After finishing their daily routine of checks and revisions, it was time for the members of [KaZoKu] to get off work—
All except for Chihaya Tetsuya and Toyokawa Sakiko.
"See you tomorrow, Tetsuya-kun, and Sakiko-chan~"
The last person to leave the studio was the female assistant who had introduced Chihaya Tetsuya to Toyokawa Sakiko.
"Mhm, be careful on your way."
"S-See you tomorrow..."
Although she wasn't used to being addressed so familiarly by someone she had just met, Toyokawa Sakiko still responded properly.
After the female assistant had completely left, the studio immediately fell into silence.
"...You must find it strange, right?"
Chihaya Tetsuya was the first to break the silence.
"Why my working hours are different from theirs."
"I was a little curious."
Toyokawa Sakiko nodded.
"B-But, if it's a reason that's inconvenient to explain, it's okay if you don't tell me!"
"It's not a complicated reason... It's just that I'm not used to waking up early."
Chihaya Tetsuya said in a flat tone:
"If I get up too early, I'll be groggy all day. Being a designer is a job that really depends on your state of mind and environment, so the director specially approved me to work at this time."
"...Hm?"
Toyokawa Sakiko blinked.
"That's... all?"
"If I had to add something else... it's because I also prefer the nighttime."
Chihaya Tetsuya said as he spread sketch paper on his desk.
"At the orphanage, during the day we usually had to work and attend classes. Only at night, when the adults weren't around, was the time truly our own. Over time, I started to like the night."
"I see..."
Toyokawa Sakiko nodded, somewhat dazed.
When it came to Chihaya Tetsuya, her mind had completely lost its ability to make proper judgments and maintain a proper sense of distance.
Before this, she had always thought Chihaya Tetsuya was an adult much older than her, but in reality, the age difference between them was a mere three years.
The feeling of closeness due to their similar ages seemed to have shortened the distance between their hearts.
At the same time, having come from a poor background, he was very able to understand and empathize with her own fallen family circumstances. While providing her with practical help, he also went to great lengths to preserve her dignity.
However, Chihaya Tetsuya's work ability, his speech and demeanor, plus their current employer-employee relationship, made Toyokawa Sakiko once again recognize the gap between them, creating a sense of unattainable admiration for him.
This push and pull between closeness and admiration had thrown Toyokawa Sakiko's internal compass into complete chaos.
But in any case, she had fully understood the content of what Chihaya Tetsuya had said—
"In other words, it's now time for us to do our own work."
"That's right."
Chihaya Tetsuya said as he pointed to the fabric box next to his desk.
"Toyokawa-san, first help me bring that box over... It might be a bit heavy, so just drag it across the floor."
"Yes."
Toyokawa Sakiko immediately followed Chihaya Tetsuya's instructions and dragged the fabric box to his desk.
Next, Chihaya Tetsuya took a book about fabrics from his own desk and handed it to Toyokawa Sakiko.
"Normally, I should have you learn sewing and cutting techniques first, but I have other work right now, so I can only adjust the teaching order... For the next while, I want you to memorize the materials and characteristics of these fabrics as much as possible. First, check each of these fabrics against the book. You can touch them, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me at any time."
"Understood!"
Toyokawa Sakiko nodded firmly upon hearing this. Then, just as Chihaya Tetsuya had said, she began to check the fabrics on hand while referencing the content of the book—
"Georgette... cotton flannel... napped fabric... pure silk..."
After spending half an hour recognizing and memorizing the characteristics of all the fabrics in the box, Toyokawa Sakiko noticed that the entire box seemed to be filled with soft and smooth fabrics.
And based on what she had just read in the book, a guess formed in her mind—
"Um, Mr. Chihaya."
"Hm?"
Chihaya Tetsuya, who was sketching on paper, responded without looking up.
"What is it? Is there something you don't understand?"
"The clothes you're designing next... are they pajamas?"
"...You really are smart."
Chihaya Tetsuya nodded.
"That's right. The first piece of clothing I'm going to design is women's pajamas."
"Great!"
Toyokawa Sakiko's heart skipped a beat at the praise. Of course, her curiosity was not yet satisfied.
"Are they for sale as part of this year's spring/summer collection?"
"No, they're designed specifically for an idol."
