The last interviewee was Hyunsoo’s mother.
The video gradually revealed her life.
Pondering over designs day and night.
Cooking, cleaning. It depicted a woman striving for her dream amidst the common life of a housewife.
-When did you start dreaming of becoming a designer?
Then, an interview over the video. Angela asked.
[I’ve been interested since I was young, and I realized it while reading fashion magazines in middle school. ‘Ah, this is my path.’ I liked everything, but I was especially interested in handbags. They’re pretty, aren’t they?]
-That’s right! Men might not understand, but for women, handbags are like a part of the body. So, if you said it started in middle school, has it been about 10 years since you pursued fashion?
[Hohohoho. Don’t say that, Angela. The viewers might think badly. It’s been roughly 25 years.]
-Oh my, the subscribers must be shocked! They won’t believe it. Maybe if you were in your late 20s! It’s been 25 years since you graduated middle school???
‘That’s true.’
Jessie nodded in agreement. Her appearance is so mysterious that it’s hard to believe she has a son like Hyunsoo.
-25 years is not a short time, so there must have been many times you wanted to give up on design. Is there a specific reason why you could keep striving until now?
[Personally, I thought the process of achieving my dream was more precious than the result, so I think I could keep striving until now.]
-Can you elaborate a bit more on that?
[Of course. I have a wonderful son, and I’ve never raised him with the goal of him becoming independent. I experienced childbirth, breastfeeding, and even though changing diapers was tough, I was so happy when he smiled. Teaching an innocent child one thing at a time was so fun that I didn’t realize how time passed. Now that I think about it, all those moments of hardship, exhaustion, sadness, fun, and laughter were all happiness.]
[I think my journey for my dream is the same. Every moment of studying and striving to become a designer is happy and precious. The effort for my dream doesn’t lose its value just because I don’t achieve significant results.]
[My dream is the driving force of my life and gives meaning to my life. Just as I am my parents’ child, my husband’s wife, and my son’s mother, I plan to stay true to the dream of being a designer that I’ve nurtured since I was a girl.]
Jessie silently pondered over her mother’s words for a while.
It was a lingering video.
Although the way their dreams formed and the process of achieving them are different for all three, it made her want to support them all.
‘What is my dream?’
It made her think about what her dream is and if she is simply obsessed with the destination, forgetting the importance of the process to get there.
Angela appeared again at the end of the video.
[Did you enjoy watching?]
She informed that this video was prepared as part of an assignment at the fashion school.
-Watching people who strive hard for their dreams made me want to support them, so I recorded this video. If you ever feel like giving up on your dreams, don’t. I want to encourage and comfort you, saying you are making a beautiful challenge.
‘Huh? Haven’t I done something like this before?’
And Angela opened her first sponsorship campaign since starting her MeTube journey.
[All the proceeds from today’s video will be donated to an organization for children who can’t receive education due to difficult circumstances, even though they have dreams. If you’re interested, it would be meaningful to join through the link.]
“……!”
Angela’s words continued, grabbing Jessie’s and other subscribers’ attention.
[The participants kindly agreed to give a bag and photos from today’s video to one selected sponsor… Please participate a lot!]
-Wow. Angela is now trying to use her influence for good. That’s cool. I’ll participate too!
-I don’t need anything else, I’m donating just to get that bag.
-Me too. They’re giving the bag that the model carried all day, right? I hope they don’t clean the bag before giving it, considering her kiss on it later.
-……Everyone, please participate. That way, the chances of that person winning will decrease. Even if it’s just $1, go go go!!
Jessie also happily opened the donation page and donated $100,000.
‘I want it! I guess I can’t use a personal connection……’
D-Day.
The last day of the competition and also the last class with Rugerfeld.
“Today, we will have a time for critique together.”
22 students participated in the competition, divided into 4 teams.
Since everyone made at least two bags, it was a good opportunity to see each other’s competing works for the first time.
Rugerfeld looked around at the students with a kind smile.
“Honestly, it was above my expectations. It was nice to see aspects that transcend the amateur level. Especially one team made me realize how outdated I am. I didn’t know it was possible to launch something like that in such a short time.”
The students’ eyes turned to Hyunsoo’s team.
Mom was embarrassed, but Adriana confidently met their gazes.
“Let’s start with the first team’s bag. Was it sold for $1,500?”
‘The level is definitely high.’
Hyunsoo carefully examined all the bags. There was something to learn from each one.
The bags made by Pete’s talents. There were many brilliant ideas.
Inspired, various designs started to sketch themselves in his mind.
Unable to hold back, Hyunsoo began doodling various designs in his sketchbook.
The process of turning inspiration into reality is always challenging but equally fun.
“Honestly, as a senior who has been in this industry for a long time and as the chief designer, I intended to criticize your works. They are excellent as school assignments, but there are too many shortcomings by our RR standards.”
As the atmosphere in the studio grew heavy, Hyunsoo’s pencil stopped.
Rugerfeld looked serious.
“But I don’t think that’s necessary. You all did well. Your efforts moved my heart. That alone gives these bags enough value.”
It sounded like a meaningful remark.
‘I heard someone badmouthed us to Rugerfeld.’
Adriana’s roommates also participated in this competition in different teams. She heard that some team members were not happy with Hyunsoo’s team and reported it to Rugerfeld.
“Competition is necessary, but it should serve as motivation and help you work harder. Focusing on others’ faults and blaming the environment is unfortunate. No one who did that in the past 40 years I’ve been active survived.”
Some familiar faces hung their heads low.
“See for yourself.”
