AAE -- Twists of Fate

Part 1 -- Chapter 13

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

 

The air inside Kay Kim carries a faint lilac note. The fitting room is bright and immaculate, the walls washed in muted pastels. Recessed spotlights and mirrors reveal every detail, every flaw.

 

Sun-Mi stands on a small circular dais, her reflection multiplied in the three-panel mirrors. The smoke-gray Prada suit follows her frame with exactness -- the jacket with crisp, structured shoulders and a tailored, cinched waist. The narrow pencil skirt falls in a disciplined line, almost to her knees. Silver clips hold the hem in place, glinting under the lights with every move.

 

Tall black stiletto pumps, set out for her by Madame Kim, strain her arches. Her toes tingle in the pointed boxes. She shifts her weight between her feet in a practiced, almost imperceptible rhythm, trying not to let it show.

 

Joo-Hee watches from a few steps behind, arms lightly folded, authoritative and elegant in her own charcoal gray Prada suit and heels.

 

"The height makes the suit," Madame Kim explains, running her fingers along the sleeve of the jacket. "It changes your entire silhouette, exuding a certain... stature."

 

Sun-Mi forces a smile. "Is this really necessary? Just to read the news?"

 

Joo-Hee steps forward. "It's not just reading the news," she counters. "It's representing the station." She walks a slow circle around the dais, her stilettos silent on the carpet.

 

"What do you think, Joo-Hee?" Madame Kim asks. "She looks confident. Poised. Don't you agree?"

 

"Yes. Better than I expected."

 

"It wasn't hard," Madame Kim says. "Announcer Jin is almost as well-proportioned as you, except for her leg-to-body ratio."

 

She taps a polished nail against Sun-Mi's thigh, causing her to flinch.

 

"That's why I had the hem pinned up five centimeters."

 

Joo-Hee's brow furrows as she scans Sun-Mi from heels to hem. "I see your point, but I don't want her to look like she's flirting in the office. She has enough scandals dogging her already."

 

Sun-Mi curls her fingers, nails digging into her palms.

 

"The business style today is trending toward shorter skirts, especially among younger women," Madame Kim notes. "This will reinforce the image of MBS as being more forward-looking."

 

Joo-Hee nods. "Let's keep the hem. But the fabric isn't lying well across the front."

 

With her forefinger, Madame Kim draws a circle around a bulge below Sun-Mi's waist. "It's the fullness here that needs smoothing." She lightly pokes her fingertip into the center. "To fix this much, we'll have to let the skirt out quite a bit."

 

The cords in Sun-Mi's neck stand out as she presses her lips tight together.

 

"She also needs heavier stockings to even out the skin tone, particularly these blotches at the knees and ankles," Joo-Hee says, pointing downward to draw Sun-Mi's attention. "A bare look is fine for a morning show host. But to be the face of MBS, a finished, professional formality is expected."

 

 

Madame Kim steps back, evaluating the overall effect with a practiced eye. "It's all about texture. The fabric of the suit, the sheen of the stockings, the polish of the leather -- all coming together to create the perfect image. Your taste is impeccable, as always, Announcer Yoo."

 

Joo-Hee runs her fingers over the smooth, Prada wool-blend. "This suit works. We'll take another in charcoal. And one in navy, with a matching pair of the same heels. Also a third pair, in bone, for less formal events."

 

Sun-Mi swallows and raises her hand. "But Senior! I can't aff---"

 

"Not another word," Joo-Hee cuts her off, then turns to Madame Kim. "Put everything on my charge, including two blouses for each suit, and a dozen pairs of the same Wolfords I wear. She'll need a set of brooches and scarves to accent the suits. And a new bag -- Chanel or Lady Dior should do -- she can choose."

 

Madame Kim shows a slight smile."Yes, Announcer Yoo."

 

 

A sales assistant appears and murmurs something to Madame Kim. "I need to see to another customer," she says to Joo-Hee. "We're done here. The alterations will be finished this afternoon."

 

She bows slightly and slips through the black and white striped curtains. The fabric falls back into place with a soft rustle.

 

The footsteps recede. The room settles into silence.

 

Joo-Hee smiles, nodding her approval. "How does it feel, Sun-Mi... now that you're dressed the way an anchor should?"