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I Jun’s eyebrows fell as he nodded. “Maximilien’s protege? Of course. I imagine he’s shown you some brilliant designs.”
Tae Hyun nodded. “Yes, but I haven’t committed to anything yet. And I’m anxious to see what you can show me.”
“Yes, yes. Certainly.” I Jun gestured toward the back room. “Are you sure you won’t have any tea?”
“I’m sure.” Something felt off about I Jun. It could’ve been embarrassment or nerves. But it made Tae Hyun anxious to get the meeting over with. “Let’s look at what you’ve got.”
I Jun nodded and reached for a sketchpad sitting on the table. Tae Hyun glanced at Seong Min with his eyebrows raised while I Jun’s back was turned. Seong Min shrugged and nodded toward the door, but Tae Hyun shook his head. He wasn’t ready to give up on the meeting just yet. But he was glad he wasn’t the only one who thought things were weird.
“Here we go,” I Jun announced, spreading a set of sketches across the tabletop. “These are all rough since I haven’t had much time to sketch.”
“That’s alright.”
Tae Hyun approached the table and looked over I Jun’s sketches. Rough was an understatement. The sketches Tae Hyun had made for himself were better than what I Jun showed him. He struggled to decipher what the designs were supposed to be. He picked up the leftmost sketch, which may have been a military-inspired look. But it was all wrong. He shook his head and set it down.
“Do you mind if I ask–” I Jun stopped and shook his head. “No, I probably shouldn’t.”
Tae Hyun had a sense of what his inappropriate question probably was, so his instinct was to agree. Still, it also might’ve given him some insight into what was going on with I Jun. “Ask me what?”
“It was Chang Min, right?”
Tae Hyun frowned. He immediately knew what I Jun was asking but had no intention of confirming his suspicions. “What was Chang Min?”
I Jun shared a cautious smile. “You and Chang Min were lovers, right? He was who you mentioned in your video.” His smile grew bolder. “I could see the way you two looked at each other and acted around each other. And, of course, KBR also fired him.”
Tae Hyun clamped down on his surging annoyance. He and I Jun had worked together plenty of times but were hardly friends. And they hadn’t spoken in years. “KBR fired Chang Min because his music wasn’t selling very well.”
I Jun didn’t look convinced. “But, surely–”
“Could we just focus on why I’m here?” Tae Hyun picked up the next set of drawings. They looked familiar, but he couldn’t place them. “Tell me more about these.”
I Jun nodded. “Of course.” He glanced over Tae Hyun’s shoulder at the sketches in his hand. “These are a distressed look. Not quite post-apocalyptic, but more than urban streetwear.” He started shuffling some of the items on the table around. “I think I have some swatches–”
“That’s okay. I don’t think that’s the look I’m going for.” Tae Hyun put the sketches down and grabbed the next set. They were definitely familiar. “What about these?”
“Oh, yes.” I Jun gestured toward a clothing rack. “I actually have an example of something in a similar style.” He walked over to the clothing rack and sorted through the pieces hanging there until he stopped and pulled one free. “Here it is.”
I Jun held up an indigo, faux-suede jacket with intricate silver piping on the collar, sleeves, and lapels. It was lovely and well-made. And it probably fit Tae Hyun, too, considering he’d already worn it.
Tae Hyun frowned. “What’s going on here, I Jun?”
“What do you mean?”
Tae Hyun huffed. “I know you said these are rushed, but they’re not good. Or, at least, not original.” He nodded toward the jacket in I Jun’s hand. “I wore that during the European leg of theBlossomtour.” He picked up the previous sketches, which he finally recognized. “These areG-Gocostumes. And I can’t remember where the others are from, but I know I’ve seen them before.”
I Jun frowned as he replaced the jacket on the clothing rack. “I know,” he finally admitted. “Like I said, I haven’t had time to put anything together, and–”
“But you contacted us.” Tae Hyun shook his head. “Why would you do that if you didn’t have anything to show?”
I Jun stubbornly gestured to the drawings on the table. “I wanted to remind you of what I could do.”
Tae Hyun frowned. He didn’t get why I Jun was acting so cagey. “I know what you can do. I’ve worn your costumes before. That’s why I’m here.” Tae Hyun shook his head again. “But I think maybe it’s time we left. If you like, you can–”
“Wait, please don’t go.” I Jun took hold of Tae Hyun’s arm. “There’s still more–”
But Seong Min quickly intervened, grabbing I Jun’s forearm and pulling it away. “Mr. Woo said he’s leaving.”
I Jun yanked his arm free of Seong Min’s grip, which meant he couldn’t have been holding on very hard. “Alright, alright. You don’t have to get rough.” He shook his arm before massaging his wrist where Seong Min held him. “If you want to go, then just go.”
