Because so much had happened that day, Chihaya Tetsuya didn't manage to fall asleep until two in the morning.
And when he opened his eyes again, he was the only one left at home.
On the dining table, a conspicuous note was left—
[I'm heading to Haneoka for my entrance interview by myself. In the evening, I have to go back to our old house to get Mom's signature! Brother's lunch is in the fridge, just heat it up in the microwave! —From your loving sister.]
"..."
After neatly folding the note, Chihaya Tetsuya went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
And when he saw the bowl of onion beef rice covered with plastic wrap, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's certainly an improvement from before... but it's only just an improvement."
Regardless of the quality of the final product, this bowl of rice was his sister's "crystal of love."
He would now enjoy it with gratitude.
...
...
"Next time, I should tell her to add less sugar."
After washing down the bowl of rice with a large glass of warm water, Chihaya Tetsuya returned to his workbench and began his brainstorming for the day.
Of course, before that, he made sure to set an alarm on his phone.
To remind him of something he absolutely must not forget.
...7 PM...
After meeting Toyokawa Sakiko at the café again, the first thing Chihaya Tetsuya did was hand her the bag he was holding.
"These are your work clothes."
"...Eh? Ah, yes."
Because it was so sudden and the reason was so perfectly valid, Toyokawa Sakiko didn't even have time to refuse before she took the bag from Chihaya Tetsuya—
"A white T-shirt, and black pants..."
It was arguably the simplest combination of clothing.
Then, when Toyokawa Sakiko reached out and gently felt the fabric of the clothes, her eyes couldn't help but widen.
"This feels so familiar..."
Soft, smooth, with just the right amount of weight.
The texture of these two pieces of clothing was very similar to the clothes she wore as a child.
Although the style and cut were very simple, this was definitely not some cheap stuff...
In fact, the more minimalist and high-quality the clothes, the more likely they were to be sold at a high price.
Then, just as Toyokawa Sakiko was about to say something, Chihaya Tetsuya, as if anticipating her reaction, spoke first:
"While it's not a mandatory requirement, when working in a fashion studio, wearing black and white clothes can maximize your sensitivity to color."
Chihaya Tetsuya said.
"Your uniform has a rather complex color scheme, which isn't very suitable for a work environment."
"Huh..."
Because the reason was so legitimate, Toyokawa Sakiko was left with no room or grounds to object.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she finally clutched the bag to her chest.
"I understand... Thank you very much for the explanation."
"Mhm. Well then, follow me."
Chihaya Tetsuya turned around.
"The studio is in the office building across the street."
"Yes!"
Toyokawa Sakiko first nodded firmly, then immediately followed behind Chihaya Tetsuya—
('Maturity'... it probably refers to someone like Mr. Chihaya.)
(Meticulous logic, appropriate words and actions, unwavering kindness, and a subtlety that doesn't make others feel imposed upon.)
(I wonder how long it will take me to become such a reliable adult.)
Gazing at the tall, slender back in front of her, Toyokawa Sakiko couldn't help but think this.
...
Taking the elevator, the two arrived at the fashion studio named [KaZoKu] on the seventh floor.
And the moment they entered the studio, they were immediately met with greetings from all directions:
"Good evening, Tetsuya-kun!"
"You're finally here, Chihaya."
"Good evening, our temporary director~"
"Good evening, everyone."
Faced with the enthusiastic greetings from his colleagues, Chihaya Tetsuya politely bowed his head in response.
"Please stop calling me 'temporary director.' I'm still a long way off."
"There you go being modest again, when the director is about to promote you to lead designer..."
"Well, Tetsuya-kun has always been conscious of his age, after all!"
"Who cares about that in our line of work? As long as you have the skills, that's enough, right?"
"Alright, you can stop talking now! Tetsuya-kun is waiting to introduce the new colleague to us!"
A pattern maker who was better at reading the room nudged the big-mouthed colleague with his elbow.
"So, this child must be the new apprentice you told us about this afternoon, right?"
"Yes... Toyokawa-san, if you would."
Chihaya Tetsuya took half a step to the side, signaling for Toyokawa Sakiko to introduce herself.
And Toyokawa Sakiko, who had already rehearsed this countless times in her mind, showed no stage fright. She first stepped forward to stand beside Chihaya Tetsuya and bowed to the studio members before her:
"Good day, everyone. My name is Toyokawa Sakiko... I am the new apprentice recruited by Mr. Chihaya. Although I am still a novice who has yet to enter the field, I will work twice as hard to learn so that I won't hold back [KaZoKu] or Mr. Chihaya! In the days to come, I ask for your kind guidance!"
"Welcome, Toyokawa-san!"
"She's quite a well-mannered child."
"So cute, she's still in her high school uniform... Haaah, youth is wonderful."
"Alright! This lowers the average age of our studio by a few more years!"
Faced with Toyokawa Sakiko's generous and proper self-introduction, although everyone's reactions varied, they all welcomed this newcomer with their own goodwill.
And feeling this harmonious atmosphere, the tension and unease in Toyokawa Sakiko's heart also dissipated by more than half.
