Irony of Revenge

Chapter 3

Jinyoung felt a sense of nausea creeping up on him, at the sight of reporters at the entrance of the auditorium. Jieun was by his side, holding his arm, and did not seem to mind the camera flashes. Beside her was Hyebin, walking with her shoulders square and confidence radiating from every step of hers.

It was the very first time for Jinyoung to attend Seoul Fashion Week, while Hyebin and Jieun had done, for four consecutive years, including this year.

He had had no intention to be here but the fact that Mark would be here as a runway model, somehow had convinced him that it might be worth attending and experiencing, after all. Moreover, it had been more than a week since he and Mark had last met at his golf club, and he felt quite desperate to make sure that their friendship was as warm as it should always be.

"Hello, Hyebin, you look excited. Hi, Jieun. Hi, Mr. Park," one of the reporters greeted all of them. The reporters seemed quite surprised by Jinyoung's presence. Although it was a well-known fact that Kim Jieun's boyfriend was Park Jinyoung, the owner of Park Golf Club, he was rarely seen together with Jieun, in such events.

"Hello," Hyebin said, looking at the camera, with a smile, "Indeed, I'm so excited. My new works are going to be showcased here. I hope they'll be found interesting. I've tried my best. And on top of everything, Mark's here for the show. So , I'm sure it's going to be a beautiful night."

"We're anticipating your works. And I'm sure Mark's fans are watching this now. We're looking forward to him in designer clothes too," the reporter said, in enthusiasm, "So, Jieun and Mr. Park, what do you think of the event? Please share your feelings. Mr. Park, you're here for the first time. How do you feel?"

"It's a new experience. I'm sure it'll be a great one too. I'll enjoy the show," Jinyoung said, briefly.

"I'm glad I could sponsor this event every year. I'm also here to support both my friend and her boyfriend. My boyfriend's also here, so I feel that it's gonna be a memorable night," Jieun said with a cheerful smile.

Jinyoung felt relieved that they were not kept long there and finally could proceed into the auditorium. Inside, there could be seen a systematic arrangement of chairs and the stage with a moderate height.

The staff that were guiding the guests led them to the VIP seats, which were close to the stage and reserved for the fashion designers and other important people.

The auditorium was not full yet and the whole area was still well-lit. There were already cameras set up along the sides of the stage and there was some music floating around.

"Don't you go and see Mark? He's in the backstage, right?" Jieun nudged Hyebin, who was sitting beside her.

"Nah, it must be bustling there now. I won't have any proper words with him. It's a relief that my assistant's there to dress the models. I want to avoid backstage during such hectic hours."

The hall became filled with more and more people and Hyebin, once in a while, chatted with the other fashion designers seated near her. Jieun had her hand interlaced with Jinyoung's while he was wishing the show would start as soon as possible.

When the show began, all the lights had been turned off, except those that lit the stage. Soon, following the presenter's announcement of which fashion was going to be displayed and which designer had created a particular set of clothing, a male model appeared on the stage in the streetwear. All the male and female models had their turns and the show went on.

Jinyoung's eyes fell on every model coming out to the stage, in hope of seeing Mark. It seemed to have been too long before Mark finally made appearance on the stage. He was in a white suit which consisted of only the coat and pants, without any dress shirt or whatsoever underneath. The coat had low V-neck, exposing his chest muscles. Mark walked with an expressionless face but his looks were undeniably glowing under the light.

Jinyoung felt the audience's applause was louder for Mark than the previous models. Perhaps, because Mark already had his own fame, rather than just being a runway model, or simply because he looked so dashing.

Jinyoung was sure Mark did not see him but it was better because he could openly stare at Mark. He let out an unsettled sigh when Mark disappeared back to the backstage.

"He looks so awesome, doesn't he? It was as if the clothing'd been especially made for him." Jinyoung heard Hyebin saying those words to Jieun and silently agreed with her.

Mark appeared on the stage for five times, altogether, and every time, he looked striking.

When the show was finished, Hyebin took Jieun and Jinyoung to the backstage and to the room where Mark was.

Mark was talking with a fellow model when they entered the room. He was now in his own clothes but the make-up was still on. Noticing them, he cut his conversation with the model and came to them.

"Hey," he said. Next moment, Hyebin had already buried herself in his chest, locking her hands around him. He smiled, for a moment, at her action and then when his eyes fell on Jinyoung, another smile appeared on his lips.

"You did so well," Hyebin said, finally releasing him, and then looking up at him, "You were amazing."

"Great that you think so," Mark said and then turned to the other two, "Jieun. Jinyoung. I hope you enjoyed the show. Thank you for coming," Mark looked at Jinyoung especially, as he said the last words.

"It was great, Mark," Jieun said, "Once you appeared, Hyebin was literally gone on you. I'm glad everything went well."

Later, they had some photos of themselves taken and stayed there a little longer. Jinyoung could say nothing much to Mark as Hyebin had taken most of Mark's attention and Jieun would not leave him alone for a moment. But the fact that he met Mark again, itself, was a comfort to him.