CHAPTER 86

[Okay, I know. Now I need to take the boss’s tuxedo and head to the office. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the 6 o’clock cocktail reception. I’ll rush straight to the party venue as soon as the boss’s meeting is over, so I’ll see you then.]

[Alright, Luca. See you later!]

After Francine and Luca left, Minhee’s room became quiet again. She picked up the small navy blue box on the side table. When she opened the leather case embossed with the initials of an unfamiliar jeweler, a pair of star-shaped cut diamond earrings rested on the same colored velvet cushion. Minhee bit her lip tightly and stared at the sparkling earrings for a long time.

Ever since the day she received the new contract from Taejun, she had been desperately avoiding him. Knowing that his lingering, thirsty gaze was devouring her, Minhee intentionally ignored him. She holed up in her room in the evenings and went to bed early, even when she couldn’t sleep.

She missed the nights of falling asleep in his embrace, but she was afraid that if she gave in to him now, something within her would crumble.

She doubted she could crumple up her love for Taejun and shove it somewhere and treat him as just a s*x partner. She didn’t want to leave him because she loved him, but she wasn’t sure she could survive a year of living in the same house with him, loving him alone without being loved back. She needed time to think.

Then this morning, she found a small box and a note lying next to her pillow.

After hesitating and reaching out a few times, she finally took the earrings out with trembling hands and carefully put them on. Then her fingers traced the words on the stiff notepaper next to the box. Two words were scrawled across the center of the card in rough handwriting with no indication of who it was from or to.

“Your Stars.”

*

A large limousine arrived right in front of the Soho Summer Studio, the venue of the New York Fashion Week event. Minhee had heard the name before, but this was her first time actually coming here.

As Minhee carefully adjusted her skirt and reached to open the limousine door, it was suddenly flung open from the outside. It was Anton Dawson, the driver Taejun had recently hired.

This morning, Taejun had stubbornly insisted that she take his limousine to the event. Faced with his furrowed brow and his unyielding, icy expression that would not accept any refusal, Minhee had reluctantly nodded.

Over Anton’s shoulder, Minhee could see the red carpet stretching into the entrance, surrounded by velvet ropes. Next to it were photographers carrying large cameras, people hovering behind them with their phones, and a crowd holding hand-held placards, seemingly fans of King J.

Minhee greeted Anton and walked towards the red carpet, handing her invitation to the staff. All eyes immediately turned to her, and the flashes of cameras went off, taking her picture.

The staff member checked the invitation and opened the velvet rope, allowing Minhee to walk the red carpet. Her steps felt awkward in the unfamiliar high heels, but she squared her shoulders, trying to ignore the intimidating stares. She could hear Luca’s nagging voice in her ear.

[Straighten your shoulders, sweetie. You can’t wear that dress with that posture. Neck out, chin down, shoulders back, arms to the side!]

The theme of the charity gala hosted by the Designers Jia, the fiancée of King J, and some young designers, was ‘Fashion Loves Earth’. The purpose was to call for the fashion industry to take action on climate change and to create an organization to advocate for legislation to institutionalize the recycling of clothing and fabrics.

Before the party started, there was an hour-long cocktail reception, so Minhee hurried to get there.

Despite the fact that it had just started, there were more people than she expected.

Holding their glasses, some picked up bite-sized hors d’oeuvres from the trays carried by the waiters, and others gathered in small groups chatting. The glamorous sight of Manhattan’s young and beautiful elite gathered in one place left Minhee wide-eyed.

‘Thank you, Luca!’

Relieved that her outfit didn’t look shabby thanks to the makeover, she picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and moved to a small round table on the edge, where she could stand and people-watch.

The high table was at the perfect height for her to lean on and observe the scene. Minhee watched the men in tuxedos and the women in stylish dresses exploring and grouping up, then dispersing, like watching a Technicolor picture from outside the frame.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember the last time she had attended such a formal party since her high school prom. At the prom, where she had gone with her girlfriends to avoid worrying her father, the boys would stand next to her and she would hear the taunting voices, ‘Look, the toddler wants to dance!’.

