Four years later, people in Ottawa were looking for various ways to raise funds to
help thousands of people affected by the earthquake in New Zealand. Young-ho organised a
charity show of Min-ji, the model, in the National Gallery to help the earthquake victims and other needy people. The main attraction of this show was the fashion display by Min-ji, the model. In this show Min-ji would orchestrate a number of fashion parades by local models.
A few international stars also joined and contributed to the great cause. The last but not the least exciting part of the show was the auction of all clothes from Min-ji’s wardrobe, where the proceeds from the auction would be donated to the earthquake relief fund. Around 400
tickets of $250 each were sold within three days of announcement of the event. All
dignitaries of the city were present. Do-hyon was present in this ceremony along with his five other close friends—Woo-jin and Myung-sook, Kun-woo and Su-bin, Min-jun and Chun-ja, Young-ho and Soon-ja, Hye-jin and myself. Young-ho was the organiser and the master of ceremonies.
The fashion parades had all the decoration of dresses, sound and light. People were
sometimes spellbound, sometimes ecstatic.
Min-ji, the model, mother of two, made a splash on the catwalk when she showed
off her extraordinary post-baby body. At 29, she drew gasps and applause from the 400
guests when she appeared in a dazzling purple and blue one-piece swimsuit, complete with
plunging neckline and daring side cut-outs.
Min-ji felt uneasy stepping out in front of so many in the barely-there Hollywood
bathing suit. She knew her hubby, Do-hyon, was there along with her children—5-year-old
Seo-jun and 14-month-old Ji-min. In fact, she was busy pumping breast milk for Ji-min
before hitting the catwalk.
‘I was nervous about getting back on the runway in a swimsuit after just having a
baby fourteen months ago,’ she said to the media later, ‘but you know, this is for a great cause, you’ve all come here to donate for the earthquake victims, I don’t like to disappoint you. I’ve started Pilates as well as my usual yoga routine’.
Excitement reached a peak when all the clothes of Min-ji were auctioned. At the
back of the stage, over 200 sets of Min-ji’s dresses were on the hangers in two big
wardrobes. These two wooden-door wardrobes looked exactly like Min-ji’s home
wardrobes.
Min-ji announced: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, all you see in my wardrobe here are
dresses worn by me. Some have been worn on big occasions, some at small gatherings.
Those who move with me might identify some of these. I’ve not left any of my dresses at
home; my entire wardrobe is here. We would auction these to elicit as much funds as
feasible and the proceeds will go to the earthquake relief fund. Please be generous, bid as high as you can. The highest bidder for each of these sets will come to the stage, pay in cash, cheque or credit card. I’ll undress and hand over my dress to the highest bidder and put on my next dress from the wardrobe. If you’ve any questions, please ask’. Min-ji paused to hear from the audience.
Young-ho came onto the stage from the side door and stood by Min-ji. ‘I’m here as
well to take any question, please.’
‘Would you sell all your clothes, Min-ji?’ someone asked.
‘Yes, that’s the intention so long we get a bidder’, Min-ji replied.
Another asked, ‘What’s the minimum amount one can bid?’
Young-ho replied, ‘Minimum bid is at $100, but for some sets we have set the
starting bid a bit higher, but none for more than $1000 to start with’.
‘What happens if you get no bidder for a particular item?’ another gentleman asked.
‘We’ll decide something if that happens. Min-ji’s intention is not to put any dress
back into the wardrobe after she wears it. We may donate that dress to the earthquake
victims and resume with another dress from the wardrobe. We will watch the trend; if we
find no bidders for a few dresses in sequence, we may stop the show and send the
remainder in the wardrobe to the earthquake victims’, Young-ho said.
Min-ji said: ‘I find no hands raised now. Could we start the auction for the dress I’m
wearing now?’ Min-ji swung her hands around her skirt.
‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, lots of people replied in unison.
‘100’ one said promptly. He was overbid by a number of others, ‘200’, ‘300’, ‘550’,
‘600’, ‘700’, ‘999’, ‘1500’.
‘Anybody want to bid higher than 1500?’ Min-ji asked.
As none bid higher, Min-ji beckoned the highest bidder: ‘Please come on stage, man,
my friend. Please pay Young-ho before coming over to me’.
The man came forward, his partner accompanied him. The husband and wife went
up the stairs, the husband paid by his credit card then together they came to greet Min-ji.
Min-ji greeted them in return and walked with them to the front of the stage. The
video cameras were already on while Min-ji posed with the winning bidders for her first
dress of the day. Min-ji raised one end of the skirt to touch the lady of the bidders and said:
‘Congratulations, madam. This is one of my favourite dresses. I’ve worn this to many parties.
I’m sure this will suit you very well’.
Min-ji bowed to the audience and went towards the wardrobes at the back of the
stage, behind a two-foot wide partition wall. She slowly removed her dress and handed it
over to the couple waiting for her.
‘Congratulations, sir, madam. Goodbye for now.’
There was a big clap from the audience, some whistling as well, before Min-ji
selected the next set from the wardrobe.
