"...I thought you were just here to get my opinion again this time. I didn't expect you to have me try it on directly."
Looking at the sample garment hanging on the mannequin before her, Misumi Uika could hardly believe her eyes.
"How many days has it been since you said you were going to make adjustments? Is this speed really normal? Or was it like last time, where you went several days without any rest—"
"Ah, don't worry. It wasn't that exaggerated this time!"
Tetsuya immediately realized what Uika was thinking.
Thinking back, the zombie-like state he was in when they first met could certainly leave a lasting psychological scar on someone.
"It was just a temporary change in the design concept, not a complete overhaul, so the workload wasn't as big as you might think. And... I've been coming to the studio a little earlier than usual these past two days, for certain personal reasons..."
He paused for a moment at that point before clearing his throat.
"Ahem, anyway, the sample is ready. Please go ahead and try it on."
"Understood."
Uika nodded and took the gauze skirt from the mannequin.
"I thought Sakiko and I were a little bit ahead... but it turns out we're still much slower than you."
Hearing this, Tetsuya asked with curiosity:
"...What's wrong? Did you run into a bottleneck with the arrangement?"
"No, it's just Sakiko's perfectionism kicking in."
Uika said, holding the gauze skirt.
"In order to help you, it seems she's seriously trying to turn Ai into a 'god' this time. But it's a good thing Sakiko is there, so even if I'm not present, she's more than capable of finishing the rest of the work on her own."
"..."
Although he didn't know much about music, Tetsuya gleaned at least one very important piece of information from Uika's words—
"You've given full control of this arrangement to Togawa-san?"
"Mhm."
Uika nodded.
"Sakiko is very skilled, after all. There won't be any problems if I leave it to her."
"..."
Tetsuya didn't reply immediately, instead watching the back of Uika as she walked towards the changing room, a slight frown on his face.
...
"I'm changed."
When Uika emerged from the changing room wearing the sample garment, Tetsuya saw the ideal image he had envisioned.
Although it was a light gauze skirt, he had partially thickened it in order to perfectly integrate the luminous fibers. This not only added layers but also transformed the sheer, flimsy quality—which didn't suit Uika's aura—into a more mature, hazy elegance.
At the same time, while the outside world had always showered praise on Hoshino Ai's beauty, Uika's various attributes were actually no less impressive, especially her physical proportions.
Typically, idols who sold themselves on their looks might not have standards for their figures as strict as models, but Uika truly possessed a height and slimness that other idols could only envy—a gift from the heavens, one might say. These proportions not only allowed her to fully express her own mysterious "flower on a high peak" aura, but also brought out the dignity and grace of the long skirt.
From her swan-like, beautifully erect neck to her noble, elegant posture, and the sanctity that emanated a slight glow even under natural light, all the visual effects he had envisioned were indeed present in her.
Uika's own expression at that moment was one of utter shock.
She had never imagined that the garment Tetsuya had designed for her would be so magnificent.
"This is a truly outstanding piece of work. Thank you so much, Tetsuya-sa—"
Just as Uika was marveling at the gauze skirt, Tetsuya's expression made her pause.
"What's wrong, Tetsuya-san?"
"After putting on this outfit... what are your thoughts, Uika?"
Tetsuya rubbed his chin, asking with a thoughtful expression.
After hearing him, Uika first tilted her head in confusion before answering:
"My thoughts? Just as I said, it's an outstanding piece of work."
"Anything else?"
"Anything else..."
Uika's expression grew even more perplexed.
"If I have to say something, I feel like this outfit is just too amazing. My own charisma might not be enough to fully showcase it."
"...So that's it."
Hearing Uika's thoughts, Tetsuya finally had his answer.
"I knew something was off. So this was the problem."
As he spoke, Tetsuya walked towards the door.
Then, to Uika's complete bewilderment, he suddenly turned off the lights—
"Eh?!"
The room's sudden plunge into darkness made Uika let out a short, subconscious cry. However, the fluorescent glow from the gauze skirt she was wearing instantly dispelled her unease.
"This pattern is..."
"A starry sky."
In the darkness, before her vision had fully recovered, Tetsuya's voice came from nearby.
"Besides the brightest Summer Triangle, I've recreated an entire summer sky based on a star chart."
"No wonder..."
The specks of starlight on the gauze skirt made Uika instinctively think of the scene she most looked forward to seeing every time she went to the planetarium.
Magnificent, deep, mysterious, brilliant.
At this very moment, that dazzling and splendid summer sky, one that could not be hidden by the scorching sun or the bright moon, had become the light that adorned her.
This unprecedented feeling of being moved and joyful left Uika utterly captivated—
"Uika, now, please take a few steps forward."
Just as she was still deeply fascinated by the glow on the skirt, Tetsuya's voice rang out again.
"Until I say stop."
"???"
Although she didn't know what he was planning, out of her trust in him, she did as he asked.
A moment later, at Tetsuya's command, Uika immediately stopped.
And now, her eyes, which had slightly adjusted to the darkness, and the undiminished glow from her body, allowed her to see what was in front of her—
"A mirror?"
Seeing the figure in the mirror, adorned with specks of starlight, Uika was momentarily stunned.
And in that very instant, Tetsuya suddenly flipped the switch by the door, lighting up the studio once more.
"...That's it."
This time, a hint of a satisfied expression finally appeared on Tetsuya's face.
"Uika, please, don't change your expression. Now, look at yourself in the mirror."
Tetsuya said.
"The way you look right now is the perfect state I envisioned when I designed this dress."