Two weeks later, on the weekend.
Hearing that the pre-opening preparations were finally complete, I headed straight to Sir Lewis' store.
Knock knock.
When I knocked on the door, Sir Lewis, dressed in his signature stylish suit, welcomed me with a warm smile.
"Welcome."
After exchanging cheerful greetings, I asked,
"It must have been inconvenient with all the construction going on, right?"
There must have been a lot of workers coming and going, with all the interior work and whatnot. It was bound to be chaotic.
However, Sir Lewis seemed to have a different perspective.
"If I can close up shop and still make money, it's worth it…."
"Well, still."
"Thanks to this, I even felt like I owned the building, if only for a little while."
He chuckled.
"Well, that's good to hear."
"I saw the store on my way over, and it looks fantastic."
"Really?"
"You shouldn't be chatting with me; go take a look inside."
After nodding, I took my steps, using the masterpieces as my guideposts.
Finally, I arrived at the secret room.
I carefully examined the bookshelf that filled the wall. Among them was a green book placed right in the center—Shakespeare's Hamlet, the work of England's great literary giant.
The moment I quietly pulled out Hamlet,
Rrrr…
With a strange noise, the bookshelf started to slide aside, revealing an old door.
Hanging on it was a plaque written in cursive: Queensman.
Much more impressive than I expected.
Feeling pleased, I turned the doorknob.
The inside of the store was even more remarkable.
First, there was the Triumph my grandfather sent, boldly displayed. A bike indoors.
Beside it was a vintage Patek Philippe in a showcase.
'Oddly fitting.'
And beyond that, the color of the lights, the tone of the wallpaper, the seemingly carelessly placed objects, and the texture of the carpet that brought everything together.
Stepping into this space, all my senses were completely satisfied.
Unfortunately, though, the person who created all of this, Olivia, was still in dreamland…
She must've been working until dawn.
And it wasn't just Olivia who had stayed up all night.
There, dozing off on the couch, was James Faber.
In his place, Lukash approached me.
"Should I wake him?"
"No, it's alright."
"Normally, I'd wake him, but he hasn't been sleeping well lately. He just dozed off, so it'd be a shame to disturb him…."
But, as if on cue, Faber's eyes fluttered open.
His face still looked drowsy, half-asleep.
Yet, he immediately rubbed his face and spoke.
"The sample… it's ready."
Jumping straight into business without a greeting.
'Well, I don't mind, but, ahem!'
Faber picked up the shopping bag placed next to the sofa.
"These are the shoes I mentioned last time."
Faber's first design, crafted by John Green!
I opened the bag to check out the contents—a pair of sleek white sneakers. With John Green's craftsmanship, the quality was undeniably top-notch. The shoes embodied Faber's unique skateboard-inspired touch. The stitch detail at the point where they'd meet the pants hem was a nice touch.
Above all.
The Ultimate signature logo was the final flourish, the cherry on top.
Yet, even in front of such an incredible result, Faber didn't show a hint of excitement. Instead, he simply walked over to bring a large box.
"Since you're here, please check this out too."
It was a black hoodie with matching pants.
"You've got clothes ready too?"
"Yes. I tailored them to your size…"
"I'll try them on right away."
The fit was baggy, a style rarely seen these days. Not overly large, just enough to give a hint of rebellious charm. The faded look around the seams suggested they'd used garment dyeing to give it a vintage touch.
"Wear the hood as if you're just placing it lightly on your head."
"Like this?"
"Perfect."
Once I was fully suited up with the top, bottoms, and sneakers, I stood in front of the mirror.
"…!"
Looking sharp was one thing, but…
This was the brand I'd wanted for so long.
Feeling a bit emotional, I stared quietly at the red logo in the mirror. The very first product under the Ultimate name, and I was the first to wear it.
Life really is full of surprises.
"Do you like it?"
"Like it? I love it."
At my words, Faber finally let out a sigh of relief.
He must've worked incredibly hard to feel this way.
"You look exhausted; you should go get some rest."
"A cup of coffee will perk me up, no worries."
Just then, Lukash poked his head out from beside us.
"Boss, I'm not saying this because he's my friend, but this guy worked himself to the bone. I thought he was possessed by money or something!"
Well, it's nice of him to praise his friend, but…
He's digging his own grave here.
"When will we see a product from you, manager?"
"Me? My work?"
I nodded.
"You were hired as a designer too, weren't you?"
"Ah, yes. I've been working on some things, but after seeing his, my details feel a bit lacking…"
"So, when can we expect it?"
"Well, to be honest, I've been focusing on photography lately, haha."
Not that he's exaggerating; he's been snapping photos like crazy. We now have more than enough to fill a magazine.