This process went on for about two hours. Min-ji wore a set of dresses and started
the bidding; the winners came to the stage, paid and collected the dress; Min-ji undressed, handed over the garment, thanked the winners then picked up the next dress for the next
bidding.
Every person in the audience was glued to their seat with their eyes focussed on the
stage. Some were checking the fashion trends followed in her dress, some were guessing
the designer label of the set, others were fascinated to see Min-ji in her undies when she handed over the dress. None bothered to leave for a toilet break, a cigarette break or a
drinks break. None of them could feel hungry, while their hungry and thirsty looks were set on the stage—on Min-ji, the model.
After two hours of busy bidding, Young-ho said, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, would you
like to have a break now?’
‘No’, ‘No’, ‘No’, the audience said in unison.
‘Thanks for your help’, Young-ho said. ‘Two hours have passed since Min-ji started
auctioning. Let’s give her a short break to reconcile. You would all realise how busy she is on the stage. She is giving away all her best dress, but she can’t feel sorry, she is posing and
encouraging the bidders to get the best price, not for herself, but for the charity. Would you please enjoy a break for half an hour and let her rest for a while with her children?’
‘Okay’, ‘Okay’, ‘Okay’. The audience seemed to agree, again in unison.
Young-ho continued: ‘Two thirds of Min-ji’s wardrobes have now been emptied. All
that is left are summer dresses. If you aren’t interested in short summer dresses, you may choose not to return’.
Many in the audience seemed not interested in moving at all, scared that they might
not return in time. Some went to check their bank balances before they could bid again. The screen opened again exactly at seven-thirty, with scantily clothed Min-ji on stage.
‘How are you all?’ said Min-ji and leapt high. The audience was spellbound. Some
whistled and called, ‘Once more, Min-ji, we weren’t ready and missed’.
‘Let’s go on with our business now’, Min-ji said. ‘Those who are interested to have
these’, she pointed to her top and the shorts, ‘please start bidding now’.
‘100’ came a prompt bid. Again, the bidding increased in steps: ‘300’, ‘550’, ‘700’,
‘999’, ‘1200’.
‘Anybody want to bid higher than 1200?’ Min-ji asked. ‘Nowhere else would you get
tops like this that carry my smell.’
‘1700’, said one muscular body from the corner.
‘Anybody want to bid more?’
With no reply forthcoming, Min-ji beckoned the highest bidder. ‘Please come on
stage, my mighty man. Please pay Young-ho before coming over to me.’
The muscle-man walked alone on the stage, paid Young-ho and came near Min-ji and
said, ‘How are you, Min-ji?’
‘Very good’, said Min-ji. ‘So, you want these for yourself?’
‘I’m sure I’d get someone to wear this.’
‘Congratulations, man’, said Min-ji. ‘Let’s jump high again to celebrate your win.’
Min-ji grasped the man’s left hand with her right hand, and they jumped high
together. The audience’s applause surpassed the record 100 decibel mark of any auditorium at Ottawa.
The process for auctioning summer dresses went on. Young-ho and Min-ji didn’t
expect much yield from summer-wear sale. Summer dresses are generally less expensive.
Distinguished ladies don’t like to be scantily dressed and they wouldn’t like the summer
dresses auctioned by Min-ji, yet enthusiasm ran high as Min-ji wore one summer dress after another. Had Min-ji left all her summer dresses on hangers with their actual prices marked, perhaps no-one would have picked them, but people got exuberant as Min-ji put on those
summer clothes. Men were bidding high to win the opportunity of seeing Min-ji undress
before them and carry these summer dresses as souvenirs of being so close to Min-ji—the
model of Ottawa.
After a busy hour of auctioning, just one summer dress was left on Min-ji’s person. If
this one was sold, Min-ji would have to walk off the stage wearing only undies and bra. The audience was waiting to see what would happen next, when a child cried out, ‘No, Ma, no’.
This was Seo-jun, Min-ji’s son, seated with his father and his sister. During the 30-
minute break, Do-hyon had met Min-ji for a few minutes, when their children also talked to her. Do-hyon appreciated Min-ji’s efforts for charity, but didn’t like the way the audience was staring at her. Seo-jun didn’t like the way Min-ji was giving away all her best dresses.
Min-ji told the audience: ‘This is the last dress I’d like to auction. I’ve nothing left in the wardrobe now. I have to give it away from my person’.
Do-hyon was seated near me when I heard Seo-jun saying, ‘‘No, Ma, no’.
I saw Do-hyon consoling Seo-jun by patting his back, but the audience was so
excited, their whistling and noises were so loud, that none could bother to see if a boy had cried, and whether that boy was the son of the star on the stage—Min-ji, the model. The
heavy bidding started, almost everyone in the first 15 rows wanted the last dress off Min-ji, as she wouldn’t run to wear the next dress from her wardrobe.
‘200’ one started the bidding. He was over bidden by a number of others, ‘250’, ‘300’
… ‘799’, ‘999’, ‘1500’.
After a little pause, the bidding continued ‘1550’, ‘1700’, ‘1799’, ‘1999’, ‘2500’.