Chihaya Tetsuya stopped his pen.
"For the filming of a new song's MV."
"I see..."
Toyokawa Sakiko nodded in understanding, but she quickly recalled something very important—
[The reason I wanted to recruit an assistant is because I'm about to design clothes for someone very important to me.]
Eh? Doesn't that mean the person who's so important to Mr. Chihaya... is this very idol who's about to shoot an MV?!
Whoa...
Although she couldn't help but feel an urge to gossip, considering the confidential nature of the idol industry and the fact that her relationship with Chihaya Tetsuya wasn't yet close enough for such topics, Toyokawa Sakiko simply covered her mouth and buried the question in her heart.
And at the same time, Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly asked:
"Toyokawa-san, you wear pajamas, right?"
Although his sister Anon had a few sets of spring/summer pajamas, she usually opted for loose loungewear. Coupled with her own... questionable fashion sense, Chihaya Tetsuya really couldn't use his sister's opinion as a reference.
But Toyokawa Sakiko didn't seem like the type with a questionable sense of taste, and given her formerly well-off family background, her opinion might serve as an important reference.
"Ah, yes!"
On the other side, Toyokawa Sakiko answered immediately:
"I have four sets of pajamas in total. Two are thin sets for spring and summer, and the other two are thick sets for autumn and winter."
"What kind of fabric are the thin pajamas made of?"
"Eh... let me think..."
Toyokawa Sakiko's gaze fell on the fabric box once again.
After a brief moment of thought, she finally answered:
"They're pure silk."
"Mhm, so for summer, people do lean towards silk fabrics... At least in terms of comfort and coolness, it's indeed impeccable."
Chihaya Tetsuya leaned back in his chair, muttering to himself:
"But silk fabric inevitably clings to the body. It would be fine to wear privately, but as a costume for an MV shoot, it just doesn't feel right..."
(...That's true.)
Toyokawa Sakiko also nodded to herself. Then she looked at the fabric box again and murmured softly:
"Is there a fabric that can ensure both comfort and breathability, while also being absorbent?"
"...Hm?"
At the same time, Chihaya Tetsuya, hearing Toyokawa Sakiko's muttering, caught a word that made him very interested.
"Absorbency? Do women's pajamas need that function?"
"Normally, it's not important, but these pajamas are for an MV shoot, aren't they?"
Toyokawa Sakiko said as such:
"MV shoots usually require multiple takes to get the best shot. In that process, the person will inevitably sweat."
In that case, the fabric's reaction to water became a crucial point to consider.
For example, once silk fabric gets wet, it won't just be a simple matter of clinging...
"Um... Mr. Chihaya?"
Seeing Chihaya Tetsuya suddenly lost in thought, Toyokawa Sakiko asked with some apprehension:
"This is just my humble opinion, you don't have to listen so carefully—"
"No, the point you just brought up is incredibly important."
As he spoke, Chihaya Tetsuya crumpled up the half-finished draft he had just been working on.
"I'm not familiar with the MV filming process, so I didn't consider the issue of sweat at all..."
With that, he first tossed the discarded draft into the trash can, then immediately turned his gaze to Toyokawa Sakiko and asked again with a serious expression:
"Please, keep thinking, Toyokawa-san. Are there any other points I need to be aware of?"
"Ehh—"
Seeing Chihaya Tetsuya's earnest expression, an indescribable sense of nervousness rose in Toyokawa Sakiko's heart.
Eh? Seriously? Someone as amazing as Mr. Chihaya... is asking for my opinion so seriously?
To be trusted like this is definitely a good thing, right? But... what if I say the wrong thing next, or give the wrong opinion? Will Mr. Chihaya be disappointed in me?
Feelings of apprehension and joy instantly intertwined in Toyokawa Sakiko's heart. This overly contradictory mix of emotions made her mind go completely blank.
"......"
And seeing Toyokawa Sakiko's constantly shifting gaze and slightly trembling lips, Chihaya Tetsuya thought for a moment, then suddenly relaxed his posture—
"Toyokawa-san."
"Y-Yes!"
"Don't forget, right now in this whole studio, it's just the two of us."
Chihaya Tetsuya held up his hand, gesturing back and forth between them.
"No matter what you say, only the two of us can hear it."