"Toyokawa-san, the changing room is over there. Go and change into your work clothes first."
After the self-introduction was complete, Chihaya Tetsuya said to Toyokawa Sakiko:
"And also... welcome to our [KaZoKu]family."
"...Yes!"
A genuine smile appeared on Toyokawa Sakiko's face. She then hugged the clothes in her arms and quickly walked towards the changing room...
...
Because it was a loose, one-size-fits-all T-shirt, as long as one's height was roughly confirmed, it was unlikely to be the wrong size. In addition, the pants had an elastic waistband and tapered legs, so Toyokawa Sakiko changed into the work clothes Chihaya Tetsuya had prepared for her very smoothly and quickly.
And when she stood in front of the full-length mirror after changing, the first thought that came to her mind was—
(These clothes... are so comfortable to wear...)
Toyokawa Sakiko moved her shoulders and then lifted each of her legs.
Light, flexible, breathable, and a good fit.
Just as she had imagined, these two pieces of clothing were by no means cheap street-stall goods, but rather more luxurious and high-end ready-to-wear pieces that could be sold in a high-end shopping center.
Not only had he hired her unconditionally, but he had even provided her with such high-quality work clothes...
(Thank you... thank you so much, Mr. Chihaya.)
Overwhelmed by the favor, Toyokawa Sakiko first thanked Chihaya Tetsuya countless times in her heart before pushing open the changing room door and returning to the studio.
And when she stepped out of the changing room, she was immediately, deeply struck by the scene before her—
"Tetsuya-kun, I feel like there's something wrong with the shoulder area. Come and take a look."
"Mhm, just a moment... You're talking about this natural fold, right? Do you still have the paper pattern? Let me see."
"Here it is, for you!"
"If you want to emphasize a sense of movement, this part should have a natural rise... I see. Just correct the pleat range by 5mm and it should be fine."
"Got it!"
"Chihaya! Come over and check mine, too!"
"Coming... Ah, a raglan sleeve design? It's mostly fine. Just pay attention to the stitching under the arm."
"Acting Director! Help me see what kind of fabric I should use!"
"That title is not okay either! Let me see... Haven't you already decided to use cotton flannel?"
"But I feel like the processing cost is too high. Is there a better way?"
"...I'll ask the director later. My knowledge of fabrics is still insufficient."
"So serious~"
"..."
Watching Chihaya Tetsuya at work, Toyokawa Sakiko was, for a moment, completely mesmerized.
(No wonder that cheerful man kept insisting on calling him 'Acting Director'... So it wasn't just a simple joke...)
Although she didn't quite understand the professional terms they were using, she could at least understand that everyone deeply trusted Chihaya Tetsuya's abilities and judgment.
(He's so, so amazing, so cool... Mr. Chihaya.)
Toyokawa Sakiko's gaze towards Chihaya Tetsuya grew increasingly reverent.
At the same time, a female assistant who had just finished her work saw Toyokawa Sakiko standing frozen in place and came to her side with a smile.
"What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?"
"Eh? Ah, yes!"
Being spoken to by someone beside her immediately brought Toyokawa Sakiko back to her senses.
"This is the first time I've seen Mr. Chihaya at work... He's really, truly amazing."
"You think so too, right? Even though I've been working with him for over half a year, every time I see this scene, I can't help but think... isn't this kid a little *too* amazing?"
The female assistant put her hands on her hips and gritted her teeth in mock jealousy:
"Design, prototyping, cutting, sewing... he even knows how to communicate with clients! Is there anything in this world he can't do?! I really want to open up his brain and see what's inside!"
"...Eh?"
More than the female assistant's description and "complaints," one word she had just mentioned immediately caught Toyokawa Sakiko's attention—
"'Kid'?"
This female assistant looked to be only in her early twenties. Why would she use the term "kid" to refer to Mr. Chihaya...
And faced with Toyokawa Sakiko's confusion, the female assistant also tilted her head.
"Hm? I'm already twenty-five this year. Tetsuya-kun is only just nineteen. It shouldn't be too out of line for me to call him a kid, right?"
"...How, how old?"
Toyokawa Sakiko began to wonder if her auditory system was malfunctioning.
"You just said, Mr. Chihaya... how old is he this year?"
"Oh, so you didn't know~ But it's no wonder. His words and actions are usually so mature, it's easy to get the wrong impression."
"Well then, allow me to formally introduce you to our studio's ace—"
"The super genius who joined the well-known brand [EGAO]'s subsidiary studio [KaZoKu] at eighteen, was promoted from assistant to pattern maker in just three months, and then promoted to associate designer in another three months! Chihaya Tetsuya!"
"By the way, the two pieces of clothing you're wearing were also personally made by him as a pattern maker. They're ready-to-wear pieces that once sold out at Mitsumine Trading Co."
"Ehh..."
Toyokawa Sakiko, who had only been marveling at her good fortune until now, had never imagined that this person who would be her supervisor and teacher was such a young and brilliant genius!
Just what was her life going to become...
Gazing at Chihaya Tetsuya's serious expression at work not far away, Toyokawa Sakiko once again found herself lost in a daze.