"I didn't expect it to be a high school student..."
Chihaya Tetsuya looked at the girl before him in disbelief.
"May I ask how old you are?"
"Sixteen. I'm currently a first-year in high school."
As she spoke, Toyokawa Sakiko took out her student ID.
And when Chihaya Tetsuya took the student ID, the shock in his eyes intensified several degrees—
"Haneoka Girls' Academy, Class 1-C..."
(Isn't this the high school Anon is going to attend? And she's a first-year too...)
Thinking of this, Chihaya Tetsuya looked up at Toyokawa Sakiko again.
Her posture was proper, her manners impeccable, and her elegant words and actions all displayed an extraordinary upbringing and character.
Her amber-colored eyes met his gaze, neither subservient nor defiant, and this serious, focused expression added a touch of endearing obedience to her already lovely and refined face.
Generally speaking, only children from well-off families would exhibit this kind of distinctive temperament. But if that was the case, why would this girl need to get a part-time job?
"...Does your school allow students to have part-time jobs?"
"Yes, our school does not have a rule prohibiting part-time jobs."
Toyokawa Sakiko nodded.
"And I saw that the working hours for this job are after my school day ends, so it won't affect my studies."
"Hmm..."
From her decisive and appropriate response, it was clear she had already thought about how to handle his question.
But it was precisely this thoroughness that deepened the doubt in Chihaya Tetsuya's heart.
(The working hours I set were from 6 PM to 10 PM... Never mind a wealthy family, even a child from an ordinary family would be unlikely to work part-time during these hours... let alone a sixteen-year-old girl.)
Chihaya Tetsuya stroked his chin.
(What's the deal with this girl, Toyokawa Sakiko...)
Just as Chihaya Tetsuya was lost in thought over the many contradictions surrounding Toyokawa Sakiko, a waiter suddenly arrived at their table with a tray.
"Hello, here are the two cups of Mandheling coffee you ordered."
"Ah, thank you."
"?!"
Toyokawa Sakiko, who had been perfectly calm until now, showed a clear flicker of uncertainty in her eyes upon seeing the coffee. She hesitated for a moment before asking:
"Mr. Chihaya, this cup of coffee is..."
"Mandheling coffee. It's my favorite type of coffee bean."
Halfway through his sentence, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly noticed that the expression on Toyokawa Sakiko's face seemed slightly hesitant...
"Ah, perhaps you don't like coffee, Toyokawa-san—"
"That's not it at all!"
Before Chihaya Tetsuya could finish, Toyokawa Sakiko hurriedly cut him off.
When she realized her attitude just now had been a bit out of control, she quickly corrected her posture again and said with feigned calmness:
"It's just... um, Mandheling is a rather high-end coffee, isn't it? The, uh, price..."
"..."
Hearing this slightly sheepish reply, Chihaya Tetsuya felt as if he had just obtained a crucial "piece of the puzzle."
And to fully grasp the truth, he needed to probe further.
"Please don't worry, this cup is on me."
Chihaya Tetsuya said.
"This is a small gesture of sincerity from me as an adult, and as your interviewer. You don't need to be too concerned, Toyokawa-san."
"I-Is that so."
The expression on Toyokawa Sakiko's face visibly relaxed.
"Then I will gratefully accept your kind offer..."
With that, she gently lifted the coffee cup and elegantly took a small sip—
The rich aroma she hadn't experienced in so long instantly filled Toyokawa Sakiko's senses, and with a sweet, lingering aftertaste, she subconsciously blurted out:
"This is delicious! Ah, no... I, I mean to say... thank you very much for your generosity..."
"I'm glad you like it."
Taking in Toyokawa Sakiko's series of reactions, Chihaya Tetsuya nodded to himself again.
"Well then, we should get down to business."
"!"
Hearing this, Toyokawa Sakiko quickly put down her coffee and sat up straight.
"Please, go ahead."
"First question. Toyokawa-san, are you more accustomed to hand-sewing or machine-sewing?"
"Hand-sewing."
"That's great."
As he spoke, Chihaya Tetsuya took out a sewing kit, a piece of linen cloth, and a very common four-hole button from his shoulder bag.