Well, that's good too, I suppose.
"How about focusing on your designs now?"
"Oh, yes, of course. I really should."
It seemed like I'd done all I could here, from checking the samples to encouraging them about the new releases. It was time to leave so they could finally rest.
"I'll be going now."
As I said my goodbyes, I pulled an envelope from my pocket. They'd been working hard on such a tight schedule, and the least I could do was provide a little financial appreciation. Ignoring Faber's gesture of refusal, I handed the envelope to Lukash with a light tap.
"Alright, I'm off!"
I quickly made my way out of the store.
***
Tennessee Grosvenor was just leaving a game shop, clutching the limited edition Dragon Quest he'd purchased.
Phew.
Last time, he'd run into Park Ji-hoon here, but thankfully today, he managed to avoid any unwanted encounters. Maybe it was because he finally had his hands on that limited edition he'd been longing for, but he couldn't hide his broad grin. He'd paid a little extra since he got it late—about 100 pounds more—but he considered it a steal.
"Totally worth it, totally."
Some people might say, "It's the same game with just different artwork. Why bother with a limited edition?"
The answer was simple.
"The artwork is different!"
Not just "different"—it was new artwork! That was reason enough to open his wallet. That's what it means to be a true fan.
Feeling unusually cheerful, Tennessee had an unexpected thought. Just two blocks from here was Sir Lewis' store. An embarrassing memory flashed in his mind—the day he arrogantly got measured for a school uniform. Apologizing now would feel odd, but maybe he could take him a drink instead…
'But what should I say when I give it to him?'
Even though he didn't know exactly what he'd say, he went to the nearest market and bought a bottle of vitamin drink. Then, he began walking toward Sir Lewis' store.
Hmm.
He still didn't know what he'd say. Maybe he'd just sneak in and leave the drink like a thief.
Whatever the case, he felt it would ease his mind.
As he reached the store, he noticed something.
'The lights are off?'
Well, that worked out. He could just leave it at the door and go. Everything was going smoothly today!
Just then—
Clack.
The door to the darkened store suddenly opened.
Creeeak.
A man dressed head to toe in black emerged unexpectedly. In that split second, the two locked eyes and, to their surprise, recognized each other.
'Is that… Park Ji-hoon?'
Tennessee hastily hid his Dragon Quest behind his back.
'Damn it!'
But in his haste to hide it—
Thud.
Maybe he was too startled.
Clatter.
The package tumbled to the ground!
Tennessee tried to cover it with his body, but…
"…"
The other person had likely seen enough to recognize it.
Tennessee wanted to throw the drink bottle and run. If only he hadn't come here. If only he hadn't done something so pointless.
'Damn… damn… damn! Even if I try to deny it, it won't do any good, right?'
Though he thought that way, he still muttered, "Eek!" and covered his face, hurrying away. He heard someone calling out behind him, but it only made him walk faster.
Ten minutes later.
Tennessee found himself back at the store. He would've just left, but after dropping the limited edition package on the floor, he couldn't bear to walk away.
'Ugh.'
Why did he keep running into Park Ji-hoon at the worst moments?
Grumbling, he took hesitant steps toward the store, where a white shopping bag lay in front of the darkened entrance. Inside was the limited edition Dragon Quest package.
It looked like Ji-hoon had picked it up and placed it in the shopping bag.
"…"
If he took it, wouldn't that be like admitting he was Tennessee Grosvenor?
'Admit it, my foot.'
His face was already well-known anyway!
Might as well reclaim the package, right?
As he wrestled with this inner conflict—
Clack! Creak.
The store door opened again.
Could it be Park Ji-hoon again?
Luckily, it was two men who stepped out. Both were Caucasian, likely in their mid-twenties. Their looks were unremarkable, but their clothing was anything but.
They wore hoodies with red logos casually draped over their heads, and each held a skateboard, giving off a vibe straight out of a fashion magazine. The man who followed wore a simple black T-shirt with a print that looked almost like a signature.
It was just a T-shirt, after all.
But why did it look so effortlessly stylish?
More than anything, they both wore identical shoes: white sneakers with a red logo. Even though they were brand-new, they didn't come off as amateurish. The rough leather finish and washed laces gave the sneakers a rugged, seasoned look.
Tennessee couldn't tear his gaze away from them for a while.
He'd never seen a style quite like this.
Thinking back, wasn't Park Ji-hoon dressed like that earlier?
Wait…
All three people who left the store were dressed similarly?
Tennessee glanced back into the store, his face filled with surprise.
"…"
But the store was completely dark inside.
TL/n -
Those who can't relate with the Ultimate brand should think of it as the Supreme brand.