Chapter 501: Creating the Blueprint (1)
Bizarre events sometimes could be found happening all around the world. And some of these events defied any attempts to understand the hows and whys through logic and common sense.
Lee Ju-Seok was currently experiencing one of those bizarre events.
Lee Ju-Seok's job was a little unique. However, it was a little too plain to be called truly special but also too special to be called plain... That was his job. In short, he was a tailor.
His place of employment boasted a proud history going back a century. As a matter of fact, it was the oldest surviving bespoke tailor shop in South Korea. Anyone with even a passing interest in ready-made suits would have definitely heard of Lee Ju-Seok's place of employment, Tailor Homme.
The final level in the fashion hierarchy was getting bespoke creations for yourself. Even the most well-heeled folks who bought clothes from overseas luxury brands would inevitably seek out the services of the best in the business, Tailor Homme!
Lee Ju-Seok had been plying his trade in such a prestigious shop for over two decades. Naturally, he was intensely proud of his accomplishments. Anyone wishing to get their hands on Lee Ju-Seok's suits needed to pay through their noses first.
However, those who understood the true worth of Tailor Homme were only too happy to pay the asking price. After all, the finest suits created by Lee Ju-Seok and his colleagues were definitely worth it.
Lee Ju-Seok just loved the process of using the finest quality materials to upgrade his clients' presence and overall class.
That had been his story so far. However, right now...
It had been only ten minutes since the client entered the shop and plunged Lee Ju-Seok into confusion and slight panic. Even the entrance of today's client was extraordinary, to say the least.
Everything was fine as the shop's entrance opened, and the door chime went off as usual. Lee Ju-Seok shot up to his feet and stood at attention after realizing that a potential client had come. So far, so good. Business as usual, in other words.
The problem came after that. The client couldn't enter because he... He got stuck in the door frame!
'How does that make any sense, though?!'
Unsurprising for a store with such history and tradition, Tailor Homme was located in a building that had existed for a long time. Which meant the entrance wasn't as wide as other, more modern establishments.
Even so, not a single client got stuck in the entrance until now. And Lee Ju-Seok or his predecessors had ever envisioned something like that happening, too!
However, that unimaginable thing finally happened today. As for the client furrowing his brow while trying to twist and contort his way through the entrance... How should Lee Ju-Seok describe him? A creature that utterly trampled on all of Lee Ju-Seok's common sense regarding human physiology?
One of Lee Ju-Seok's roles was to measure the clients. During his two decades of service in Tailor Homme, he had measured thousands, nay, tens of thousands of people. He had become so proficient at his job that Lee Ju-Seok didn't really need a tape measure to accurately estimate a client's size.
However, even his excellent discernment was not quite good enough to guess the new client's measurements.
'This gent might be thicker than a... gorilla?'
Tailor-making suits for a long time taught Lee Ju-Seok something valuable.
Many people came to Tailor Homme as they wished to own unique suits that only belonged to them. However, some clients showing up here had no choice as they couldn't find the right size of clothes for themselves in regular stores.
Naturally, Lee Ju-Seok got to measure countless different body types and create bespoke suits for them over the years. Some of those body types included bodybuilders and traditional Korean wrestlers boasting hulking frames who could never wear regular clothes sold in department stores.
However, all those people were like slightly-chubby middle schoolers compared to this new client's physique. For this man, 'huge' was simply too inadequate. No, 'gigantic' was far more appropriate. Despite thinking this way, Lee Ju-Seok also found this client's physique eerily familiar.
'Hold on... Aha. I think I get it now.'
Didn't that hulking green monster man in a recent superhero movie look like this client? Lee Ju-Seok thought that was nice-but-not-quite-convincing movie magic, but to think there really was a person with that exact physique...!
Of course, this client wasn't as tall as that green hulking dude, but...
'No, hang on, maybe this client is just as big? Uh... Argh, who cares about that?'
A much-slimmer man in an impeccable business suit craned his head to the side from behind the giant. After scanning the interior, this slimmer man slowly walked around the giant before standing in front of Lee Ju-Seok. He offered a smart greeting first. “Good day to you.”
“Y-yes, good day to you as well. Welcome to our store, dear clients!” Lee Ju-Seok quickly recognized his slip-up and urgently bowed deeply. How could a tailor like him get flustered by the physique of his client? Such a thing could not be allowed in this profession!
