldn't hide his embarrassment as he spoke again.
"So, you are the one who requested that we ship our goods to you?"
"Yes. I really want to stock Hermes in my department store, but since I kept getting rejected, I set up this appointment to persuade you directly. There are things that simply cannot be shown over the phone."
"Regarding that matter, I have no choice but to say it’s difficult due to our headquarters' policy. And besides, doesn't it have to be our brand? If it’s a small market like Korea, you could easily stock other brands."
Laurent said this to persuade him, but for Yoon-gi, it was the perfect opening to fire his first shot.
"I’m doing this because I love Hermes."
"You love Hermes?"
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
Yoon-gi gestured to his own body, and only then did Laurent check his overall impression rather than just his face.
"My god... is that all Hermes?"
Yoon-gi nodded. "I’m wearing everything I possibly can from Hermes."
"Haha..."
While Laurent was admiring him, Yoon-gi continued his barrage without missing a beat.
"I truly love Hermes. That is why I want to sell it in the department store I operate. I want to show people just how outstanding a luxury brand Hermes is."
No one dislikes hearing their own brand praised. Still, Laurent’s reaction remained lukewarm.
"That may be, but department stores in Korea are completely different from the luxury shops we envision. From what I’ve seen, Korean department stores are places where commoners swarm; our brand doesn't sell in such places. Places where people buy dinner ingredients and eat snacks are markets, not luxury shops, aren't they?"
"Oh dear, it seems my staff didn't explain YK Department Store properly to you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Let me briefly explain YK Department Store to you."
Yoon-gi had recently decided on the name YK Department Store. There had been suggestions to use the initials of the English name, YG, but because his grandfather’s 'Gi' was 'Ki', it was finally settled as YK.
"...As such, YK Department Store is a specialized shopping mall purely for shopping. Furthermore, the 7th floor will be a VIP-exclusive shopping area, so I can guarantee that Hermes' brand value will never be diminished."
"Hmm..."
"I am truly confident. If you wish, we can start with a short-term contract. You can provide the stock through a special sales contract first, and if we fail to move that stock, the deal ends there. If we do move it, we move to a short-term contract, and if sales are decent there, we move to a long-term contract. How about it?"
Laurent looked at Yoon-gi once more. 'He has such a way with words that you forget how young he is, and above all, he’s the type who wears our Hermes products incredibly well. If he weren't a business contact but our model, he would have significant influence in Asia...'
Laurent’s train of thought was flowing similarly to what Yoon-gi wanted. The only reason Yoon-gi had appeared at headquarters covered in Hermes was to gain persuasive power. He feigned knowing Hermes better than anyone else to build intimacy. He had thought that if he could just get a tiny amount of stock, it would be a success, but Laurent was starting to see commercial potential in Yoon-gi.
"Could you please wait for about 30 minutes? This isn't a matter I can decide on my own."
"I can certainly wait 30 minutes."
At Yoon-gi’s words, Laurent quickly disappeared from the room.
***
"Were you here?"
At the breathless words of Laurent, Fabien, the Director of the Overseas Business Division, replied while washing his hands. "Ah, it’s you. Did you send away those people who came from that country called Korea?"
"No, I did not."
Fabien’s mustache, which usually curved around his mouth, seemed to turn into a rectangle. "What? Then what are you doing here?"
Laurent wiped the sweat from his bald head with his palm and quickly explained the situation. "After meeting the people who came directly from Korea, I found that the child has an immense interest in our Hermes."
"Having an interest in Hermes and business are two completely different things. Wait... did you just say 'child'?"
"Yes. He is a 13-year-old Asian boy, but his appearance is truly remarkable. On top of that, he is covered head-to-toe in Hermes; I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to use him as an Asian promotional model."
"Don't we already have a Japanese model?"
Even if they called it an Asian promotional model, the only place that brought meaningful sales to Hermes was Japan. Therefore, Fabien felt no particular excitement at Laurent’s words. Unless he saw it with his own eyes, Laurent’s words sounded like nothing more than the excuses of an 'incompetent subordinate.'
"If it were up to me, I’d want to change it immediately. He’s 13, but he looks over 170cm tall, and he has both an adult’s face and a youthful face at the same time. If we use him as a promotional model, I think it would instill the perception in buyers that 'wearing Hermes makes you look younger.'"
