Time flew, and the weekend of the meeting arrived.
When Chihaya Tetsuya opened his eyes and walked out of his room, Anon, Soyo, and Mutsumi had already left the house. The living room, which had been a bit messy, had been cleaned spotless by Soyo in advance.
"Hmm, Soyo has always taken good care of me, but I feel like her attitude has been a little strange lately..."
That expression, which seemed to carry a hint of pity yet also a touch of schadenfreude, continued to baffle Tetsuya.
Had he made some mistake without realizing it again? Or was something going on that he knew nothing about?
...
"I don't get it, but now's not the time to think about that."
There were less than two months until the joint exhibition, not to mention the even more important [TGC] after that.
For the current Chihaya Tetsuya, nothing was more important than today's meeting.
"Alright, as the host... I need to get ready!"
And so, after washing up as quickly as possible, Tetsuya immediately began checking the living and dining rooms. First, he confirmed the snacks, glasses, and drinks he might need for the day, then returned to his room and began selecting the design sketches he would present...
...
"Good afternoon, Chihaya-san!"
The first to arrive was Sumita Mana, a full hour before the scheduled meeting time.
"Because I'm the junior, and the one who'll be in your care, I thought I should arrive early... but I ended up being way too early!"
Although Mana wore the same smile as before, a subtle anxiety could be seen in her tone and between her brows.
"In exchange, is there anything I can help with!"
"Not at all. My consultant has already taken care of all the preparations."
Tetsuya shook his head.
"You just need to relax and wait here, Sumita-san... Oh, right, I'll get you some water."
"Eh? You don't have to trouble yourself with something so small, I can get it myself!"
Mana quickly stood up, wanting to pour her own water, but Tetsuya, who was already eager to play the host, had already picked up the pitcher.
"Aww..."
Realizing she was a step too slow, Mana could only sit back down dejectedly.
"Well then... thank you for your trouble..."
"Don't be so formal. At the end of the day, I'm only three years older than you. In a way, we're practically the same age."
Tetsuya said as he placed the glass of water in front of her.
"Oh, right, I saw in the kitchen that Soyo washed some fruit in advance... I'll go get it right now!"
With that, he immediately stood up and walked to the kitchen, leaving Mana alone to fidget anxiously.
With nothing else to do, Mana subconsciously began to look over the coffee table, which was covered with various items. Naturally, the few design sketches Tetsuya had prepared immediately caught her eye.
"Is this... Chihaya-san's design sketch?"
Mana leaned forward with a curious expression.
"...Hmm? Is this a suit jacket and a high-neck shirt? And the matching bottoms are high-waisted pants and heels..."
As a complete amateur when it came to clothing, she could only roughly judge the style by its shape. The other details were a bit too unfamiliar and esoteric for her...
"That's the outfit I'm planning to have Uika wear at the exhibition."
Seeing that Mana seemed very interested in the sketch, Tetsuya first placed the plate of fruit on the table, then sat down naturally beside her to explain the design.
"Besides pursuing the overall coordinated effect, Uika's aura and figure are also a perfect match for trousers."
"Ah, that's true!"
Mana nodded in agreement.
"Uika-senpai really has that rare kind of aura that can perfectly bring out the charm of trousers... If you added a beret and a cup of coffee, that cool and mature feeling would come out instantly."
"I do have a contingency plan for a hat... but coffee?"
Tetsuya imagined the scene in his mind for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. A lot of street style photos in fashion magazines use that method to express a sense of street life and realism. If we were doing a photoshoot, we could certainly use that idea."
"How about adding a pair of sunglasses? Don't you think it has that overseas model feel?"
"Hmm, probably not. Since this is a fashion exhibition centered around [Starry Sky], glasses that are outside the brand probably can't be shown. But sunglasses are indeed an accessory that would match this outfit very well."
"Ah, right, this is a brand-focused exhibition..."
Mana nodded in understanding.
Perhaps because they now had a clear and official topic of conversation, the previously nervous Mana began to relax.
Not to mention, she herself loved talking about her two senpais.
"So, what will Hoshino-senpai be wearing that day?"
"It's the next one."
Tetsuya flipped the sketch to the next page.
Then, seeing this design, Mana once again let out a surprised gasp.
"Wow, it's a knit sweater!"
"Mhm. Since the theme is autumn wear, a knit sweater is a classic 'royal road' combination that's impossible to avoid."
Tetsuya nodded.
"A knit sweater, a short skirt, and pantyhose. This is the outfit I envisioned for Ai. Logically, this should be a fairly common combination, but... Ai herself is special, so even an outfit like this will probably make her the center of attention."
"Hoshino-senpai looks cute no matter what she wears, after all..."
Mana said with equal seriousness.
"It looks like knit sweaters and short skirts are going to be in style for the second half of this year."
With that, she leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied look and began to imagine her two senpais wearing these outfits.
Meanwhile, seeing that Mana seemed to have no intention of continuing the conversation, Tetsuya wore a surprised expression.
"Sumita-san... aren't you going to look at your own outfit?"
"Hmm..."