"This is my interview test. It's very simple. You just need to sew this button onto this piece of cloth."
With that, he placed the materials in front of Toyokawa Sakiko.
Faced with this sudden practical test, Toyokawa Sakiko hesitated for only a moment before taking the sewing kit and beginning to select the needle and thread she would use.
Chihaya Tetsuya, meanwhile, quietly watched her, taking in her every movement and every detail.
...Two minutes later...
"I'm finished."
Toyokawa Sakiko very quickly handed her work to Chihaya Tetsuya.
However, after receiving it, Chihaya Tetsuya only glanced at it briefly before taking a pair of scissors from the kit and, under Toyokawa Sakiko's surprised gaze, cutting the thread on the back of the button—
"You used a No. 4 needle just now, correct? Next, I'd like you to try again with a No. 6 needle."
"...Yes."
The larger the number of a sewing needle, the smaller its diameter.
Realizing this interview was not so simple, Toyokawa Sakiko took the button again, and then, as Chihaya Tetsuya requested, picked up the No. 6 needle and tried again...
...Four minutes later...
"I'm finished..."
This time, Toyokawa Sakiko took two minutes longer than her first attempt.
But fortunately, she still managed to sew the button firmly onto the piece of cloth.
However, before Toyokawa Sakiko could feel relieved, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly picked up the scissors again and cut the button off once more.
"Next is a No. 8 needle... Of course, you can take a short break before you begin."
Chihaya Tetsuya said in a flat tone:
"The coffee won't be good if it gets cold."
"...It's alright."
Although her expression was beginning to grow tense, Toyokawa Sakiko insisted on continuing the challenge.
"I will do my best."
And so, Toyokawa Sakiko once again took the needle and thread and began her third challenge—
...Seven minutes later...
"I-I'm finished..."
Now slightly out of breath, Toyokawa Sakiko handed the work to Chihaya Tetsuya again.
"I'm sorry, I made a small mistake in the middle, so it took a little longer..."
"..."
Chihaya Tetsuya didn't reply immediately. Instead, he carefully turned the cloth over and began to inspect the stitching on the back.
This time, Toyokawa Sakiko finally couldn't hold back her unease and asked:
"Next... will we continue with a No. 10 needle?"
"..."
Chihaya Tetsuya, who was still examining the stitches, looked up at this.
Finally, this last question made one fact completely clear to Chihaya Tetsuya.
"Toyokawa-san."
"Yes!"
"You... have probably only learned a little bit of sewing in home economics class, haven't you."
Under Toyokawa Sakiko's utterly stunned gaze, Chihaya Tetsuya shook his head.
"A No. 10 sewing needle is typically used for fine fabrics like silk. It wouldn't be used to sew a button onto linen."
"!"
Toyokawa Sakiko was startled and quickly tried to correct herself:
"Th-That's right! I'm sorry, Mr. Chihaya, I couldn't recall that for a moment!"
"The speed of threading the needle, the way you stitch, and the finishing of the stitches... Although I can see traces of practice, it's only at the level of everyday mending..."
For an ordinary high school girl, possessing this level of sewing skill was enough to be called deft... but to be his assistant, being merely deft was far from enough, so...
"I'm sorry, Toyokawa-san, but you did not pass this inter—"
"Please wait! I beg you, please give me another chance! Mr. Chihaya!"
However, before Chihaya Tetsuya could finish, Toyokawa Sakiko immediately bowed her head deeply.
"Let me try again with the No. 8 needle! I promise I won't disappoint you this time!"
"..."
Chihaya Tetsuya was taken aback by this sudden turn of events.
He had thought his response would have been enough to make this complete amateur of a high school student give up entirely, but the persistence she showed was completely beyond his expectations.
Was his wording too tactful, preventing her from understanding his underlying meaning? Or... did this girl have a reason why she absolutely had to pass this interview?
Thinking of this, Chihaya Tetsuya once again turned his gaze to the girl before him, who had bowed so low her forehead was nearly touching the tabletop.
"Please raise your head, Toyokawa-san."
"...Yes."
Toyokawa Sakiko slowly raised her head. Her originally fair face had become slightly flushed from bowing for so long and from the intensity of her emotions.
