[Summer Zodiac], a new idol group belonging to the renowned idol agency [Watanabe Productions].
Although they were a new group that had debuted less than a month ago and had only released a single song, they had already captured the attention of the entire industry—
There was the talented idol [Uika], who possessed a maturity unbefitting a first-year high school girl, was proficient in guitar and music theory, and had top-tier skills across the board. And there was [Hoshino Ai], whose appearance and personality were the perfect embodiment of the word "idol," possessing a demonic charm that drew everyone's gaze. This miraculous duo formed an unprecedented idol group, and they were about to release their first music video since their debut.
And what Chihaya Tetsuya's studio, [KaZoKu], was currently designing were the very outfits to be used in that MV.
"We need a total of five complete outfits for this MV—three sets of casual clothes and two sets of stage costumes. I'm in charge of the 'pajamas' for Hoshino Ai's casual wear, as well as the 'Zodiac' themed stage outfits."
Chihaya Tetsuya explained while rubbing his temples:
"There's one week until the first review... If I can't produce a decent prototype before then, I'll be kicked right off this project."
At this, Chihaya Tetsuya gently shook his head.
"For my own sake, and for hers... I have to complete these two outfits with my own hands, no matter what."
(Hoshino Ai, Hoshino Ai, Hoshino Ai... Ah! I remember that name!)
As siblings who had lived together for seven years, Chihaya Anon had heard this name from her brother more than once.
In the first few years after being adopted by the Chihaya family, Chihaya Tetsuya had returned countless times to the site of the old orphanage, trying to find any trace of Hoshino Ai, but the results had left him utterly disappointed. In the end, Chihay Tetsuya was unable to find out any news about Hoshino Ai at all.
For Chihaya Tetsuya, the girl named [Hoshino Ai] could be said to be the first person he could call "family."
If that was the case, then this job was indeed extraordinarily meaningful to him.
...
Therefore, since her brother was facing such an important job, if she clung to him and acted spoiled like she used to, she would only be a bother.
She was a dignified high school student now. She absolutely couldn't be as willful as she was in middle school!
Thinking this, Chihaya Anon took the empty water cup from Chihaya Tetsuya's hand and turned to walk out of the room.
However, before she could leave, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly spoke up:
"Right, Anon, you must have a lot you want to talk about now that you're back. Wait for me a bit, I'm going to wash my face... For lunch, let's just order takeout later—"
"Eh?! Wait, wait, you can't just put it aside! Your work is more important, right!?"
Chihaya Anon shook her head repeatedly:
"In that case, you don't have to worry about me. I can just review my lessons for the entrance exam by myself or something..."
"There's no need to be so formal with me, is there?"
At Chihaya Anon's considerate words, Chihaya Tetsuya's brows furrowed slightly.
Just that tackle from earlier, which had nearly knocked him to pieces, was enough to let him feel his sister's longing. If he were to ignore her now, he would be far too incompetent as an older brother.
"Besides, design is a job that requires a lot of inspiration and being in the right state of mind. Until I've heard everything you want to say, Anon, I won't be in the mood to work."
"Bro, Brother..."
Chihaya Anon covered her mouth, her eyes shimmering with tears of emotion.
She first casually set the empty water cup aside, then, with slow steps, she once again drew close to Chihaya Tetsuya.
Seeing this, Chihaya Tetsuya hurriedly braced his arms behind him, preparing for the next wave of impact—
"I love you the most!"
"Gwah—!"
After letting out a short cry, Chihaya Tetsuya was once again completely knocked down onto the bed by his sister's close-range pounce.
...Twenty minutes later...
"To put it simply, you were completely unable to hold a conversation with anyone, and you couldn't figure out what they were thinking, right?"
"Mhm, that's right..."
Chihaya Anon sat on the freshly tidied sofa and sighed softly.
"Even though I could feel that no one held any ill will towards me, for some reason, I just couldn't communicate with them properly. The moment our eyes met, my mind would go completely blank. It was the same even if I had rehearsed what to say in my head over and over again..."
At this, she muttered to herself with a dejected look:
"Could it be... that I'm actually a person with terrible communication skills?"
"? Isn't that just because you were nervous?"
Chihaya Tetsuya tilted his head.
"You've always been the type to really care about what others think and decide your next move based on their reactions. It's only normal that you'd feel lost without a standard to judge by when you're in a completely unfamiliar cultural environment."
"But I was there for a full six months. Six whole months and I still couldn't adapt to the new environment... I guess I'm really not cut out for studying abroad, am I?"
Chihaya Anon said, her shoulders slumped.
"Aah, I really want to go back to six months ago and stop that vain, trend-chasing version of myself..."
Facing the regretful Chihaya Anon, Chihaya Tetsuya thought for a moment before speaking:
"Let's put aside whether you're suited for studying abroad or not for a moment. Even if you did go back to that time, you probably wouldn't have been able to persuade yourself, right? After all, you've always been the type to act immediately once you have an idea. Giving up without even trying is just not in your character."
"Ugh... In other words, the type to act on impulse, right?"
"I didn't put it so harshly... But it's true you have a bit too much momentum. My arm still hurts, you know."
"Uu... I'm sorry..."
Chihaya Anon said with a crestfallen face:
"Anyway, I'm just a blind, impulsive, and vain idiot... To think I actually went abroad for the ridiculously vain reason that 'studying abroad' sounds cool... Ahh, what have I even been doing for the past six months..."
The more she realized her own immaturity, the stronger the regret in her heart grew.