One of the richest couple of Ottawa came onto the stage and paid Young-ho $2500
in cash and greedily watched Min-ji as she undressed and handed over her last garment.
As her last dress was sold, Min-ji bowed to the audience, thanked them for their
generous help to the Earthquake Relief Fund and was about to leave the stage when
someone in the audience shouted, ‘Why don’t you auction what you’re wearing now?’
A few more people joined him: ‘Do it for a good cause, Min-ji’, ‘Many here will bid
high to get your undies and bra; you’d raise lot of funds’.
Young-ho rushed to the stage to control the noisy crowd. ‘Stop this nonsense,
please’, he said. ‘If the people here are generous, why can’t you donate whatever you can?
Why do you need to bid for petty things off Min-ji’s person? We won’t auction anything
anymore. You’re welcome to donate whatever you can.’
For a few seconds, no words were spoken from the audience. Some of them got up
from their seats and were about to leave. Min-ji came to the front of the stage and said:
‘Ladies and gentlemen, I know many of you want to buy these small things off my person.
For a good cause, I’m prepared to sell these and walk naked from this stage. But this time I would follow a different procedure, no loud bidding, no showing off. Young-ho will stand
near the stage door, pay him whatever you like to pay and go back to your seat. You won’t get back what you pay Young-ho, that sum will be donated to earthquake victims. After all of you have gone back to your seats, Young-ho will call the highest donor and that highest donor will get these small things from me’.
This was a different process, none could guess what others donated; there was no
noise, no rush. Still a lot of the audience paid whatever they could gamble for their souvenir of the day. When no-one approached Young-ho for five minutes, he asked, ‘Please let me
know at once, if anyone is interested to donate for Min-ji’s things’.
After no voice was heard in response to Young-ho’s request, he announced, ‘The
winner is Roger, please come to the stage’.
Roger, the matinee idol, the Hollywood North hero, came onto the stage. The
audience applauded, ‘Roger’, ‘Roger’, ‘Roger’ almost in unison.
Roger took Min-ji’s hand and kissed it. In response, Min-ji kissed his cheek and said,
‘Please wait near the wardrobe door for your things, Roger’.
Min-ji entered the wardrobe and closed the wardrobe door. A minute later, the door
was slightly opened and through that tiny opening appeared Min-ji’s left hand holding her undies and bra.
‘Roger, please’, Min-ji’s soft voice was heard.
Roger rushed and took Min-ji’s underwear from her hand. When Min-ji closed the
door, Roger, the hero, came to the front of the stage and said, holding Min-ji’s underwear with both hands: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I feel Min-ji’s warmth in these, the warmth of her heart. Generous Min-ji can donate anything for a good cause. I wish I could win her warm
heart’.
There was a big applause from the audience. ‘Roger’, ‘Roger’, ‘Min-ji’, Min-ji’.
Soon another loud voice emerged. ‘Open the wardrobe door, Roger. Pull her out of
the wardrobe. We want to see Min-ji—bare.’
Some more voices were heard, ‘Pull Min-ji out, Roger, want to see her, bare; focus
the camera on her’.
A little girl and a little boy were near the wardrobe door. They passed something
through the door. A few seconds later Min-ji came out with underwear and brassiere on.
The boy handed over a dress to Min-ji, who put it on quickly and wrapped her arms around
the boy and the girl.
‘These are my son Seo-jun and daughter Ji-min’, Min-ji said. ‘Look how my brave
children came to my rescue, when you were hungry to devour me naked.’
Min-ji grabbed one child with each of her hands and raised them to her shoulder.
Suddenly the audience cried out, ‘Mother Min-ji. Bravo, Min-ji—the mother’.
Voices reverberated, ‘Min-ji, the mother’, ‘Min-ji, the mother’, ‘Min-ji, the mother’.
Min-ji looked at the stage door and found Do-hyon. ‘Please come to the stage, Do-
hyon.’
‘I know they couldn’t have done this without you. Rather, you have saved me, Do-
hyon.’
Do-hyon entered and took Seo-jun on his shoulder; Ji-min remained on Min-ji’s
shoulder. Min-ji said: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please meet Do-hyon, my husband. But for his generosity, I couldn’t have done what I’ve done today to raise funds for earthquake victims’.
The audience chanted, ‘Min-ji, the mother’, ‘Min-ji, the wife’, ‘Do-hyon, the father’,
‘Do-hyon, the husband’.
In a matter of minutes, ‘Min-ji, the model’ was transformed into ‘Min-ji, the mother’.
Full of milk, mother Min-ji’s breasts seemed bursting. She felt the pressure and urge
to open up and feed Ji-min with her stream of affection. This impulse prevailed over even the urge to respond to nature’s call after spending hours on stage. She wanted to leave the stage as soon as possible; still before her rush to the dressing room, she had to raise her hands and bow to the cheering audience. She departed from the stage, exhausted, needing
rest after a benevolent, tiring show.
Jie-won thinks the spouse-swapping experience helps the involved individuals to connect with more individuals outside the family boundaries and open up to help people at large.
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