For Misumi Uika, meeting Sakiko on the island... was the beginning of everything.
That was the first time she saw a child her own age playing the piano, and her first time realizing that such an elegant and cute young lady could exist in this world. It was no exaggeration to say that she chose to come to Tokyo and embark on the path of music entirely out of her admiration for Sakiko.
But the resistance and difficulties she encountered during this process were things she had never revealed to anyone before—
"For my family who remained on the island, letting an underage girl go to Tokyo alone to become a professional singer... was actually quite a bold move. After all, whether it was my family background and origins, or the age at which I formally started studying music, I was already far behind my peers who shared the same goal, let alone Sakiko, who I had always seen as my target to catch up to. Until I was discovered by the manager and the President, they kept urging me to give up on this seemingly unrealistic dream and return to the island."
At this point, Uika couldn't help but puff out her chest with an unconvinced expression.
"But as you can see, I didn't listen to them, nor did I ask anyone for help. I made it to this point relying solely on my own hard work."
Whether towards her family, towards Sakiko, or towards herself, Uika had never been a person who liked to compromise.
It was precisely because of this persistence and perseverance that she was discovered by an idol agency during middle school, leading to the formation of the now highly popular idol group—[Summer Zodiac].
"And when I truly became an idol... I met Ai. She was the second person, after Sakiko, to make me realize just how vast this world really is."
Recalling the first time she saw Ai walk out of the dressing room, Uika suddenly laughed.
"No matter how you look at it, that face is just unfair, isn't it? Is there really a girl in this world more suited to be an idol than her? Being in the same idol group as her, would anyone else even notice me...? That's what I thought when I first met her. And after that, just like the time I first left the island, I started to study music, dance, hosting, and acting even harder. And in terms of professional skills, I reached a level that many of my seniors had never achieved."
Perhaps her looks were destined to never catch up to this girl favored by the gods, but she could still beat her in other ways.
And eventually, she indeed succeeded in using her own abilities to bridge that gap in appearance, becoming a highly popular idol with a completely different style from her.
"Then, as my understanding of her deepened, I finally realized that this overly cute child was actually a pitiful person who was completely devoid of security and love from others, someone who had nothing. After that, I never saw her as my rival again, and I did everything I could to help her. It was from that moment on that I believed I had 'surpassed' Ai."
Thus, Uika surpassed her first goal.
And right after that came the long-awaited proactive contact from Togawa Sakiko.
"One night, Sakiko surprisingly asked to meet me on her own initiative, and sought my help..."
"...Ah."
Hearing this, Tetsuya immediately realized that the "help" Uika was referring to was the time he sought "stage outfit" inspiration from Sakiko. He still remembered how Sakiko had suddenly produced an incredibly complete and precise performance plan and stage layout, instantly allowing him to find the breakthrough needed to advance his design to the next stage.
"It seems you've figured it out... That's right, it was around the time of our first original song's MV."
As she spoke, Uika looked at Tetsuya.
"Although it might sound a bit terrible to say, when I received Sakiko's proactive contact and was asked for help by her, I was actually quite happy."
The person she once admired from afar, who seemed out of reach, was now actively seeking her help... The sense of accomplishment this brought made Uika feel both guilty and satisfied.
From their meeting and acquaintance as children on the island, through years of hard work, she had finally caught up to Sakiko as she wished, even surpassing her, becoming someone who could lend her a helping hand. If everything went smoothly from then on, she should have stopped there in this satisfaction and continued to provide whatever help she could to Ai and Sakiko...
However, what followed was a development that once again exceeded her expectations.
"When Ai received that outfit from you, everything changed. She, who originally had little interest in anything, suddenly became full of motivation for idol activities. The feigned ignorance used to win people over, and the clumsiness used solely to satisfy others' fantasies, ceased to exist. In almost an instant, she surpassed me again, becoming the most shining main character."
"Sakiko was the same. Ever since she became a designer's apprentice... or rather, ever since she met you. Not only did she pull herself back together and repair her relationships with her bandmates, but she also entered another realm that I couldn't set foot in, establishing an ideal she could entrust her future to."
The two people she had originally caught up to had suddenly surpassed her once more, and the gap left this time was so large that Uika didn't even know how to begin catching up.
"Ai's efforts were solely to monopolize you. To achieve her goal, she was even willing to abandon everything she had accumulated as an idol. And the field Sakiko was working so hard in was fashion design, something I had absolutely no understanding of. As for me, the one closest to both of them... I was completely ignored by them."
At this point, the look she gave Tetsuya suddenly filled with resentment.
"Ever since you appeared, everything around me has been turned upside down by you. Not only did the idol group almost disband, but even the person I respected and admired the most almost gave up on music... Don't you think that's a bit too much?"
"Well, you say that, but the end result was good, wasn't it?"
Under Uika's incredibly resentful gaze, Tetsuya scratched his head with an awkward smile.
"Ai ultimately didn't choose to graduate, and Sakiko didn't give up on music, even forming a band with you..."
"Of course I know that, and the person who got them back on track is the very same culprit who threw everything into chaos."
Uika curled her lip.
"And precisely because you got involved with the two people I value most at the same time, and accomplished things for them that even I couldn't do, I naturally began to be full of curiosity about you... just like when I first met Ai and Sakiko."
Hearing this, Tetsuya showed an incredibly surprised expression.
"Could it be... was I also someone you saw as a target to catch up to, Uika?"