"B-But—"
"Also, it seems you've already heard from the others that I'm nineteen this year, a peer only three years older than you. Not only that, but I'm also a 'clothing otaku' with absolutely no experience with women and who's ignorant about a lot of modern culture."
"So, you don't need to be nervous at all. Just think of us as peers and 'discuss' this with me normally."
"..."
Such a frank and sincere statement made the apprehension in Toyokawa Sakiko's heart dissipate by more than half.
Especially when she heard that Chihaya Tetsuya had absolutely no experience with women, she felt a sense of familiarity along with her disbelief.
This nineteen-year-old genius... wasn't some unreachable, high-and-mighty god. He, too, had things he wasn't good at, and things he knew nothing about.
And now... it seemed she could be the one to make up for this shortcoming of his!
An indescribable motivation filled Toyokawa Sakiko's chest.
Thinking of this, Toyokawa Sakiko first took a deep breath, then she organized her thoughts a little and began her analysis.
"For people like idols, models, and actors, in addition to basic comfort, the clothes should also allow for ease of movement. This... although I've only tried it by chance... but to maintain their figures, most girls in these professions do some indoor exercise or stretching in their spare time."
"..."
Chihaya Tetsuya silently jotted this down.
Then Toyokawa Sakiko continued:
"Also, because girls usually don't wear a bra when they're in pajamas, a skin-friendly material is also very important. Otherwise... it's... very uncomfortable."
"...There's something like that, too?"
Since his own sister never did any stretching, and her exercise was limited to the outdoors, Chihaya Tetsuya had no knowledge of this.
"Is there anything else?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
And so, through their back-and-forth, Chihaya Tetsuya's understanding of women's pajamas gradually deepened.
"Soft, skin-friendly, breathable, easy to move in, absorbent..."
Toyokawa Sakiko repeated the requirements they had just summarized, then said half-jokingly:
"It sounds like a bath towel."
"......Hm?"
Chihaya Tetsuya, who had been searching his mind for a suitable fabric, suddenly sat up straight.
"What did you just say, Toyokawa-san?"
"I said... it sounds like a bath towel."
Toyokawa Sakiko repeated blankly.
"After all, a bath towel fits all those characteristics."
Not only is it soft and skin-friendly, but it's also very absorbent. If the pattern is designed well, ease of movement and breathability would naturally follow.
"Bath towel... bath towel... terrycloth..."
An image from seven years ago suddenly flashed before Chihaya Tetsuya's eyes—
[Ai, this is for you. It's a towel I made from the terrycloth I saved up during the day! Doesn't it feel soft?]
[Look here, I even embroidered a lucky star for you! Eh? You say it doesn't look like one? Well... I didn't do a very good job this time, but next time I'll definitely embroider a perfect six-pointed star for you!]
"That's right... This is it, this is it!"
Memories flooded his mind like a tide, and an unprecedented wave of inspiration erupted in Chihaya Tetsuya's head.
"Terrycloth, of course, why didn't I think of it? Terrycloth can also be used to make pajamas!"
He shot up from his seat, grabbed both of Toyokawa Sakiko's hands, and said with a grateful expression:
"Thank you so much, Toyokawa-san! Without you, I would have never thought of this on my own!"
Under Toyokawa Sakiko's nearly stunned gaze, a rare smile, one that could be called genuinely joyful, appeared on Chihaya Tetsuya's face.
"This is so lucky. I'm so glad I recruited you as my apprentice!"
"?!?!?!"
With that, ignoring Toyokawa Sakiko's now petrified expression, he went straight back to his desk and began to devote himself to the new design with focused abandon.
On the other side, Toyokawa Sakiko stood frozen on the spot for a full minute before murmuring softly:
"The lucky one... is me, isn't it?"
Aside from his miraculous gentleness and kindness, their meeting was simply filled with too many coincidences.
If he hadn't been a night owl, the working hours would not have suited her so perfectly.
If he hadn't come from a poor background, she would have had no chance of passing the interview.
This lucky star from seven years ago finally began to emit its belated glow.
And this time, it seemed the ones illuminated by this light were not just the two from the past.
"To have been able to help you... I'm so glad."
Toyokawa Sakiko whispered in a voice only she could hear:
"To have become your apprentice, I'm so glad."
Tonight's sky was just as clear and bright as the night before.