"Are you willing to let me try again?"
In her eyes, which were filled with expectation, anxiety, longing, and determination, Chihaya Tetsuya's consciousness was instantly transported back seven years to his time in the orphanage.
That was the look of someone with nothing, desperate to grasp onto hope.
Her decision-making, which didn't match her refined demeanor; her hesitation when faced with expensive coffee; and this expression, full of persistence and resolve.
An answer was gradually forming in Chihaya Tetsuya's mind.
Thinking of this, Chihaya Tetsuya, who had already made up his mind, paused for a moment before passing the cloth and button over again.
"Then please, try again."
"! Thank you so much!"
Toyokawa Sakiko took the materials from Chihaya Tetsuya's hands almost as fast as she could. She took a deep breath, then immediately focused on the needle and thread in her hands—
......Five minutes later......
This time, Toyokawa Sakiko's time improved significantly, but the clumsiness of her technique hadn't changed much with just a second attempt.
When she looked up again and saw Chihaya Tetsuya's impassive expression, she gritted her teeth.
A crushing wave of shame washed over Toyokawa Sakiko's heart.
She knew, of course, that her home-ec-level skills were nowhere near enough to be a fashion designer's assistant, and her amateurish comment earlier had completely exposed her true level. And yet, despite all that, Chihaya Tetsuya had still given her a second chance.
However, she, who had miraculously been given a second chance, had not achieved the miraculous result she had hoped for.
No words were needed; his calm gaze had already given her the answer.
But even so, she still refused to give up.
"Please... let me... try again..."
Toyokawa Sakiko bowed her head once more and spoke again in a pleading tone:
"Please... This... This is really the last time."
To overcome the self-loathing that came with such "shamelessness," Toyokawa Sakiko seemed to use all her strength to get the words out.
Her voice began to tremble unconsciously, her breathing became rapid and chaotic, and fine beads of sweat started to appear on her forehead.
Her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingertips were even beginning to turn a little white.
She knew very well that it was impossible for Chihaya Tetsuya to give her another chance, but even so, she had to press forward like a moth to a flame—
"I understand."
"Eh?!"
Toyokawa Sakiko shot her head up, looking at the man before her with an expression of disbelief.
"D-Did you just agree...?"
"Mhm."
Chihaya Tetsuya nodded lightly.
"I want you to be able to finish this interview without any regrets."
"..."
Without any regrets... Indeed, he had already completely gauged her abilities and even made his decision.
But even so, he was still willing to patiently give her another chance to try.
Why...? Is he toying with me? Or does he have some strange quirk of enjoying watching others struggle?
The illogical turn of events raised a series of questions in Toyokawa Sakiko's mind, but regardless, since he was still willing to give her repeated chances to try, then... even if the possibility was infinitely close to zero, she would absolutely not give up easily.
And so, Toyokawa Sakiko picked up the needle and thread again and began her final, desperate advance.
On the third attempt, she shortened her time by ten seconds.
On the fourth attempt, although her time didn't improve, her stitches became a little neater than before.
On the fifth attempt, she quickened the speed at which she threaded the needle.
On the sixth attempt, her time increased by fifteen seconds.
On the seventh attempt, her fingers were starting to feel a little numb.
The eighth attempt—
Clink!
The sewing needle slipped from her fingers, rolled quickly across the smooth tabletop, and fell to the floor.
Toyokawa Sakiko froze for a good while, then immediately left her seat, bent down, and got on the floor, searching for the fallen needle—
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry..."
She mumbled as she felt around on the dimly lit floor of the café.
"I'll find it right now..."
"........."
Finally, Chihaya Tetsuya, who had been silently watching all this time, let out a silent sigh. He opened his shoulder bag and took out a magnet... and a bandage.
He bent down, first using the magnet to retrieve the needle that had rolled next to a table leg, and then handed the bandage to the girl kneeling on the ground. At the same time, a tiny red bead of blood welled up on her fingertip.
This time, Toyokawa Sakiko finally stopped asking to try again.
Like a walking corpse, she returned to her seat, her hands trembling as she placed the bandage over the wound. Then she picked up the cup of long-cold coffee and drank it all in one go.