Rugerfeld finally picked up Mom’s bag and handed it to the students.
One by one, they examined the bag with interest.
-Look at the meticulous stitching. Can human hands do this?
-As seen in the video, it wasn’t enhanced. It’s even better in person, right?
-Amazing. This was made by her. I hope she succeeds.
Honest reviews were exchanged.
“Effort never betrays… This is a work that can only come from someone known as an artisan by our standards. You can feel how much thought and care went into making it just by looking at the finished product, right?”
Mom’s eyes were moist.
Knowing how long she had held onto her dream and struggled, Hyunsoo fully empathized with her feelings.
‘They shouldn’t be too surprised.’
Not missing the moment, Rugerfeld stepped forward.
“……And they created a story for the bag in just a week. Usually, tens to hundreds of millions are spent on marketing and enjoying the benefits of the brand’s value. This team gave the bag its own identity and emotion through an excellent video. I learned a lot too.”
A glint of greed flashed in Rugerfeld’s eyes as he looked at Hyunsoo, then quickly disappeared.
“Let’s see… Was the total donation around $1 million based on the bag’s value?”
Hyunsoo corrected him.
“Considering the video revenue, it will roughly be finalized at $1.1 million.”
“……!”
Though the numbers were transparent, many students were still surprised.
The amount wasn’t everything, but the team that sold their bag for the highest price was around $10,000, so the impact was significantly different.
“A design that can be well-received in the market, combined with an established image…”
Rugerfeld respectfully took Mom’s hand and made a formal request.
“Madam? How about launching this design with RR? We’ll hire you as an experienced designer and promise the best treatment in the industry.”
He seemed determined to boost Mom’s morale with a somewhat exaggerated performance.
Mom, overwhelmed with emotions, couldn’t speak.
‘This guy is trying to take advantage.’
So Hyunsoo stepped in.
“Thank you for the offer, sir. We appreciate your kind words. However, we have meetings scheduled with other brands, so we can’t give you an immediate answer.”
“……?”
For a moment, Rugerfeld didn’t understand what Hyunsoo meant.
The other students, as well as Mom and Adriana, were the most surprised.
“What, what are you doing?”
Mom spoke in Korean, flustered.
Hyunsoo quietly reassured her. Rugerfeld then asked with a slightly stiff face.
“Do you mean there’s a competitor for this project?”
“Yes. In case you didn’t like our work, we also negotiated with brands of similar stature.”
“……Ah. You pre-negotiated despite this being a competition?”
“Although we met within the framework of a class and participated in this competition as an assignment, we are professional designers, as you said. Shouldn’t we have as many bidders as possible to ensure fair treatment?”
“Hahahaha.”
When Hyunsoo repeated Rugerfeld’s words, he laughed pleasantly.
“You said brands of similar stature… May I ask which brand you’re negotiating with? So we can prepare a countermeasure.”
“Of course. I can show you an email at least.”
Normally, such actions wouldn’t be taken due to confidentiality, but considering their relationship, he showed it willingly.
[Received the work well. Such a big gift deserves a proper response.
We will invite you to France as soon as possible.
Thank you for the 1954 model, and we look forward to having a constructive conversation about this project as well.
-Mikel
P.S. KOKO boasts at least 10 times the tradition compared to RR. Though your mentor is an excellent designer, is there a brand better than ours for launching a new designer’s bag?]
“Ha. Ha. Our apprentice has grown a lot, hasn’t he? In his snot-nosed days, he didn’t even dare to look me in the eye… I guess this is why they say the old should just die.”
For the first time, Rugerfeld showed an angry face.
-Wow, if it’s the teacher’s apprentice, isn’t he talking about Mikel? The chief designer of KOKO! So, they’re saying they have a meeting with KOKO?!
-Is this the power of a major MeTuber? It’s now extending its influence offline as well.
-That’s crazy. Everyone only thought about catching the teacher’s eye, but no one imagined external brands. A high schooler shows this level of initiative?
It quickly became noisy. Mom and Adriana exchanged confused looks, wanting an explanation, but the negotiation with Rugerfeld wasn’t over yet.
“It’s hard to believe you’re only 17. Like a seasoned veteran in the industry. It’s impressive how you tread that fine line of being annoying yet not. But I still have the right of first negotiation, don’t I?”
Hyunsoo chuckled.
“Of course. Considering the bond we’ve built, it would be an honor to work with you, Mr. Rugerfeld.”
“Then let’s meet at the headquarters. I’ll arrange a formal meeting.”
In the end, Mom signed a contract with RR under far better conditions.
Without needing to join the company, she signed as an external designer, receiving a basic pay, royalties, and benefits that a new designer couldn’t dream of.
‘This should be reassuring.’
It was Hyunsoo’s gift for Mom. The desire for her to receive the best treatment wherever she went.
Although he thought he might have overdone it, the negotiation expert within him felt refreshed.
“There are many internal complaints, but the advantage of being a chief designer and CEO is that you can ignore such noise. I hope you know I stretched myself thin here.”
“Thank you. My mother is very happy.”
It was true. Over the past few days, she had often shed tears. Although she said the process of pursuing a dream is beautiful, the feeling of being rewarded for her struggles was something Hyunsoo understood best.
Rugerfeld subtly tested Hyunsoo.
“I’ve found the weakness of a 17-year-old business prodigy. The more I treat your mother well, the more I can expect the next project?”
Hyunsoo didn’t respond, only smiling.
That night.
“……Huff, huff.”
Hyunsoo was tormented by an intense nightmare.