Now she realized that if she had just ignored them with an unfazed face, the kids would have eventually grown tired and stopped. But every time she blushed and shrank back, the kids found it amusing and grew crueler.

‘I only just realized that now.’

She let out a bitter chuckle as she tilted the champagne glass to her lips. At that moment, a figure in a black tuxedo and white shirt blocked her view.

[Hi.]

[…Hi.]

She swallowed hard, the champagne popping in her mouth, and returned the greeting with a stutter, straightening her back and looking up at the man who had come to stand in front of the table.

‘A stranger.’

The man with dark brown hair and a kind-looking brown eyes smiled and asked,

[Would it be okay if I shared this table with you?]

He was holding a plate with a few finger foods on it and a cocktail glass in his hand.

[Oh, of course!]

Minhee lowered the arm she had been resting on the table and took a step back. The man muttered a thank you and quickly polished off the food on his plate, then took a refreshing sip of his mojito.

[Ah, I feel alive now. I hadn’t eaten lunch today before coming here.]

The affable man struck up a friendly conversation.

[I see…]

The man extended his hand across the table towards Minhee. Somewhat flustered, she met his hand and they shook lightly.

[Miles Lieberman. Nice to meet you.]

[Umm… Minhee Seol. Nice to meet you too.]

Miles rolled her name around in his mouth, then asked.

[Which brand do you work for, Minhee? DVS? Jia New York? Alice?]

[Huh?]

[You work for one of the brands hosting this gala, right? You look like someone from the fashion industry. Oh, that’s a compliment.]

The stranger’s gaze swept over Minhee from head to toe, with obvious intent.

‘Me?? Look like I’m in the fashion industry?’

It was a phrase she had never heard before.

‘Is this man…?’

Realizing that this was her first ‘grown man’ flirtation, Minhee stiffened in surprise. Watching him patiently wait for her reaction while taking a sip of his cocktail, Minhee racked her brain.

[No. I go to school, I mean, I’m not a student, ah, I’m a graduate student, but I work as an assistant teacher at a school]. 

[I see. Which school do you work at? Is it in Manhattan?]

[Yeah……. Aster School]. 

[Aster School?! I know that school. It’s the school my alma mater used to do joint theater productions with.]

[By any chance, the Alton School……?] 

[That’s right! Do they still do joint theatre productions with my school?]

[Yes.]

Manhattan was narrow. The Alton School was an all-boys school that had a partnership with Aster School. Miles picked up a salmon canapé from a passing waiter’s plate and offered it to Minhee. After a few moments of wordless eating, the silence became awkward, and Minhee formed a question in her head.

[So, do you work in the fashion industry?]

[Who, me?]

Miles whirled around as if he’d heard something funny.

[I work for an investment banking firm, and my department does retail mergers and acquisitions, so I get invited to parties like this from time to time, but this is the first time someone has asked if I work in the fashion industry. That’s a compliment, right?]

[Huh? Ah, yes…]

Minhee found the conversation awkward and a little uncomfortable. Miles seemed like a nice person, but there was no spark or impression that stood out to her. Briefly excited that an adult man other than Taejun was showing interest in her, she couldn’t find anything particularly curious or impressive about him.

Having already experienced the electrifying, heated feeling when their eyes just brushed, she yearned to see Taejun. 

‘How sexy would he look in a tuxedo?’

‘Fierce flirting, what nonsense. The jealousy plan has already failed. Not that I ever had that intention anyway.’

Minhee just wanted to be alone.

‘Is Taejun still in the meeting? When will he get there?’

Noticing Minhee’s eyes wandering around the reception area, Miles straightened up from his leaning posture and smiled cordially.

[I just saw a colleague come in. It was nice to meet you, Minhee. I’ll see you at the party later].

[Yes, nice to meet you too.]

Minhee breathed a sigh of relief as Miles left and she was left alone. Then-

[Nice dress!]

This time it was a gruff female voice.