Because it had been sitting for so long, a clearly visible brown coffee stain was left on the side of the cup.
"I'm so sorry for wasting so much of your time..."
A dry voice was squeezed from Toyokawa Sakiko's throat.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave..."
"Wait, Toyokawa-san."
Chihaya Tetsuya said as he put the things on the table back into his bag.
"It's getting late. I'll walk you home."
"You don't have to trouble yourself..."
Toyokawa Sakiko shook her head, a miserable smile on her face.
"I'm already used to walking home alone at this hour, so it's fine."
"No. It's partly my fault for keeping you out this late. I have to take responsibility for that."
Chihaya Tetsuya insisted.
"Besides, I happen to have something I want to say to you."
"..."
Although she didn't know what Chihaya Tetsuya could possibly want to say to a shameless failure like herself, she could hear an unyielding firmness in his unwavering tone.
"Then... I'll be in your care."
Toyokawa Sakiko nodded, thus postponing the time for her to cry her heart out.
............
"Do you feel like I was deliberately making things difficult for you just now?"
"Not at all. Even an amateur like me can understand that the test you gave wouldn't be a problem for a professional."
Toyokawa Sakiko bit her lip lightly.
The evening breeze had slightly dispersed the gloom that had accumulated in her heart, and she was finally able to regain her initial calm and composure.
"You gave me more than enough chances. It's all because I myself am too useless..."
"........."
Hearing this, Chihaya Tetsuya looked up at the sky without a word.
It was already nearing nine o'clock at night. Specks of starlight, unobscured by the city's neon glow, had already appeared in the deep, dark night sky.
"The reason I wanted to recruit an assistant is because I'm about to design clothes for someone very important to me."
He said, gazing at the brightest star.
"For that, I have to ensure as much as possible that the person is someone I can trust, and someone who can truly be of help to me."
"..."
Faced with Chihaya Tetsuya's explanation, Toyokawa Sakiko couldn't help but lower her head in shame.
She had only applied for this job out of financial desperation. She had no special reason that could be called a passion or a goal.
Compared to Chihaya Tetsuya's honesty and tolerance, she felt her own inferiority and shamelessness even more keenly.
And just as she opened her mouth, intending to apologize to him again, Chihaya Tetsuya continued:
"I grew up in an orphanage. Being used to observing people's expressions and words, I can tell a lot from a person's eyes..."
Under Toyokawa Sakiko's somewhat surprised expression, Chihaya Tetsuya said:
"Toyokawa-san, you must be living a rather difficult life right now, aren't you."
"........."
Toyokawa Sakiko really didn't want to admit it, and she really wanted to refute his guess.
However, for a first-year high school girl to be out looking for a part-time job at this hour, there was likely no other reason.
"Yes."
Toyokawa Sakiko admitted with a nod.
"Due to some changes in my family situation... I have to work part-time."
"And in order not to affect my studies, I have to choose a job like this, which avoids school hours and doesn't have any particular age requirements."
"Mhm... It took me a long time to find your listing."
Perhaps because she had heard that he also came from a humble background, Toyokawa Sakiko, for the first time in a long while, said these words she had never mentioned to anyone.
"The hours were right, the work wasn't sordid like some other jobs, and the pay was frighteningly generous... It's just a pity my skills weren't enough, and I failed to pass the interview."
At this, she couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.
"Or rather... for someone like me who's been coddled her whole life, it would have been a miracle to pass the interview."
"Actually... for a high school student, your aptitude and skill are already far beyond your peers."
This was not Chihaya Tetsuya's attempt at consolation, but the honest truth.
"With every attempt, you learned from the last one, and every attempt was a step forward from the previous one. If you were given enough time, you could definitely grow into someone quite formidable."
"But the reality is, I don't have the time to learn and grow, and aptitude isn't something that can be immediately converted into money."
Toyokawa Sakiko said.
"Even when the opportunity was right in front of me, even when I tried with all my might... I still couldn't seize it."
At this, she suddenly stopped in the middle of the pedestrian overpass.
"Mr. Chihaya, thank you so very much... If you hadn't given me so many chances to try again, I would have regretted this missed opportunity for a long time. But now, I'm fully aware of my own shortcomings, so... even in failure, I can accept it calmly."
