"So that's what happened. Tetsuya-san and Sakiko have already left."
Misumi Uika put down her phone and explained the situation to Hoshino Ai, who was beside her.
"It's a bit of a shame, but Sakiko was in a terrible state. If he'd just left her alone, something more serious could have happened. So, just bear with it for today, okay, Ai?"
"Mhm, I know."
However, to Uika's surprise, Ai's reaction showed not a hint of disappointment or displeasure. Instead, she calmly accepted the situation.
"Tetsu has already greeted all the marked guests anyway. It shouldn't be a problem even if he leaves now."
"Eh, seriously...?"
Compared to Ai's calmness, Uika's mouth fell open in shock.
"Shouldn't you be muttering things like 'sneaky cat' and 'unforgivable' right now, and then secretly following them to the hotel?"
"As the main attractions of this party, it would be very conspicuous if we both left, wouldn't it?"
Ai shot Uika a strange look.
"The wise move right now is to stay behind and provide cover for them... Uika, you couldn't even think of that?"
"Waah, I can't accept this! I'm the one getting roasted by Ai now!"
Faced with Ai's counterattack, Uika couldn't help but look as if she was questioning her entire existence.
"You've been acting so strange ever since the live show ended. Even just now when you were sitting with Tetsuya-san, not only did you not launch your usual all-out assault, you even deliberately avoided his gaze!"
Could it be that those two had a fight somewhere I don't know about? But with Tetsuya-san's personality, is he even capable of getting into a fight with someone?
And it wasn't as if the two had zero interaction. It was just that Ai had been very obediently following Tetsuya's arrangements, looking as docile and well-behaved as a tamed pet.
If she had to guess, the only possibility was that Ai had been "counter-attacked" by him during one of her advances, causing her to lose her position as the aggressor...
Eh... seriously? Tetsuya-san counter-attacked Ai? Is that even possible in this world?
"Well, in any case, you being a little more docile isn't a bad thing for Tetsuya-san."
Although Uika was now dying to know the truth, considering the current setting, she had no choice but to temporarily accept the situation.
"I'll have to get the full story from Tetsuya-san after the party is over."
Then, just as Uika was about to let it go and return to her seat with Ai to wait for the party to end, a man with short blonde hair, whose accent and appearance were distinctly Western, walked towards them, stroking his chin—
"...Oh? Now this is a rather interesting design..."
The blonde man first carefully examined the clothes on both of them before finally greeting the two increasingly bewildered women.
"Bonjour, you two beautiful ladies. May I ask... who is the designer of the clothes you are wearing?"
Although his accent was a little strange, the blonde man's Japanese was fluent enough for smooth communication.
"They are the work of Chihaya Tetsuya, the head designer of [Starry Sky]."
Faced with a guest who was proactively showing interest in the clothes, Uika was naturally happy to answer.
"It's a personal brand that has just been established and hasn't officially opened yet. If you are interested, you can attend the exhibition planned for August... Ai?"
"Got it."
At Uika's call, Ai deftly produced Tetsuya's business card.
"Here is his card. If you are interested in collaborating with him, please contact him directly."
"...Collaborate?"
Hearing this word, the blonde man couldn't help but smile.
"That might be a little difficult, you see. I myself am a fashion designer."
"...Eh?"
Uika was stunned for a moment. Then, her mind immediately recalled the one foreign guest on the list who had been specially marked—
"Hey, Jean. You're not a child, don't just run off mid-conversation."
Just then, Mr. Kaji, the man the manager had introduced as this year's head stylist for the [TGC], also approached them.
When he saw the blonde man talking to the two idols, an expression of realization dawned on his face.
"So you saw these two... My apologies, ladies of [Summer Zodiac]. This guy's personality is a little too free-spirited. If he scared you, I'll make him apologize properly."
"Please don't worry, Mr. Kaji. The two of us weren't scared."
Faced with this important guest whom Tetsuya held in high regard, a polite and appropriate smile immediately appeared on Uika's face.
"This Mr. Jean was just asking us about our performance outfits."
However, the designer called "Jean," upon hearing Uika's words, suddenly raised an eyebrow.
"'Performance outfits'? No, no, no, mademoiselle. It is far too rude to describe the dress you are wearing with that word."
Under everyone's surprised gaze, Jean spoke.
"'I hope you become a star who can shine brightly at all times'... A garment designed with such heartfelt feelings from the designer is not so simple as a mere performance outfit. In my eyes, this is a passionate love letter."
At this, he then looked at the dress Hoshino Ai was wearing.
"As for this one, it is even more interesting. The mixed use of various high-end fabrics and the entirely handmade embroidery make it fundamentally impossible to replicate or alter. From this resolute craftsmanship and design, this must be a garment for 'farewell' and 'blessing.' How interesting! It has been a long time since I have seen clothing that embodies such strong feelings and conviction!"
"...!" x2.
While the foreign designer was marveling at their outfits, both Uika and Ai wore expressions of utter shock.
This man was seeing their outfits for the first time. This man knew nothing about the relationship between them and Chihaya Tetsuya. And yet, he had perfectly described what Tetsuya was thinking when he designed these two garments—
"See, this is why I say it's creepy to suddenly say such abstract things to people... My apologies, ladies. It's a bit late, but allow me to introduce him on his behalf."
Mr. Kaji said to the two young women.
"His name is Jean-Pierre Stanley. He is an independent designer from France, and also the designer I specially invited to create the finale for this year's [TGC]. Since you two should have already received your invitations to the [TGC], you can consider this your first formal meeting—"
"Wait a moment, oh, Mr. Kaji~"
Before the stylist could finish, Jean suddenly interrupted him.
"Before this, I thought the design level of the [TGC] was still the same as in previous years, which is why I agreed to do the finale without a second thought. But... if I am to share the stage with the designer who created these clothes, then I cannot be so casual."
With that, he took Tetsuya's business card from Ai's hand, then said with a broad smile:
"Mr. Kaji, for this year's [TGC], I would like to have a little competition with this Mr. Chihaya. What do you think?"