A person with such an abnormal physique must be quite conscious of it. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that they hated other people flinching or getting shocked and flustered by their presence.
Lee Ju-Seok was a part of the service industry. As such, he should never commit something this uncouth. Never!
Lee Ju-Seok's expression quickly reverted to an as-business-as-usual smile. Of course, he had a good excuse for his fluster.
'Why are you topless, though!'
If only the client wasn't walking around with his shirt off! Lee Ju-Seok's flabbergast would've been only half as severe!
Who on this Earth would remain unperturbed when a man with a hulking physique waltzed around topless?
“We're here to order bespoke suits,” said the slimmer man.
That confirmed the status of these folks, so Lee Ju-Seok had only one thing left to do. “I see. May I ask, which one of you is...?”
“As you might have guessed, it's this gentleman,” the slimmer man replied while stepping aside to present the topless giant.
Lee Ju-Seok felt like an idiot for asking that question. And he tried quite hard to suppress a groan from leaking out of his mouth. Just one look at the giant's body was enough to know that this particular assignment would be extraordinary. Just the required fabric alone would be at least triple, nay, quadruple the usual amount, Lee Ju-Seok wagered.
Not only that, but the client's body shape was also too different from an average male's, rendering Lee Ju-Seok's years of experience useless. Even the slightest mistake in the design would result in a laughable failure of a product!
“F-first of all, I'd like to take the measurements of the client,” said Lee Ju-Seok as he took out his tape measure. Of course, he didn't forget to quickly wipe away all the cold sweat on his forehead before that.
***
“I've finished the measurement, but... Uh...” Lee Ju-Seok faltered slightly, not knowing what to say in a case like this.
He had never sweated so much while taking measurements of his clients before. Three tailors had to work together to measure the giant's chest filled with supernaturally-thick pectoral muscles. That was because Lee Ju-Seok alone physically couldn't do it.
The giant's thigh measurement was the same as an average male's chest, while his arm was... as thick as a person's waist!
If Lee Ju-Seok was to exaggerate a bit here, covering up that giant's arm would require as much fabric to clothe a slender person!
'How... are we supposed to calculate the cost of everything here?'
Lee Ju-Seok couldn't estimate how expensive everything would get. Even someone as experienced as him couldn't calculate how much fabric would be required to create a fitting suit for this giant.
After wiping away even more cold sweat from his forehead, Lee Ju-Seok forced a smile on his face. “Dear sir. We have a selection of fabrics available in the store to choose from. Samples are…”
“No need. We only want the finest.” The much-slimmer replied instead of the giant. Maybe he was the personal assistant, then...? The PA laid out his demands next. “Only the finest fabric, please. However, it must not sparkle. The color should be black. While you're at it, please make five, no, six matching dress shirts as well. And... Hmm.” The personal assistant slowly rubbed his chin as if he was mulling over something. “...Considering this gentleman's physique, regular ties would look like little kids' toys, now wouldn't they?”
Lee Ju-Seok nodded. “Yes, sir. You're most likely correct.”
“In that case, we will need matching ties, too. Please make us ten of them.”
“...” Lee Ju-Seok's brain kicked into gear. He now needed to make all those things. All of them. In that case, just how was he...
The personal assistant wasn't finished, however. “Oh, and we'd also like several pairs of custom-made shoes. Do you make them here?”
Lee Ju-Seok quickly shook his head. “Regrettably, we don't deal in shoes, sir.”
“I see. Please introduce us to a reputable shoemaker.”
“That won't be an issue, sir. A store run by excellent artisans that will satisfy your needs can be found in the next building. If you'd like, we can phone them and ask one of their specialists to come to our store right away.”
“Mm. Excellent. Let us do that, then.”
“In that case, allow me to recap, sir. One set of business suits. Five dress shirts. And ten matching ties. Is this correct?”
The personal assistant shook his head. “Wait. Let's do three sets. Black, gray, and dark blue.”
That reply finally succeeded in completely blanking out Lee Ju-Seok's head. As Tailor Homme's clothes were crafted by some of the best tailors in the country using the finest-quality materials, a single suit could cost several times higher than the stuff manufactured by world-famous brands. So, for this pair of clients to order three such suits...!
'Do they have too much money to care?'
Of course, as Lee Ju-Seok was in the position of selling clothes, he shouldn't be harboring such insolent thoughts! He swiftly wrote up an order sheet, then scratched his head while frowning slightly.
