Sangmin's eyes hurt. His neck hurt. His back hurt.

He looked at the mannequin and adjusted the fabrics again, adding a few more stitches. He looked at the sketches Ae Sook had left, then back to the mannequin. Her words rang in his mind from the evening before. The temperamental old woman had fired two of her designers- Hyun Ok and Nam Kyu. She fired them with only four days left until their next show. Sure Nam Kyu was clumsy and his stitches looked like a child did them when he wasn't using the sewing machines, but he worked and always brought tea for the people around. His work was passable so long as he just followed the patterns and stuck to the machines. Hyun Ok was horrible though.

Okay, so she had been Sangmin's bosom buddy last month- but that was last month. Last month they went to that little shop downtown where they sold the purple plastic bracelets. They were great. They really perked up any outfit. But now everyone had them- and they also came in yellow. Yellow! Really now- so few people can get away with wearing yellow. But anyway, this month she was horrid. She had decided to adopt cutesy girl fashion- pigtails, lots of lace, teddy bears. And the voice. The voice. That little-kid wanna be voice. He cringed at the very thought of it.

On top of that, she had totally stolen his last design. He had shown her his notebook at lunch one day when everyone was together. Sure, she hadn't taken the one he was planning on using for the show, but she still took one. Uncreative little snot. Of course, he might have said she could borrow elements of it. But that was just to be nice if anything. He hadn't expected her to actually steal his whole design. Also, she had totally taken his mandoo last week. He had gotten a to-go order from Kuiyeowo Sarang and planned on eating it that evening. He caught her with it at lunch that day. It pleased Sangmin that she was gone now- or it would have if he hadn't had to finish all her work.

Now he slaved over the final details of the fashions, alone. Was that the sun rising?

He looked at the mannequin again. Something didn't seem right. It hung funny. That just wouldn't do. He ran his hands over the fabric. "Ah!" he winced out as his hand caught on a series of pins still holding part of it. That was why it was hanging funny.

It was also a sign he needed coffee. Maybe sleep. But first, definitely coffee. This week he loved Café Au Lait. It was like milk tea, but stronger. Lovely. Of course he was still fond of the Breve, but he wanted something a little different right now.

He pulled out the pins and stuck them into the pin cushion on his bench. The fabric loosened and fell into place. "Perfection," he said aloud. "With the right accessories this will be perfect." He tossed his needles haphazardly on the bench along with some extra buttons, beads and wooden toggles. He'd return this evening for the first fitting anyway.

Sangmin stretched his arms above his head, the middle of his back giving a luxurious crack. He picked up the empty noodle bowl at his bench and tossed it in the bin on his way out of the studio. It was early. The sun was just lighting the sky.

'Hmm, maybe sleep would be good.' Sangmin mused, looking at the beginnings of the day. He put on his helmet and started his scooter up. It was only a short ride back to his apartment. If anything, he needed a shower. He couldn't let people see him like this. He didn't have on any accessories and only a t-shirt and jeans. Sure, he made it look good, but for public consumption it was plain out. He had an image to maintain. He was still stopped on the street from time to time by fangirls.

By the time he made it home, the sun had lit up the sky. His apartment was still sparsely furnished- a couch, a small table a few chairs at the breakfast nook. He looked over to his crowning glory- the entertainment center: large flat screen television, dvd player, tivo- even a laser disc. He turned on the tv and flipped through the guide. He smiled and hit the record button as he noticed his father's name on one of the shows. "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" was his father's latest show. It wasn't bad, but a little unrealistic in places. The actress they had chosen to play the main character- a professional assassin- couldn't fake fight to save her life. Still, the romantic bits were good and the dialogue was fun.

Sangmin fluttered to his bedroom and undressed on his way to the shower, dropping his clothes into the laundry basket by the door. After a gloriously hot shower, he spent the next hour primping. Skin exfoliate, moisturizer, skin tightening rub, cuticle crème, nail buff, etc etc etc. By the time he was ready to slip into bed, he was wired; far too wired to even contemplate sleep. So, instead he got dressed. He put on an old 8Eight T-shirt that had splashes of purple and black. Over that he layered on a light purple button up shirt that he buttoned artistically. He wore a pair of new jeans that were made to look worn. His belt was black leather with silver studs. It matched his boots. He grabbed a grey jacket as well, slipping that on for a third layer. He contemplated his accessories and opted for a few rings, a long burnished silver chain with a couple of beads linked into it and (after much debate) his Chunky Purple, as he liked to call his purple plastic bracelet.

As he stepped out of his room and looked at himself in the full length mirror hanging on his door, he heard the rain pattering on his window. He looked at his carefully arranged hair and frowned. 'Rain is never good for keeping your hair stylish,' he thought with a frown. So, just in case, he grabbed a grey fedora that matched the color of his jacket. He carried that and an umbrella as he left his apartment.

He rode the elevator down building from his apartment. Waving to the doorman on his way out, he quickly made his way the block and a half to Kuiyeowo Sarang, trying to protect himself with his umbrella from the angry sky. He shook out the umbrella under the awning out front before making his way inside. He had survived the rain reasonably well. Entering the café, he looked around and smiled. It was a home away from home.

He walked over to one of the comfortable chairs near the couch Haejung occupied. It took him a moment to recall her name- it had been a long night afterall. "Hey there Haejung, mind if I join you?" He looked her up and down with a discerning eye. "Great outfit today. Seems like it was a purple and grey day all around." His eyes flicked to the shoes and he nodded approvingly. He wouldn't mention the shoes aloud lest he sound a bit more flaming than he really was. But he was a fashion designer and he noticed these things though it definitely didn't stop him from liking girls. At least until they got boring anyway.

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