Ever since arriving at Uika's apartment, Tetsuya couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Whether it was the atmosphere or pure intuition, he couldn't say.
The relaxed feeling he used to get when alone with Uika here was completely gone. As he sat in the living room waiting for her to change clothes in her bedroom, his heart was filled with an unquellable nervousness...
Was it because he had just seen her in a bathrobe? Or was it because the guilt of hiding things from his lovers at home hadn't yet faded?
Tetsuya couldn't tell just yet.
But regardless, as a man who had fought a hundred battles... well, at least a man who barely met the quota, his focus and endurance were no longer what they used to be. Surely, he could handle whatever happened next calmly—
"Ah, Tetsuya-san, I've run into a little problem on my end."
Just then, Uika, from the other side of the bedroom door, initiated a conversation.
"Could you come into my room for a moment?"
"Ah... mhm."
Since he was here to alter her outfit, it was only natural that he would be involved in the changing process... That's right, just like in Paris before, this is a perfectly normal situation!
As if constantly trying to hypnotize himself, Tetsuya mentally chanted this while slowly but firmly turning the door handle.
He did this both to let her know he was entering and to use the unnecessary extra movement to bolster his courage.
However, the moment he pushed open the door and saw her current state, his already restless heart became even more agitated—
"It's probably because of the modeling lessons and diet control lately... but I seem to have lost some weight."
Uika covered her chest with one hand while gently lifting the waist of the tulle skirt with the other.
"Even if I tie the ribbon tight, it still doesn't fit..."
"Cough, cough... If your waist and hips have slimmed down overall, just tightening the ribbon won't be enough... It's like when I had to do a full alteration on Ai's outfit before..."
Tetsuya cleared his throat, then hurriedly averted his gaze from the area Uika was covering with her arm.
"So, could you tell me your current measurements, Uika? I need to make some major adjustments based on them—"
"Eh? My current measurements? I haven't had time to measure them yet."
Faced with his question, Uika replied immediately, as if she had come prepared.
"You have a measuring tape in your toolbox, right? I'll have to trouble you to take my measurements."
"Eh..."
Tetsuya froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook his head.
"W-Wait, Uika. You know the features of this dress. To make it fit your figure perfectly, I need highly precise measurements! And to get those measurements... it's best not to be wearing any clothes! Especially since this tulle skirt is double-layered, you definitely can't wear it while being measured!"
"Heh, is that so."
Compared to his agitation, Uika's tone didn't waver in the slightest.
"In other words, you need completely precise measurements taken while I'm completely bare?"
"T-That's right. So it's best if you measure yourself—"
"That makes it easy to make mistakes... like with the underbust and hip measurements," Uika said. "That won't do. Whether it's for myself, or for the reputation of [Starry Sky] and you, I don't want to take such an irresponsible attitude."
"Ugh..."
Tetsuya was instantly defeated by her sound logic.
But even so, he had a reason he absolutely had to explain to her—
"Forget it, I'll just say it... Uika, I... I can't look at your body with such a casual attitude."
Tetsuya frankly and pitifully admitted his tragic side as a male.
"You know I'm a healthy young man, a 'suspicious individual' who even has multiple lovers, and you're a very attractive girl. So... considering public morals and all that, it's best if you leave this to someone else..."
"But you were fine doing it with other fashion models in Paris?"
Uika tilted her head, cutting off his refusal.
"How strange. Since it's all work, why do you have to treat me so differently, Tetsuya-san?"
"Because the situation is completely different!" Tetsuya hurriedly explained. "Like I said before, I feel absolutely nothing for those fashion models! Even up close, I wouldn't have any weird thoughts!"
"...Oh?"
At this, Uika's eyes sharpened.
"You just said my situation is completely different from Paris. Does that mean... you don't not have thoughts about me?"
"T-That's..."
Tetsuya's expression instantly stiffened.
If he admitted it, it would be the same as admitting his lack of morals to her. But if he denied it... how would he explain the agitation he was showing right now? What's more, he had absolutely no confidence in his ability to lie to her.
How should I answer this?!
He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
...
From the moment she decided to invite him to her home, Uika had formulated a complete plan of attack.
First, calculate the distance from his house to hers, then get into the shower beforehand and stop right when he arrived, putting on a bathrobe to test his reaction.
Next, use a legitimate work-related reason to get him into her bedroom and close the distance.
Finally... what she was doing now, which was also the most crucial step of the plan: using his experience in Paris as a weapon to confirm his attitude.
If he was like Ai and Sakiko, completely unguarded and devoid of any ulterior motives towards her, she would give up and, after the work was done, face reality and return to her proper place.
But if he showed agitation and confusion, it would mean his true feelings for her weren't as simple as they appeared—
Just like right now!
Looking at his eyes that no longer dared to meet hers, and his expression full of conflict and hesitation, Uika felt an unprecedented satisfaction of her desire to win!
Last week, when he stayed over for the first time, Ai and Sakiko's nonchalance and disregard had left a knot in her heart.
She began to wonder if her relationship with him was truly so innocent and distant that it couldn't even warrant their attention. She also began to doubt if her feelings for him were just unrequited.
But now, that doubt had been completely dispelled by his reaction.
This incredibly greedy yet overly generous idiot... didn't seem willing to just let go of their connection and feelings.
...
(I can stop now, right?)
In truth, Uika knew her measurements perfectly well. If he needed them, she could just tell him at any time. As long as she told the truth now and admitted this was all a prank, he wouldn't need to measure her, nor would he need to touch her body up close. The relationship between them would safely return to its original state.
But—
(I feel like... it would be a bit of a waste...)
It was rare for her to have an opportunity to see him reveal his truest feelings for her.
She had finally managed to pry open his defenses and reserve.
She hadn't even managed to put Ai and Sakiko on high alert yet.
To stop now would be a bit of a waste.
So...
"When you were in Paris before, you were probably at this distance and in this kind of situation when you helped those models change their clothes, right?"
As Tetsuya continuously backed away, Uika spoke while untying the ribbon of her long dress.
"So now, please do your job properly, just like you did then... Tetsuya-san."
She mischievously treated his hesitation as a "rejection" of her.
Under this premise, no matter how bold her offensive was, it would merely serve to prove his "innocence."
Of course, while her actions were incredibly alluring and seductive, simply untying the ribbon wasn't enough to make the dress fall off completely. To ensure mobility and safety on stage, Tetsuya had added many safety features when designing the dress. In addition to the ribbon, there were clear shoulder straps and a corset to ensure the outfit's stability. So...
...
Wait.
Before he entered the room, she hadn't actually finished putting on the dress. She hadn't had time to hook the clear shoulder straps, which was the final step. That was why she had been holding her arm across her chest and lifting the skirt slightly with her fingers. And the corset had temporarily lost its effectiveness due to the changes in her figure. Under these circumstances, once the ribbon was untied—
Rustle.
Faster than even she could react, the tulle skirt slid smoothly off her silky skin and onto the floor.
And Uika, who had only intended to tease him slightly, bypassed his response phase entirely and fully implemented her "prank."
"...Ah."
"!"
An astounded Uika. A dumbfounded Tetsuya.
A fallen white tulle skirt. A tightly closed bedroom door.
Time in the room seemed to freeze as the two of them stood rooted to the spot.
Then, just as Uika was trying to figure out how to salvage this rapidly escalating farce, Tetsuya finally moved.
All hesitation and panic had vanished from his face.
The next second, under Uika's watchful gaze, as if having made some sort of resolve, he proactively stepped towards her.