She looked at Chihaya Tetsuya, a smile of relief and ease on her face.
"This is far enough. From here... I'll walk back by myself."
"........."
It wasn't until he saw the smile on her face that Chihaya Tetsuya finally saw, in this girl who acted so maturely, a glimpse of the sixteen-year-old she was supposed to be.
Remembering her repeated pleas as she bowed to him, her humility as she knelt on the floor searching for the sewing needle, an image from seven years ago flashed before Chihaya Tetsuya's eyes—
............
[I can sew! Both machine and hand-sewing! I can also alter clothes and make simple fabric decorations! In the whole orphanage, I'm the best at handicrafts!]
[This is a coat I made myself from old clothes. The, the patches are ugly, but it fits well and it's warm!]
[I have nowhere else to go, so... I'm begging you...]
[Please... adopt me...]
............
After the orphanage was shut down, he had no home, no food, and was even separated from the "family" he had depended on for so long.
And in his moment of greatest despair and hardship, it was the Chihaya family who gave him the salvation he needed most, allowing him to have everything he had today.
He would never forget the heartfelt sorrow on the faces of the Chihaya family when they took him in, nor the gentleness with which they repeatedly comforted him afterward—
"Ai..."
Standing alone on the overpass, he once again looked up at the starry sky.
"What have you been through these past seven years? What kind of people have you met?"
"Did you, like me, get to experience the warmth of the world? Or have you always been alone, desperately and lonely just trying to hold on?"
"What in the world did you go through to become an idol?"
"Was this a choice you made for yourself, or was it a struggle to grasp onto hope?"
"I really want to hear you tell the story of these seven years."
"I really hope that through this job, I can convey my apology and how much I've missed you."
"If it were possible, I wish I could have switched places with you that day, so that you could have received that miraculous salvation."
"..."
Toyokawa Sakiko, first-year in high school, sixteen years old.
Come to think of it, Ai should also be exactly sixteen this year, the same age as Anon.
...
Perhaps this next decision would make his work for the remaining six days even more difficult.
But... if he didn't do this, he would probably regret today for the rest of his life.
At that moment, Toyokawa Sakiko had already walked down the stairs of the overpass, heading alone toward the dim intersection before her.
And just as her figure was about to disappear completely from Chihaya Tetsuya's sight, she suddenly stopped—
............
Ring ring ring!
The sudden ringing of her phone made Toyokawa Sakiko stop in her tracks.
And when she looked at the caller ID, an expression of obvious surprise appeared on her face.
"...Huh? Mr. Chihaya?"
Toyokawa Sakiko answered, somewhat dazed:
"Excuse me, is there something else you need?"
[Tomorrow, I'm going to message the director and tell her to take down the assistant recruitment ad.]
From the other end of the line, Chihaya Tetsuya calmly declared:
[Then I'll inform her that I've recruited a new apprentice.]
".........Eh?"
A stunned sound escaped from Toyokawa Sakiko.
"A-An apprentice? But... isn't your upcoming job incredibly important...?"
[It is very important. However, having a serious, hardworking apprentice with exceptional aptitude will also be a great help to my future work.]
"?!"
Toyokawa Sakiko covered her mouth, her amber-colored eyes shimmering slightly.
"You mean... Huh? Could it... really be okay?"
Her voice had become faint from the shock.
"Even someone as useless as me... do I really... deserve a chance like this?"
[Tomorrow at seven in the evening, we'll meet at the same café.]
Chihaya Tetsuya didn't answer Toyokawa Sakiko's dream-like question, but instead gave a direct order:
"I'll take you to the studio."
The voice disappeared from the phone, only to sound out from behind her.
Toyokawa Sakiko lowered her phone and turned around.
Under the streetlight, Chihaya Tetsuya's figure seemed for a moment to emit an orange glow bright enough to cover the entire night sky.
"I'll walk you a little further."
"......"
This street beside her, always bustling with traffic and noise, was silent and still for the very first time.
On April twenty-second, in spring, under a clear spring night sky.
Toyokawa Sakiko had an encounter with her destiny.