A spiral of self-doubt began to sweep through Chihaya Anon's thoughts, and an indescribable anxiety and tension made her breathing grow somewhat rapid.
And just then, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly spoke up again:
"This half-year of living abroad, was it really without any gains for you, Anon?"
Chihaya Tetsuya looked at his sister with a serious expression.
"The self-sufficiency you developed from living alone abroad for half a year, the resilience you forged in an unfamiliar cultural environment, and this self-reflection you're having right now... I feel that if you hadn't gone to the UK, you wouldn't have been able to learn these things... Think about it. If you hadn't gone abroad and had stayed in middle school, you'd still be the respected student council president, still be the most popular Anon-chan in your class. But in that kind of unchanging environment, how much could you have really grown?"
"..."
Chihaya Anon was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then she lowered her head and muttered:
"...Compared to my failures of the past six months, are these gains really worth it?"
After the trial of living abroad for half a year, her self-sufficiency and her ability to manage her state of mind had indeed improved significantly compared to her middle school days.
But was this kind of utterly ordinary growth, which anyone would experience, truly worthy of the various failures she had endured over the past six months?
After making the choice to "give up," could she really, with a clear conscience, use the word "worthwhile" to summarize the hardships of the past half-year—
"I don't know about that. After all, whether something is worth it or not is an extremely subjective thing. It's something you have to decide for yourself."
Even when faced with his sister's wavering and fragile state, Chihaya Tetsuya's tone was as calm as ever.
"Since I've never been abroad, I can't empathize with what you went through, so I'm in no position to judge the choice you ultimately made... But at least in my eyes, you've matured a lot compared to half a year ago."
With that, he deliberately glanced at the garbage bags by the door, which were filled with discarded drafts...
Anon had cleaned all of those up by herself while he was washing up.
"Praising me for being 'mature' is just too cheap..."
Chihaya Anon hugged a cushion from beside her, and then, like a tumbler doll, began to unconsciously sway from side to side as she mumbled.
"Whether it's worth it or not... I have to decide for myself..."
Ever since returning to Japan, her mother had been constantly telling her things like, "You've already worked so hard," and "Anon, you've done great," in an attempt to comfort her.
However, no matter what, Chihaya Anon couldn't easily accept these gentle affirmations.
She had worked hard... What had she, who would immediately run away whenever she felt nervous, worked hard at?
She had done great... What part of spending a full six months failing to adapt to a foreign environment was great?
Chihaya Anon wasn't the type to get discouraged easily. On the contrary, with her proactive personality and go-getter attitude, she had always been the type to affirm herself. And before going abroad, she had always lived a life of being admired, where everything went smoothly.
It was for this very reason that for Chihaya Anon, who had never experienced failure, the setbacks of the past six months had shaken her self-confidence for the first time so violently.
If even she was beginning to doubt herself, then how would others see her?
Would all the admiration and affirmation she had once received turn into a face-slapping joke? And would everything she once had now be lost to her forever?
The more confident a person is, the more easily they fall into a spiral of self-doubt.
And in this situation, what she needed was not empty and hollow blind affirmation, but someone who could help her stop the mental exhaustion and regain her composure—
(If I hadn't gone abroad, it's true I'd still be living the life I loved, being admired by everyone, but I also would have lost the opportunity to re-examine myself, and I wouldn't have become the person I am now.)
...
"...The reason I was in such a hurry to come back and see you was probably to hear you say these things to me."
After pondering for a long time, Chihaya Anon finally sat up straight again and let out a long breath.
"Brother, you never say irresponsible things to comfort me, and you never rashly affirm or deny me. You only ever look at my problems calmly and objectively, and give the most honest answer."
A relieved smile appeared on Chihaya Anon's face.
"Failure, gains, whether it was worth it... Thanks to you, Brother, I finally have an excuse to keep affirming myself again."
"The word 'excuse' sounds a bit off. You should at least change it to 'reason'."
"No way, an excuse is an excuse! Before I start my new school life, I'm not going to blindly affirm myself like I used to!"
As she spoke, Chihaya Anon stood up and made a gesture to cheer herself on:
"You too, Brother! From now on, you have to keep watching over me with that same calm and gentle gaze!"
"Ah, of course."
Seeing that Chihaya Anon had already pulled herself together, a faint smile finally appeared on Chihaya Tetsuya's face.
"Then, as encouragement, I'll treat you to sushi for lunch today."
"Okay! Oh, right, since we just mentioned the self-sufficiency I developed over the past six months... why don't I just make lunch today—"
"Let's not. I really don't think living in the UK can improve one's cooking skills."
"Eh?! That's not what you said just now!"
"...Anon, this place has smoked salmon. Do you want some?"
"Yes!"
"Okay."
"...Honestly."
Unlike the brothers in shoujo manga who dote on their little sisters and blindly support whatever they do, Chihaya Tetsuya's attitude towards her had always been this restrained and calm.
This was partly due to the deep-rooted idea of "repaying kindness" in his heart, and partly due to the environment he grew up in.
Abandoned as a child and living in an orphanage until he was twelve, he had a far more painful and bitter childhood than his peers. And what this childhood experience brought him was this unwavering calmness.
...
So, in these childhood memories of his, what kind of role did that girl named "Hoshino Ai" play?
A companion who shared his hardships? A very close friend? Or perhaps...
Someone... like a little sister...
"I should... look her up."
While Chihaya Tetsuya was still ordering takeout, Chihaya Anon took out her own phone and searched for information about [Summer Zodiac].
However, the moment she saw the duo's promotional photo, she was instantly frozen in a daze.