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Chapter 290: Showcase (1)

In my past life, she eventually rose to the position of Vice President after Moon Yung-Mi.

Regardless of her rank and influence at LM Apparel, there was no reason for my team member, Lee Mi-Ri, to be reprimanded by her. After all, Lee Mi-Ri had come to help with the L.M.L brand showcase at the request of Lee Yung-Ah.

The comments about whether or not Yoo-Jin would be included in the show today were simply laughable.

"What do you think you\'re doing? We\'re here because we were asked to be, not to be insulted like this!" I raised my voice, causing Lee Mi-Ri to flinch.

"Mr. Jung, it\'s okay. If it\'s because of me, I\'m fine..." uttered Lee Mi-Ri.

Despite being accused of lying about her daughter\'s illness, Lee Mi-Ri was more worried about the impact on Yoo-Jin and me than herself.

I shook my head firmly. "No. I\'m not okay with this. If I had known you\'d be treated like this, I wouldn\'t have signed the contract with L.M.L in the first place! So drop those clothes and come here."

Lee Mi-Ri hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped away from the garments and moved closer to me.

Jo Jin-Hee glared at me as she mentioned her position. "And who are you?"

I took a glance at Yoo-Jin standing beside me and replied, "Can\'t you tell? I\'m Miss Jung Yoo-Jin\'s talent agent."

"What? Ha! This is ridiculous. How dare a mere talent agent..."

By the time someone reached the level of a director at a company like LM Apparel, they often treated even agency presidents with disregard, considering themselves the powerful client.

But today, the true "client" of this brand showcase was Yoo-Jin. This wasn\'t a paid gig nor was it an event listed in the contract. We had agreed to participate purely out of goodwill at Lee Yung-Ah\'s request, even adjusting Yoo-Jin\'s busy schedule to make it possible.

And yet, Jo Jin-Hee was treating us with disrespect.

Thanks to Ling Ling translating the situation, Wang Long and Lily quickly understood what was happening and followed my lead as I turned back down the hallway with the group.

When all of us turned around to leave, Jo Jin-Hee\'s sharp voice rang out behind us. "Hey! Miss Jung Yoo-Jin! Don\'t you know you\'re breaching your contract by just leaving like this?"

Jo Jin-Hee recognized Yoo-Jin\'s status as a popular celebrity, and refrained from outrightly insulting her.

Yoo-Jin, who was walking beside me, suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned her head. "I\'m leaving because you told me to. How is that a breach of contract?"

"Wh-what? What did you say? I was trying to let this go, but now you\'re talking back to me?"

"What did you just say to me?" Yoo-Jin retorted.

I quickly stepped in to calm the irritated Yoo-Jin as this was something a talent agent needed to handle.

"It seems like you\'re not fully aware but Yoo-Jin has no obligation to walk in today\'s show. You should go check the contract," I replied coldly.

At that moment, Choi Sun-Mi who guided us closed her eyes tightly and called out, "Mr. Jung, please wait! I\'ll speak with Ms. Lee, so just wait here for a moment and ..."

Jo Jin-Hee looked incredulous and cut her off. "Hey, Assistant Manager Choi. Have you lost your mind? Where do you get off butting in?"

Ignoring Jo Jin-Hee\'s harsh words, I continued walking back the way we came, although I did feel a bit sorry for Choi Sun-Mi.

To lighten the mood, I casually turned to Wang Long. "Wang Long, I know a great place for bone hangover soup. It\'s a must-try when you\'re in Korea. Wanna go?"

Wang Long and Lily nodded enthusiastically, pleased with the suggestion. "Sure, let\'s do it!"

Just then, a desperate voice called out from behind us. "Wait! Mr. Jung! Please~~ wait!!"

I reluctantly stopped in my tracks when the voice echoed loudly through the entire backstage area. Seeing me stop, the rest of the group halted as well.

Lee Yung-Ah rushed past Jo Jin-Hee and grabbed my arm firmly. "Where do you think you\'re going? You can\'t leave!"

I pointed toward Jo Jin-Hee, who was glaring at us from a few meters away. "We\'re leaving because Mrs. Jo told us to."

Lee Yung-Ah sharply turned her head to face Jo Jin-Hee. "Mrs. Jo, what is going on here?"

"What do you mean, \'what\'s going on\'? How could you allow another company\'s stylist to handle our stage costumes? What are you even doing?"

"I specifically requested it. Didn\'t you hear?"

"Yes, I heard. But that was a mistake on your part, Chief Lee. How do you expect our design team to maintain their dignity with decisions like that?"

Frustrated, Lee Yung-Ah shot back, "So you want to protect your dignity by ruining today\'s showcase? Are you out of your mind?"

Jo Jin-Hee furrowed her brow. "Chief Lee, you\'re getting out of line here."

"You\'re the one out of line, Mrs. Jo. You\'re chasing away talent just to save face?"

"What? Who says she is talented?"

Their eyes locked in a fierce stare-off.