The personal assistant impatiently asked, “How long do you need?”
“As the client's physique is not... 'ordinary,' we may need a longer time than usual, sir. Even if we work at our fastest speed, the order will take around two weeks to…”
The personal assistant abruptly cut Lee Ju-Seok off. “You need to finish them by tomorrow.”
“I beg your pardon? But, sir. That is impossible to...”
“Triple. Complete our order by tomorrow, and we will triple our payment. And anyone assisting you will also be compensated separately.”
“...?!” Lee Ju-Seok's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Did this guy really say he'd triple the payment? The price for the clothes should be as much as the annual salary of an average salaryman. But now... he wanted to triple it? Lee Ju-Seok quickly sobered up. “P-please, wait, sir...! I'm sure you were aware of our store's pricing policy before deciding to work with us. However, this gentleman's case is unique, and we will require five or six times the amount of fabric and other materials to fulfill the order. Which means the price hike will be unavoidable.”
“Yes, I'm aware. And we're still prepared to triple the payment.”
Lee Ju-Seok quickly calculated how much that triple would be, then asked another question in a trembling voice. “I-in that case, what will the individual compensation be like...?”
“Regardless of how many people assist you, each person will receive a single check.”
“A check...? Could it be a... million?” [1]
“No, ten million. Each.”
Lee Ju-Seok's head violently snapped to the side, and he yelled at one of the shop assistants. “Listen, Tae-Hwan!”
“Yes, Mister Lee!”
“We're closing the shop! Right now!”
Tae-Hwan tilted his head. “I'm sorry?”
“We won't be accepting any more customers for today! Hurry and close the shop!”
“Y-yes, Mister Lee!”
Lee Ju-Seok's eyes burned ominously as he watched the back of Tae-Hwan hurriedly rushing toward the entrance. There was no freaking way he'd let such a big fish slip through his fingers!
Even if he had to postpone everything, Lee Ju-Seok swore to fulfill this order before the end of the day.
***
The shoe designers quickly arrived at Tailor Homme to get Vator's measurements. Naturally, several pairs unique to his size were ordered on the spot.
After all that hullabaloo was over, Vator changed locations to a nearby cafe. He had to slurp down six milkshakes in one go before finally quenching his thirst.
“Sir. Your clothes will be ready by tomorrow,” said the personal assistant.
“Hmm... Money can be rather convenient, isn't it?” Vator quietly mused. Although, his expression implied that he wasn't exactly happy about this situation.
He had no thoughts of rejecting wealth, of course. Even his mother nation had been stained by the frightening power of money by now. As an example, he remembered hearing about how taxi drivers on standby in front of Chinggis Khaan International Airport didn't hesitate to knife each other if it meant they could ferry more tourists.
Even so, Vator was still uncomfortable with situations like this. One of his pet theories was that when people lorded over other people with money, they would eventually lose their souls and become slaves to money. Humans were supposed to rule over money, not the other way around.
“I always thought China was too stained by capitalism, but this country seems even more severe,” said Vator.
“This is South Korea, after all,” said the personal assistant. “In terms of capitalism, this place is much more committed to that ideal than China.”
“Hmph. How can a strong martial artist be raised in a place like this?”
“Sir Vator, the world is changing.”
“Mm…”
“China is also entrusting itself to the tides of change brought on by opening up her borders. And what about one of the pillars of the martial world, Japan? We need to acknowledge that Western-style capitalism has become the core of the world and match our pace with it.”
Vator tutted loudly. “Is that the Crimson King's wish?”
“Unfortunately, a mere servant like me is unable to fathom his noble intentions. The best we can do is... guessing.”
“Hmph...” Vator let out a soft snort. Obviously, he had no plans of becoming a fool who turned a blind eye to the changing world. Even so, he couldn't do much about his nature not agreeing with this change. “Fine. It doesn't really matter to me in the end. Since I've entrusted you with travel and accommodation arrangements, I'll do whatever you ask of me. If you want me to put on clothes, I'll do it. If you want me to act like a clown, so be it. However, you...!”
Suddenly, Vator's voice roared like a lion's.
“You shall definitely present Kang Jin-Ho before me! If you fail, I shall throw you into the pits of hell. Remember that!”
“Yes, sir! I swear on my life that it shall be done.”
Vator's eyes flickered brightly just then.
1. A million won, not a million dollars... 👈
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