"...Probably. Although the methods are different, the things we do are actually the same... If possible, I really wanted to completely resolve the difficulties Ai and Sakiko encountered, just like you did."
"Is that so..."
Tetsuya, who had always viewed Uika as an equal, unconsciously rubbed his nose with his finger upon hearing her evaluation of him.
"So I was actually such a reliable existence to you, Uika."
"...That was only my initial impression!"
Faced with Tetsuya's smugness, Uika's expression instantly became even more displeased.
"Lacking common sense, lacking self-awareness, dense, a late bloomer, and speaking without thinking... That is the Chihaya Tetsuya I encountered after that!"
But it was undeniable that it was exactly this kind of man, full of flaws and unreliable elements from head to toe, who changed everyone's future through his own efforts.
"When I saw Ai on stage becoming more and more eye-catching, and Sakiko deciding to balance both design and music, my competitive spirit that had once been put aside was reignited... I really didn't want to lose to them. And for that, I also needed a metamorphosis of my own..."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but look down at the tulle skirt she was wearing.
She still remembered the words Tetsuya had said when he designed this dress for her, and she remembered the starlight that reignited her fighting spirit that night after the stage lights dimmed.
"In the end, the person who gave me that metamorphosis was still you—this unreasonable, dense, clueless guy. Because of your encouragement and support, I once again had the confidence to compete with Ai, and gained the opportunity to compose for the band alongside Sakiko... Just being with you makes me feel relaxed, and just hearing your voice makes me happy. And you even said you only made that dress for me out of your own selfish desires... Geez, if I had known, I should have taught you a good lesson back then about what happens when you casually say things like that to a girl!"
Faced with Uika's "interrogation," Tetsuya said with an innocent face:
"But that's really what I was thinking at the time..."
"I know, and that's exactly what's most hateful about you."
Because she was simply too frustrated, Uika couldn't even resist lightly bumping her shoulder against his.
"You clearly did so many things to make a girl's heart flutter, yet you didn't have the slightest ulterior motive towards them. In the end, you even forced the girls to join forces and use force to establish a relationship with you..."
"That's just because those four were way too audacious!"
Tetsuya hurriedly defended himself.
"If you were in their shoes and had that chance, Uika, you definitely wouldn't have done that!"
"..."
Hearing this, Uika was silent for a good while before finally nodding helplessly.
"Mhm, that's true..."
Take, for example, the moment just now when she accidentally took the skirt completely off. If she had truly been mentally prepared to go a step further with him, she wouldn't have acted so flustered, nor would she have waited for him to take the initiative to help her put the skirt back on.
"Because what I seek from you isn't some intensely passionate emotion... Compared to their endless thirst, I prefer for the two of us to quietly stay together, supporting each other yet not interfering with one another, able to confirm each other's presence just by looking up..."
Everyone's demands of a lover are different. At least for Uika, she preferred this kind of plain, heartwarming dynamic.
"It's just a pity that we aren't lovers, and we haven't even had much ambiguity between us. Under these circumstances, with four cute lovers already by your side, there probably isn't any space left for me. So, even a relationship like this is just a castle in the air that only exists in my fantasies... Especially when I realized that Ai and Sakiko didn't view me as a rival, and didn't even have any objections to you staying over at my house. Only then did I realize that this already slim possibility was very likely to disappear just like that. That's why... I was in such a hurry to use this deliberate method to test your attitude towards me."
"If your reaction had been as calm as when you deal with those stranger models, then I would have given up on these feelings right then and there. But if you truly harbored even the slightest special thought about me, then no matter how small the possibility, I absolutely wouldn't let go easily. And now, I've gotten the answer I wanted. So... at least for the rest of today, I won't do anything unnecessary. As for Sakiko and Ai, I will take responsibility and explain all of this to them. You don't need to worry about anything from here on, Tetsuya-san."
"Uika..."
Before this, Tetsuya had never imagined that Uika harbored such complex and profound feelings for him.
Because in his eyes, he hadn't done anything special for Uika, nor did he believe he possessed the charm to attract her.
Just as Uika had complained, even today, he was still an idiot completely lacking self-awareness.
But now, having learned of Uika's emotional journey up to this point, and her true thoughts behind today's excessive testing, he finally decided he had to show a resolve that matched hers.
"Uika."
"Mhm?"
"Do you have any work scheduled... tomorrow morning?"
"I don't."
Uika shook her head.
"Before the [TGC], Ai and I only have a runway lesson in the afternoon."
"That's perfect. Tomorrow morning... please come home with me."
Tetsuya looked back into her eyes and said:
"I will explain what happened here tonight together with you."
"? Why?"
Uika instantly tilted her head in confusion.
"You were completely tricked into coming here by me, you know? And even when I accidentally dropped my skirt due to carelessness, you didn't do anything out of line at all. In other words, you are a complete victim here! So I should be the only one facing judgment when the time comes!"
"Then... what if I committed a crime that needs to be judged, just like you?"
"...?"
The next second, before Uika could ask him to clarify what "crime" he meant, Tetsuya took the initiative to lean close to her, and before she could react at all, he quickly planted a light kiss on her lips—
"Just now, I suddenly kissed you by force when you were completely off guard."
Facing Uika's frozen expression, Tetsuya said with complete seriousness:
"This way, I should have the right to face judgment alongside you, shouldn't I?"
"...Eh?"