On one side was Lee Yung-Ah, the daughter of the company\'s founder who was educated in the U.S., and on the other was Jo Jin-Hee, who had spent 20 years building LM Apparel from the ground up with the founder.

This was more than a simple argument; it was a power struggle between the old power and the new.

Seething with anger, Lee Yung-Ah pointed at Lee Mi-Ri. "Do you know that 70% of today\'s showcase was planned by Mrs. Lee Mi-Ri here?"

"And you think that\'s something to brag about...?" Jo Jin-Hee replied dismissively.

"Of course it is! The products she selected for Miss Yoo-Jin have propelled the L.M.L brand to where it is now! Without that, do you think today\'s showcase would even be possible?"

Jo Jin-Hee scoffed. "You\'re seriously underestimating LM\'s power. We have Korea\'s top designers."

Lee Yung-Ah snorted back. "I know you want to promote your junior designers, but you should be mindful of the situation."

"Hey, Lee Yung-Ah! Do you think you\'re all that? I practically raised you!" screamed Jo Jin-Hee.

As the confrontation between the two escalated, Moon Yung-Mi, accompanied by her secretary, appeared from the runway\'s connecting hallway. The secretary was briefing her on the situation as they approached.

Moon Yung-Mi nodded and then spoke to the two women in a calm yet firm tone. "Lower your voices. If the VIPs outside hear this, it\'ll be a complete embarrassment."

Jo Jin-Hee immediately retorted, "Mdm. Moon, are you just going to stand by and let Chief Lee run this brand into the ground like this?"

Lee Yung-Ah slightly bit her lip. The fact that even Lee Yung-Ah, Moon Yung-Mi\'s daughter, was nervous showed just how powerful Jo Jin-Hee was within LM Apparel.

However, Moon Yung-Mi disappointed Jo Jin-Hee with her next words. "Everything was going well. What\'s the issue?"

Jo Jin-Hee\'s eyes widened in disbelief. "Pardon?"

"Actually, everything was going well until you decided to stir things up."

At that moment, Jo Jin-Hee shouted, "Mdm. Moon, are you siding with Chief Lee just because she\'s your daughter?"

Moon Yung-Mi\'s previously soft tone hardened in an instant. "Jin-Hee, when have I ever shown favoritism because she\'s my daughter? Don\'t make me laugh."

"That\'s not what I meant..."

"I\'ve kept quiet all this time because I respect the work you\'ve done for LM Apparel, but this is enough. From today onward, you\'re off the L.M.L project. Why did you even involve yourself in something that\'s not within your authority?" Moon Yung-Mi reprimanded her.

Jo Jin-Hee, sounding more like she was speaking to a close friend than her superior, protested. "Unnie! Aren\'t you worried about your pride no matter how good the sales are? Doesn\'t it bother you to let someone whose credentials you don\'t even know handle our clothes? What about our designers\' pride?"

Moon Yung-Mi\'s expression suddenly turned cold. "Designers\' pride? Is that what this is about? Oh, I see now. Working under someone who isn\'t a designer until now must have really hurt your pride, huh? You probably thought I was clueless because I started out with a tiny underwear shop, didn\'t you?"

Jo Jin-Hee shouted back, "Unnie, that\'s not the same thing!"

"What\'s so different!?"

When Moon Yung-Mi\'s voice boomed, Jo Jin-Hee quickly closed her mouth.

As Jo Jin-Hee stared at her with a look of resentment, Moon Yung-Mi continued, "I\'ve been wondering why the company\'s growth has stagnated, and now I see the reason. It\'s my fault for letting you and the other designers act like you had a lifetime guarantee here. As of today, you\'re no longer employed here."

Jo Jin-Hee looked shocked. "Unnie! Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am. It is no surprise the company\'s growth has stalled when someone in your position is so stuck in their ways! Now, step aside!" Moon Yung-Mi bellowed.

Then, she turned to her secretary. "Secretary Jang, make sure to notify the legal team to handle this properly so it doesn\'t turn into an unfair dismissal case. List the reason as causing a significant risk of financial loss or whatever is necessary."

The secretary nodded in acknowledgment. "Understood."

As Jo Jin-Hee tried to say something, Moon Yung-Mi cut her off sharply. "Say one more word and I\'ll make sure every last one of your people is out the door too!"

The atmosphere backstage became tense at Moon Yung-Mi\'s thunderous voice.

Half of the designers and staff present were aligned with Jo Jin-Hee. Still, no matter how much influence Jo Jin-Hee had within LM Apparel, she couldn\'t compare to Moon Yung-Mi who had built the company from nothing into a 200 billion won enterprise.

Jo Jin-Hee\'s face went pale and she stood frozen like a statue.

After dealing with Jo Jin-Hee, Moon Yung-Mi let out a small sigh and approached me with a weary expression. "I\'m sorry, Mr. Jung. It seems like we\'ve made a big mistake. Could you find it in your heart to forgive us?"