Mana's eyes widened slightly, then she said with a hesitant look.
"My outfit... maybe we should just skip it for now."
"Why?"
"Uh, no particular reason."
Mana replied to his question with a sheepish smile.
"It just feels a little weird to look at the supporting role's costume after seeing the two main characters'."
"...Supporting role? No, no, have you forgotten, Sumita-san? For this exhibition, you are the main model."
Tetsuya shook his head in complete confusion at her demurral.
"I've already decided to have you be the main model!"
"Ah, about that... shouldn't we decide after today's meeting is over?"
Mana said quickly.
"Especially after seeing these two outfits, I really can't imagine wearing anything that could snatch the main role away from them..."
"..."
Looking at the slightly serious and guilty expression on Mana's face, Tetsuya silently shook his head.
"This makes me even more certain... This exhibition must have you as the main model, Sumita-san."
"Eh?! Wh-why?"
An utterly shocked expression appeared on Mana's face.
"You can probably tell, Chihaya-san... I have absolutely no confidence in handling this job! Especially not in front of those two senpais..."
"After everyone gets here, I will properly explain the theme of this exhibition and the design philosophy of [Starry Sky]."
Tetsuya said.
"When that time comes, you will surely understand the reason for my decision."
"But—"
Ding-dong!
Before Mana could voice her objection, the doorbell rang again.
The moment Tetsuya opened the door, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure came into view.
"...You must be Chihaya Tetsuya-san, correct?"
After seeing Tetsuya's face, a flicker of surprise passed through Yuutenji Nyamu's eyes. She then immediately gave him a slight bow.
"My name is Yuutenji Nyamu. I'm a new member of [Ave Mujica]."
Her tone was filled with the reverence of a subordinate.
"I'm in your care for today's meeting."
...
Although Tetsuya had seen Nyamu in videos before, her attire and styling today were far beyond his expectations.
If the Nyamu in the videos struck a perfect balance between maturity and purity, the one standing before him now had completely abandoned those eye-catching contrivances and adopted a style that Tetsuya found incredibly familiar.
"A shirt, a jacket, and white trousers... 'no gender' style again."
Tetsuya first muttered the description of Nyamu's outfit.
He had seen many similar combinations when he went research-shopping at the select shop with Soyo and Sakiko.
Due to the prevalence of "no gender" ideology, this kind of androgynous clothing was gradually becoming synonymous with popular fashion.
Nyamu's top undoubtedly fit this definition perfectly, but fortunately, the white trousers still managed to maintain a basic, unique quality that suited her own aura and preferences.
"You must have chosen this outfit after seeing this year's autumn features, right, Yuutenji-san?"
"That's right!"
Hearing his question, Nyamu replied with a perfect business smile.
"Since I'll be promoting a fashion brand, I naturally have to pay close attention to the hottest current trends!"
"...I see. So that was your thinking?"
Tetsuya muttered to himself, then asked.
"So, do you normally choose to wear clothes like this, Yuutenji-san?"
"Eh?"
Nyamu was taken aback by the question, then she replied with some hesitation.
"Well, I might consider these white trousers, but as for this shirt and jacket... I don't really wear them often."
"Mhm, that explains it."
Tetsuya nodded, then he said.
"Your attitude and sincerity... I have certainly received them. However, you might have a slight misunderstanding about [Starry Sky], or rather, about me."
"A m-misunderstanding?"
Nyamu repeated the word with a blank look.
"What do you mean?"
"For me, so-called popular fashion isn't actually that important. What I pursue is clothing that is more comfortable, natural, and suited to an individual's personal aura."
Tetsuya explained.
"So, even if this outfit is a popular combination featured this autumn, I don't want others to blindly follow so-called trends. Compared to this outfit that you don't even wear often yourself, I think the you in the videos was much more natural."
Then, under Nyamu's increasingly surprised gaze, Tetsuya said very seriously.
"From now on, please just continue to choose the clothes you like, Yuutenji-san. There's no need to wear something you don't even like yourself just for me or my brand."
"..."
At this, Nyamu's expression went completely blank.
From their previous phone call, she had assumed Tetsuya would be an incredibly strict, cold person who made extreme demands of his subordinates. But upon meeting him in person, his rather youthful face was the first surprise.
She had never imagined that the behind-the-scenes boss connecting [Summer Zodiac] and [Ave Mujica], and the designer single-handedly running the most talked-about mystery brand, would be so young.
After that, his ability to identify the origin of her outfit with a single glance and to directly guess her personal taste and thoughts left her deeply shocked by his eye for detail and insight.
And the final thing she never expected was the tolerance... and gentleness he showed.
Instead of popular fashion, which should be more important for a fashion brand, he valued personal taste and comfort...
This was completely different from the "BOSS" image she had constructed!
And just as Nyamu was frozen in place, unsure of what to say next, Tetsuya, who had been stroking his chin in thought, suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Mhm, I get it. If that's the case, then adding one more won't be a problem... Yuutenji-san."
"Y-yes?"
"For this August's joint exhibition, I hope you will participate with us as well."