"What kind of nonsense..."
Seeing Fabien chuckle and openly mock him, Laurent shouted in frustration, "You can just see for yourself. Please, just go and see him. Then you will understand why I am saying this."
"Can you take responsibility for those words?"
"Yes."
At Fabien’s firm question, Laurent answered just as firmly. Laurent’s position was Manager. In Korean terms, it was equivalent to a section chief, but his duties were entirely different from a typical section chief, so as a manager, Laurent didn't have the authority to decide on the matter he was currently thinking about. On the other hand, Fabien’s position was Director. In Korean terms, it was equivalent to a department head, so as the head of the overseas business division, Fabien had the authority to bring proposals to the VPs.
"If your words turn out to be nonsense, you should be prepared for a severe hit to your personnel evaluation."
Laurent flinched for a moment at the blatant threat, but thinking that the die was already cast, he nodded. "Just wait and see. Instead, if I am right, I can look forward to a positive personnel evaluation, right?"
Seeing Laurent, who usually followed his orders without a word, act like this, Fabien couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Fine. Let’s go."
Fabien, having dried his hands on a towel stamped with the Hermes logo, stood in front of Laurent and began walking toward the reception room.
***
The moment he opened the door, Fabien doubted his own eyes. A sun wearing Hermes was standing right in front of him. 'No, even if he had makeup on, can it really come out that well?'
If you look at Korean fashion magazines from the 1980s, you can see makeup and fashion that are incredibly tacky by 2019 standards. In particular, if you look at the hairstyles of male office workers in their 30s, you can see the typical 2-to-8 part with pomade, and the situation for children was not much different. In a Republic of Korea that trained students and soldiers as if they were being churned out of a factory, the appearance of teenagers couldn't be much different. But if the original material exists, the story is different. Yoon-gi, who had even worn a wig with the help of three makeup artists dedicated to Merrill, was nothing short of light itself.
Yoon-gi’s plan had been to rack his brain and order Korean artists active in the entertainment industry since he had no connections to American artists, but thanks to Merrill’s help, the synergy had exploded.
"Nice to meet you. I am Fabien, Director of the Hermes Overseas Business Division."
Fabien offered a handshake first, even though Yoon-gi was clearly a boy.
"Nice to meet you. I am Choi Yoon-gi, the owner of YK Department Store. Please call me Yoon."
"I heard you want to stock our company’s products."
As Fabien went straight to the point, Laurent smiled triumphantly to himself, but he didn't show it. He was, after all, a capable employee holding a manager title at Hermes headquarters. Rather, Laurent felt that Fabien was proceeding with the work faster than expected. 'Well, it’s because an existence that would be a waste to lose is right here at headquarters.'
Just as Laurent thought, the conversation progressed quickly.
"Yes, I truly love Hermes. Many luxury brands will be entering YK Department Store, but I believe that only Hermes should exist for luxury goods in the Hermes price range."
It was impossible to cover the entire 7th floor with Hermes. Yoon-gi repeated to Fabien what he had told Laurent earlier.
"Certainly, one cannot be too cold to someone who loves Hermes. That would result in losing a precious consumer."
Yoon-gi actually had no interest in Hermes, but he had no intention of saying so, and Fabien had no way of knowing that. This is business. For the sake of a goal, a lie or two is a light matter.
"If you ship the stock, there will be other Hermes followers in Korea besides me. Isn't that a decent deal?"
However, Fabien shook his head. "Even so, I cannot provide the goods for that reason alone. Hermes is that noble a brand."
"Seeing as you’ve come this far, you must have a proposal."
"Yes. Currently, Hermes is looking for an advertising model for Japan. According to Laurent’s opinion, you, Yoon, are the perfect fit. If you agree to a model contract, I promise a small-scale, short-term shipment."
"It would be good if we include a clause that confirms a long-term contract if sales are good."
"That, of course, goes without saying."
Yoon-gi clearly recognized his situation as the 'underdog,' so he didn't push Fabien’s proposal any further. Just the fact that he had managed to secure stock, even a small amount, was a huge success. However, while Yoon-gi’s plan had succeeded, Merrill’s sub-mission still remained.
Creak-!
At the suddenly opening door of the reception room, the eyes of Laurent and Fabien turned there simultaneously, and both shouted in surprised voices:
"Merrill?"