Since neither Lee Yung-Ah nor Moon Yung-Mi were at fault, I nodded. "I think I may have overreacted a bit as well. I apologize."

After I accepted her apology, Moon Yung-Mi turned to Lee Mi-Ri and took her hand this time. "Mrs. Lee, I know you\'ve worked so hard over the past few weeks helping us out. I\'m truly sorry for what happened. I ask for your forgiveness on behalf of our company."

Seeing Moon Yung-Mi bow her head, Lee Mi-Ri was startled and quickly tried to stop her. "Mdm. Moon, please don\'t do this!"

However, Moon Yung-Mi remained firm and kept her head bowed. "I heard you even applied to work for our company before... I didn\'t even know that."

"It\'s okay, really. There\'s no need for you to apologize to me. Please, lift your head."

Tears welled up in Lee Mi-Ri\'s eyes as she helped Moon Yung-Mi stand upright. It seemed that the president\'s apology had helped heal some of the pain from the difficult times in her past.

As the backstage commotion subsided, the dazed Jo Jin-Hee was escorted out by her staff.

***

Once the situation had fully calmed down, Moon Yung-Mi carefully spoke to me again. "Mr. Jung, please don\'t take this the wrong way."

"Of course, Mdm. Moon," I replied.

"Not right now, but maybe in the future...if by any chance Mrs. Lee wants to work in the fashion industry again, would it be alright if I invited her to join us? With her experience, she might find it more rewarding on our side."

It was clear that the sudden decision to fire Jo Jin-Hee was driven by long-standing frustrations, but what likely triggered it was the realization that the company had lost a talented individual like Lee Mi-Ri.

However, that was Moon Yung-Mi\'s concern. For me, it was a tricky situation.

I understood that Lee Mi-Ri\'s skills were perhaps better suited to the fashion industry, but losing her would disrupt my plans. After all, a competent stylist was crucial to an entertainer\'s success.

Nonetheless, it wouldn\'t be right to block Lee Mi-Ri\'s future opportunities for the sake of my plans.

While I was contemplating whether I could match the offer that Moon Yung-Mi could make, Lee Mi-Ri stepped forward. "Mrs. Moon. Thank you for the kind offer, but I have no intention of changing companies."

Moon Yung-Mi\'s eyes turned to Lee Mi-Ri. "Not even later? I meant in the future."

"No, even if you offered me a fortune, I couldn\'t leave until I\'ve repaid the debt I owe to Mr. Jung for saving my daughter, Eun-Byul. Not even if he asked me to go."

At that moment, I was overwhelmed with indescribable emotions. I hadn\'t realized just how deeply Lee Mi-Ri valued what I had done for her daughter.

\'Mrs. Lee..\' I thought, feeling emotional.

Moon Yung-Mi hesitated for a moment after hearing Lee Mi-Ri\'s response.

Then, with a warm smile, she replied, "I\'m sorry. I didn\'t mean to make things uncomfortable. I won\'t bring this up again."

Moon Yung-Mi quickly understood the weight of having saved Eun-Byul and respected Lee Mi-Ri\'s decision. She looked at me with a hint of admiration. "Mr. Jung, I envy you."

I scratched my head with a smile, feeling a sense of pride in myself. After all, I was fortunate to have someone like Lee Mi-Ri on my team.

The chaotic atmosphere backstage finally settled and everyone began bustling around again to prepare for the runway.

***

Having dried her tears as if she had never cried, Lee Mi-Ri returned to work on altering the third outfit. Seeing her determined expression, I felt confident that there was no need to worry anymore.

Yoo-Jin and Lily stayed behind to try on their outfits while I made my way to the audience area with Moon Yung-Mi.

As we made our way to the audience area, Moon Yung-Mi took a moment to congratulate me on Yoo-Jin\'s recent success. "Miss Yoo-Jin\'s image has been so positive that our company has benefited greatly. Thank you, Mr. Jung."

"Yoo-Jin is naturally kind-hearted, so I haven\'t done much."

Moon Yung-Mi smiled. "Yes, but presenting that image to the public is a skill in itself, isn\'t it?"

I felt a bit embarrassed and scratched my head.

Then, Moon Yung-Mi mentioned something unexpected. "Oh, by the way, some people from HK Apparel are here today."

I raised my eyebrows. "HK Apparel?"

Brand showcases typically invited industry-related companies, celebrities, and reporters. It made sense that they wouldn\'t have a choice but to invite HK Apparel, the industry\'s number one company, even though they had previously fought them off to keep Yoo-Jin as their exclusive model.

"Who from HK Apparel came?" I asked.

"President Gu Wang-Soo and Executive Director Hong Sung-Beom came in person."

The fourth son of HK Inc. and the future head of HK Apparel himself had accepted the invitation to be here. He was that scoundrel who had set his sights on Yoo-Jin.

Following Moon Yung-Mi\'s words, I glanced toward the far end of the runway.

In the reserved seating area where we were supposed to sit, I spotted Hong Sung-Beom casually crossing his legs as if he owned the place.